Executive Summary: Ukraine’s current military strategy, particularly in its use of long-range drones and limited supplies of advanced missiles such as ATACMS and Storm Shadows, faces critical constraints in effectively striking key targets on Russian soil due to their short ranges. To effectively hit critical... MORE

Executive Summary: Recent reports show that Russia is increasingly drawing upon the older generation to fill its ranks on the frontlines of Ukraine, a trend also present among Cossack volunteers on the battlefield.  Older Cossacks are not only involved in combat but are also heavily... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted various strategies to fill the ranks of his army to avoid the anger and emigration among Russians that mobilization would provoke, including offering substantial signing bonuses. Continuing to increase bonuses highlights the declining support among Russians for... MORE

Executive Summary: Azerbaijan and Pakistan signed a $1.6 billion arms deal in September to supply Azerbaijan with the joint Pakistani-Chinese JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets, strengthening the military partnership between Islamabad and Baku. In the last several years, Baku has been diversifying its international... MORE

Executive Summary: Poland announced plans to build fortifications on its border with Russia’s Kaliningrad oblast and Belarus, with construction of the “Eastern Shield” defensive line to be completed by 2028. Poland is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) top military spender by percent of its... MORE

Executive Summary: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unveiled his Victory Plan to stave off incremental defeat under Russian assault. The plan calls for offsetting the war’s imbalance with a surge of Western military assistance. Some major parts of the plan are in classified annexes to... MORE

Executive Summary: Since at least the 19th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has promoted military-industrial officials, whose presence at the vice-ministerial level has grown since the 20th Party Congress in 2022. They represent a potential emerging faction within the Chinese Communist Party. Military-industrial officials are an... MORE

Executive Summary: The Joint Sword 2024–B exercises by the People’s Liberation Army were in part a tool of political intimidation to “serve as a stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces,” namely the Lai Ching-te administration. Beijing’s rhetoric is doubling down on... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow is now increasing the age limit for military service to fill the depleted ranks of its forces in Ukraine. This is a reflection of the manpower difficulties Russia faces in its long war. Visitors to the front, officials involved in meeting the... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s war against Ukraine has turned into the first major full-scale drone war, and Ukraine is dominating this aspect of the conflict through its innovation and leadership in drone production. Moscow is lagging behind in the drone war, relying on outdated Iranian drones... MORE