Image Source: Ukrainform. Image of a knife and the sidearm purportedly used by the SBU to assassinate Ukrainian collaborator Ilya Kyva in Moscow. Over the past two years, the gaze of the world has largely fixated on the stalemated nature of fighting on the ground in eastern and southern Ukraine. As successes and failures are … Continue reading Tip of the Spear: Analyzing Ukrainian Intelligence Operations Behind Russian Lines
Category: Russia
Why Russia’s Hypersonics Matter
Image Source: Defense News On Thursday, March 9, Russian MiG-31 fighters employed 6 hypersonic Kh47M2 “Kinzhal” missiles in strikes on population centers and infrastructure across Ukraine. This brought the total instances of hypersonic missile use in Ukraine to five (3/19-20/2022; 8/7/2022; 9/14/2022). The March 9 attack represented the highest-volume use of Kinzhals so far, with … Continue reading Why Russia’s Hypersonics Matter
Icarus in the Kremlin: The Fading Political Power of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group
Yevgeny Prigozhin posing with Wagner fighters in a salt mine in Soledar, Ukraine in January 2023. Image Source: Kyiv Independent A group of Wagner fighters huddled around their patron, bundled in combat fatigues and balaclavas amidst a backdrop of chalk-colored rock. Russian state media reposted the image with glee, accompanied by an audio message from … Continue reading Icarus in the Kremlin: The Fading Political Power of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group
Will the EU Show Resolve or Indecision?
Source: Andrezj Rostek/Shutterstock.com The coming year will be critical for Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian people have undoubtedly shown their resilience and fortitude to fight for their sovereignty against Russian hostility. The question remains whether their fellow Europeans will continue to support them in this fight. So far, the U.K. has … Continue reading Will the EU Show Resolve or Indecision?
What are we doing in Ukraine?
Unrestrained and uncoordinated Western support would go against American and European national interests, undermining Europe's defense capabilities and escalating the risk of nuclear confrontation with Russia. On Wednesday, 25th of January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz ended weeks of frustration amongst Western states by announcing Germany’s intent to provide Ukraine with an undisclosed number of Leopard … Continue reading What are we doing in Ukraine?
On Russian Disinformation: The Answers Are Already in Front of Us
The United States has an information crisis on its hands When the Muller Report was released, America did not breathe a sigh of relief. It gasped for more air. Special Counsel Robert Muller did not find that members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government when it interfered in the 2016 election, though … Continue reading On Russian Disinformation: The Answers Are Already in Front of Us
Managing Crises in the Information Age: Escalation Dynamics in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Image: Herman Kahn (1922-1983) Over the course of the now eight-month war in Ukraine, Russia has made vague and indirect threats of nuclear escalation. Those threats become more frequent and overt as Ukrainian counteroffensives gain momentum and the Russian military cedes territory. As President Biden stated on October 11, 2022 in response to some of … Continue reading Managing Crises in the Information Age: Escalation Dynamics in the Russo-Ukrainian War
The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Photo credit: Scientific American Just as many dismissed the possibility of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, academics continue to assert a low probability that Russia will employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine. To be sure, there are many disincentives: the risk of escalation with the US and NATO; the likelihood of being isolated from … Continue reading The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Diminishing Returns: Russia’s Waning Sphere of Influence Amid the Russo-Ukrainian War
Image Source: Russian Ministry of Defense On the evening of September 12, 2022, artillery barrages rang out across the sky. Gunfire and mortar shells pounded small towns while Bayraktar TB2 drones whirred overhead. One could be forgiven for thinking that these events were taken from the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv, launched days earlier, but it … Continue reading Diminishing Returns: Russia’s Waning Sphere of Influence Amid the Russo-Ukrainian War
Environmental Warfare in Ukraine: Should We Prosecute Eco-Crimes Like War Crimes?
A factory and a store burning after being bombarded in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 6, 2022 (Flickr). Ukraine is on the verge of an ecological tragedy. The destruction of industrial facilities and contamination from heavy weaponry means that if Ukrainians are able to return to their homeland, they might not have … Continue reading Environmental Warfare in Ukraine: Should We Prosecute Eco-Crimes Like War Crimes?