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Articles by Mark Youngman
Are Russian Gray Ops the New War on Terror?
This article was adapted from the Threatologist newsletter. Russia is menacing Europe. It is testing reactions and resolve, spreading instability and chipping away at the principles of collective defense. The only appropriate response is to acknowledge the seriousness of the threat and ramp up preparedness and defense spending — and to show Russia that the West will not shy away from confrontation. This, at least, is the narrative that dominates the media and security landscape.
Russia’s Chances of Establishing a Base in Sudan – Riddle Russia
«The time has come to restore our navy’s presence.» This was how Vladimir Komoyedov, a retired Russian admiral, former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, and a two-term State Duma deputy, commented in 2020 on the news of the imminent deployment—within three to four months—of a Russian Navy logistics support point (LSP) in Port Sudan. However, the situation has not progressed since then: Russia has failed to displace the United States in the Red Sea.
Proclamations versus Practice – Riddle Russia
The discussions on the fate of the assets of the Russian central bank in the European Union and the United States have not abated since February 2022. Immediately after the start of the full-scale invasion, some $ 300 billion of Russian assets were frozen in Western banks. The states that have jurisdiction over these funds face a difficult dilemma.
What future for Chechen and North Caucasian fighters in Syria? – Riddle Russia
The spectacular fall of the Assad regime last month is a massive turning point for the Middle East. Assad had long been considered to be a victor of Syria’s ruinous civil war, left to rule over the ashes of his country. That all changed in the space of 11 days, when a rebel offensive launched from the tiny opposition enclave of Idlib saw the Syrian dictator’s forces routed and he himself was forced to flee to Moscow on December 8.
Syria without Assad and Russia’s inertial assistance – Riddle Russia
In the language of Vladimir Putin’s favorite daily, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia is in the midst of a fascinating spectacle: its leading politicians, military officers and Z-bloggers are turning on a dime and publicly declaring that, despite their recent writings and comments to the contrary, they have in fact long since realized how weak and corrupt Bashar al-Assad’s regime is and actually expected his army to quickly fall apart.
Chechnya’s war on Ukraine – Riddle Russia
Mark Youngman on the evolving role played by the Chechen security services in Ukraine Читать на русском Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has been a vocal supporter of Russia’s war on Ukraine from the outset, but the role played by his security services — commonly known as the kadyrovtsy — has evolved significantly.
Transnistrian region and Abkhazia face an ‘energy winter’ – Riddle Russia
With the onset of winter, Moscow is flexing its energy muscles to score points in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Moldova’s Transnistrian region. It is difficult to exaggerate the dependence of these two separatist regions on Russian energy supplies. The Transnistrian energy region is almost exclusively dependent on the import of Russian natural gas transported via Ukraine.
The Prospects for US-Russia Climate Engagement Under Moscow’s Chairing of the Arctic Council
This week, the rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum for Arctic affairs, will pass from Iceland to Russia for a two-year term. Russia will take the baton at a time when the organization grapples with multiple challenges and Russia-West relations have hit another historic low.
Macron’s Dialogue With Russia: A French Attempt to Fix the European Security Architecture
In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron put forward the idea of engaging a strategic dialogue with Russia as a necessary step to create an “architecture of trust and security” on the European continent. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the European Union had adopted a two-track approach of sanctions and dialogue with Russia.
Stoner’s Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Russia’s New Strength
BOOK REVIEW “Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order” By Kathryn E. Stoner Oxford University Press, February 2021 As the U.S.-Russian relationship has become increasingly adversarial, Russia’s power and behavior have drawn increasing attention from policymakers, journalists and scholars. This has in turn fueled discussion and debate surrounding Russia’s capabilities and its government’s aims. Stanford University scholar Kathryn E.
Counterterrorism, Russia | Homeland Security Newswire
CounterterrorismDisplaced Conflict: Russia’s Qualified Success in Combatting Insurgency By Mark Youngman and Cerwyn Moore Published 30 April 2021 In both Syria and the North Caucasus, Russia claims success in fighting insurgency and terrorism, offering itself as a model of best practice. Closer examination, however, shows that this “success” carries major caveats and is more illusory than it first appears.
Russia's Qualified Success Fighting Insurgency
Mark Youngman & Cerwyn Moore Russia Matters April 29, 2021 In both Syria and the North Caucasus, Russia claims success in fighting insurgency and terrorism, offering itself as a model of best practice. Closer examination, however, shows that this “success” carries major caveats and is more illusory than it first appears.
Displaced Conflict: Russia’s Qualified Success in Combatting Insurgency
In both Syria and the North Caucasus, Russia claims success in fighting insurgency and terrorism, offering itself as a model of best practice. Closer examination, however, shows that this “success” carries major caveats and is more illusory than it first appears. This article considers the link between Russian-speaking foreign fighters in Syria and domestic jihadism, the lessons of Russia’s counterinsurgency approach and the potential for further conflict in the North Caucasus.
Russians Largely Blame US, NATO Allies for Escalation of Tensions Near Ukraine
Almost half of Russians blame the U.S. and its NATO allies for the escalation of tensions in eastern Ukraine, according to the results of a poll released April 29 by Russia’s leading independent pollster, the Levada Center. Forty-eight percent of respondents hold that view. Those who believe the U.S. and NATO are to blame for the escalation dominate all age groups among the poll’s respondents.
Russia’s Dwindling Middle Classes No Catalyst for Shift in Kremlin Foreign Policy
After years of rapid expansion during President Vladimir Putin’s first stint as president, Russia's middle class has dwindled in the years since his return to office in 2012. Confrontation with the west after the annexation of Crimea, the resulting sanctions and the Kremlin’s focus on macroeconomic stability at the expense of prosperity have entrenched a stagnation which has hit middle-earners hard. By one count, Russia’s middle class shrunk 20 percent during the economic crisis that followed.
Building “Terrorism Studies” as an Interdisciplinary Space: Addressing Recurring Issues in the Study of Terrorism
To some degree, a distinct discipline devoted to the study of terrorism already exists. The Economic and Social Research Council’s National Centre for Research Methods (UK) identifies several characteristics of academic disciplines: a particular object of research; an accumulated body of specialised knowledge; theories and concepts for organising that knowledge; specific research methods matching their requirements; and some form of institutional manifestation.11.
Russia's domestic terrorism threat is serious, sophisticated and complex
The April 3 bombing on the St Petersburg metro was the highest-profile terror attack on Russian soil since a suicide bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport in January 2011. According to Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee, at least 14 people were killed and 49 injured by an improvised explosive device; further casualties were prevented when a second device was disarmed at another station. Days later, another bomb was found and defused in a residential building.
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