Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little initiative in combating Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast, instead defining Russia’s defense as a counter-terrorist operation. Ukraine has succeeded in altering the narrative of Russia’s dominance in the war, sending a shockwave into Russian society,... MORE

Executive Summary: The Russian Orthodox Church of Ukraine faces a ban from Kyiv for its refusal to break completely with Moscow, because of the numerous continuing examples of its support and aid to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Similar moves against the Russian Orthodox... MORE

Executive Summary: Official media in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has finally begun to comment on the Ukrainian operation in Russia’s Kursk oblast, which began on August 6. It gives Ukraine low odds of success, emphasizes Russia’s strength and successes elsewhere in the conflict,... MORE

Executive Summary: Western sanctions, heavy losses in Ukraine, and short-sighted Kremlin policies have put serious strain on the Russian economy, even if Moscow has managed to weather the storm in some sectors.  The Russian economy is grappling with significant structural issues, including dwindling economic reserves,... MORE

Executive Summary: On July 31, the Russian border guards deployed to Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport formally ceased operations. The following day, the airport became the sole responsibility of units from the Armenian Border Guard. This withdrawal only applies to the airport. Russian border guards will... MORE

(Part One) (Part Two) Executive Summary: The second phase of the joint non-strategic nuclear exercises between Belarus and Russia sought to improve combat readiness and disentangle deployment tasks with tactical nuclear weapons in the event that hostilities in Ukraine spill out into Belarusian and/or Russian... MORE

Executive Summary: After Sweden joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in March, Moscow sharply criticized Stockholm and others in the alliance for plans to improve the defenses of Gotland and other islands in the Baltic Sea. This criticism was clearly intended to dissuade them from... MORE

Executive Summary: The Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast has highlighted the Kremlin’s lack of preparation for Ukrainian military advancements into Russian territory through its repositioning of troops and reliance on new conscripts. Moscow’s dysfunctional authoritarianism, demonstrated by Russian officials’ lack of action in fear... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukrainian troops have entered Russian territory in the Kursk direction, and Russia has been unable to gain the upper hand. Some reports indicate that Ukraine’s success was made possible by the Russian General Staff ignoring intelligence reports. The Ukrainian offensive illustrates that Russian... MORE

Executive Summary: The US-Ukraine security agreement anticipates crisis responses in the event of another Russian aggression, building the “Ukrainian future force” during the war and after, as well as future security requirements in the Black Sea. US-Ukraine joint crisis response would cover both a repeat... MORE