The Impact of War on Center-Regional Relations in Russia: the Case of Defense-Linked Regions

Abstract Russia’s war against Ukraine was the immediate impetus for the realization of the strategic intentions of the Russian leadership – to “integrate the war into the national economy” and to turn the defense sector into the driving force of the country’s development. The strategic character of all these changes affects the country’s territorial structure: we observe the “rise” of the defense-linked regions. These regions demonstrated high levels of economic growth and employers created special conditions for those employed in defense enterprises. However, these special conditions were accompanied by the instigation of strict schemes of management from Moscow. Moscow is strengthening its influence in the defense-linked regions through direct control over the defense enterprises and center-regional patronal networks. The new situation leads to a change in the position of governors in the defense-linked regions. Regional governors, on the contrary, lose control over the most important sector of the economy in their regions and the possibility to formulate the agenda for the development of their regions. The model of center-regional relations in Russia whose sustainability was based on uniformity becomes more asymmetric.