To read Part One, please click here. A constant drumbeat of Russian propaganda and sensationalist international reporting has created the impression that Russia’s naval forces are much more formidable than is actually the case. This has convinced some Western decision-makers that any policy designed to put pressure on Moscow could lead to a dangerous or uncontrollable escalation, over which …
In the last decade, Russia has increasingly sought to show off its muscles to the rest of the world. Extensive Russian propaganda has focused on purported successes in the country’s rearmament and military modernization programs, going some way toward convincing the West of the worsening threat posed by Russia’s Armed Forces. However, the actual situation arguably diverges from the rosy …