ANOTHER CASUALTY OF RUSSIA'S WAR
Since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, the space for free expression in Russia has shrunk precipitously amid a Kremlin crackdown on media coverage of the conflict, onerous new penalties for improper speech, and widening restrictions in what was already a profoundly-constrained informational environment. This, in turn, has led to the departure or closure of an array of media outlets that have, intentionally or unintentionally, run afoul of authorities as a result of their coverage. The latest is Sobesednik, the Soviet Union's first color newspaper. The long-running periodical has announced that it will cease publication after being labeled a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. The state decision was based on accusations that Sobesednik was disseminating "inaccurate information" about government policies, spreading "fakes" about the Russian military, and generally opposing the invasion of Ukraine. Authorities also cited content sharing with other foreign-labeled entities among the list of the paper's supposed infractions.
Notably, despite its long history of publication, the newspaper has often been in conflict with the Kremlin – most recently when it published a two-page tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny following his death in an Arctic penal colony back in February. Elena Milchanovska, one of its correspondents, has said that the paper plans to challenge the suspension, expressed deep regret over the suspension, and the designation, in court. (The Moscow Times, September 17, 2024)
PUTIN SWELLS THE SIZE OF RUSSIA'S MILITARY...
Pursuant to a new order issued by President Vladimir Putin, the size of the Russian armed forces will increase by 180,000 soldiers, to a total to 1.5 million active servicemen. The order, the third major troop increase since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, will take effect on December 1st. It parallels new warnings from the Kremlin about potentially dire consequences of stepped-up Western assistance to Ukraine, as well as any potential American or European decisions about loosening constraints on how Kyiv can utilize the arms that have been provided so far. (The Moscow Times, September 16, 2024)
[EDITORS' NOTE: The order is significant in terms of what it signifies about the overall state of Russia's troubled war effort. Back in September of 2022, Putin's announcement of a "partial mobilization" to bolster the ranks of the Russian military led to an exodus of tens of thousands of military-age males from the country. Since then, authorities in Moscow have done everything possible to avoid another conscription drive that could generate domestic discontent. That they have decided to launch one now suggests that Russia's offensive in Ukraine – as well as its so-far insufficient attempts to dislodge Ukrainian forces in its own Kursk Oblast – are experiencing real difficulties.]
...AND UPDATES ITS NUCLEAR POSTURE
Amid ongoing tensions with the West and military difficulties in Ukraine, Russian experts are counseling the Kremlin to rethink and revamp its nuclear posture. In a recent interview with Kommersant, Sergei Karaganov, a prominent Russian political scientist who heads the country's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, a private analytical institution, laid out his vision for the new, more confrontational WMD posture he believes Moscow should adopt.
According to Karaganov, who has been involved with updating Russia's nuclear doctrine, its current policy – which was formulated in 2010 and articulates a more conservative view regarding the employment of nuclear weapons – is "reckless" and "basically discards – by about 99.9 percent – the most powerful tool of our military and foreign policy." Rather, he asserts, "[t]he main purpose of the doctrine should be convincing all existing and future adversaries that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons.'
Karaganov also laid out that, in his view, a "limited" nuclear war was not unthinkable, and would not necessarily lead to a wider and potentially devastating global conflict. And, in the context of the current war, he counsels that "[t]oughening up the nuclear doctrine is not enough. The Russian leadership should also clearly say that we are ready to use [nuclear weapons]… Against the countries that support NATO's aggression in Ukraine." (MEMRI, September 17, 2024)
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