Session 2: Data Challenges in Russia: How Can We Deal with the Black Box?

Russia’s war against Ukraine put an end to the conventional ways of studying and understanding Russia. Fieldwork became almost impossible and access to previously accepted data sources got restricted or their credibility has to be called into question. This panel will discuss what data can help to get consistent view on the state of the Russian economy despite statistical censorship, what is still possible with regard to survey methodology (and what is not) and how to use digital footprints and Open Source Intelligence and Social Media Investigations (OSINT) techniques for understanding Russia's territorial strategies and dynamics.