On 28 November 2025, a presentation was held for the monograph Wartime Crisis Mode: The Impact of Russia’s Aggression on the System of Social Control in Ukraine (Crime, Institutes, and Trust in Criminal Justice). This is the first comprehensive study analysing the impact of Russian aggression on criminal justice, crime, and trust in law enforcement…
Category: Research Centre
Call for Papers: Wartime Crisis Mode: Crime, Justice and Social Control in Armed Conflicts in Europe
Call for Papers Wartime Crisis Mode: Crime, Justice and Social Control in Armed Conflicts in Europe Edited by Dr. Dmytro Yagunov, Prof. Dr. Rita Haverkamp and Dr. Tetiana Melnychuk Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Endowed Professorship of Crime Prevention and Risk Management Supported by the Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation About the…
Former South African President’s Daughter Alleges Sibling Orchestrated Russian Enlistment Scheme
South African authorities announced Sunday they are examining accusations that a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma participated in enlisting individuals to serve with Russian mercenary forces in the Ukrainian conflict. The accusations targeting Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a parliamentary member representing her father’s MK political organization, emerged from a sworn statement submitted by her sibling requesting…
Dan Ford, Zakariya Rahimi: Is Russia’s African Presence Winding Down?
On July 28, 2024, dozens of Wagner fighters were killed in an ambush by Tuareg rebels on the outskirts of the northern Mali town of Tinzaouaten, located along the border with Algeria. The most significant military defeat suffered by Wagner in Africa, the incident served as a clear indication of the intense challenges facing Russian…
Julius Strauss: Murderers and Torturers — Why Are Russian Troops So Bestial?
It makes for haunting viewing. A Russian soldier, almost certainly a 32-year-old father-of-two-daughters called Oleg Yakovlev from the city of Saratov, shouts “Film me! Film me!” as a Ukrainian captive, one of six who have surrendered, walks slowly away from him. As a member of his squad films, Yakovlev raises his Kalashnikov assault rifle and…
Who is benefiting geopolitically from African coups?
A troubling pattern has taken hold across Africa. Since 2020, nine successful military coups have fundamentally altered the political landscape of the continent, concentrated primarily but no longer exclusively in the Sahel region. The October 2025 seizure of power in Madagascar by Colonel Michael Randrianirina, following youth-led protests against President Andry Rajoelina, signals that what…
Nations Supplying Weapons to Countries Hosting Russian Private Military Companies May Violate Arms Control Regulations
Nations supplying weapons to countries hosting Russian private military companies (PMCs) may be violating international arms control regulations. The Wagner Group faces serious accusations of massacres, torture, and sexual violence against civilians following its 2021 deployment to Mali at the ruling junta’s invitation, alongside systematic looting of communities and extortion targeting lucrative industries such as…
The Sahel’s Descent: How Russian Mercenaries Failed Where France Fell Short
Three years ago, Mali’s military junta celebrated the expulsion of French forces — a defiant rejection of colonial legacy that resonated widely across the nation. Russian mercenaries arrived as replacements, pledging to safeguard the ruling regime and crush a persistent Islamist insurgency. The outcome tells a different story. As al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin…
Four Years of Russian Mercenaries in Mali: Escalating Violence and Retreat
Four years after Mali’s military junta welcomed Russian mercenaries to combat terrorism, the country confronts intensified attacks and a fuel embargo while Russian forces retreat from direct combat operations. The dynamics of Mali’s partnership with Russian forces shifted fundamentally following Africa Corps’ arrival in June 2024. Africa Corps largely comprised former Wagner Group personnel, who…
Dmytro Yagunov: Crime in Ukraine: Trends, Structure and Transformations (January–October 2025)
1. Introduction 1.1. Research Context and Methodology Ukraine’s criminal justice system in 2025 operates under extraordinary strain due to Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. The fourth year of war has driven profound structural shifts in crime patterns that extend well beyond statistical fluctuations. 1.2. Overview of the Reporting Period Between January and October 2025, overall crime…