Russia’s September 18–20 regional elections — covering 10 governorships and 39 regional parliaments — are less a contest than a Kremlin-orchestrated show of institutional control during wartime.
Tag: Russia
Posted inWorld
Xi, Putin and Modi Convene in Bishkek for SCO’s 25th Anniversary Summit
Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi gathered in Bishkek on August 31 for the 26th SCO leaders’ summit, marking 25 years since the bloc’s formation and anchoring a dense schedule of bilateral meetings.
Posted inEconomy
Wheat Surges 12% in a Week as Black Sea Disruptions Tighten Supply
Wheat futures posted their biggest weekly gain since March 2022, reaching a three-year high as Russia-Ukraine fighting cut Black Sea export flows and a USDA supply cut drove corn up 15% in August.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ukraine Has Run Out of Patriot Interceptors Before Russia’s Winter Strikes
Ukraine intercepted just 29 of 195 Russian ballistic missiles in July as ally deliveries fell to a third of last year’s pace, leaving Kyiv with 1% of US Patriot stockpile ahead of winter.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ratcliffe Flies to Moscow With a Warning on NATO and a Plea to Cut Iran Loose
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret visit to Moscow on August 26, meeting Russian intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin to warn against NATO attacks and urge Russia to end its support for Iran.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ukraine Intelligence Says Russia Plans 600,000-Strong Draft Across 2026 and 2027
Ukraine’s intelligence agencies say Russia is preparing a 600,000-troop draft across 2026 and 2027, to be announced after September’s Duma elections.
Posted inGeopolitics
Russia’s Banks Lose $15 Billion in Deposits This Summer as Bond Auctions Halt
Deposit withdrawals from Russian banks reached $3.4 billion in the first fortnight of August alone, putting annual outflows on pace to nearly double 2022 levels and forcing Moscow to suspend government bond auctions indefinitely.
Posted inGeopolitics
China and Russia Blunt Washington’s Push to Financially Isolate Iran
Despite the Trump administration declaring an economic D-Day against Tehran, Beijing and Moscow are sustaining trade and military supply lines that US secondary sanctions cannot easily reach.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ukraine Drones Strike Ozon Warehouse in Russia for the First Time
Ukrainian FPV drones set fire to an Ozon logistics hub in Chapayevsk, Samara Oblast on August 22, forcing over 500 workers to evacuate in the first confirmed attack on Russia’s second-largest e-retailer.
Posted inWorld
Africa Corps Fighters Executed Nine Civilians in Mali, HRW Says
Human Rights Watch says Russia-backed Africa Corps paramilitaries rounded up and executed nine civilians, including four children, during a July raid on Bombori village in Mali’s Mopti region.