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A recent deadly attack in the majority Muslim region of Dagestan has raised concerns about a potential wave of violence by religious extremists in Russia. The attack targeted two churches and a synagogue, resulting in the deaths of 15 police officers, four civilians, and a priest. The assailants, who were killed during the attack, were found to be the sons and nephew of a local official. There are allegations of foreign funding for the attack, and the Islamic State's Afghan subsidiary has praised the assault. Some experts believe that radical Islam has deeply penetrated Russian society, while others argue that blaming Ukraine and NATO for every terrorist act is hindering effective countermeasures. [Extracted from the article]

A recent deadly attack in the majority Muslim region of Dagestan, Russia has raised concerns about a potential wave of violence by religious extremists in the country. The attack targeted churches and a synagogue, resulting in the deaths of 15 police officers, four civilians, and several militants. The coordination and scale of the attacks have stood out, with videos circulating on Russian Telegram channels showing gunmen shooting at police cars and a synagogue being set on fire. While some officials have blamed foreign funding for the attack, others have dismissed the idea of a wave of extremist violence. Islamist groups have targeted Russia in the past, citing anti-Muslim policies by the Kremlin. [Extracted from the article]

Russia's army has made progress in capturing the strategically important town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine, while also launching missile and drone strikes that disrupted power supplies in the north and east of the country. The Kremlin is aiming to seize territory before US military aid reaches Ukrainian troops on the front line. Ukrainian forces are attempting to buy time and disrupt Russia's plans while waiting for the arrival of US aid. Chasiv Yar is a crucial location that, if abandoned by Ukraine, would provide a direct path for Russian forces to advance further west. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led an abortive mutiny two months ago that shook President Vladimir Putin's rule, was on a private jet that crashed Wednesday killing everyone aboard, Russian aviation authorities said. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on the crash but US officials were quick to suggest Prigozhin may have faced Putin's retribution. [Extracted from the article]

One senior Putin loyalist joked Sunday that he and his staff had been preparing to defend their offices in downtown Moscow a day before but were shocked that Prigozhin and his men were allowed to leave without consequences. (Bloomberg) -- Vladimir Putin managed to avert an attack on Moscow with an eleventh-hour deal with his mutinous mercenary commander. [Extracted from the article]

Profiles some members of Russian President Boris Yeltsin's team, a group of ministers and advisers in their late 30s and early 40s, who represent a new Russia. First Deputy Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar, point man for economic reforms, whose shock therapy program yielded mixed results; Vice president Alexander Rutskoi; Top political strategist Gennadi Burbulis, who put together the initial government lineup; Yeltsin's `credit of trust'; Core of the cabinet.

Troops continue to liberate areas of Kharkiv and Donetsk, and inflicted significant losses on Russian forces on the Kherson axis in the south, according to Ukraine's General Staff on Monday. (Bloomberg) -- Russia vowed to regain the initiative in its troubled Ukraine offensive, as it hit power plants causing blackouts across the northeast of the country after a lightning advance by Kyiv's forces that's reversed Moscow's gains. [Extracted from the article]

Discusses the celebration of former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev's 70th birthday. How Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Gorbachev to be a political adviser; Public opinion of Gorbachev throughout history; How Gorbachev announced that Putin was preparing a radical package of economic reforms.

Focuses on Russian political consultant Gleb Pavlovsky in light of his role in the March 2000 election of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia. Communists' vote-fixing allegations against Pavlovsky; Reputation of his firm, the Fund for Effective Politics, and other clients; Establishment of the Unity Party; Putin's campaign; Use of the Internet; Pavlovsky's background as a dissident.

(Bloomberg) -- Russian prosecutors appealed to drop the prison sentence in a case that sparked widespread outrage, the latest sign that the authorities are sometimes willing to reverse themselves in the face of public pressure. Many of Russia's leading theater and movie personalities rallied around Pavel Ustinov, an actor who received a 3 1/2-year sentence on Monday for injuring a national guard officer in anti-Kremlin protests last month. Prosecutors Thursday asked the court to change his sentence to one that doesn't involve prison time, saying that while they view his guilt as proven, the original jail term was excessively harsh, Tass reported. [Extracted from the article]

Thousands of residents of Yekaterinburg had come out to demonstrate against the cathedral in the days leading up to Putin's comments, at times clashing with police. AttributionGregory L. White: editor primary responsibleTony Halpin: editor secondaryStepan Kravchenko: by reporterEvgenia Pismennaya: by reporter. [Extracted from the article]

O'Neill hosted 2017 dinner for prayer-breakfast delegates According to court filings, the person believed to be O'Neill began an effort to connect Butina to prominent conservatives in March 2016, as it became clear that Trump would become the Republican Party's presidential nominee. [Extracted from the article]

Russia's state-controlled news agency Sputnik Italia was the most influential foreign media organization attacking immigration in Italy and among the top 2 percent of all news sources cited in the online debate, Madrid-based Alto Data Analytics found. Italians go to the polls on Sunday with anti-immigration extremists of the Five Star Movement and the League threatening the pro-Europe mainstream. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents an extract of the 2008 testimony presented by Michael McFaul, foreign policy advisor to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama during his campaign, before the U.S. Congress regarding the U.S. policy toward Russia. The first element of a new strategy is to re-establish unity with European allies. The U.S. must reportedly work closely with partners in Europe and Eurasia to reduce their overdependence on Russian energy exports. Another is establishment of a direct dialogue with Russian President Medvedev to discuss mutual interest.

Analyzes trends in the political campaign consulting market in Russia as of January 2001. Consulting firms with monopoly of the market; Campaign tactics; Forms of campaigning; Images of candidates created by campaign consultants.

Focuses on Russia-based political adviser Aleksei Koshmarov's discussion of the work of his company, Novokom. Estimated number of professional image-making teams in Russia; Code of ethics; Plan to handle Saint Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev in year 2000; Fellow image-makers' comments on Koshmarov's disclosures.

The article discusses the implications of reports citing that presidential economic adviser Sergei Glayzev is the most likely candidate to replace Russian Central Bank head Sergei Ignatyev. One economist predicted that the Moscow Exchange would fall by a thousand points in 12 months as a result of Glayzev's appointment. Analysts are also saying that even if Glayzev may not be a candidate, the leak sends a signal to liberals managing the Russian economy that their monopoly may come to an end.

The article focuses on the adoption of the pamphlet "Principal Tendencies and Prospects for Russia's Development Today," by Vladislav Surkov as a course material at the Moscow University for the Humanities. Surkov is the former pointman of jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who became the chief political advisor of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pamphlet contains his speeches since 2005. Surkov is considered the main author of the Russian ideology of a re-centralized state and economy.

The article presents an interview with political analyst Aleksei Pushkov regarding the gas feud between Russia and Ukraine. When asked about the issues on Russia that uses energy prices to exert political pressure in the post-Soviet are, Pushkov said that Russia only tried to bring low gas prices into the world market prices and no sanctions has been imposed with it. Pushkov denied support for the leadership of countries that does not have a good relation with Russia. He believes that Russia has acted properly on the decision that it has made regarding gas price policy.

Reports on the appointment of political consultant Modest Kolerov as chief of the Administration for Interregional and Cultural Ties With Foreign Countries by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Career background of the appointee; Job responsibilities; Activities of the administration.

The article focuses on Russian free-market economist Andrei Illarionov. Since 2000 President Vladimir Putin has had Illarionov as his top economic adviser. Until this week, Illarionov was also Putin's personal representative for G8 summit preparations. Now he has been fired from this second role, and he seems likely to be further marginalised in his first position as well. Illarionov has never been shy of making provocative comments, not least to foreign journalists. He said that, whereas in the early Putin years the government's economic policies had contributed positively to growth, they were now contributing negatively. In particular, he criticised the government's long campaign against Yukos, which he praised as the best oil company in Russia. Last week he took this criticism a stage further, saying that the forced sale of Yukos's oil-producing arm, Yuganskneftegaz, to Rosneft, a state-owned oil firm, constituted "expropriation of private property". Illarionov openly welcomed the orange revolution that has led, eventually, to the election of Victor Yushchenko as Ukraine's president. And he added a warning that Russia might itself be heading for a similar revolution.

Reports on President Vladimir Putin's reappointment of his political advisers. Anatoly Pristavkin; Gennady Troshev; Aslambek Aslakhanov; Andrei Illarionov; Aleksandr Burutin; Vladimir Shevchenko; Sergei Samoilov.

Interviews Mikhail V. Baranov, senior counselor of the Russian Embassy in China. Significance of the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Russia; Documents signed apart from the Joint Statement and a governmental agreement on development and research of marine resources; Need to adjust the bilateral trade structure between the two countries.

Presents the text of the speech of presidential adviser Andrei Illarionov concerning the quality of Russian economic policy.

Focuses on Russian political consultant Gleb Pavlovsky in light of his role in the March 2000 election of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia. Communists' vote-fixing allegations against Pavlovsky; Reputation of his firm, the Fund for Effective Politics, and other clients; Establishment of the Unity Party; Use of the Internet in Putin's campaign; Pavlovsky's background as a dissident.