“Gangsters at War: Russia’s Use of Organized Crime as an Instrument of Statecraft”
Since 2012, Russia has strategically used criminal networks to evade sanctions, conduct intelligence, and destabilize the West. Under Putin’s “mobilization state,” illegal activities—from smuggling to cyberattacks—are seen as essential tools of warfare. This report delves into the Kremlin’s alarming integration of organized crime into statecraft. Russia’s transition from a “conscription state” to a full “mobilization […]