Photo: RUSI
The Russian Prosecutor General has labeled the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), a UK-based think tank, as an “undesirable organization.” RUSI experts provide extensive analysis on military conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, and their on-the-ground research and close relationship with high-level security officials in Kyiv have allowed them to publish in-depth reports on the state of the Russian military.
According to the Russian Prosecutor General, RUSI has “spent millions of pounds on anti-Russian propaganda with elements of obscurantism.” Its statement continued:
“RUSI members regularly organize training sessions and seminars where, under the guise of countering a supposed Russian threat, they discuss Russia’s combat and intelligence tactics, methods of waging war, and the development of new types of weapons.”
While it was likely RUSI’s Russia-focused work that attracted the attention of the authorities in Moscow, the think tank carries out research on a range of topics related to defense and security. RUSI Senior Research Fellow Antonio Giustozzi, an expert on the Middle East, has published multiple articles in The Insider.
The British think tank, which was established in 1831, is funded by private individuals and foundations, as well as the European Commission, and also receives support from the governments of the UK and U.S. The organization’s stated goal is to conduct research and hold events that foster discussion on defense and security issues in order “to help build a safer UK and a more secure, equitable and stable world.”