Ruslan Pukhov

Ruslan Pukhov
Руслан Николаевич Пухов
Born	(1973-04-16) April 16, 1973
Alma mater	Moscow State Institute of International Relations
Occupation	CAST director

Ruslan Pukhov (Руслан Николаевич Пухов) is a Russian defense analyst and director of the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. In addition to his role at CAST, since 2007 Pukhov has been a member of the Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Defense, composed of civilians and retired servicemen, which advises the Minister of Defense on a variety of issues. He is also the executive director of the Russian Armorers Union, which represents Russian small arms manufacturers.

Overview

Born on April 16, 1973, in Elektrostal, a suburb of Moscow. Pukhov studied international journalism at MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry from 1990-1994. In 1996, he graduated from the Franco-Russian dual-degree program between Master d'Etudes Internationales Sciences Po and MGIMO with an M.A. in Political Science. While studying at Sciences Po, Pukhov interned at the Russian Embassy in Paris for six months. He then worked as a researcher of the Conventional Arms Project at the Center for Policy Studies in Russia (PIR Center) from 1996-1997. In the summer of 1997, Pukhov and Konstantin Makienko founded the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), which was inspired by the French think-tank Centre de Recherches et d'Études sur les Stratégies et les Technologies or Centre for Study of Strategies and Technologies (CREST). CAST publishes the Russian language journal, Eksport Vooruzheniy (Arms Exports) and the English language, Moscow Defense Brief, which cover topics on Russian and former Soviet States defense industries, arms trade, and armed forces.

Pukhov has written a number of articles and op-eds on defense matters for the New York Times, Defense News, The National Interest, and other news sources. He has also published a number of books, including Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine, Russia's New Army, and The Tanks of August. Pukhov is also frequently interviewed on defense topics by Russian and foreign media sources, including Vedemosti Kommersant Wall Street Journal and Reuters.