TOPICS

Russian Domestic Politics

Briefing Papers

Kremlin’s delayed response to Ukrainian attacks creates information vacuum

Recent Ukrainian drone strikes and rail sabotage in Russia have exposed vulnerabilities in the political system and triggered negative reactions among loyalists, posing a political challenge for the Kremlin

NEST Centre
NEST Centre
Briefing Papers

Early frosts – the Russian economy at the end of spring 2025 

Russia’s wartime economy is slowing: civilian output is shrinking, inflation is rising, and China now dominates industrial imports. Growth limits are in sight

NEST Centre
NEST Centre
Briefing Papers

The long march of Victory Day – from memory to mobilisation

Victory Day has become a tool of mobilisation. The Kremlin now uses war memory to justify aggression and offer symbolic stability amid public anxiety

NEST Centre
NEST Centre
Reports

Three outsiders, or the return of politics for the people

Three new governors in Russia signal a shift, gaining some autonomy but tied to patronal networks, as the Kremlin crafts an illusion of public influence

Nikolai Petrov
Nikolai Petrov
Reports

Changes of regional governors as a snapshot of current Russian politics

After two years of caution, Moscow has made significant personnel changes to improve governance and consolidate control

John LoughVladimir PastukhovNikolai Petrov
John Lough, Vladimir Pastukhov, Nikolai Petrov
Reports

Are those returning from the war in Ukraine a threat to Putin’s ‘old’ elite?

Russia’s war veterans are being positioned as a new elite, as the Kremlin seeks to merge military and civilian spheres through loyalty and wartime experience

John LoughVladimir PastukhovNikolai Petrov
John Lough, Vladimir Pastukhov, Nikolai Petrov
Briefing Papers

Putin tightens grip on power with post-inauguration leadership reshuffle

Putin’s reshuffles centralize power among loyalists, creating a royal court dynamic. His personal grip is strong but fragile, akin to Stalin’s rule

Nikolai Petrov
Nikolai Petrov
Reports

There’s no military mobilisation in Russia, yet people are being mobilised

Putin decrees to raise troop numbers after heavy losses and a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk

John LoughVladimir PastukhovNikolai Petrov
John Lough, Vladimir Pastukhov, Nikolai Petrov
Reports

Incursion into the Kursk Region: a test of loyalty

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk region challenged the Kremlin’s image of control, revealed public anxiety and the state’s detachment from its own citizens

John LoughVladimir PastukhovNikolai Petrov
John Lough, Vladimir Pastukhov, Nikolai Petrov

New Eurasian Strategies Centre (c) 2025

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