Ukraine Restoring Security to the Black Sea
Executive Summary: Ukraine has disabled roughly one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, relying on “sea drones” and... MORE
Nine Things Western Analysts Got Wrong About Russia and Its Invasion of Ukraine
Executive Summary: Many analysts in the West have misunderstood the conflict in Ukraine, leading to the mishandling of aid to Ukraine. Many Western analysts overlooked... MORE
Moscow Using Transnistria and Gagauzia to Pressure Moldova, Ukraine, and the West
Executive Summary: Moscow has long exploited its influence in Transnistria and Gagauzia to pressure Moldova not to turn away from Russia and join Western institutions... MORE
Russians Open Record Number of Businesses in Georgia Amid War in Ukraine
Executive Summary: Russia has significantly increased its influence in Georgian business, particularly after the beginning of the war against Ukraine. More Russian businesses have opened... MORE
Baltics and Ukraine Move to Reduce Russian Orthodoxy to Smaller National Church
Executive Summary: The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is gradually losing its position at home–and more rapidly in some post-Soviet states–due to its... MORE
New Polish Government Bolsters Relations with Ukraine
Executive Summary: The new Polish government has reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine’s security in the wake of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to Kyiv. Warsaw... MORE
Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Lessons Learned in 2023 and 2024 Outlook
Executive Summary: Delays in weapons deliveries, disproportionate political pressure, and problems with command, control, and communications plagued Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive from the start. Ukrainian forces’... MORE
Returning Veterans of War in Ukraine Greater Threat to Russia Than Afgantsy Ever Were
Executive Summary: Russian veterans returning from Ukraine have caused violent crime rates to skyrocket even more dramatically than veterans of the Afghan and Chechen wars.... MORE
Cossack Fighters Replace Wagner Forces in Ukraine
Since becoming ataman of the Cossacks in November 2023, Vitaly Kuznetsov has charted a new direction for the state-registered movement that replicates the Wagner Group... MORE
Balance of War in Ukraine Set to Shift, Not in Russia’s Favor
Stalemate is presently used most often to describe the current state of Russia’s war against Ukraine these days. Fighting along the frontlines, however, is quite... MORE