Ukraine recap: Moscow’s ‘pyrrhic victory’ in Bakhmut prompts unrest in the Russian military, but it’s all smiles for Zelensky: After the best part of a year, Russia has claimed victory in the meat-grinder that was the Battle of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s east. But the battle achieved virtually none of Russia’s original strategic objectives and came …
Ukraine war: Black Sea grain deal exposes Moscow’s long-term diplomatic game: Odessa's grain silos are full as a Russian blockade has stopped ships leaving during the Ukraine war. Rospoint/Shutterstock The deal to open up Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, brokered by the UN and Turkey, is expected to facilitate the much-needed export of several million tonnes …
Russia’s grand strategy: how Putin is using Syria conflict to turn Turkey into Moscow’s proxy: Turkey, Russia and Iran have actively involved themselves in the Syrian conflict, each with their own divergent interests. Moscow and Tehran have put their support behind the regime of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, hoping it retains its influence over …
Why Russia needs troops from the Caucasus in Syria – and how they bolster Moscow’s ‘eastern’ image: During the early years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union made a great push to reach out to the developing world, and particularly to the Middle East and Asia. It established particularly close ties with Nasser’s Egypt …