Russia
CIS spymasters take their orders from Moscow

Russia, United States
World Bank to share best practices with CIS statistics committee

As part of its International Comparison Program, the World Bank is sharing statistical good practice with the Commonwealth of Independent States' Moscow-based interstate statistical body. It relies on Russian consulting firms.

Armenia, Belarus, Central Asia, Russia
Russia pushes for defence focus within Eurasia's block

Despite tensions between the heads of the CSTO, a Eurasian alliance intended to act as a counterweight to NATO, Russia plans to have its member states focus on defence through more concrete action away from political declarations.

Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia
Central Asian spymasters want to return Russia's focus to Afghanistan

Silovik chief Nikolai Patrushev is still taking part in discussion forums run by Central Asia's intelligence chiefs worried about the Taliban security risk. But with all their efforts focused on the war in Ukraine, Russia's armed forces have been forced to gradually disengage from that part of the world.

The Agencies' Gazette
SVR, DNI, GKNB, Corinte, Paris and Chinese Intelligence

Appointments, reforms, and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from London to Paris via Bishkek.

RussiaKremlin explores new foreign policy concept

United StatesSenator Scott Young enlists DNI communications director.

FranceFrench senators point to weak representation in international organisations.

KyrgyzstanBishkek's former spymaster to head embassy in Ukraine

FranceParis wants to join international scene of Chinese intelligence analysis

Spotlight | China, Russia
Russian soft power ups ambitions in Central Asia for 2022

Moscow has grand plans for its networks of influence abroad over the coming year, starting with the need to maintain its declining dominance in Central Asia. But these ambitious goals could come up against the situation in Kazakhstan, where India, China and other powers are using their own approaches.

Kyrgyzstan, Russia
Afghan tensions affords Bishkek spymasters strategic regional role

Taking advantage of the renewed prominence of Central Asia following the Afghan outbursts, the Kyrgyz spymasters are seeking to consolidate their position and to assert the interests of Bishkek in the regional dynamics between Beijing, Islamabad and New Delhi.

Russia, Ukraine
Kyiv quietly fuming over Russian memorial to Soviet-era secret agent in Crimea

Being both head of the SVR and chairman of the Russian Historical Society puts Sergey Naryshkin in a position to reinstate a number of Soviet-era intelligence officers and in doing so furthering the Kremlin's regional strategy.

Russia
Sergei Korolev to carry Shanghai Pact's anti-terrorism flag

Russia has appointed rising intelligence star Sergei Korolev to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as it renews its membership with the regional alliance and ramps up efforts to counter various groups it qualifies as terrorist or extremist.

Afghanistan, Russia
Russian services regroup in Dushanbe as NATO withdraws from Kabul

NATO's early withdrawal from Afghanistan, which should be complete on 25 June a few days before US troops pull out on 4 July, is enough to make Russia and its central Asian partners nervous about the road ahead.

Russia
Putin struggles to renew strategic guard in Middle East

Faced with significant diplomatic and security stakes in that part of the world, the Kremlin is renewing the close guard of siloviki in charge of Russian strategy in the Midle East. But it is struggling to include the younger generation.