Best Conducttr Podcasts (2024)

1
In Moscow's Shadows 169: The GUSP, the most secret of Russia's secret services 47:12

3d ago47:12

47:12

The appointment to the Security Council of Alexander Linets, head of the Main Directorate of Special Programs of the President of the Russian Federation (GUSP), is a suitable moment to look into this, the most secret of Russia's security agencies. Is it about more than just bunkers and the continuity of governance in an apocalypse? Is there any tru…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 168: Putin Wants Us To Have Nuclear Nightmares 43:05

12d ago43:05

43:05

Putin's at it again, raising nuclear fears to unsettle the West. Or is the new revision to Russian nuclear doctrine more than just a bit of sabre-rattling? I suggest it is, with bearing on potential Ukrainian endgames. But we ought not to become too fearful: as I discuss in the second half, there are good reasons for him not to use his non-strategi…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 167: Shoigu Redux 47:25

21d ago47:25

47:25

While the Security Council itself is having its time wasted with trivia, new Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has been busy. How has he survived (is it the shaman connection? It is not), and what do his goals seem to be? And, with President Zelensky about to unveil his 'victory plan', are the two sides beginning to contemplate possible endg…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 166: Raider Nation, a quick news round-up 18:55

23d ago18:55

18:55

I still haven't decided how/if to continue with these mid-week quickfire podcasts picking up on some news stories that catch my eye, but in the meantime, there's a divorce/business shootout in Moscow, more traffic fines (it matters, believe me) and another general under arrest. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provide…

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In Moscow's Shadows 165: Prince Bogdoi, Information Logjams and Public-Private Empire 58:27

27d ago58:27

58:27

What may a misadventure from 17th century Russian imperial history tell us about modern Russia? Why, about the perils of information logjams and public-private empires! Details of the Pushkin House event I mentioned are here, and the Pertsev article is here. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innov…

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In Moscow's Shadows 164: From Ballots to Babies, a quick news round-up 25:36

30d ago25:36

25:36

As promised, a quickfire interim episode covering some of the past week's stories, from drones over Moscow and reactions to the US presidential debate to regional elections and planning for babies... The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, cou…

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In Moscow's Shadows 163: The Importance of Optimism (even when it comes to Russia) 50:52

1M ago50:52

50:52

I spin off two recent books, Elena Kostychenko's, I Love Russia. Reporting from a lost country and Sergei Medvedev's A War Made in Russia, both of which are excellent in their own terms, but also demonstrate something of a tendency for Russian intelligentsia to despair at their own country and people and fixate on the very worse. This is perhaps un…

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In Moscow's Shadows 162: Lavrov's (Living) Obituary 47:49

1M ago47:49

47:49

Empty rumours of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's death on the internet yesterday, got me thinking about his shrinking role, and the twilight of Russia's technocrats. Besides, he is already politically dead, so it’s in a way not too early to deliver his obituary and use that to consider some of the dilemmas and characteristics of senior fig…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 161: What's Going On in Russian Prisons? 55:51

2M ago55:51

55:51

After another armed hostage taking by inmates (and bloody response), I consider what’s going on in Russia’s prisons, and what it may tell us about what’s happening in Russia as a whole. And in the last segment, I consider attitudes to Prigozhin, a year after his death. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides softwar…

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In Moscow's Shadows 160: Kursk as Political Actor and Allegory 58:15

2M ago58:15

58:15

As Ukraine's Kursk incursion rumbles on, what does it tell us about the political processes in Russia behind the warfighting? From how Russians really aren't apathetic and however low their expectations of their government may be, and do have a breaking point, to how Putin depends on and betrays his men on the spot, rumination about some wider deve…

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In Moscow's Shadows 159: The Kursk Incursion 40:10

2M ago40:10

40:10

I had hoped to not have to record a podcast this weekend, but life does enjoy its little pranks. A slightly shorter than usual episode on Ukraine's unexpected, unfolding and unpredictable move into Russia. The Kommersant article I mention is here. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and i…

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In Moscow's Shadows 158: A Hectic Week in Russia 58:43

2M ago58:43

58:43

Where to start? The prisoner exchange and subsequent furore over released dissidents' statements? More arrests of senior military figures? The bizarre shenanigans over a controversial merger in Russian online business? Wagner's heavy losses in Mali? I try tackling them all. NB: Updated 5 August to reflect Ilya Yashin's subsequent further comments o…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 157: No Crime and Much Punishment: the Gershkovich Case and recent books on Russia's prisons 49:51

3M ago49:51

49:51

With Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years on what I consider wholly spurious espionage charges (and I explain why I think this), it's a suitable moment first to consider the likely reasons but also what kind of experience faces him in the Russian prison camp system. That leads me on to discuss three recent books of re…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 156: Are Putin's Praetorians up to the challenges of the future? 57:39

3M ago57:39

57:39

The Rosgvardiya, the National Guard, is the final backstop of Putin's rule, the public order force on which he relies to control the streets.* However, facing growing protest at home and engaged in pacifying occupied Ukraine, they and their commander, the thuggish Viktor Zolotov, are under pressure. How well are they coping? *Admittedly, arguably t…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 155: Putin's Shadow War on the West 56:55

3M ago56:55

56:55

The claim that Russian intelligence planned to murder a German industrialist highlights the Kremlin's escalating campaign of mayhem and disruption in Europe, from arson to disruptive cyberattacks. Why is Putin -- who was initially rather more cautious -- now raising the stakes and, more to the point, what can we do about it? The Meduza report from …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 154: What (if anything) does the Labour Party victory in the UK mean for Ukraine and Russia? 48:58

3M ago48:58

48:58

Will the change in government in London and Sir Keir Starmer's elevation to prime minister mean anything for Kyiv and Moscow? Are there lessons to be learned about how Moscow handles foreign elections, whether in terms of subversive operations or managing its own expectations? A few early thoughts, even though the honest answer is that not much is …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 153: Geopolitics, Nepotism, Terror and Assassination... (all the nice things) 1:01:58

3M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

A compilation of current issues, which will nonetheless somehow connect: The Trump-Biden debate: what does the Kremlin really want? Nepotism: why are the princelings returning to politics? Terrorism in Dagestan: what does it portend? Covert Ops: ought the West be in the assassination business? The Spectator piece I mentioned is here. Tickets for th…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 152: Prigozhin's Mutiny, One Year On 1:07:08

4M ago1:07:08

1:07:08

Exactly one year after Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary army began its mutiny, what has changed, and what can be learned? And why are so many Russians so keen to believe Prigozhin himself is not dead? In the second half of this bumper episode, the full first chapter of the audiobook of my and Anna Arutunyan's new book Downfall. Prigozhin, Putin, and th…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 151: From Switzerland to SMERSH 45:18

4M ago45:18

45:18

Ukraine's Ten Point Peace Plan, which received only limited endorsement at the recent Swiss Peace Summit, is essentially a demand for Russia's surrender. Putin's recent statement of conditions for negotiations is likewise a call for Kyiv to capitulate. Is this a complete impasse? Yes and no -- they are best considered as 'pre-peace positioning' in …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 150: An Unfunny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum 56:31

4M ago56:31

56:31

Putin's lengthy Q&A at the St Petersburg International Forum (SPIEF), in conversation with hawkish academic Sergei Karaganov, provided a useful opportunity to gauge his mood and his vision for both war and peace. From whether Russia is European (yes) to whether he needs to go nuclear in Ukraine (no), one can certainly question many of his claims an…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 149: Dyumin, Deterrence and a Deputy 54:32

4M ago54:32

54:32

An episode of various bits and pieces: what (if anything) can we read into Alexei Dyumin's appointment to be secretary of the State Council, what (if anything) is the Western thinking about escalation and deterrence over Ukraine and what (if anything) is interesting about Denis Manturov, the new First Deputy PM? The previous podcast in which I talk…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 148: 'Purging' the Military; the politics of anti-corruption in a corrupt system 44:58

5M ago44:58

44:58

What is behind the current spate of corruption-related arrests within the Russian military? Fears of a coup, an FSB takeover, punishing the generals for a badly-fought war? I'd say it is what it seems, an attempt to tackle waste in a time of war. That doesn't mean this kleptocracy is changing its spots, though: even within corrupt systems, anti-cor…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 147: The Reshuffle, Or Change To Preserve Things As They Are 56:07

5M ago56:07

56:07

There has been an unexpectedly interesting and extensive reshuffle of the Russian government, but what does it mean? I suggest it is about creating an enduring militarised, mobilised state, preserving Putin's rule not least through elevating a new generation of leaders and preparing to play generations against each other. Details of the 28 May Camb…

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In Moscow's Shadows 146: Britain and Russia, Eternal Frenemies 45:56

5M ago45:56

45:56

Reading Barbara Emerson's excellent The First Cold War: Anglo-Russian Relations in the 19th Century got me thinking more about the nature of British-Russian relations, which really date back to the 16th century, why we each loom so large in the other's geopolitical imagination, and why Russia is torn between extreme Anglophilia and Anglophobia. The…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 145: How Corruption Works Under Putin 53:53

5M ago53:53

53:53

The case of Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, long known as 'king of the kickback,' but only now arrested and charged, provides a good opportunity to consider how corruption is so central to Putin's system, not simply as a reward mechanism to pay off the loyal, but also as a control mechanism and even a social one. The podcast's corporate partn…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 144: Of Talks and Thugs 1:07:10

6M ago1:07:10

1:07:10

In the first part, I talk about some of the issues raised by a recent article in Foreign Affairs by Sam Charap and Sergei Radchenko for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia whenever they actually happen. In the second I dig into the rise and challenges of Viktor Zolotov, head of the National Guard. The Foreign Affairs article I mention is here. …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 143: Of MICE and Man 58:45

6M ago58:45

58:45

Why are some individuals, parties, even countries still so willing to believe (or at least affect to believe) Putin's nonsense? As a way of trying to explain it, I turn to the intelligence recruitment acronym MICE: Money, Ideology, Compromise and Ego. In the second half, I look at another potential up-and-comer, Yuri Trutnev, deputy PM and presiden…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 142: Heresies and Revolutions 53:18

6M ago53:18

53:18

Is Putin's Russia becoming a revolutionary state? A recent article on RT by Dmitry Trenin, once one of the doyens of Russian foreign policy analysis, suggests so, but perhaps doesn't go far enough. I consider Trenin's piece in conjunction with others by Fedor Lukyanov and one Henry Johnston, to wonder whether Putin, in so many ways the arch conserv…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 141: Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll (kinda) 55:31

6M ago55:31

55:31

After a sham election and a ghastly terrorist attack (and a pretty ghastly official response), time to talk about something else: sex, drugs and rock & roll. Well, demography, access to pharmaceuticals, and the state's culture war in music, film and beyond - but that's almost the same, isn't it? The Shaman video I mentioned is here, while if you wa…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 140: Terrorism and Totalitarianism 52:57

7M ago52:57

52:57

What a week it has been. I give my initial thoughts on the awful terrorist attack on the outskirts of Moscow, and then pivot to some further lessons of the sham presidential elections. It's all joy, all the time, here at In Moscow's Shadows... There are further details of Vienna event at the Kreisky Forum on 8 April here, and on the Newcastle Unive…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 139: Why Even Sham Elections Can Matter 55:09

7M ago55:09

55:09

Russia's presidential elections are coming to a close, and while Putin's landslide victory is a foregone conclusion in light of the manipulation of the process (I write about that here), that doesn't mean these elections don't matter. I discuss the things I'll be looking for, ranging from how the votes are allocated, through the potential for a cab…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 138: Gangster Geopolitics 54:16

7M ago54:16

54:16

Are we failing properly to consider the danger as the Kremlin turns to Russian-based organised crime groups abroad to make up for the expulsion of so many of its spies abroad and the constraints of the sanctions regime? I think so -- and here I explain why. The ECFR Crimintern report I mention is here, and Rebellion as Racket, for the Global Initia…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 137: They Pretend To Lead Us, We Pretend To Believe 50:14

7M ago50:14

50:14

An episode, I admit, on the nerdier end of the spectrum, as I dig into Putin's latest State of the Union, both for the detail and also for three big take-aways: that this was a stealth stump speech, that it left unanswered how (or if) the ambitious 6-year plan would be funded, and that it marks a new stage in Putin's Sovietisation. My earlier video…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 136: Avenging Navalny 41:50

8M ago41:50

41:50

Avenging may not be quite the right word, but what can the West do to punish the Kremlin for Navalny's death and furthering his cause in ways worthy of him? I set out some practical proposals. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-te…

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In Moscow's Shadows 135: Navalny in the late Soviet Union 1:01:12

8M ago1:01:12

1:01:12

Well, not really, but how Navalny's awful death helps illustrate how late Putinism in its 'banana republic' phase comes to resemble the later Soviet era -- and what this may mean for its future. My video on Navalny is here and Sunday Times article is here. The Moskovsky Komsomolets article I cite is here. The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor…

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In Moscow's Shadows 134: Kaliningrad still at the Crossroads 54:38

8M ago54:38

54:38

Is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad a dangerous Russian bastion threatening the West, a point of vulnerability for Moscow, or a potential point of reconnection with Europe? How about a mix of all three -- and also an example of how even figures from a new 'Putin generation' politician can be technocrats rather than zealots. In the second half, a …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 133: Books on Russia, Books on Ukraine 50:06

8M ago50:06

50:06

As I'm travelling this weekend, this episode is a compilation of two sets of comparative book reviews already provided to my Patrons. First up, three recent books on Russia that, together, would make up one pretty fine, balanced and comprehensive one... Thomas Graham, Getting Russia Right (Polity) Richard Sakwa, The Lost Peace (Yale) Leon Aron, Rid…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 132: A View from the Provinces 48:56

9M ago48:56

48:56

Barring particularly high-profile developments, we tend to look at Russia through the prism of Moscow (and maybe St Petersburg). How good a picture does this give us? To try and redress the balance, I use a recent Association D'Est report on 'Grassroots Propaganda and Repression in Russia's Komi Republic' to consider some of the wider lessons about…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 131: European Strategy and Vorobyov's Prospects 1:08:57

9M ago1:08:57

1:08:57

A podcast of two halves. First of all, I look at the dilemmas and limitations facing European (EU and UK) strategy over Ukraine. Why is it so hard? After the break, I consider another of the younger officials sometimes listed as an up-and-comer: Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov. Why do I not really rate him? The podcast's corporate partner an…

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In Moscow's Shadows 130: Questions I Can't Answer 45:43

9M ago45:43

45:43

The essence of podcasting and punditry may be to peddle confident certainties, but often we don’t really know. So today I raise some important questions to which I really don’t know the answer, but which, alas, matter. When will Russians' patience run out? What will the next 'black swan' disruptor be? Would a ceasefire in 2024 benefit Ukraine more …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 129: It's All About Putin's Eggs 39:36

9M ago39:36

39:36

Russia is still gripped by an egg crisis, after prices rose 46% last year. Now the security apparatus is investigating hoarding and profiteering, the Agriculture Ministry is talking price controls and Lukashenko is having some fun at Putin's expense. At the risk of sounding glib, in this podcast I explain why the crisis explains everything you need…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 128: Politics, War and Lunacy - a look forward to 2024 55:28

10M ago55:28

55:28

Less whimsical than the last one, the final episode of 2023 looks ahead to the coming year: the candidates for the presidential elections, the prospects for the war, and - spinning off a deeply-bizarre interview with hawkish academic Sergei Karaganov - whether the Kremlin can find a convincing narrative. The Karaganov interview is here. The podcast…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 127: When Napoleon was Nuked and Other Russian Conspiracy Theories 55:33

10M ago55:33

55:33

Was Moscow nuked in 1812? Have a thousand years of history been made up to conceal the power of the 'Russian Horde'? Was Lenin a mushroom? Are reptiloids trying to subvert Russia with Satanism? Of course not: but these -- and many, many more -- conspiracy theories and mobilised falsehoods remain deeply and depressingly prevalent in Russia, and even…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 126: Truth and Tedium in Putin's Marathon Town Hall and the Russian Press 45:59

10M ago45:59

45:59

I felt I ought to cover Putin's combined press conference and online town hall, but it was just so, so boring. And maybe that's the point: tedium weaponised as the new electoral strategy. But what else can we read into the Kremlin's public messaging? To explore that, after some brief thoughts on that 4 hour 4 minute banquet of banality, I delve int…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 125: Putin's Coming Back! And So's the Cold War? 49:45

10M ago49:45

49:45

So, surprise, surprise, Putin's standing for re-election. A few thoughts on how it was announced and the vibe around it, before I look at 'Preventing the Next War,' a report from DGAP, the German Council on Foreign Relations, that believes Russia could rearm within 6 years of the end of the war, and that if NATO has not already armed itself to matc…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 124: Putin's Performative Politics 53:38

10M ago53:38

53:38

There's a myth that authoritarian leaders don't have to worry about public politics: arguably they have to worry all the more. Spinning off from the recent bizarre criminalisation of the mythical 'international LGBT movement' and one or more raids on gay clubs, I unpack how I think Putin's political 'offer' to Russians will emerge over the months l…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 123: Russia's 'Red-Brown' Leftists, and How I Became A Voice of the West 55:25

11M ago55:25

55:25

Has hell frozen over? Left Front leading light Leonid Razvozzhaev is backing the inclusion of ultra-nationalist Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin in unofficial 'people's primaries' for presidential opposition candidates. How is the Russian left different from the West's, and why does this make 'red-brown' alliances with the nationalists more plausible and wor…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 122: Taking on Conventional Wisdom About Putin 42:53

11M ago42:53

42:53

After looking at a few recent news stories that caught my eye, on everything from the Ministry of Happiness to a surprisingly subversive economic plan, I look at four conventional wisdoms about Putin. He knows what he wants and it never changes. He doesn't have to care about public opinion. He needs the war to go on for ever. He can't be negotiated…

1
In Moscow's Shadows 121: Making Sense of Makhachkala 51:47

11M ago51:47

51:47

What can we learn from the ugly anti-Semitic riot at Makhachkala airport? Officially sanctioned, foreign-inspired subversion, a symptom of state failure or societal anti-Semitism? I don't think any of these capture the significance of the incident, but instead it highlights some fundamental challenges for Moscow, and reasons why the North Caucasus …

1
In Moscow's Shadows 120: Putin is Dead! (well, probably not) 43:39

12M ago43:39

43:39

In what sounds more like a scene from Armando Ianucci's Death of Stalin, an anonymous Telegram channel tells us Putin is dead, his body stuffed into deep freeze while Patrushev takes over. Credible? Not really, but that doesn't stop many Western media outlets running with the story. So, why this fascination with Putin's health, why does it matter, …

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