The removal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who had become a toxic figure for the elite, is supposed to increase the efficiency of Russia’s war machine.

Georgian Dream, which until recently looked certain to win another victory in this year’s elections, now risks repeating last year’s mistake—only this time, the stakes are higher.

Amid the war in Ukraine, Azerbaijan has become an essential partner for Russia when it comes to both energy exports, and keeping open a transport corridor to Iran.

While China may not want to upend ties with Europe and the United States, it seeks to ensure that Russia remains a stable strategic partner. Providing Russia with dual-use components rather than finished weapons has allowed China to provide support for Russia while claiming plausible deniability.

For some Russian regions, the country’s invasion of Ukraine means they face shelling and dwindling export revenues due to sanctions. For others, it means an unprecedented influx of cash as they profit from the flywheel of war and growing domestic consumption.

Following the long-awaited release of the U.S. aid package for Ukraine, the best-case scenario for Kyiv in 2024 appears to entail minimizing Russia’s gains to incremental advancements, particularly at the height of its defense spending. But what if Russia’s military expenditure has not yet peaked?

The ongoing state of war and uncertain future mean that the Russian elites cannot make long-term plans, which encourages them to flout the old rules, live for today, and undertake power moves to score a win against their rivals.

Carnegie Politika podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Mark Galeotti, director of Mayak Intelligence, and Vera Mironova, an associate fellow at Harvard's Davis Center, to discuss the consequences of the March 22 terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall and its consequences for regime stability.

Putin is more likely to promote people in their forties than older generations who have been in power for too long and can envisage life without him. But Russia doesn’t have enough young administrators ready to replace those in their sixties.

The formation in Russia of a new concept of “fairness” is testament to how long the war in Ukraine is expected to continue. The “special military operation” is fast approaching a way of life.