Russia wanted to build a leaner, more flexible fighting force and eliminate waste, bureaucracy and corruption. But entrenched, Soviet-era practices endure.
Tag Archives: USSR (Former Soviet Union)
A Mini-Russia Gets Squeezed by War
The self-declared republic of Transnistria, on the Ukraine border, has been steered by Moscow for decades. During a rare visit, a reporter and photographer get an inside look into how it operates, and hear from Transnistrians their fears of war.
How Putin Co-opted Russia’s Biggest Holiday
The commemoration of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II has been skewed for political purposes.
Russia’s Grave Miscalculation: Ukrainians Would Collaborate
Besides their military failures, the Russians entered the war believing they could persuade Ukrainians in the east to join their side. Those efforts have failed spectacularly.
Seeking Arms for Ukraine, Pentagon Buyers Scour Eastern European Factories
Soviet-designed ammunition is part of the ‘life blood’ for Ukrainian troops fighting Russia, and the United States is keeping it flowing.
The Fear of Nuclear War Looms
Three decades after the Cold War ended, Putin has reminded us that many of the nuclear weapons that once terrified us still exist.
‘A Frightening Repeat’: Ukrainian World War II Survivors Face Conflict Again
Nearly 80 years after Ukraine emerged from a devastating world war that killed more than five million of its people, Russia’s invasion has stirred memories that the country had struggled to overcome.
Russia’s War, Driven by the Grand Theory of ‘Eurasianism’
The goal, plainly, is empire.
For a Ukrainian Poet, Putin’s War Is All Too Familiar
Ihor Kalynets, 83, spent a lifetime resisting Soviet domination. Now, he says, he’s not going anywhere.
Jeanette Wagner, Who Globalized the Estée Lauder Brand, Dies at 92
Meticulous in building relationships, she helped open new markets for the cosmetics company, notably in the Soviet Union, as head of its international operations.
Russia’s Brutality in Ukraine Has Roots in Earlier Conflicts
Its experience in a string of wars led to the conclusion that attacking civilian populations was not only acceptable but militarily sound.
Russia’s War in Ukraine: This Is How World War III Begins
Why Putin is likelier to double down than he is to cut his losses.
While Ukrainian Writers Read Poems, Russian Military Threatened Kyiv
Why are so many turning to poetry during this war?
This Is Why Putin Can’t Back Down
The invasion of Ukraine is a rabid form of identity politics.
New Rules for a New World
Ukraine’s brave stand should be an opportunity to rethink the way in which we look at foreign affairs for the next decade.
Food Companies, Long Symbols of the West in Russia, Pause Operations
After years of cultivating the Russian market, McDonald’s, Starbucks, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola said they would temporarily close locations or stop selling products there.
How to Avoid Nuclear War With Russia
It’s often better to constrain yourself than to limit your enemy’s choices.
Putin’s War on Ukraine Means to Erase My Country’s History
Ukraine’s history is filled with waves of repression.
Biden’s Strategy for Dealing With Russia Is Containment for a New Era
President Biden’s plan to counter Russia faces obstacles in an interconnected world. Russia also has a new, if not very enthusiastic, partner in standing up to the West: China.
Russians Now See a New Side to Putin: Dragging Them Into War
The autocrat who has steered Russia for 22 years was embraced by many Russians for what they saw as his rationality and astute risk management. That image has been upended.
In Ukraine Crisis, the Looming Threat of a New Cold War
If he invades, President Vladimir V. Putin is inviting a new global struggle with the West. He should think about how the last one ended, analysts say.
War Between Ukraine and Russia Would Be a Tragedy
Conflict between the two countries would travesty centuries of commingling.
How Ukrainians View This Perilous Moment
A Russian invasion of the former Soviet state may be imminent. How will Ukraine’s citizens respond if it happens?
Your Kid’s Existential Dread Is Normal
It’s part of growing up, even if it’s pandemic-tinged.
Russia and the U.S. Face Off Over Ukraine
Can Moscow be deterred from carrying out an invasion?
U.S. and Russia Agree to Talks Amid Growing Tensions Over Ukraine
The Biden administration has not said who will lead the U.S. delegation next month as Russian officials demand commitments from NATO.
Helping to Reveal a Still-Shuttered World
Our weekly photo essay series offered readers a glimpse of distant places and cultures that, for a second straight year, remained largely inaccessible.
U.S. Considers Warning Ukraine of a Russian Invasion in Real-Time
U.S. officials say intelligence sharing is essential to the Ukrainian government’s survival, even as they try to avoid escalating the situation.
How the Kremlin Is Militarizing Russian Society
With a “youth army,” a cathedral honoring the military and state media promoting patriotism, the government is preparing Russians for the possibility of a fight.
As Muratov Accepts Nobel, Legacy of His Russian Predecessors Recedes
Dmitri A. Muratov is only the third Russian to win the Nobel Peace Prize, after Andrei D. Sakharov and Mikhail S. Gorbachev. The openness they championed is under assault.
Ally, Member or Partner? NATO’s Long Dilemma Over Ukraine
NATO promised Ukraine full membership in 2008, but without explaining how or when. Putin sees that promise as an ongoing threat to Russia.
Why Ukraine Matters to Vladimir Putin
Amid fears that Moscow is preparing for an invasion, one thing is clear: The Russian president has a singular fixation on the former Soviet republic.
Trying to Blur Memories of the Gulag, Russia Targets a Rights Group
Prosecutors are trying to shut down Memorial International, Russia’s most prominent human rights group, as the Kremlin moves to control the historical narrative of the Soviet Union.
The Century-Old Russian Novel Said to Have Inspired ‘1984’
“We,” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, transports us to an authoritarian society governed by technological efficiency.
Tsar Bomba Nuclear Test 60 Years Ago Didn’t Make J.F.K. Flinch
A new study offers insights into how the United States reacted to Tsar Bomba, a planet shaker that made the deadly Hiroshima blast look tame.
Viktor Bryukhanov, Blamed for the Chernobyl Disaster, Dies at 85
In charge of the plant in Ukraine, he was held responsible for the world’s worst nuclear-power disaster and imprisoned.
James Bond Has No Time for China
America’s main rival inspires fear in Hollywood — and confusion in Americans.
Ida Nudel, ‘Angel’ to Soviet Jews Seeking to Flee, Dies at 90
During the Cold War, she fought for the rights of others and waged a 16-year fight of her own for an exit visa to Israel. She finally won in 1987.
Did Nazis Produce These Uranium Cubes? Researchers Look for an Answer.
Determining whether the cubes were produced by Nazi Germany could lead to more questions, such as whether the Nazis could have had enough to create a critical reaction.
The Holocaust Stories We Still Aren’t Hearing
More than 70 years after World War II, we’re still learning about new facets of the Holocaust.
The War on History Is a War on Democracy
A scholar of totalitarianism argues that new laws restricting the discussion of race in American schools have dire precedents in Europe.
The Biden-Putin Meeting: ‘This Is Not About Trust’
Bret Stephens, Emma Ashford and Stephen Sestanovich discuss and debate the first meeting of Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin.
‘State Funeral’ Review: Saying Goodbye to Stalin
Sergei Loznitsa’s new found-footage documentary illuminates Soviet life in the immediate aftermath of the dictator’s death.
Tamara Press, Olympian Whose Feats Raised Questions, Dies at 83
She won three gold medals in the 1960s but was the focus of speculation about her gender. She retired after pulling out of a track meet that would have required a sex test.
Why Russia Is Exporting So Much Vaccine
Millions of doses of Russia’s pioneering coronavirus vaccine have gone abroad, strengthening the country’s influence at the expense of its people.
A Soviet ‘Lord of the Rings’ Is Unearthed, Epic in Its Own Way
Tolkien fans received an unexpected gift with the rediscovery of an all-but-forgotten 1991 production. They were also left with questions, like “why is Gollum wearing a lettuce on his head?”
Is ‘Avalanche’ the Answer to a 62-Year-Old Russian Mystery Over 9 Deaths?
Was it U.F.O.s? Yeti? The K.G.B.? The riddle of who or what killed nine young hikers has inspired conspiracy theories for decades. Two scientists now say a natural disaster may be to blame.
George Shultz: Last of the Postwar Statesmen
The human touch was at the heart of everything achieved by George Shultz, the former secretary of state who died on Saturday.
No More Lies. My Grandfather Was a Nazi.
In Lithuania, he was celebrated as a hero. But we can’t move on until we admit what he really did.
It Spied on Soviet Atomic Bombs. Now It’s Solving Ecological Mysteries.
Imagery from the Cold War’s Corona satellites is helping scientists fill in how we have changed our planet in the past half century.