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Russia’s Conscription Conundrum
Elisabeth Braw, Foreign Affairs
A lack of funds may not be the only hindrance to Russia’s military modernization plan: there also may not be enough men to operate the updated weaponry. Braw highlights the numerous problems faced by the Russian military.
A Bashful Aristocracy: Why There Is No Putin Street in St. Petersburg
Yekaterina Schulman, Carnegie Moscow Center
A new 24-foot statue of Prince Vladimir the Great will soon be erected in Moscow and could be a wink and nod to a certain other Vladimir. Schulman explains how Putin’s regime built on his cult of personality differs from other single-party autocracies.
Money Still Rules Ukraine
Taras Kuzio, Foreign Policy
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s boasts of reforms are increasingly being criticized as unfulfilled promises. Kuzio describes which sectors of Ukraine’s government still need overhauling, lest Ukraine’s 2014 Euromaidan revolution end up the same way as its 2004 Orange Revolution.
How Russian TV Propaganda Is Made
Dmitry Sidorov, OpenDemocracy
Four former employees of pro-Kremlin Russian television share their stories about the kinds of decisions made in the upper echelons of the industry, about their colleagues and work environments, and about their emotions while on the job.
Six Months After Nemtsov Killing, Investigation Stymied by ‘Stonewall’
Tom Balmforth, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Half a year has passed since the brazen murder of Boris Nemtsov, and the case into his killing has made little progress due to the elusiveness of a key suspect: senior Chechen security official Ruslan Geremeyev. But in a glimmer of hope, investigators are seeking creative ways to overcome political obstacles.
Compiled by Molly Zuckerman
