In Moscow's Shadows 158: A Hectic Week in Russia
Where to start? The prisoner exchange and subsequent furore over released dissidents' statements? More arrests of senior military figures? The bizarre shenanigans over a controversial merger in Russia...
4 Aug 202458min
In Moscow's Shadows 157: No Crime and Much Punishment: the Gershkovich Case and recent books on Russia's prisons
With Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years on what I consider wholly spurious espionage charges (and I explain why I think this), it's a suitable moment first to consider...
28 Jul 202449min
In Moscow's Shadows 156: Are Putin's Praetorians up to the challenges of the future?
The Rosgvardiya, the National Guard, is the final backstop of Putin's rule, the public order force on which he relies to control the streets.* However, facing growing protest at home and engaged in pa...
21 Jul 202457min
In Moscow's Shadows 155: Putin's Shadow War on the West
The claim that Russian intelligence planned to murder a German industrialist highlights the Kremlin's escalating campaign of mayhem and disruption in Europe, from arson to disruptive cyberattacks. Why...
13 Jul 202456min
In Moscow's Shadows 154: What (if anything) does the Labour Party victory in the UK mean for Ukraine and Russia?
Will the change in government in London and Sir Keir Starmer's elevation to prime minister mean anything for Kyiv and Moscow? Are there lessons to be learned about how Moscow handles foreign election...
6 Jul 202448min
In Moscow's Shadows 153: Geopolitics, Nepotism, Terror and Assassination... (all the nice things)
A compilation of current issues, which will nonetheless somehow connect: The Trump-Biden debate: what does the Kremlin really want?Nepotism: why are the princelings returning to politics?Terrorism in ...
30 Jun 20241h 1min
In Moscow's Shadows 152: Prigozhin's Mutiny, One Year On
Exactly one year after Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary army began its mutiny, what has changed, and what can be learned? And why are so many Russians so keen to believe Prigozhin himself is not dead? In...
23 Jun 20241h 7min
In Moscow's Shadows 151: From Switzerland to SMERSH
Ukraine's Ten Point Peace Plan, which received only limited endorsement at the recent Swiss Peace Summit, is essentially a demand for Russia's surrender. Putin's recent statement of conditions for neg...
16 Jun 202445min
