Terrorism and Power in Russia

Anastassiya Mahon is a political scientist of security and authoritarian politics whose work examines how (in)security narratives consolidate power, police dissent, and justify intervention. Her research spans Russia, Eurasia, and the Middle East, with interests in digital repression, memory politics, and the strategic use of humanitarian language in conflict and foreign policy. She has published in Critical Studies on Security, International Studies Perspectives, the Journal of Illiberalism Studies, and the Conversation. Based in the UK, she teaches international relations, security studies and Russian politics. She writes at www.unlimitedpolitics.com.

• Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Constructing the Terrorist Threat Chapter 3 Regional Securitisation: The terrorist threat across Eurasia Chapter 4 Exporting Securitisation: Syria, Wagner, and Russia's Foreign Policy Chapter 5 Constructing the enemy: Securitisation in Russia's aggression against Ukraine Chapter 6 Conclusion.

"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