My monograph “Terrorism and Power in Russia. The Empire of (In)security and the Remaking of Politics” has been published by Routledge as part of their Studies in Contemporary Russia series. It is available in both the hard copy and e-book format. Please consider buying a copy or recommending it to your library!
What Terrorism and Power in Russia is about
Why is it that in Russia, crises so often become framed as terrorism—and what does this tell us about power, politics and state control? This book examines how the Kremlin has used the language of terrorism to shape Russia’s domestic, regional, and international politics, from the Chechen Wars to Syria and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Combining securitisation theory with a three-level analysis, it traces how securitising actors and speech acts reframed terrorism as an existential threat, enabling exceptional measures at home, influence across Russia’s near abroad, and claims to counterterrorism leadership internationally. Using securitisation theory, the book follows the rhetoric through laws, presidential addresses, media narratives, and policy outcomes, showing how terrorism securitisation patterns forged in Chechnya travelled into Syria and Ukraine. It offers a clear, system-based analysis of Moscow’s securitisation of the terrorism threat, drawing on verified official documents and original Russian sources to explain how security talk becomes state practice.
This book will interest scholars, students, and practitioners of Russian politics, security studies, and international relations, as well as readers in media and communication, area studies, and contemporary history. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses on foreign policy, terrorism and counterterrorism, and propaganda, and will be useful to policymakers, analysts, and journalists seeking a rigorous guide to Russia’s securitisation of terrorism.
Critical Reviews of Terrorism and Power in Russia
“Terrorism and Power in Russia is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Putin’s Russia and how it is positioning itself in the world. Drawing on extensive original research, Anastassiya Mahon reveals that the campaign against terrorism has become a core part of Russia’s identity, both at home and abroad.”
– Dr Jenny Mathers, Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University
“In this insightful and theoretically rigorous book, Anastassiya Mahon confronts an important and timely topic: Russia’s use of terrorism as a critical frame for action. Securitization is often a slippery slope and this book richly demonstrates how Russia’s securitization of terrorism has evolved from its narrow application in the context of Chechnya to an ubiquitous use domestically, regionally, and internationally that has major implications not only for Ukraine but Europe and the wider world.”
– Dr Nicholas Ross Smith, Senior Research Fellow and Lead academic of the EUIP Jean Monnet Network, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury