Live Updates: Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Russia’s new Information Operations Troops which will be engaged in cyber warfare. The previous issue is here. Recent Analysis and Translations: ‘Hybrid Cyberwars’: Are the Russian Hackers’ Arrests About American or Internal Russian issues? Donât Forget About âSoft Powerâ Part of Russiaâs âHybrid Warâ in Ukraine: Russian Activist […]
Tag: Alexei Kudrin
Moscow Can’t Maintain Current Levels of Military Spending for Much Longer, Guriyev Says
Staunton, May 24 — The Russian government cannot afford to maintain its current levels of military spending for long because its shift of resources to the military sector is threatening the rest of the Russian economy and because its reserve fund will be insufficient to pay for this spending for more than another year or […]
Putin: Officials Should Keep Criticism Quiet or “Get Out”
Did Russian president Vladimir Putin just throw his prime minister Dmitry Medvedev under the bus? That’s how this article, published in the up-and-coming independent media outlet Dozhd (TV Rain), characterizes the latest statements from Putin. The pro-Kremlin outlet Ria Novosti, which first published Putin’s statements, makes no mention of Medvedev being the intended target of the […]
Alexei Kudrin Not Ready to Replace Dmitry Medvedev
Alexei Kudrin, head of the Committee of Civic Initiatives (CCI), has said that the possibility that he will be appointed prime minister is “minimal,” emphasizing that he has some antagonisms with the political leadership of the country. The ex-Minister of Finance “for now” is engaged in “direct political activity.” Kudrin made this statement at an […]
Palace Intrigue Linked to Patronage Economy
Putin’s rule in Russia is based on his careful management of an institutionalized patronage system which has allowed him to navigate the “clan” factionalism of Russian business and political elites. Through unusually high commodity prices, and a 7 percent growth rate over the past decade, Putin was able to rely on large surpluses to placate […]
Putin Did Not Defend the Government During the “Direct Line”
During his five-hour dialogue with the Russian people, Vladimir Putin did not express his support for the government of Dmitri Medvedev. He said that it’s too early to dismiss that government, and did not even argue against some sharp criticisms by the former finance minister Alexei Kurdin, who during that live broadcast stressed on several […]