In Moscow's Shadows

In Moscow's Shadows 264: Russia’s Bear(s) On The March

A fat, smug bear sits at the heart of Russia’s politics right now and it is not just a party logo. The State Duma election has handed United Russia - whose logo is the be

In Moscow's Shadows 263: Voting for War Putinism

In Russia’s elections, the ballot box is no longer a measure of consent but rather a tool for manufacturing it. It's only two days into the three days of elections t

In Moscow's Shadows 262: Jaw-Jaw Not Ending The War-War

I start with a round-up of current news stories: the Witkoff-Kushner peace mission that is likely heading nowhere, Zelensky's apparent threat to civil aviation that

In Moscow's Shadows 261: Happy Days for Putin?

Everyone keeps diagnosing Putin’s mood, not least given the CIA Director’s visit to Moscow. Putin is angry, he's frightened, he's desperate -- that seems to be

In Moscow's Shadows 260: Digging (Relics) For Victory

The war seems to be getting (even) nastier, in part perhaps - and this may be over-optimistic - as both sides seen an endgame almost in sight, as well as out of growing d

In Moscow's Shadows 259: A Bite Out Of The Apple

When the Kremlin changed its mind and decided to ban the opposition party Yabloko (Apple) from running in September's elections, it demonstrated its concern that thi

In Moscow's Shadows 258: The Ukraine War and Russia's Khaki Election

Ukraine’s long-range campaign against Russia is no longer just about spectacular refinery fires. When Kyiv pivots towards softer targets like logistics hubs, it can hit m

In Moscow's Shadows 257: A Tale Of Two Systems

Zelensky sacks a defence minister, then removes his commander-in-chief, and suddenly the question is not “who is better?” but “who controls the politics of war?”  I use

In Moscow's Shadows 256: Desperation, Escalation, Mobilisation

Putin is being pressed by some within the elite to call it quits and freeze the war on the current front line, by others to step up and try and impose a quick military so

In Moscow's Shadows 255: Chekistocracy? Or, Power and the Spooks in Putin's Russia

“Russia is run by the spooks” is a satisfying line, but it is also a lazy one. Despite talk of a 'Chekistocracy' run by the intelligence and security services,

In Moscow's Shadows 254: Endgames

A collection of stories to discuss, but all of which in one way or another come down to endgames: the death of Sergei Ivanov, the "drone siege" of Crimea, the debate over

In Moscow's Shadows 253: The Fall Of Antikvar

A 74-year-old port magnate known in the underworld as Antikvar is arrested by an FSB team, hauled into Moscow’s Basmanny Court, and suddenly the ghosts of St Petersburg’s

In Moscow's Shadows 252: All the Pieces of Peace in Ukraine

Peace gets talked about as if it is a destination we can spot from the front line, but the closer we look, the more it feels like a mirage. Ukraine’s mid-range strikes an

In Moscow's Shadows 251: The Near Abroad Recedes: Armenia and Belarus

Russia still talks about the “Near Abroad” as if the map never changed, but the region is changing anyway. After a quick touch on Zelensky's open letter to Putin and

In Moscow's Shadows 250: Moscow's Comms Playbook (And Why It's So Bad)

A Russian drone hits a Romanian apartment block, two civilians are injured, and suddenly a stray weapon becomes a case study in how Putin’s Kremlin handles bad news. Why

In Moscow's Shadows 249: Pragmatism in Asia

After Putin's Beijing visit - long on rhetoric, short on results - I look more broadly as Asia: the limits of the "friendship with no limits" with China, heding with

In Moscow's Shadows 248: What If?

First, a round up of some current issues: Putin heading to China, two governors out (and two men with Ukraine war connections in), party politics and the jostling for sec

In Moscow's Shadows 247: Victory Day Without The Victory

No tanks, great camera work. Victory Day is supposed to be Russia’s most unshakeable story, the moment when the state proves its strength, its allies, and its confidence

In Moscow's Shadows 246: Is Russia A Great Power?

A battlefield setback in Mali sparks a much bigger question: what kind of power is Russia now, and what kind of power can it afford to be? Is it a superpower? No. Is it a

In Moscow's Shadows 245: Belousov And The War Machine

Putin didn’t pick a battlefield hero to run Russia’s Defence Ministry. He picked Andrei Belousov, an economist with a planner’s instincts and a technocrat’s patience. Tha