 RFE/RL Russia Report 8/11/2010 4:30:40 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about domestic and foreign-policy developments in Russia. For more stories on Russia, please visit and bookmark our Russia page . |
 A Law On Lawlessness? There has been a lot of ink spilled in recent weeks pondering the proposed new law on the police and, before that, the law on expanding the powers of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Good textual analyses of both bits of legislation can be found on the blog A Good Treaty here and here. More  Russia Deploys Missiles In Abkhazia Russia says it has deployed antiaircraft missiles in the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia, in a move greeted with alarm in Tbilisi. The move comes just days after a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the region, on the second anniversary of Russia's brief war with Georgia. More  Georgia's Lonely Unilateralisms RFE/RL correspondent Ahto Lobjakas argues that Georgia appears resigned to a ritualistic contest of wills with Abkhazia and South Ossetia from which the latter may hope to gain respectability by association -- and taint Tbilisi's in the process. More  Moscow Prices Surge Amid Heat, Smog Muscovites and Russian consumer advocates are complaining that stores have raised the prices on key products such as air conditioners, ventilators, and even cold drinks amid the intense heat and smog that is plaguing Moscow. More  'Vendis' To Challenge 'Makdonalds' In Russia Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Inc. says it has reached a franchising agreement with Russian food services company Food Service Capital to open 180 combination Wendy’s/Arby’s restaurants in the country over the next 10 years. More  The Fire This Time? Sometimes a crisis like like the wildfires ravaging Russia is cathartic, sparking and focusing the kind of public outrage that forces a government to rethink its policies and priorities. But then again, sometimes it isn't. More  The Land Of Smoke And Honey It took Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov a while to spring into action as the city choked from the fumes of numerous forest and peat-bog fires ravaging the surroundings of the capital. More  As Russian Fires Rage, Forest Rangers Fume Some 70,000 rangers once patrolled Russia's forests full-time. But the Kremlin cut their ranks, and critics say this summer's deadly fires are the consequence. More  Russian Espionage Targeting New NATO Members Two decades after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Russian intelligence services appear to be stepping up activities in postcommunist countries that are now members of the EU and NATO. More  The Little War That Actually Didn't Shake The World What were the results of the Russia-Georgia war of early August 2008? At first it seemed as if the war would overturn everything in the region and create a new global reality. But nothing of the sort actually happened. More  Following U-Turn, Umarov Turns On Udugov Two days after publicly disavowing as "completely falsified" the video clip in which he announced his resignation, self-styled emir of the North Caucasus Doku Umarov has ordered the "temporary suspension" of Movladi Udugov as director of the North Caucasus emirate's press service. A statement accused Udugov of "violating discipline" by the unauthorized posting on the website of materials "not intended for public distribution." More  Rights, The Reset, And The Gathering Storm The United States came out this week with its harshest public criticism of Russia since President Barack Obama reset relations with Moscow. The U.S. criticism comes at a time when rights activists are increasingly worried that optimism about the liberalizing noises coming from President Dmitry Medvedev may have been premature. More  A Tale Of Two Leaks Andrei Soldatov says it's interesting that at the very moment when the Russian media were reporting about the U.S. scandal and predicting the imminent collapse of the coalition in Afghanistan, another episode that could have had a much more direct impact on Russia -- another leak! -- passed without mention. More  Demolition Of Moscow Mansion Could Foreshadow Fate Of Other Buildings Following the controversial demolition of a 19th-century mansion in Moscow, preservation activists warn that the city is planning to knock down more historic buildings as part of a controversial development plan for the Russian capital. More Umarov's U-Turn Doku Umarov has disavowed as "totally fabricated" a video clip in which he passed on leadership of the North Caucasus insurgency to a successor. More Kasparov.ru says porcelain busts of Russian leaders have reached clamoring mobs of kitsch-starved shoppers in Yakutsk, where Putin sells for 200 rubles more than Medvedev. More  Russia's Gangsters With Convictions It is easy to see the Russian underworld as chaotic, lawless in every sense. Of late, it has also looked as though a mob war loomed. However, as with so much in Russia, the underworld may look entirely unruly but it is in fact governed by a form of "managed anarchy." More |
