Anton Barbashin

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Articles

Russian Rocket Theater – Riddle Russia

Jan 24, 2025 | ridl.io | Eric Woods |Anton Barbashin |Vladislav Inozemtsev |Pavel Luzin

Vladimir Putin has turned experimental weapons into a key part of Russia’s deterrence and propaganda strategy, but the gap between rhetoric and reality reveals systemic challenges in engineering, scientific collaboration, and strategic credibility. Putin loves his weapons, and he loves even more talking about the latest developments in high profile televised events.
Will Russia use nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

Nov 25, 2024 | platformraam.nl | Anton Barbashin

As soon as president Biden authorised Ukraine to use ATACM's on Russian territory, the country purposeful crossed a new 'red line' of Putin by attacking military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk region. Putin responded by firing the (not so) new ICBM Oreshnik (Hazel) to Dnipro. It can (but did not) carry nuclear warheads. On the same day, Putin signed a new nuclear doctrine, lowering the nuclear threshold. Will Russia start a nuclear war? No, says Anton Barbashin of Riddle Russia.
Will Russia use nuclear weapons in Ukraine? – Riddle Russia

Nov 18, 2024 | ridl.io | Anton Barbashin |Vladislav Inozemtsev |Pavel Luzin

Just two months before the end of his presidential term, Joe Biden greenlit Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles for striking deep into Russian territory. The range of these missiles is about 300 km. It is highly likely that Washington will closely monitor how Kyiv will use these missiles; ATACMS will most likely be used only in the Kursk Oblast, part of which is under Ukrainian control, and where the Russian army is conducting a counteroffensive involving troops from North Korea.
Caught Between Moscow and the West: Armenia’s Precarious Diversification – Riddle Russia

Nov 14, 2024 | ridl.io | Aleksandar Djokic |Anton Barbashin

Armenia and Russia have shared a close, complex relationship for decades, with Russia serving as Armenia’s main security and economic partner. But, recent events—particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine and renewed tensions in the South Caucasus—are straining this relationship. As Moscow’s attention has moved towards Ukraine, its influence in the region has weakened, and Armenia has started to feel the effects.
Rusia está en guerra, y todas las herramientas valen

Oct 6, 2024 | elmundo.es | Anton Barbashin

Para el aparato de seguridad ruso, Rusia está en guerra. Esta es una guerra por la supervivencia y puede usarse cualquier herramienta. Esta guerra no sólo se limita al campo de batalla de Ucrania, también se libra en Medio Oriente, en África y Asia y, por supuesto, contra Occidente.
Empty hopes for a «big reshuffle» – Riddle Russia

Nov 16, 2023 | ridl.io | Andrey Pertsev |Anton Barbashin |Vladislav Inozemtsev

For several years now, the Russian elite has lived in expectation of large-scale personnel reshuffles. This expectation is the basis of the Russian elite’s loyalty to Vladimir Putin and, at the same time, the driving force behind situational support for the war and active actions in favour of the regime, both at the top and at the lower-middle levels of the power vertical. In this context, the presidential election becomes a turning point, even though its outcome is practically predetermined.
The War and Ukrainian-Israeli Public Diplomacy – Riddle Russia

Sep 8, 2023 | ridl.io | Vakhtang Partsvania |Anton Barbashin |Jack Margolin

The diplomatic scandal between Ukraine and Israel that broke out on August 10 began with a report in the Kyiv Post, which cited «a source in the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine» as saying that the Ukrainian authorities were discussing the idea of canceling the visa-free regime with Israel, since the latter had allegedly «failed to provide Kyiv with any real assistance,» undertakes «hostile actions against Ukraine» and generally «has been taking a pro-Russian position.»...
Messianic multipolarity: Russia’s resurrected Africa doctrine – Riddle Russia

Apr 6, 2023 | ridl.io | Pavel Luzin |Anton Barbashin |Vladislav Inozemtsev

Since 1991, the transformation of Russia’s foreign policy has been characterised as a transition from messianism to pragmatism or geopolitical reasoning. Namely, Moscow abandoning its Cold War messianic strategy of patronising foreign Communist Party branches and Communist-aligned movements is taken as evidence of Russia prioritising state interests over ideology. In this version, Moscow ruthlessly pursues its interests in the sobriety of a Realpolitik vision of the world.