Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan places travel ban on wife of jailed opposition politician
Samira Gasimli was accused of defamation by the same person who got her husband sentenced.
News Stories
Yesterday, 20 April 2026
Yesterday, 20 April 2026
Armenia
Pashinyan accuses Karapetyan and others of being ‘foreign agents’
Public opinion surveys say that Karapetyan would be Pashinyan’s primary opponent in the June elections.
Chechnya
Activists report abduction of six Chechen residents
The Chechen opposition movement NIYSO has stated that some of those abducted are elderly people.
Chechnya
Adam Kadyrov receives another commemorative medal
The son of the Chechen Head has been awarded a commemorative medal marking the 20th anniversary of the Sever (‘North’) Regiment.
Daily Brief
Monday, 20 April 2026
Regional * Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Kyiv had finalised agreements to provide drone interceptors and technology with three countries, and that Ukraine has ‘requests from 11 countries — the Middle East and the Gulf, plus we’re also gradually turning our attention to the Caucasus’. Zelenskyi did not specify which country he was referring to in the Caucasus. Armenia * The house arrest of Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan has been extended for another three month
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Georgia
Trump Organisation to build 70-storey Trump Tower Tbilisi along with local partners
The building, if completed, would be the tallest skyscraper in the South Caucasus.
Friday, 17 April 2026
Daghestan
Russian MP’s visit to flood-stricken Daghestan backfires after clash with blogger
A petition to remove the status of the MP has since been filed.
Daghestan
Brother of Daghestani Health Minister arrested in COVID-19 rapid test embezzlement case
A court in Makhachkala has placed former deputy Kirill Glazov in custody
Georgia–Russia Relations
Russia’s Zakharova says Georgia could be named ‘unfriendly country’ if it joins EU
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also warned EU accession would have economic consequences for Georgia.
Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict
Yerevan says release of Armenian prisoners key to ‘genuine reconciliation’ with Baku
Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan also said uncovering information about the missing people over the decades of conflict is crucial.
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Georgia orders massive airspace closure over Ivanishvili residence, allegedly on his ‘whim’
The order closes approximately 2,000 square kilometres of airspace in Georgia's south.
Daily Brief
Friday, 17 April 2026
Regional * Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan said in his speech at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Turkey that the release of 19 Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan and clarification of the fate of missing people should be achieved in order to ‘achieve genuine reconciliation’. * A meeting between Simonyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Sahiba Gafarova has begun in Istanbul. APA wrote that the meeting is taking place within the framework of the 152nd session of t
North Ossetia–Alania
How Ossetian Uatsdin became ‘the most successful’ pagan faith in the world
Uatsdin has spread amidst a growing interest in pre-Christian religious traditions as an important part of ethnic identity in the North Caucasus.
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan exports to Armenia reach $5.8 million as its Armenian imports barely hit $1,000
Information about the goods exported from Armenia to Azerbaijan worth $960 has not been disclosed.
Georgia
Imedi claims Czech activist planning revolution with Georgian opposition
Imedi further claimed that Georgia’s Security Service (SSG) is ‘is already aware of planned unrest’.
Chechnya
Kadyrov has 33,000 troops under personal command, report says
According to human rights defenders, the ‘Kadyrov army’ numbers around 33,000 people.
Armenia–EU Relations
EU to send mission to Armenia to combat Russian ‘destabilisation’ efforts
RFE/RL has reported that the decision was pending approval from the EU’s foreign ministers.
Georgia
Georgian Parliament adopts exceptions to controversial grants law
The initial version of the law dramatically expanded what constitutes a grant and added a requirement for prior government permission.
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Armenia arrests 14 affiliates of Karapetyan for alleged election bribery
This is the latest in a series of arrests involving members of tycoon Samvel Karapetyan’s party.
Azerbaijan Airlines Crash
Russia agrees to pay compensation for Azerbaijan Airlines crash
The Russian and Azerbaijani foreign ministries issued a vague joint statement on the agreement that was scant on details.
Economy
Chinese-linked Basisbank acquires Georgia’s Liberty Bank
The deal has spent a year in the making.
Daily Brief
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Regional * Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that ‘despite the complex international situation’, the TRIPP project remains ‘priority’ for the governments of Armenia, the US, and Azerbaijan. * Russia and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement in which Moscow will pay compensation to the victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines crash, which was mistakenly downed by a Russian anti-air missile in December 2024. The agreement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to his Aze
Reviews
Review | In the Mountains. He — a comedic ode to the Caucasus mountains
Balkar director Said Tolgurov’s second film works to ground the viewer through the breathtaking, mountain landscape of Kabarda–Balkaria.
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Daghestan
Russian court to hear case on Daghestan terror plot
Investigators claim the accused were planning to plant explosives at military and security sites in the republic.
2026 Armenian parliamentary elections
Armenia investigates two of Karapetyan’s affiliates for pre-election bribery
The two women were detained for promoting the Strong Armenia party ‘under the guise of charity’.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani demining worker killed in mine explosion
Mughan Metili was a music teacher and the father of two minor kids.
Chechnya
Kadyrov awarded for contribution to the development of the cement industry
This is the second award received by Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov in April.
Armenia–Russia Relations
Russia reopens case against Armenia’s Jermuk water amid tensions with Yerevan
The case concerns the death of a man in Vladikavkaz in 2024, reportedly after drinking contaminated Jermuk mineral water.
North Ossetia–Alania
Editor-in-chief of Sapa detained in Vladikavkaz on bribery charges
Alina Dzhikaeva was accused of bribing a police officer for information.
Abkhazia
Ukrainian drones over Abkhazia raise uncomfortable questions for authorities
A mass drone incursion in March raised questions over the authorities’ ability to defend Abkhazia — and in its willingness to warn its own people.
