Executive Summary: Senior advisers to former US President Donald Trump issued recommendations for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, observing that the Biden administration has lacked a strategy for Russian defeat and Ukraine is losing the long war of attrition. The recommendation of a quick transition... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to assert that Russia maintains the initiative in its war against Ukraine while facing a deteriorating economy, significant manpower shortages, and strengthened Western solidarity. The growing supply of artillery shells, gradual improvement of Ukraine’s missile defense system, and... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov recently claimed that 520,000 workers have been added to the country’s military-industrial complex since the beginning of 2023, though he conceded that the sector is still facing a deficit of 160,000 employees. These estimates, however, misrepresent a... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s long war against Ukraine has highlighted the importance of front-line air defense systems as well as the accompanying munitions and reconnaissance/communication capabilities. The proliferation of precision air attack weapons and the unprecedented number of simultaneous air threats have elevated the importance of... MORE

Executive Summary: Moscow’s forces in Ukraine face increasing problems with the military, both at the front and at home. These issues are bound to affect Russia’s ability to fight in the coming months. At the front, Russian commanders are dealing with fragging, desertions, and corruption.... MORE

Executive Summary: The Head of Islamic State (IS) in India Haris Farooqi was arrested on March 19 in Assam, India. Farooqi’s capture cost IS one of its most capable organizers and recruiters in the region and could aid the government in identifying and eliminating the... MORE

Executive Summary: Once thought a vestige of the past, Eastern European mercenaries have returned to Africa under the leadership of Romanian Horațiu Potra. Potra runs a private military company (PMC) composed of other Romanian former members of the French Foreign Legion. Both Potra and his... MORE

Executive Summary: Abdul Hamid Khorasani is an opportunistic Taliban military commander from Afghanistan’s Panjshir Province. An ethnic Tajik popular in his home province, Khorasani had previously voiced opposition to the Pashtu-dominated Taliban. Protected by his association with the Haqqani network, Khorasani has been able to... MORE

Executive Summary: Mahamat Idriss Déby, Chad’s new president, has voiced interest in increasing cooperation with Moscow amid creeping Russian influence throughout the Sahel. Any move by the young president toward replacing French influence with a Russian presence will likely be met with strong resistance from... MORE

Executive Summary: The deadly Islamist violence against Christian and Jewish centers in two Dagestani cities is the latest in a string of such actions involving Dagestanis and a continuation of the tectonic shifts there that cast doubt on Moscow’s control. These developments are rooted in... MORE