Neighbouring Dagestan is in chaos, resembling in many ways a Wild West with heavy weapons and other regions in this vast country are stirring. Alexander Lebed, governor of the province surrounding the Far East city of Vladivostok, has threatened to declare independence, and even suggested half-seriously that he assume authority of all nuclear weapons in his jurisdiction, to ensure their security. Russia in many ways resembles the ethnic patchwork of the former Soviet Union, with tiny regions far from Moscow picking up the slack left by a weak and erratic central government. Despite the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia continue to negotiate arms reductions and other military issues. The country's sagging economy has also had a dramatic effect on the army's equipment and readiness.
Russian soldiers live in hovels, many owed months of back pay.
Draft-dodging and even suicide among inductees are reaching epidemic proportions. Yet Moscow still spends huge amounts of money on researching new weapons technologies, which can then be sold overseas for hard currency. Furthermore, fears persist about the security of the thousands of nuclear weapons and reactors on Russian soil. Thus the situation in Russia reaches to all corners of the globe. Centre for Policy Studies in Russia Contains a number of reports relating to Russian military and security issues.