Eastern European countries are particularly vulnerable to criminal Russian groups primarily due to their lack of law enforcement resources, weak border controls, and the existence of various levels of bribery and corruption. Prime targets of criminal Russian groups are the private sector in particular and society in general. The expansion of criminal Russian groups into foreign areas, however, is still in its early stages and will not peak for several more years. The groups will continue to gain further prominence in the media and cause dilemmas for law enforcement authorities and governments as the threat of Russian organized crime gradually replaces the old danger of a potential military confrontation with the former Soviet Union. The general organization of criminal Russian groups is described. Specific attention is paid to the criminal involvement of these groups in the drug trade, money laundering, the arms trade, industrial espionage, prostitution, nuclear material trafficking, vehicle theft, alien smuggling, and art and material smuggling. Efforts to combat the expansion of organized crime by Russian groups are examined. 45 notes