Geopolitics
Looking at one of the true tangible reflections of the Cold War - which created itself a symbolic value - it is impossible to ignore any political context. The Kalashnikov is diffused world wide and has determined the outcomes of several political agendas in many conflict regions during the last six decades and sure is that it will do so in many years to come. Therefore some information about this context is provided on this website as well with regular updates.
For the last few years, news about the Kalashnikov was predominantely related with terrorist attacks in Europe since almost every single attack was carried out with Kalashnikov assault rifles (or one of its variants). Another rather recent growing concern is the intensified illegal trade in Kalashnikov assault rifles and derivates which resulted in many criminal acts such as criminal violence and criminal reckonings in public. No wonder extra political and media attention is addressed to the Kalashnikov now that the weapon becomes a primer part in public security discussions.
The intensive distribution of Kalashnikov assault rifles in several conflict regions - among which many in the direct or close neighborhood of European borders - is another significant aspect that brings the Kalashnikov in the media spot lights.