The North Caucasus is at risk of going dark
Finding out what is happening in the North Caucasus has long been a challenge. Western interest in the region has declined sharply since the Chechen wars of the 1990s and 2000s. As a result, English-language media coverage is typically limited outside of major events, like a major terrorist attack.
The Russian-language domain is better, but not by much. Most federal media outlets no longer employ correspondents devoted to the region, and they tend to rely on a combination of the security services, officials, or social media for their content. Some of this is undoubtedly the result of increasing censorship, but factors that shape the global media environment also play a role. Yet, whatever the cause, the result is the same: in-depth, original investigations are few and far between.
Now, amidst the global political delights that are 2025, the situation is at risk of deteriorating even further. Many of the outlets that have bravely kept the lights on in the region are under threat. If they were to close or curtail their coverage of the region, the potential impact for our understanding of the region will be enormous.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America are the institutions that appear to be at the most immediate risk. The unelected and unaccountable institutional arsonist that is Elon Musk has threatened to pull funding for both. RFE/RL is behind the Kavkaz Realii project, one of the most reliable outlets to report regularly on the North Caucasus. Both organisations are involved in Nastoyashcheye Vremya, which occasionally produces original material but also serves a valuable role as an aggregator of reporting about the region.
Then there is Riddle Russia, which has produced some excellent in-depth analyses on the North Caucasus — and has spoken publicly about the intense funding crisis that it now faces.
I suspect we can also add Caucasian Knot — arguably the best news source on the region — to the endangered species list too. I haven’t seen them publicly comment on funding difficulties but, given that they are reliant on external funding, it would be surprising if they weren’t facing challenges.
If any of these sources were to shut up shop, we would lose an important source of information on what is happening in the North Caucasus and — given that the region is modern Russia’s canary in the coal mine — by extension the rest of Russia. If more than one were to close, the impact would be devastating.
It should be recognised, too, that the US is not the only problem — although the man-child and his pet tech bro represent a clear and present danger to just about everyone. There is also a wider global problem of growing authoritarianism, reduced interest in soft power, and drastic budget cuts by short-sighted Western governments. The cumulative effect is declining support for all manner of projects required to foster democracy and civil society.
So far, so bleak. Is there any good news? Not really. But there are things you can do. If you live in the US and you’re not already practicing it, you should start learning about civil resistance. If Russians get to own Putin, irrespective of whether they personally voted for him, then I’m sorry to say, but you get to own Trump (don’t worry, I get to carry on munching on the shit sandwich that is Brexit)! And, to be honest, if the current political situation is not enough to move you from the balcony to the barricades, it’s worth asking what will.
If you live outside the US and you are (or know people) in a position to influence project funding, then help decision-makers understand the importance of independent media for our ability to understand Russia, and by extension the North Caucasus. And, if you have the funds yourself, donate to the likes of Riddle Russia to help them keep going.
In the meantime, while the lights are still on, there are good tools you can use to archive information as you go. Some of it, after all, could disappear very quickly. Joplin and Evernote allow you to capture pages as you go. Fireshot Pro is pretty good if you want the pages to be available as PDFs. The Wayback Machine will allow you to save a page for everyone to access. And Wget is a command-line tool that allows you to download entire websites.
But all of these will be nothing more than sticking plasters for capturing information that already exists. They won’t help create new knowledge — so get acting!
Elsewhere in the world of Russian security
💣 Terrorism & insurgency 💣
Former police chief attacked in Ingushetia: An unknown man attacked Ilez Nalgiyev, former deputy head of the police in Karabulak, on 16 February. The man fired seven times at Nalgiyev outside a restaurant in Sunzha, but fled the scene when his gun jammed. Nalgiyev – who was taken to hospital with a leg wound – was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2012 for torturing a Chechen man in detention. One source suggested that the Batalkhadzhintsy brotherhood was behind the attack.
Former traffic policeman shot in Ingushetia: A former employee of the traffic police was hospitalised after an unknown person opened fire on him on the Karabulak-Pliyevo road. The motives of the attack — and whether it is connected to his old job — are unknown.
North Ossetian man detained for trying to join terrorists in Middle East: The Federal Security Service (FSB) have detained an unnamed resident of North Ossetia for trying to travel to an unspecified Middle Eastern country to join an unspecified terrorist group.
Two residents of Ingushetia detained for Islamic State ties: The FSB detained two people in Ingushetia, claiming that they undertook religious training abroad and then pledged allegiance to the Islamic State on their return to Russia. The men, identified only as 25-year-old Azamat G. and 29-year-old Zurab D. were allegedly planning to carry out terrorist attacks under the guidance of people still located abroad.
Saratov security services claim thwarted terrorist attack: The FSB in Saratov Oblast shot a Russian citizen born in 1976, claiming that he was planning a terrorist attack and had resisted arrest. The security services allege that he was recruited and trained by Ukraine, carried out surveillance on a military airfield, and intended to blow up the service vehicle of a local official.
🪖 Private military companies (PMCs) 🪖
Polish court sentences two Russians for Wagner recruitment: A court in Krakow sentenced two Russian citizens, identified as Andrey G. and Aleksey T., to five and a half years in prison on charges of spying and recruiting to the Wagner PMC. The court found the men guilty of posting hundreds of recruitment posters around Krakow and Warsaw. They were detained in August 2023 and flew to Poland specifically to encourage Poles and foreigners to join the group, having already been to France and Germany.
Three Wagner fighters detained in Moldova: Ukrainian and Moldovan police conducted a joint operation that resulted in the detention of three members of Wagner. The men, all Moldovan nationals, reportedly participated in the battle for Donetsk airport, the capture of Bakhmut and the fight at Debaltseve between 2014 and 2023. More than 200 police officers carried out more than 50 searches as part of the operation, seizing documents, computer equipment, and mobile phones. Ukraine has identified 85 Moldovan citizens who have fought for Russia.
🚔 State-linked security services 🚔
WSJ identifies new Russian spy unit: The Wall Street Journal has profiled a new unit, called the Department of Special Tasks, that is tasked with conducting covert attacks in Europe and beyond. WSJ, citing Western intelligence officials, claimed that the unit is subordinate to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU) and has operated from Moscow since 2023. Those officials identify three main tasks for the unit: carrying out killings and sabotage overseas; infiltrating Western companies and universities; and recruiting and training foreign agents. The Department of Special Tasks is led by Andrey Averyanov and Ivan Kasyanenko.
🚨 Everything else 🚨
Chechen opposition group NIYSO profiled: Loujaine Laamal has published an article looking at the evolution of the Chechen opposition group NIYSO (Chechen for justice), which has over 25,000 followers on Telegram. Originally a channel for criticisms of the Russian and Chechen regimes and anonymous reporting from the region, in November 2023 it published a four-step programme for the ‘de-occupation’ of Chechnya. It has already completed stage one (identifying its leaders and allies) and is on stage two (mobilising and preparing society and disseminating political and religious information). Stage three will be military resistance, while stage four aims at Chechen independence and the release of Chechen prisoners. The group sees itself as opposing Russia as much as the regime of Ramzan Kadyrov, and it emphasises the centrality of Islam and shariah to its actions.
Kadyrov for life: Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov tells a meeting of the security services that he plans to stay in his post for life. His mandate formally expires in September 2026.
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