Global Scans · Russia · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Russia is becoming an independent geopolitical actor. Russia will seek to maintain the world's strategic balance of power. A resurgent Russia is likely to continue to stir up trouble across much of Central and East Europe and the Middle East. It remains to be seen whether a rapprochement is possible with the U.S. And, Russia's economy is expected to return to modest growth in late 2016 and 2017, further strengthening its hand.

• [New] The threat of being cut off is not theoretical; battlefield blackouts have become a norm in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Yahoo News
• [New] Estonia, particularly vulnerable due to its proximity to Russia, estimates that a staggering 85% of its flights experience navigation disruptions. DISA
• [New] RiK identifies several regions of Russia with the potential to accommodate energy-intensive data centers focused on processing artificial intelligence tasks: Murmansk, Sverdlovsk, Irkutsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. TAdviser.ru
• [New] The President Russia Vladimir Putin signed a federal law establishing an official definition data center and providing operators with the opportunity to obtain a specialized code of foreign economic activity. TAdviser.ru
• [New] Recent years have seen China more than double its nuclear arsenal, while Russia has modernized its own and deployed an anti-satellite weapon with nuclear potential in space. The Pinnacle Gazette
• [New] The EU has vowed to end its decades-old energy relations with former top gas supplier Moscow and is aiming to phase out all Russian energy imports by the end of 2027. DigameXtra
• [New] The situation in Kostyantynivka has become much more dangerous in recent weeks due to the threat of Russian drone strikes. Institute for the Study of War
• [New] More and more, the strategic competition with Russia and China will be in the exploitation of advanced technologies with military applications. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] China and Russia have announced plans to deploy an automated nuclear station on the Moon by 2035, intensifying the international space race. PracticeMock
• [New] The intensified conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to create supply disruptions, exemplified by Ukrainian drone strikes that temporarily shut down significant portions of Russia's refining capacity. Economy Middle East
• [New] Finland and Sweden's NATO membership has fueled Russia's sense of encirclement and vulnerability. Hudson Institute
• [New] By ignoring the Arctic, NATO risks rendering itself irrelevant in the face of rising Russian and Chinese ambitions. Hudson Institute
• [New] Leaders in Poland and the Baltics have repeatedly warned of a coming confrontation with Russia. Harlentropolis's Substack
• [New] In 2025, Nordic and Baltic nations - including Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - have repeatedly warned about greater electronic interference from Russia disrupting communications with planes, ships and drones. Military.com
• [New] The next five years will determine whether Russia's integrated strategy produces sustainable advantages or creates unsustainable resource demands. Chandravanshi Inc #
• Both powers can act as spoilers - Russia by deepening conflict economies, China by privileging stability over inclusivity - narrowing Washington's room for maneuver and raising the risk that mediation becomes another arena of great-power rivalry. HORN REVIEW
• Germany now plans to have the largest conventional army in Europe in view of the threat posed by Russia. RBC-Ukraine

Last updated: 06 September 2025