Financing an open-ended war. Russia’s new three-year budget must reconcile military priorities with growing economic constraints. We examine who will bear the adjustment and what the government’s choices suggest about its capacity to sustain the war.

The Duma’s new balance. The distribution of parliamentary posts reflects bargaining among competing political networks. Behind the chamber’s limited institutional role, the appointments raise questions about whose influence is growing and where future political opportunities may emerge.

Remaking the courts. Proposals to change jury trials and centralise court finances give the Supreme Court’s leadership transition wider significance. The reforms invite closer scrutiny of the ambitions and alliances shaping judicial policy.

Patriot Park, again. The latest arrest reaches an official appointed after the departure of the Defence Ministry’s previous leadership. The case offers a test of political protection and the boundaries of security-service influence.

The EFKO drone case. Prominent figures have intervened in support of the defendants in a drone procurement investigation. We examine the reasons for this unusual mobilisation and the institutional tensions behind the production failures.

Kanye West cancelled. The abandoned concerts became a political confrontation involving commercial interests, officials and hawkish voices. Their fate offers a revealing case study of decision-making when political signals are ambiguous and Putin’s preferences carry exceptional weight.