Latest Articles about Military/Security

Ukrainian Mobilization Becomes Increasingly Urgent
Executive Summary: Ukrainian mobilization will be necessary to repel a possible Russian offensive in the coming summer, but a draft mobilization law is currently being held up in Ukraine’s parliament. Such uncertainty has a negative impact on Ukrainian society, opening the way to various manipulations... MORE

Moscow Uses Russian Orthodox Church as Covert Foreign Policy Tool in Ukraine and the West
Executive Summary: The Kremlin is actively using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to drum up support for the war in Ukraine and to spread its influence abroad. Moscow has long used the ROC to achieve its goals by establishing spy networks throughout the post-Soviet space... MORE

Ethnically Non-Russian Formations in Russia’s War on Ukraine: The Volga Region
Executive Summary: Moscow looks to the Volga region—an ethnically non-Russian region and one of the poorest in Russia—for “volunteers” to fight in the war against Ukraine. Many of these “volunteer” battalions have experienced heavy losses along the frontlines, which the Russian government attempts to cover... MORE

Armenian Government Faces Domestic Pressure Over Handling of Border Dispute
Executive Summary: Armenia and Azerbaijan’s recent discussion of the ownership of four border villages has stoked tensions regarding both countries’ territorial integrity. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has voiced his openness to ceding these villages to Baku and establishing peace in the region. The Armenian... MORE

NATO’s New Energy Makes Russia Anxious and Angry
Executive Summary As NATO takes steps to increase its solidarity, Russian propagandists have responded by exaggerating Western disunity. Kremlin propaganda portrays NATO’s strengthening European pillar as evidence of weakening US leadership. A more concerted focus on Western disunity has become a way for Russia to... MORE

Brief: ISWAP Suicide Truck Bombers Target Nigerian Supercamps in Northeast
Executive Summary Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) aims to break its ongoing stalemate with Nigerian forces by deploying suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). This represents the first time in five years that ISWAP has used SVBIEDs, with at least four bombings occurring... MORE

Brief: Surrender of Another Abu Sayyaf Militant Signals Philippines’ Continued Counter-Terrorism Success
Executive Summary The continuing string of Abu Sayyaf militants surrendering themselves in the Philippines suggests an ongoing collapse in jihadist morale. Effective reintegration programs combined with counter-insurgency successes against Abu Sayyaf will allow the Philippines to focus on other militant groups, like the communist National... MORE

India’s Manipur State Addresses Violence Stemming from Myanmar Ahead of State Elections
Executive Summary Officials of India's restive Manipur State are attempting to ensure that voting for the country’s lower house on April 19 remains peaceful. Sectarian strife in Manipur has been exacerbated by the influx of refugees from neighboring Myanmar. Manipur is a highly complicated region,... MORE

Focus on High-Value Military Targets Emphasizes the TJP’s Link to the TTP
Executive Summary The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan's (TJP) assaults on high-profile military targets reflect a similar attack pattern to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP), providing additional evidence to the argument that the former is intended to be a front group for the latter. This has contributed to a... MORE

Kyrgyzstan’s Repatriation of Foreign Fighters’ Wives and Children from Syrian Camps Marks the End of an Era
Executive Summary Kyrgyzstan recently finished repatriating women and children who were detained in Syria and Iraq for having been connected with men who fought with al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). This has been hailed as the end to Central Asia's struggle with large-scale jihadism, but... MORE