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Turkish Armed Drones Production and DeploymentReviewed - ReviewPavel Faus, Miroslav MarešVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2021, Vol. XXX. (LXII.): 21-37 This article studies the current stage of development of armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology in Turkey, within the context of the current media attention caused by its deployment in various conflicts. Authors first provide a classification framework for surveillance and armed drones. Text proceeds with an overview of the technology and its military use. The core of the text focuses on Turkey's past and present use of armed drones. Authors analyse the current stage of Turkey's armed drone development production and export destinations. Furthermore, operational use by Turkey or other parties is discussed. Authors conclude by comparing current generation of Turkish drones to those deployed by the United States, highlighting technological edge on the side of the US, as well as continuing dependency of Turkey's main drone systems on foreign components. |
Is Turkey Ready for a War with Syria?Reviewed - ReviewVladimír Bízik, Zdeněk KřížVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 57-71 This article examines whether Turkey is ready for a full-scale military conflict with Bashar Al-Assad's Syria. It draws from an adaptation of Clausewitz's concept of three resources that a state must possess to be able to win a war: the fighting forces proper, popular support, and its allies. Turkey is at a significant disadvantage when it comes to its air force and air defense capabilities. Should a major confrontation erupt, Turkey would not be guaranteed to be able to control the relevant air space. Turkish citizens do not favor seeing their country in a foreign quagmire. Despite myriad differences, Turkey it is still deeply embedded within NATO, and its strategic interests do not differ from those of its strategic allies. Turkey also cannot afford to risk an open military conflict with Russia. The article concludes that Turkey is politically and militarily not capable of fighting a full-scale war in Syria. |
The UN and NATO as the Main Pillars of the International Security Architecture with a Focus on the Middle East RegionReviewed - ResearchYvona Novotná-ŠabackáVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2024, Vol. XXXIII. (LXV.): 18-35 This study provides a summary overview of the creation and the activities of the international security architecture in the form of their two main pillars, i.e. the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Near and Middle East region. Within the framework of international security relations, this is a very unstable and conflictual region, where this instability has lasted practically since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The global UN, its overall activity and importance, especially humanitarian and peace-building activities not only for the Near and Middle East region, is very beneficial, through out the Cold War period up to the present day. As a security organization, NATO is among the most important global actors influencing current international security relations. Through their activities, both of these organizations represent a essential means of ensuring world peace and security. |
Palestine in a Vicious Circle of Violence, Wars and Terror (1948-2023)Reviewed - ResearchJan EichlerVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2024, Vol. XXXIII. (LXV.): 36-55 This article deals with one of the most explosive areas of the world today, which is the Near and Middle East (NMEA) and especially the territory of historical Palestine, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (IPC) has been going on for a long time. The text deals primarily with historical and military factors and is written as a historical explanatory analysis. It focuses on the most significant historical events and explains the ways of functioning and the consequences of the processes that have been taking place there for a long time. |
Yomkippur War from the Perspective of Czechoslovak DiplomacyReviewed - ReviewEva TaterováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2023, Vol. XXXII. (LXIV.): 3-23 This study presents the perspective of Czechoslovak diplomacy on the events of the Yom Kippur War (1973) in the context Czechoslovak foreign policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict in early 1970s. The research is based on so far rather underexplored archival sources. Despite Czechoslovakia's declared unequivocal support for the Arab side of the conflict, Czechoslovak Middle Eastern policy since the mid-1950s was not entirely unconditional in relation to the Arab countries. Internal documents of Czechoslovak government occasionally revealed criticisms of Arab representatives. The Yom Kippur War represented a significant moment in this regard, as it was a military confrontation initiated not by Israel but by the Arab coalition, posing a challenge for Czechoslovak propaganda. Simultaneously, this armed conflict presented an opportunity for Communist Czechoslovakia to further deepen its relations with its Arab allies. |
From Plan Gideon to Plan Tnufa: Israeli defense strategy and the buildup of the Israeli Defense Forces in the wider context of the Middle East after the Arab SpringReviewed - ResearchĽubomír Zvada, Jiří LachVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2023, Vol. XXXII. (LXIV.): 24-44 Based on the content analysis method, this study analyzes the first ever published security strategy of the Israel Defense Forces, which was published in 2015. The main objective of the paper is not only to present the circumstances of its creation and discuss the main objectives of this strategic security document, but also to outline the broader geopolitical context from which it emerged. The authors argue that the document primarily emphasized two areas - the use of force and capacity building of the Israeli military. Among other things, the publication of the strategy was intended to have a deterrent effect. In the conclusion, the authors compare the Gideon Plan and its follow-up, the Tnufa Plan, and point to the considerable importance that consensus among political and military elites has in the implementation of such a document and reflect on what lessons and inspiration can be drawn from this case in our geographic space in the process of formulating or reformulating strategic security documents. |
Morocco´s Foreign Fighters: Jihadists´ 2nd Generation and its Islamist IdeologyNonreviewed - OtherMgr. Jana KostrounováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2016, Vol. XXV. (LVII.): 82-90 There is currently about 1 500 Moroccan citizens fighting for the so-called Daech in Syria and Iraq; that makes the North African monarchy one of the main countries which export radical islam djihadists and supporters abroad to the war-beaten Syrian-Iraqi region. Until 2014 Moroccan officials let them leave the country almost freely, to be precise, they didn´t prevent them from travelling to Syria, Iraq and other proxy war destinations. That´s how have the Moroccan fighters joined the Daech rows fighting in the beginning against the Syrian president Asad. But it seems now that the situation has rapidly changed: the Kingdom of Morocco is currently fighting and closely monitoring its own foreign fighters who are coming back home. Especially such eventual threat is pushing the country for creating a new national security strategy related to this risky minority, which needs to be integrated back to the Moroccan society. |
Proxy Wars and the Role of Intelligence Services in the Current Middle-EastReviewed - ReviewJosef KrausVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2018, Vol. XXVII. (LIX.): 37-45 The paper deals with the concept of proxy wars in the region of the Middle-East and the role of intelligence services in it. In the current conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, many external actors and powers interfere using (not only) their intelligence services for the defence of their national interests in afflicted states, often even combating each other on a territory of a different state. The main goal of the paper is to introduce the concept of proxy war and analyse the role of intelligence services in the ongoing conflicts in the defined area. |
Do Economic Determinants Affect the Size of Military Spending?Reviewed - ResearchLenka Brigzalová, Vojtěch Müllner, Jakub Odehnal, Jiří NeubauerVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2022, Vol. XXXI. (LXIII.): 63-83 The article aims to identify the dependence of military expenditures and selected economic determinants on the example of the V4 countries in the years 1999-2020. The following are selected as economic determinants: the size of the gross domestic product, the rate of inflation, the debt and deficit of the government sector and unemployment. Correlation analysis proved the expected relationship between the gross domestic product and the military expenditure of Hungary and especially Poland. The relationship between military spending and unemployment was confirmed for Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, the expected relationship between military spending and government debt for the Czech Republic. The linear regression model confirmed the positive effect of the gross domestic product on military expenditure in the case of Poland, the effect of the increase in military expenditure due to rising inflation in Hungary and the negative effect of increasing state indebtedness in the case of the Czech Republic. At the same time, the results did not confirm the uniformity of the factors affecting the size of the military factors in the analyzed V4 countries. |
The Information War in Ukraine as a Part of the Military StrategyReviewed - ReviewJan MěřičkaVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2022, Vol. XXXI. (LXIII.): 21-37 This paper assesses the information war in Ukraine in the context of the military strategy. An influence of the information operation (disinformation and deception) presents the strategic tool. The author pragmatically analyses the information war from the military art perspectives and as a part of the strategy used for support of the combat operations. He identifies phases of the information war in the context of the war. The author expects and confirms the opinion that the information war is led by both external actors (the USA and the Russian Federation). Their top representatives are involving in the information war because they support their own interests. This paper has been written as a neo-realist case study. The balance of power concept is in accordance with the used theory, as well as with the key interests of the external actors. |
Islamic State: Conflict Actors, their Participation, Motives and GoalsReviewed - ReviewMgr. Josef Kraus, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 20-36 This text is focused on current situation in Syria and Iraq and so called Islamic State, the one of the biggest threats of contemporary world. The rise of this quasistate at background of civil war in Syria and still not fully solved conflict in Iraq is the result of involvement of many internal and external actors. The form of their involvement and especially their goals are very different from each other and despite sporadic and declaratory agreements in partial points the main reason the Islamic State still exists in very good shape is disunited attitude of local and external powers against it. The main aim of this text is to explain and to analyze main motives and goals of all relevant actors and sides of mentioned conflict and describe the way they affect its dynamics. Due to that it is possible to increase the knowledge of readers in such a chaotic, unclear and often misinterpreted situation in the Middle-East. |
The Fight of France against ISIS in Iraq and Syria since Summer 2014 until March 2016Nonreviewed - OtherIveta KupkováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2016, Vol. XXV. (LVII.): 53-65 This article discusses political and military issue of Islamic State, since establishment of the antiIS alliance in summer 2014 until March 2016 in Iraq and Syria. The article describes each step made during this period separately or in alliance, while the terrorist attacks in Paris are considered as a turning point. That is the reason why the article is the comparison of French policy before and after the attacks. Furthermore, the crucial part is to resolve Syrian crisis in which France is actively involved in order to settle down the events in Syria and transform it into democratic country without President Assad.This article discusses political and military issue of Islamic State, since establishment of the antiIS alliance in summer 2014 until March 2016 in Iraq and Syria. The article describes each step made during this period separately or in alliance, while the terrorist attacks in Paris are considered as a turning point. That is the reason why the article is the comparison of French policy before and after the attacks. Furthermore, the crucial part is to resolve Syrian crisis in which France is actively involved in order to settle down the events in Syria and transform it into democratic country without President Assad. |
Security and Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation in SyriaReviewed - ReviewMgr. Lukáš TichýVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 37-50 During the Arab Spring Revolution, when the protests against the Syrian government began in 2011, Russia was one of the strongest backers of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, backing its right to use force if necessary to prevent or put down an uprising. Currently, the Russian Federation is the power which has most prominently provided a diplomaticshieldforthe Syrian state and bolstered it witharms supplies, although Moscow talks about the need to "balance" between the warring parties in Syria. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the motives of the foreign and security policy of the Russian Federation in support of Syrian President BasharAssad in the background of Russian interests and influence of norms. At the theoretical level, the paper builds upon a combination of conventional constructivism and rationalism approaches, which in relation to the motives of Russian protection and defense of the ruling regime in Syria reflects a number of fundamental knowledge. |
How Far is the World to Achieve World Peace and Why?Reviewed - ReviewMartin HavlíkVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 76-91 The main goal of this article is to discuss in the context of selected security intentions the world peace as an idealistic phenomenon, which is determined by many factors in the current dynamically changing environment. The intention is not to compare individual philosophical theories, but to provide selected synthetic security indicators that can help measure the state of the security environment. On the basis of these arguments, we can observe a downward trend in the rate represented, also linked to an increase in the activities of terrorist groups and generally transnational threats. The article also highlights the current relatively rigid role of the UN in relation to global peace. The international community and world peace are particularly influenced by the mutual relations and the rivalry of the superpowers. In future conflicts, the transition from the physical form of the battlefield to the imaginary platform, represented mainly by cyber space, will be more evident. |
Analysis of Iranian Revolution Guard Corps in the Context of its Inclusion on the List of Foreign Terrorist OrganisationReviewed - ReviewMatěj MacháčekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 92-106 United states of America classified from 2019 Iranian revolution guards as "foreign terrorist organisation". Article analyses consequences of this step. Text in the introduction presents Guards and highlights the differences between this organization and "classical" terrorist organization. Goal of the main part of text is to analyze American steps and finds consequences resulting from it. This work concluded that though legal consequences of putting Guards on the list of "foreign terrorist organization" are small, on the other hand its practical impacts are huge. There was also found link between putting Guards on this list and new American strategy of "maximal pressure" against Iran. |
Immigration in France and its security consequencesReviewed - ReviewJan EichlerVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 3-22 The article is about the immigration in France and its consequences on the security field. It starts by the historical context and pays a big attention to the development during last two decades. It analyses the process of the islamisation on the cultural, social, security, and political levels. It continues by the French debate which reflects the clash of two contrasting approaches: political correctness vs. critical attitudes. The French experts dispute about two key subjects: the numbers of the immigrants and, namely, the correlations between the immigration and the growing numbers and brutality of the terrorist attacks (the so - called amalgam). The last part analyses the place and the role the immigrants in the French armed forces. This text offers an original periodisation of the phenomena of the immigration in France since the first post WW II years until today. It examines not only its quantitative aspects, but also its qualitative changes. |
Media Presentation of ISIS: Content Analysis of the Magazine DabiqReviewed - ReviewBc. Jan Hanzelka, prof. JUDr. Miroslav Mareš, PhD.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 51-63 Thisarticledeals withanalysis ofthemagazineDabiq.Thismagazineis published by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and it serves to Jihadist propaganda in English language. The content analysis is used. Thematic fields (with qualitative analysis) and important terms (with term freqency analysis). Authors identified tree main themes of the Dabiq magazine - religion, establishing of the Caliphate and its functions and military operations of the ISIS. The conceptualization of the enemies from the point of view of the ISIS. |
Balkan Foreign FightersReviewed - ReviewVěra StojarováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2018, Vol. XXVII. (LIX.): 63-74 The article focuses on the issue of foreign fighters from the Balkan peninsula, and examines the measures that have been taken by governments in the region to combat it. The author asserts that the first ISIS losses and the thinning of the first wave of enthusiastic recruits accompanied with the first disillusioned returnees and changes in public policies and in public discourse (political narrative and narrative of Islamic communities, mass media) caused the unprecedented decline in the number of new recruits. |
Some Tools of the Czech Republic Security Policy to Prevent Proliferation of Nuclear and Chemical WeaponsNonreviewed - OtherMartin Fokt, Antonín Novotný, Pavel OtřísalVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 128-148 The article deals with selected international treaties, current agreements and international cooperation initiatives in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons, in which the Czech Republic is represented through specific bodies or ministries. There is also a general description of the view and the specific military approach. The involvement of the MoD and the Czech Armed Forces in NATO structures enables to influence the strategic decision-making in the area of CBRN and thus support the current trends concerning forensic analysis, sampling of CBRN samples and response to new trends in the field of WMD elimination. |
Models of Proliferation of Rocket Technologies Used by Hybrid Actors in the Middle EastReviewed - ReviewLadislav KulhánekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 73-84 Rocket technology occupies an elite position in the doctrines of hybrid actors in the Middle East. The thesis of proliferation of tactical ballistic missiles analyses four models - political, technological, substitutional and propagandist-psychological. An effective reduction of ballistic missiles and technologies has been identified in the political model, where sanctions and embargoes limit the proliferation of missile technology. In the technical model, which plays a key role, the limiting factors are those of development and dissemination of high-energy laser weapons. The substitutional model illustrates the application of tactical ballistic missiles as carriers for improvised devices. It is of marginal importance, despite covering targets that involve secondary damage. Studying the model of propaganda and psychology confirms the psychological effect on the population associated with the losses, but it does not affect the reduction of missiles. |
Reflections over Syrian Conflict in the Czech RepublicReviewed - ResearchDoc. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D., Mgr. Michael MuradVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2013, Vol. XXII. (LIV.): 132-142 This study deals with the responses to recent Syrian conflict in the Czech Republic. The authors introduce particularly activities inside Syrian diaspora, actually formed during the time of communism. Syrians citizens living in the Czech Republic are not homogeneous, which is similar to the situation in Syria. In our country we can find both people loyal to the regime of Ba'ath Party and Bashar al-Assad, and also members of opposition that in fact has divided into two groups, since the mid-2012. The authors introduce reactions of various subjects from the Czech Republic. |
Financing of TerrorismReviewed - ReviewJosef Smolík, Veronika SvatošováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2017, Vol. XXVI. (LVIII.): 73-88 The issue of terrorism is becoming increasingly important on the level of social, economic, political and security. The threat of terrorism affects at the same time, societal and cultural events. Professional and academic discussion addresses the causes and possible consequences of this phenomenon. To understand the implications of terrorism, it is necessary to look at this issue from the perspective of terms of its financing. This review study aims to define the term financing of terrorism on the one hand, but also to identify possible sources of financing of terrorism, including the most used payment methods by terrorist organizations. This study also leads a discussion on the efforts and effectiveness of the various authorities in the fight for detecting terrorism, especially in relation to the detection of its financial flows. The study also defines the possible pitfalls in the fight against terrorism and detecting its sources of financing and attempts to outline possible alternatives while increasing success in this fight. |
From Bombing to Targeted Killings: Transformations of the US Fighting Against Global TerrorismReviewed - ReviewJan Eichler, Kristýna StejskalováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2017, Vol. XXVI. (LVIII.): 75-88 The aim of the article is to compare foreign policy of G. W. Bush jr. and Barack Obama in terms of use of military force. Transition from ground operations to targeted killings is demonstrated on three military operations - Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. The shift from bombers to drones had several reasons, mainly changing features of the threat. Authors are asking questions why and how did change the US fight against global terrorism with respect to military technologies and how is this change reflected in US fight against the threat of Islamic state. |
Energy as a Strategic Tool of Hezbollah Movement in Confrontation with IsraelReviewed - ReviewLukáš TichýVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2017, Vol. XXVI. (LVIII.): 14-30 The article focuses on confronting the Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah with Israel in the field of energy. The aim of the article is to analyse the importance of energy in strategy of movement Hezbollah generally and specifically in confronting with Israel and motives and methods of the energy strategy of the Hezbollah. The primary method of Hezbollah action is to use or threat of violence consisting in threatening to attack on the Israeli energy sector to defend Lebanese energy wealth and deter its enemy from production of gas and oil in the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean. The main motive of Hezbollah's activities is especially strengthening of stable energy supplies and Israel's accusations of aggressive energy policy towards Lebanon. |
The Kurdish Diaspora in Central Europe its Response to Actual Development in Syria and Iraq and Predictions of Further DevelopmentReviewed - ReviewMgr. et Mgr. Michael Murad, Mgr. Josef Kraus, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 119-131 Following article deals with the Kurdish diaspora in Middle-Europe at the background of current conflict with so called Islamic State. Kurds are one of the main actors of this strong regional conflict and their diaspora in Germany and Austria are forced to react to such a situation. The text is focused not only on actual situation in Syria and Iraq, but mainly on Kurdish reaction towards it. Not only for Czech reader there is interesting part dealing with Kurdish community in Czech Republic, although this diaspora is not as numerous and strong as in Germany or Austria. One of the important outcomes of the article is an attempt to predict future scenarios of Kurds situation development. But it is necessary to mention the high dynamics of conflict with Islamic State complicates any such an attempt of prediction. |
Research of Al-Qa'ida Has Never been Easier: an Overview of the Sources of Primary DataNonreviewed - OtherMgr. Petr ZelinkaVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 46-60 There has never been so much primary data on al-Qa'ida publicly available. Nevertheless primary data are still not used enough, despite the fact that their omission had a clearly detrimental effect on the quality of research on al-Qa'ida. The article's goal is twofold: to lay out an overview of the publicly available sources of primary data on al-Qa'ida and by highlighting interesting aspects of their content to demonstrate their usefulness for the research in general. The article deals particularly with outputs of public institutions, al-Qa'ida's members' publications, al-Qa'ida's members' communication that has been made public and leaked classified information. The topic how to use the sources of primary data will be discussed briefly. The article aims at encouraging the academic and expert community to use primary data more broadly when researching al-Qa'ida. |
Destruction of Syrian Chemical Weapons: The Next Step to the Global Chemical DisarmamentReviewed - OtherIng. Ladislav Středa, CSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2014, Vol. XXIII. (LV.): 88-101 This paper is above all a quick piece of information on current problem which could have provoked a large war in the Middle East. And also about a unique operation to resolve it. Syrian chemical weapons used to be a serious threat to the entire Middle East, mainly in the context of the ongoing civil war. This was confirmed by repeated use of nerve agent sarin during the conflict. The destruction of Syrian chemical weapons eliminated the threat of escalation of the conflict and its extension to other countries. |
Islamist Territorially Anchored Violent Non-State Actor in the International SystemReviewed - ReviewMgr. Zdeněk LudvíkVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 62-80 Islamist territorially anchored violent non-state actors (ITAVNSAs) seeking to change the status quo of the current international system constitute one of the greatest challenges the international order based on mutual respect of equal sovereign states. These actors in areas without the presence of power states use explicit cross-border violence to achieve their objective in accordance with universal Islamist ideology - the construction of a caliphate. The paper presents in the theoretical and modern historical perspectives methods of reduction of anarchy in the international system - power, economic, legalistic and normative - and highlights the reasons why face to face of these actors, these heretofore functional ways, be it on a regional or system level of analysis, fail. |
Sharing of Intelligence Information in Terms of Process "Need to Share"Reviewed - ReviewIng. Martin HAVLÍK, MBA, MSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 83-92 The main goal of this article is to depict the issue of intelligence information sharing within the so called principle "need to share" and highlight the differences of this current trend, which was to replace the "need to know" principle. The first chapter in reference to current global threats depicts the extent of the present national and international interrest in the intelligence field which is followed by the issue of "need to share" principle. The aim of the following chapter is briefly analyse the sfaring of intelligence information within NATO and the EU. This chapter also includes the possible sharing of SIGINT information obtained by national tactical element embedded in Task force during current day operations. The final part evaluates the intelligence information sharing and outlines certain prediction of future development in this field. |
Recent development of Transnistrian conflict in the light of crisis on UkraineReviewed - ReviewMgr. Lukáš DyčkaVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 38-45 This article analyses frozen Conflict in separatist region of Transnistria in the light of recent crisis on Ukraine. Despite standing in the shade of Ukraine, the importance of Transnistria has been once again highlighted by Russian support to separatist movements in post-soviet area. Hence text also argues, that by precise analysis of important agents involved in Transnistrian conflict, such as Russia, Ukraine or Romania, we can better understand not only current development in this "de-facto state", but also put annexation of Crimea (or war in eastern Ukraine) into context. On the other hand, influence of Russian military presence in Transnistria on Ukraine war effort is also important and deserves to be closely studied. |

