Opinions – IStories

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Opinions

The Russian authorities face a mounting problem: the participants of the “Special Military Operation” — touted as the nation’s new elite — simply do not fit into the existing political machinery

19 May

Putin Promised a “Time of Heroes.” The Kremlin is Giving Them the Cold Shoulder Instead

IStories founder Roman Anin on where the emerging war among Russia’s “siloviki“ clans could lead

4 May

“Russia Has Two Paths Left”

Despite the defense sector’s continued growth, warnings of an impending recession are getting louder

13 August

Editors

Russia��’s Wartime Economy Pushes Companies Toward a Four-Day Workweek as Civilian Sector Declines

The Kremlin is shaping a new elite for whom the collapse of the regime would mean personal collapse, argues economist Andrei Yakovlev

29 July

Andrei Yakovlev

Why the Current Wave of Nationalization in Russia is More Than Just a Redistribution of Assets

Vladimir Putin wanted to prove that the post-Soviet space is Russia’s sphere of influence, but the result was exactly the opposite

16 July

Vladimir Solovyov

How the War in Ukraine Changed the Attitude of CIS Countries Toward Russia

A letter from the founder of IStories Roman Anin to mark our anniversary

30 April

Without You, There Is No Us

A letter to our readers from editor-in-chief Alesya Marokhovskaya

30 April

Alesya Marokhovskaya

Five Years of Important Stories

Here are three signs of such preparation

14 March

Roman Katin

Russia is Preparing to Restore the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline, IStories Source Reports

Founder of IStories, Roman Anin, assesses the chances of candidates to succeed the Russian dictator

4 February

Who is Putin’s Successor and What Will Happen to Russia?

Attitudes towards the war have not сhanged even among those fighting for the return of their loved ones

16 January

Public Sociology Laboratory

“War Is Fine, as Long as Our Children Aren’t Taken There”

There has been a similar story before — and it did not win

16 December

Yury Fedorov

Why Vladimir Putin Launched Oreshnik Missile

What do the Kurdistan region think about the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria? Military journalist Liza Shishko, who has been observing the Kurdish struggle from the inside for 7 years, explains

10 December

Editors

“This is an ISIS Victory”

This is the opinion of Sergey Aleksashenko, Vladislav Inozemtsev and Dmitry Nekrasov, authors of the report “Dictator’s Reliable Rear: Russian Economy at the Time of War”

13 November

Editors

Mad Russia is a Long Time Coming

An extended commentary by Grigory Yudin on a study that concludes that Russians’ actual support for Vladimir Putin is close to what sociological polls show

21 August

Grigory Yudin

Why the Discussion of Putin’s Support Has Lost Its Meaning

Should we believe the polls that show that more than 80% of Russians support Putin? Maybe people are just afraid to tell the sociologists the truth?

21 August

Editors

Is Putin’s Popular Support Real

A former commander of a Russian reconnaissance group explains why the Armed Forces of Ukraine broke through into the Kursk Oblast so easily

12 August

“No Obstacles — Just Drive Forward”

An attempt to psychoanalyze Russian authorities by Important Stories’ editor-in-chief Roman Anin

14 March

What Is Inside Vladimir Putin’s Head?

While the United States is more than capable of instigating a full-blown economic crisis in Russia, it’s not seen as a necessity, says Professor Oleg Itskhoki of the University of California, Los Angeles

16 January

Oleg Itskhoki

The United States Could Strangle Russia. So, What is Stopping Them?

Emerging seemingly unscathed, Russia continues to sell oil and purchase components for weapons production, while only losing minor sums in the process. Professor Oleg Itskhoki from the University of California, Los Angeles, explains why this is the case.

20 December

Oleg Itskhoki

The Disappointment of 2023: Sanctions. Only the War can Destroy the Russian Economy Now

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny is the result of the actions of the president, who, in order to preserve his personal power, has long moved the country’s governance into a gray zone

27 June

Ilya Matveev

Nothing but Wagner All Around. How Putin Degraded the Russian State

War has put some Russian citizens against a tough moral choice: if you’re against the aggressive acts of Russian authorities, may you support the Ukraine Army? “Important Stories” spoke to Russians, who send drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

7 February

“The War Will End When Everybody Makes an Effort for That”

IStories editor Roman Anin on how Russia’s Game of Thrones will end

9 January

In Russia, a Clan War for Putin’s Throne Has Begun. Who Will Win?

In short: because regions have no independent elites, the Russian ethnic population prevalented, and the national peripheries are financially dependent on Moscow. But federalization after the regime's collapse is inevitable

15 November

Editors

Why Russia Won’t Disintegrate

Or why true patriots of Russia should want the army to leave Ukraine as soon as possible — the opinion of Roman Anin, editor-in-chief of Important Stories

28 June

What Would Happen If Putin's Most Cherished Dream about the War Came True?

Bashkir orchids, technological 'cannibalism', buying up used machinery, 3D printing, and other methods

8 June

Editors

How Russian Business Evades Western Sanctions

Analysts of the Conflict Intelligence Team recount high-profile cases that have been confirmed

26 May

What War Crimes Have Russian Servicemen Committed in Ukraine

Is it true that Russia threatens the whole world with famine?

25 May

The First Grain War

What Vladimir Putin wanted when he started the war against Ukraine, and what actually happened

23 May

Alesya Marokhovskaya, Editors

The War Does Not Justify Its Goals

Why was the war destined for failure from the very beginning, what sources of information did president Putin rely on before starting it, and why did nobody in the Federal Security Service [FSB] of the Russian Federation tell him the truth about the real situation in Ukraine

16 May

How Putin Decided to Go to War

Transnistria has gained a foothold at the top of the news. This small part of Moldova, situated on the left bank of the Dniester River, is now claimed by both Moscow and Kyiv

2 May

Editors, Maxim Solyus

Why Putin needs a landing force in Transnistria