Chechnya (Russia)
Desperate for Recruits, Russia Launches a ‘Stealth Mobilization’
“Mostly, of course, it is a way of earning money,” said Sergei Krivenko, director of the Russian human rights organization Citizen Army Law. Many, especially older volunteers, have substantial debts, he and others said. A May law scrapped the age limit of 40 for contract soldiers. Updated July 10, 2022, 6:20 a.m. ET Such piecemeal […]
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Putin’s War in Ukraine Shatters an Illusion in Russia
The last time I was in Russia, the summer of 2015, I came face to face with a contradiction. What if a place was unfree, but also happy? How long could it stay that way? Moscow had blossomed into a beautiful, European city, full of meticulously planted parks, bike lanes and parking spaces. Income for […]
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What if Putin Didn’t Miscalculate?
The conventional wisdom is that Vladimir Putin catastrophically miscalculated. He thought Russian-speaking Ukrainians would welcome his troops. They didn’t. He thought he’d swiftly depose Volodymyr Zelensky’s government. He hasn’t. He thought he’d divide NATO. He’s united it. He thought he had sanction-proofed his economy. He’s wrecked it. He thought the Chinese would help him out. […]
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As Russia Stalls in Ukraine, Dissent Brews Over Putin’s Leadership
In January, the head of a group of serving and retired Russian military officers declared that invading Ukraine would be “pointless and extremely dangerous.” It would kill thousands, he said, make Russians and Ukrainians enemies for life, risk a war with NATO and threaten “the existence of Russia itself as a state.” To many Russians, […]
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Russia’s Brutality in Ukraine Has Roots in Earlier Conflicts
“All those remaining in Grozny will be considered terrorists and will be wiped out by artillery and aviation,” an official military edict warned. Though the statement was rescinded, Russian forces shelled the city indiscriminately, blockading its exits to prevent residents from fleeing. Mr. Putin, whom President Boris Yeltsin promoted from virtual anonymity to prime minister […]
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