The Caucasus

Russian War Report: Russian hacker wanted by the FBI reportedly wins Wagner hackathon prize 

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

In December 2022, Wagner Group organized a hackathon that was won by a man wanted by the FBI for his connection to computer malware.

Vladimir Putin: 2022 Loser of the Year

By Peter Dickinson

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is the biggest loser of 2022. His disastrous decision to invade Ukraine has left Russia internationally isolated and shattered the country's reputation as a military superpower.

Europe and the Caspian: The gas supply conundrum

By John Roberts and Julian Bowden

The Caspian has emerged as a major player in Europe's effort to move away from Russian gas. But logistical and political difficulties could prevent crucial Caspian projects from getting off the ground.

Russia must stop being an empire if it is wishes to prosper as a nation

By Taras Kuzio

Post-Soviet Russia never shed the imperial identity inherited from the Soviet and Czarist past but Putin's disastrous invasion of Ukraine could now set the stage for the emergence of a post-imperial Russian identity.

Vladimir Putin has little reason to celebrate on his seventieth birthday

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin marks his seventieth birthday on October 7 but the Russian ruler has little reason to celebrate as his disastrous Ukraine invasion continues to unravel leaving Russia increasingly internationally isolated.

Russian War Report: Putin illegally annexes Ukrainian territory

On September 30, Russian President Putin officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, incorporating them into Russia. The announcement was met with swift global condemnation.

Putin’s nuclear ultimatum is a desperate bid to freeze a losing war

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine is a sign of the Russian dictator's mounting desperation as his invasion continues to unravel and his country's geopolitical isolation deepens.

Putin’s Russian Empire is collapsing like its Soviet predecessor

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was meant to extinguish the Ukrainian state once and for all. Instead, Russian influence in the post-Soviet region is in danger of receding to levels not witnessed in hundreds of years.

Russian War Report: Ukraine secures new territory as Prigozhin recruits Russian prisoners 

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

As Ukraine recaptures its territory, Russia attempts to recruit convicts. Elsewhere, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan renews and hundreds of civilians are found dead in Izyum.

To re-engage in the Black Sea, the US must look to Turkey

By Arnold C. Dupuy

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presents an opportunity for the United States to re-engage in the Black Sea region. To do so, it will need to work with partners and allies, such as Turkey.