The “Fundamentals of the State Policy of Regional Development of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025” (hereinafter referred to as the Fundamentals), approved by Decree of the President of Russia (No. 13 dated January 16, 2017), are in recent months. The fate of this document, which has no analogues in the world, was largely predetermined both by the excessive hopes for achieving its results, and by the emergence of new circumstances of the country’s existence during the period of the Fundamentals. During this time, more than a hundred detailed articles by well-known economists and lawyers, regionalists and sociologists, demographers and political scientists, were published in leading scientific journals. These articles combined in-depth analysis with critical reviews, well-reasoned recommendations, and predictive assessments. However, two years after the adoption of the Fundamentals, the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation (dated February 3, 2019, No. 207-r) on the approval of the “Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025” (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy 2025) was published, which shifted the attention of authorities at all levels and the expert community to the essence of this a government document that was criticized even before it was made public. The same thing happened even more actively after the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation (dated December 28, 2024, No. 4146-r) approving the next stage of the Strategy 2025 – the “Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 with a forecast up to 2036” (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy 2030). Expert assessments of the above-mentioned documents reveal many controversial provisions in all of these official documents. The article discusses two of them: the insufficient consideration of new realities during the period of the Fundamentals and Strategies and the unsolvable task of reducing territorial differentiation.

In the context of the country’s economy being in a planned cooling phase due to increased sanctions pressure, extremely unfavorable external conditions, and the Bank of Russia’s tight monetary policy, the issue of ensuring the balance and stability of the budget system, strengthening regional economies, and maintaining the development course becomes particularly urgent. For the upcoming three-year period, the parameters of the consolidated budgets have been determined taking into account the growth of the regions’ own revenue base and the continued provision of financial support from the federal budget aimed at achieving national development goals. The total amount of interbudgetary transfers will amount to 3.6 trillion rubles, most of which will traditionally be allocated to subsidies for equalizing budgetary security, amounting to 1.1 trillion rubles (indexed to the level of inflation). Regions will continue to receive support for expenses related to increasing the salaries of public sector employees. Subsidies for these purposes will amount to almost 120 billion rubles. However, it will be very difficult to achieve growth in the country’s own revenue base in the current circumstances. The draft federal budget for 2026-2028 was submitted to the State Duma simultaneously with a package of budgetary and tax laws that include extensive amendments to the tax legislation, which will increase the revenue of the federal budget. However, according to the business community, these innovations may have a negative impact on the activities of business entities. Given that the regions will most likely be forced to take similar measures on regional taxes to replenish the revenue side of regional budgets, and that the Federation Council aims to develop new sources of revenue, including deep-seated ones, along with reducing inefficient tax and customs benefits, regional businesses will face a significant tax burden. According to the main directions of budgetary, tax, and customs-tariff policy for 2026–2028, when planning the volume Expenditure obligations of the consolidated budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the regions are obliged to ensure the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the indexation of public sector employees’ salaries, expenditures on social security for the population, an increase in the minimum wage, the implementation of national projects and programs, including individual projects for regions with a low level of socioeconomic development. Financial resources for these purposes are usually provided by interbudgetary transfers from the federal budget. However, in many regions, there is a high need for additional funding to address important issues, such as updating social infrastructure, purchasing textbooks for schoolchildren, paying insurance contributions for the non-working population, and a number of other socially sensitive areas. Therefore, in the current financial and economic conditions, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation require special attention and support from the federal center, as well as additional development mechanisms, Reducing the differentiation in the level of socioeconomic development between regions and municipalities should be a priority for state socioeconomic policy.

Regional policy for the Far East in terms of accelerated economic development and improving the investment climate, is largely based on preferential regimes, which, due to the unique conditions of the Far East, offer unparalleled conditions for doing business. Some regimes have already demonstrated success, while others are just beginning to attract investor interest and have yet to impact the economies of their regions. Despite all the advantages and diverse incentives for businesses of various sizes and industries, there are also disadvantages, one of which is the complex system of government regulation, embodied in numerous multi-layered regulations that are constantly undergoing change. This shortcoming can confuse or even discourage potential investors, especially foreign ones unfamiliar with the Russian regulatory system. Due to the need to harmonize legislation and create the most favorable conditions for investment in the Far East, the issue of creating a unified preferential regime is being considered. This study analyzes the current policies of Far Eastern preferential regimes, conducts a comparative analysis of benefits, and offers recommendations for the concept of a new unified preferential regime for the Far East.

Following a period of recovery, the Russian economy has entered a “soft landing”. Production in non-military sectors of production is slowing or declining, while consumer and investment demand is cooling. A decline in oil and gas revenues, driven by lower oil prices, a stronger ruble, and the impact of external sanctions, coupled with an unexpected increase in expenditures, have contributed to a record budget deficit. A fundamental increase in budget-forming taxes is unable to offset the decline in oil and gas revenues, creating risks to fiscal sustainability. The federal budget parameters for 2026 point to a return to fiscal consolidation, but the feasibility of this is exaggerated. The federal budget revenue forecast is based on optimistic assumptions, and expenditure reductions are not guaranteed. The accumulated structural problems of the Russian economy could be exacerbated by new challenges from fiscal policy.

The development of the agro-industrial sector of the economy is highly dependent on regional factors. Dynamically evolving technologies in crop production, livestock farming, and the food industry are leading to inevitable changes in the structure of economic entities in the agro-industrial sector. Digitalization processes, which are designed to improve the level of food security in our country, also play a certain role. Today, the development of the agro- industrial sector is facing increasing pressure from a combination of factors. Regional factors are clearly having a significant impact on the changing structure of agro-industrial enterprises. Significant regional peculiarities are observed in economic, social, demographic, climatic, scientific and technical factors. The article examines the features of structural changes in the agro-industrial sector of the regions of the Volga Federal District, occurring at the present stage under the influence of a combination of factors. An analysis of changes in the share of ownership of agricultural land in the regions of the district was conducted and they were grouped depending on the area of land and the share of private ownership, ownership of legal entities, state and municipal ownership. Prospective directions for structural changes in the agro-industrial sector of the Volga Federal District regions are proposed.

Russia’s fuel and energy sector is a critical factor in sustainable development, industrial growth, budget balance, and the country’s foreign economic activity, forming the foundation of its national energy potential. Ensuring energy independence, stable operation of industry infrastructure, technological sovereignty, and export orientation requires a systemic approach that includes effective government regulation, the participation of leading corporate players, and adaptation to foreign economic challenges. This article presents an overview of development trends in Russia’s fuel and energy sector amid energy transitions driven by shifts in technological paradigms. It examines the structural features of the fuel and energy sector, which are not solely the result of strategic planning but are largely shaped by external economic and geopolitical factors. The authors demonstrate that the structure of the fuel and energy sector does not fully correspond to the economic activities of the industry’s largest corporations, which are diversified, vertically integrated organizations. Particular attention is paid to the distribution of primary hydrocarbon production volumes in favor of oil and gas, which is driven by specific global technological trends. The current state of the Russian economy’s dependence on the federal budget through hydrocarbon energy exports is highlighted. Analytical calculations based on official financial statements reveal signs of a financial crisis at the largest fuel and energy sector corporations, which have intensified by 2024 under the impact of a high key interest rate. Furthermore, a number of fuel and energy companies have begun to convert assets into long-term financial investments, thereby acquiring the characteristics of investment rather than production organizations. The authors examine the process of institutionalizing the digital transition of the fuel and energy sector through the systematic implementation of state energy policy, emphasizing the need to achieve a sustainable balance between energy production and consumption, the rational use of natural resources, and adaptation to infrastructural and technological constraints.

The new Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030, with a forecast up to 2036, is undoubtedly a step forward in terms of the evolution of Russia’s spatial development priorities. The promotion of anchor settlements as the main institutional priority of the new Strategy clearly demonstrates the desire of its developers to focus not only on ensuring Russia’s national security but also on meeting the needs of the population in terms of socio-economic development. However, there are still several aspects that require close attention. This is primarily about the complementarity of the ongoing institutional transformations in the field of spatial development, on the one hand, and local self-government, on the other. The existing confusion in the content of such concepts as settlement, municipality, and municipal formation also creates problems in terms of implementing the provisions of the Strategy. The paper raises theoretical issues that are still ambiguous and require further research by economists, economic geographers, legal scholars, and lawyers, both in terms of science and the practical implementation of the new Strategy.

The adoption of the new Federal Law No. 33-FZ dated 20.03.2025 “On the general principles of the organization of local self-government in the unified system of public authority” has set important and difficult tasks for local governments and state authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation to ensure the effective implementation of this Law, and has also opened a new wave of discussions among scientists, experts, practitioners regarding the new reforms of this institution of public authority. In this regard, it is important to assess the current state of the local government system in Russia, the content of this Federal Law in terms of identifying problematic, controversial aspects of its implementation, and justifying ways to eliminate them. To solve these problems, general scientific research methods and special methods were used (a questionnaire survey of the heads of municipalities of the subjects of the Northwestern Federal District conducted by the author in July-September 2025). As a result, the attitude of the heads of municipalities to the main provisions of this Law, to the desired redistribution of powers between local governments and public authorities, has been revealed. The proposals on leveling the existing shortcomings of the Law are substantiated (in terms of clarifying the grounds for removing the head of the municipality, the procedure for forming territorial bodies of local administration, supplementing the forms of public participation in local government, etc.), which can be used to develop proposals for further adjustments to legislation in the field of local government.

Many of these difficulties are caused by gaps and legal issues in the Federal Law of June 28, 2014, N. 172-FZ “On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation”, which does not take into account the specific features of different types of municipalities when regulating strategic planning at the local level. The article states that the system of strategic planning documents in many regions of the Russian Federation is highly unbalanced, and there is a lack of interconnection and common goals between regional and municipal authorities regarding the development of municipalities in their respective strategic documents. Insufficient methodological support of these activities in municipalities is noted. The lack of an integrated system of indicators to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of strategic planning documents at the local level has been revealed. As a result, there is a formal, declarative nature of many municipal strategies that are poorly related to the current activities of local governments. It is concluded that it is necessary to improve the quality of municipal strategizing, especially in the light of the approved Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 with a forecast until 2036, which assumes the expansion of the horizon of economic growth due to the formation of a wide range of anchor settlements, the role of which is becoming increasingly important against the background of the introduction of master plans as long-term strategic planning tools tha determine the priorities of socio-economic and spatial development of territories.

The number of industries using artificial intelligence is growing worldwide, including the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. The main functions of artificial intelligence are big data processing and predictive modeling. The rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies offers significant opportunities for improving all stages of the drug life cycle – from preclinical trials to pharmacovigilance. In a number of areas, including big data management, control systems and statistical processing, existing principles, recommendations and elements of good pharmaceutical practices can already be directly applied to artificial intelligence systems. At the same time, the use of artificial intelligence models, characterized by an extremely large number of parameters and complex, poorly interpretable architectures, creates new categories of risks. These risks should be systematically identified and mitigated both during the development and training phase and during their implementation in regulatory processes to ensure patient safety, the reliability of analytical conclusions, and the reproducibility of clinical results. In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries has changed the way scientists identify new drug targets, reposition and repurpose them, generate new molecules, conduct clinical trials, and perform all other actions throughout the entire life cycle of a drug.

The modern Middle East remains a region where acute local hostilities persist, from the confrontation in the Gaza Strip to instability in Yemen and Iraq. At the same time, along with traditional wars, hybrid and proxy conflicts are actively unfolding here. These forms of confrontation are particularly pronounced in the relations between Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as around the actions of the United States and its partners in Syria and the Persian Gulf in the context of rivalry between regional powers using military, information and cyber tools to achieve their goals. The article analyzes the key mechanisms of hybrid conflicts in the region, from the interaction of regular armies with paramilitary groups to the use of digital technologies and disinformation companies. Special attention is paid to the role of foreign powers, which, through the support of proxy groups, pursue their own interests, contributing to the persistence of instability and fragmentation of the region. The study is based on an analysis of the dynamics of hybrid and proxy wars in the Middle East, in particular between Iran and Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as with the participation of the United States and its partners in Syria and the Persian Gulf. These conflicts reflect a complex interweaving of global and regional interests, where State and non-State actors use military, economic, information, and cyber tools to achieve strategic goals. The hybrid nature of such wars is transforming traditional notions of sovereignty, security, and forms of violence in the region. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the “invisible fronts” will go beyond the scope of conventional military operations to a greater extent. The information space, energy infrastructure, and networks of political and economic influence are highlighted as key areas of strategic competition. Mastering and systematically understanding the logic of the functioning of these “invisible fronts” seems to be a prerequisite for the formation of comprehensive international security strategies aimed at preventing the escalation of conflicts and ensuring the stability of the regional and global system of international relations.