Russia Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Intelligence Assessment: Roberto Vannacci’s Electoral Challenge and Its Implications for Italy’s Strategic Stability

gainst the backdrop of Italy's upcoming parliamentary elections, small and newly established political movements could act as electoral spoilers for both major blocs—the center-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni and…

July 8, 2026Italy, Russia

Conflict Estimates Warfare

Crimea in the Dark: What the Peninsula-Wide Blackout Reveals About Russia’s Military Resilience and Occupation Governance

Following a large-scale drone attack, the Crimean Peninsula was left completely without electricity. The peninsula-wide blackout was officially confirmed by the hotline of Krymenergo, the regional electricity provider. Company representatives…

July 7, 2026Russia, Ukraine

Geopolitics ideology

Beyond Theology: Patriarch Kirill, Russian Soft Power, and the European Sanctions Debate

Italy has joined Bulgaria in expressing concern over the European Commission's proposal to impose targeted sanctions on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, as part of the…

July 6, 2026Bulgaria, Orthodox church, Russia, Sanctions, Vatican

Energy Governance National Security

Cameroon’s Flag Registry and Russia’s Shadow Fleet: Why Moscow Turned to West Africa to Evade Sanctions

Cameroon's decision to deregister vessels linked to Russia's shadow fleet represents one of the most significant attempts by an African state to limit the exploitation of its maritime registry for…

July 3, 2026Cameroon, Russia, shadow fleet

Nonproliferation Psyops Warfare

China’s CBRN Training for Russia and the Nuclear Shadow over Ukraine

Reuters’ report on Chinese training for Russian forces in radiological, chemical, and biological protectionopens a serious window into the evolution of the Ukraine war, because it suggests that Moscow is preparing its military to function inside a…

July 1, 2026China, nuclear weapons, Russia

Geopolitics

Lavrov’s “Trump’s War” Narrative: Moscow’s Attempt to Reframe U.S. Policy and Preserve Escalation Leverage

Sergey Lavrov’s claim that “Biden’s war” has become “Trump’s war” is not merely a rhetorical attack on Washington. It is a calibrated Russian information operation aimed at reframing the war in…

June 30, 2026Russia, Ukraine, USA

ideology influence ops

Educating Confrontation: How MGIMO Shapes Russia’s Future Diplomatic and Hybrid Warfare Elite

A French publication has released an article by Romain Keppen, titled "MGIMO: Russia's Factory of Confrontation with Europe," in which the author, drawing on his own experience as a student at the Moscow…

June 26, 2026MGIMO, Russia

Geopolitics influence ops Propaganda and Disinformation Psyops

Leaked Kremlin Documents Reveal Plans to Redraw Central Europe’s Political Landscape by Dismantling the Visegrád Group

Leaked classified documents have exposed Kremlin plans to fundamentally reshape the political landscape of Central Europe by dismantling the Visegrád Group (V4) and replacing it with a new regional bloc…

June 25, 2026Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, SDA

Intelligence ops

Luxury Assets, Strategic Threats: The Security Risks Posed by Superyachts in European Waters

The newly built superyacht O3, owned oligarch Leonard Blavatnik and currently transiting the Danish Straits, may pose a security risk to Denmark and the wider European region. The presence of a…

June 24, 2026Blavatnik, O3, Russia

Economy Geoeconomics

Exhaustion Versus Innovation: Russia’s Economic Constraints and the Future of the War in Ukraine

Recent statements by U.S. representatives at the United Nations signal a notable shift in Washington's messaging toward Moscow. Rather than focusing exclusively on military developments, U.S. officials increasingly emphasize the…

June 23, 2026Russia, Ukraine

Russia