The Russian Federation/CIS research division is concerned with political structures and social processes as well as developments in foreign, security and military policy in Russia, Ukraine, the South Caucasus and the Central Asian countries.

Regarding the domestic level the main emphasis is on analyzing and classifying power structures and regime development. On the inter-state level, the division's work concentrates on questions of regional stability, regional conflicts, and the analysis of foreign and security policies of the countries of the post-Soviet space, as well as their relationship with and their integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. Accordingly, examining German and European policies vis-á-vis the above-mentioned countries is also included in the research division's agenda.