Russia
Russian journalist sentenced to 10 years in absentia for saying 20% of Georgia is occupied by Russia
This is the first case of Russia’s ‘fake news’ article being used not in connection to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
News Stories
Today, 24 March 2026
Today, 24 March 2026
Georgia
Georgian Rugby Union acknowledges its players violated doping regulations
The union claimed that the players in question had not represented the national team since 2024.
Ingushetia
Ingush Head Kalimatov meets Kadyrov in Chechnya for the first time
Relations between the regions became strained after a border agreement was signed in 2018.
Armenia
Mirzoyan says hybrid attacks against Armenia can be partly ‘traced’ to Russia
The disinformation targeting Armenia has significantly increased in the lead-up to the 2026 parliamentary elections.
Ilia II
Opinion | Reflecting on the complex legacy of Patriarch Ilia II
The long-serving head of the Georgian Orthodox Church has left behind an ‘epochal, unique, and contradictory’ legacy.
Georgia
Opposition politician Khoshtaria sentenced to 1.5 years for ‘damaging’ Georgian Dream banner
Khoshtaria was first detained in September 2025.
Chechnya
Estonia deports Chechen asylum seeker to Russia
The man had argued for months that his life would be in danger in Russia.
Georgia
Georgian minor faces criminal charges for making ‘false bomb reports’ during Patriarch’s funeral
According to the Georgian State Security Service (SSG), two calls were made on Sunday afternoon.
Daily Brief
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Regional * Today, four freight wagons of fertiliser and one freight wagon of buckwheat were sent from Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. Armenia * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday. According to the Armenian readout, they discussed ‘issues related to the scope of the bilateral agenda’, also ‘agreed to continue the discussion’ in a meeting in the near future. The Kremlin readout elaborated that the call
Yesterday, 23 March 2026
Ilia II
Massive crowds gather to give final farewell to Georgia’s longest-serving Patriarch
Ilia II had led the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan implements dramatic increase in salaries for officials
The salary for Prime Minister is now set at ₼17,000 ($10,000) a month.
Armenia
Armenia sends humanitarian aid to Iran
The aid mainly contains medicine, Armenian authorities said.
North Ossetia–Alania
Vladikavkaz dance instructor faces harassment for appearing in ‘revealing’ clothes
Pogorelova teaches Latin American dancing.
Armenia
Pashinyan calls Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian refugees ‘runaways’ in argument on metro
Following backlash online, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan apologised for his remarks.
Georgia
German partners continue to ignore Nazi-linked research at Kutaisi University
The former long-serving president of TUM and now honorary president of KIU privately expressed irritation at reports on the research centre.
North Ossetia–Alania
Mother of North Ossetian soldier convicted of desertion stages pickets in Vladikavkaz
The woman is demanding the annulment of her son’s sentence, claiming he was convicted unlawfully
Georgia
Kobakhidze speaks at CPAC Hungary as Orbán calls Georgia the ‘bravest nation in Europe’
The bulk of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s speech was about traditional values and praise for Georgia’s strategic neutrality.
Reviews
Review | Thus Spoke the Wind — an Armenian drama that favours art over substance
Russian director Maria Rigel’s latest film is a disappointingly slow-moving look at Armenian society that is more incomprehensible than enlightening.
Daily Brief
Monday, 23 March 2026
Regional * The Armenian authorities rejected a petition to allow the Catholicos Karekin II to attend the funeral of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II yesterday. Karekin II has been under a travel ban since February. Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Minister of Culture and Education Zhanna Andreasyan attended the funeral. Armenia * Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has faced backlash after calling Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians ‘runaways’ in an argument with a refugee on the metro. Later that
Saturday, 21 March 2026
Circassians
When the night glows, the Circassian New Year begins
The Circassian New Year, once an important occasion marking the beginning of spring, has resurfaced — but does it have a place in today’s society?
Friday, 20 March 2026
Georgia
Second Georgian faces criminal charges for minor protest-related offences
Shalva Esartia faces up to one year in jail.
North Caucasus
Chechens again top list of asylum seekers in Germany, but successful cases drop sharply
The report was published as a response to a parliamentary inquiry by the Die Linke faction in the German Parliament.
Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Catholicos Karekin II’s presence at Georgian Patriarch Ilia II’s funeral remains uncertain
Karekin II has been under a travel ban since February.
Kabarda–Balkaria
Court overturns verdict of Nalchik soldier convicted of intentionally blowing himself up with mines
Nikolai Khozumov allegedly blew himself up on a mine at least four times of his own accord.
Armenia
Pashinyan claims Armenia faces war if opposition wins parliamentary election
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has framed the opposition as a ‘war party’.
Ilia II
Huge crowds in Tbilisi bid farewell to Patriarch Ilia II
Ilia II, the long-standing Patriarch, will be laid to rest on Sunday.
Daily Brief
Friday, 20 March 2026
Regional * Yesterday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze, offering his condolences for the death of Patriarch Ilia II. Earlier yesterday, Pashinyan stated that Armenia ‘will participate in the funeral at the highest level’, however the attendance of Catholicos Karekin II still remains unclear, considering he has been under a travel ban since February. Armenia * Yesterday, Pashinyan received EU Enlargement Commissioner
2026 Iran War
At the edge of the war, an uneasy calm: dispatches from the Armenia–Iran border
As civilians trickle across the border, some seeking security others returning home, local residents are feeling the economic consequences.
Thursday, 19 March 2026
