CHACRDIGEST
AUGUST 30th, 2023
#23
The views expressed in this Digest are not those of the British Army or UK Government. This document cannot be reproduced or used in part or whole without the permission of the CHACR. www.chacr.org.uk
EUROPE’S SKY SHIELD INITIATIVE Responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the obviously increased threat that Moscow’s incumbent administration poses to European security, Germany and other European partners have launched the European Sky Shield Initiative – an effort to strengthen European air and missile defence structures and systems. Writing for the German Institute for International Security Affairs, Lydia Wachs provides a useful overview of the scheme, its rationale and objectives. Wachs also highlights the main weaknesses and challenges Sky Shield faces, including strategic incoherences, technical problems and, perhaps most importantly, the political differences plaguing its implementation.
WHAT DOES PRIGOZHIN’S DEATH MEAN FOR PUTIN AND THE WAGNER GROUP? The demise of infamous Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has led to speculation about the future of Russia’s armed forces, the security of President Putin, and how Russia moves forward following a turbulent two months that featured an aborted coup attempt. This interview on Spectator TV is an excellent short analysis of what has taken place and considers who, if anybody, can step in to fill Prigozhin’s shoes. Alternatively, this piece by Reuters asks what Prigozhin’s death means for the Russian president in the long run given that Putin seems to have broken his word so brazenly regarding the late Wagner leader’s safety. Suspicious deaths are, of course, nothing new in Russia. Top military officials and oligarchs have been dying at an alarming rate since the war began. Here is a list of key personnel in the business sector who have died mysteriously and an analysis of the increase in deaths among senior military personnel since 2022.
RUSSIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL REFORMS SINCE 1991 The performance of the Russian military during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has raised many questions about the success and effectiveness of reforms implemented to modernise the Russian armed forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union. A detailed new research paper published by RAND, featuring the work of numerous well-respected authors, provides a fascinating overview of how the Russian leadership has sought to overcome personnel and proficiency challenges in the three decades between 1991 and 2021.
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