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Russian Journalists Killed in Africa, Pension Reform Protests, FSIN Problem

Russian media roundup, July 27 – August 3, 2018

Details: 03 August 2018

This week, the news of the killing of three Russian journalists in Central African Republic caused a great stir, with discussions and speculations spanning across all major publications. On a different front, the debates around the pension reform continue as the protests against it took place in dozens of the Russian cities. Finally, in the light of the recent torture video in the Yaroslavl prison, the Russian officials have floated the idea of a penitentiary service reform.

Details: The Rundown

What the U.S. Congress Prepares for Putin

Details: 02 August 2018; Olga Khvostunova

The meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on July 17thin Helsinki triggered a wave of public indignation and resentment across the United States. Above all, the outrage was elicited by President Trump’s siding with Vladimir Putin on the crucial issue of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, thus directly undermining the U.S. intelligence’s consensus on the matter. Congress reacted promptly: within days following the Helsinki meeting, both the House and the Senate introduced several bills which, if passed, would add gravitas to the worsening relations between the U.S. and the Putin regime. We have read and summarized the key provisions of these bills below.

Details: Media Must-Reads

Helsinki Summit on Ukraine and Syria, Putin on Pension Reform, Hypersonic Leak

Russian media roundup, July 21-27, 2018

Details: 27 July 2018

This week, experts continued to dissect the outcomes of the highly controversial Helsinki summit and its meaning for the Ukraine and Syria crises. In the meantime, pension reform is moving forward in Russia, despite Putin’s “disliking” its key provisions. Finally, the FSB is investigating an alleged leak of Russia’s newest hypersonic technology to the West. In a bonus section, we focus on the state of affairs in the Russian civil society.

Details: Media Must-Reads

Helsinki Summit Results, FSB vs ICR, World Cup Aftermath

Russian media roundup, July 14-20, 2018

Details: 20 July 2018

The Putin-Trump summit in Helsinki and its aftermath dominated this week’s news cycle in the Russian media. Another important development was the arrest of former ICR official Alexander Drymanov, which signifies a new round of the ongoing war between the Investigative Committee and the FSB. Finally, the closing remarks on the World Cup and its implications for Russia shaped a third notable storyline.

Details: Research Recaps

Modern Political Warfare, GPV-2027, Deterring Russia

Details: 19 July 2018

This recap focuses on the military aspects of Western research into Russia under the current government. RAND analyzes modern political warfare by reviewing cases of Russia, Iran, and ISIS; Chatham House studies Russia’s latest armament program, known as GPV 2027; Atlantic Council assesses the threat of nuclear de-escalation strikes from Moscow.

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