Latest Articles about Military/Security

Special Report: Order of Battle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Order of Battle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by Distinguished Jamestown Senior Fellow Richard D. Hooker Jr. and Jamestown analyst Hlib Parfonov provides a detailed organizational and structural overview of Ukraine’s military forces amid the ongoing war with Russia. Drawing on Ukrainian government, military,... MORE

Russian Mobilization Falls Short Ahead of Putin’s Summer Offensive
Executive Summary: Following Ukraine’s successful “Operation Spiderweb” strike on Russian airfields on June 1, the Kremlin dropped its pretense of seriously pursuing peace talks, ramping up retaliatory strikes in Kyiv, Odesa, and other cities. The Kremlin is counting on its summer offensive to achieve Ukrainian... MORE

Brief: ISWAP Raids in Northeastern Nigeria Upset Regional Status Quo
Executive Summary: ISWAP has launched an unprecedented wave of raids on Nigerian military supercamps, signaling a shift in momentum and a potential end to the long-standing stalemate in northeastern Nigeria. The group’s recent successes—especially the May 4 Buni Gari raid—highlight its growing operational capacity and... MORE

Brief: How Hamas’s Degradation Opened Space for Protests
Executive Summary: The March 2025 anti-Hamas protests in Gaza reflected a moment enabled by Hamas’s temporary inability to suppress opposition due to wartime losses. The degradation of its Qassam Brigades, many of whom also serve in internal policing roles, weakened the group’s control over the... MORE

Malhama and Albanian Tactical Groups Train New Syrian Army and Special Forces
Executive Summary: Foreign-led jihadist groups Malhama Tactical and Albanian Tactical are now training Syria’s newly formed army and special forces under the post-Assad government. These groups, once aligned with Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām (HTS) and steeped in jihadist ideology, have retained autonomy and influence through their... MORE

Rising Islamist and Anti-Hindu Sentiment in Bangladesh in Wake of Pahalgam Attack
Executive Summary: Following the ousting of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Islamist factions have filled the power vacuum in Bangladesh, leading to a surge in anti-Hindu violence. These groups have capitalized on growing anti-India sentiment—especially after the Pahalgam terror attack—to justify attacks against the Hindu... MORE

Militant Monks Fuel Government Terror in Myanmar
Executive Summary: An ultranationalist subset of Myanmar’s community of Buddhist monks have become active supporters of the military junta, offering the regime legitimacy and support in the ongoing civil war. This alliance reflects a broader pattern of authoritarian regimes weaponizing religious authorities to suppress dissent... MORE

PLA Purges Provide Opening for Xi’s Rivals
Executive Summary: New evidence suggests that a faction within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aligned with former president Hu Jintao and former premier Wen Jiabao could be exerting influence on the direction of the Party. Three party elders—all of whom were Hu Jintao allies—reportedly criticized... MORE

Moscow Uses Force to Get More Soldiers from North Caucasus
Executive Summary: Moscow is facing greater resistance to its military draft in the North Caucasus because of increasing quotas and the disproportionate impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine on the region. The Russian government is applying more repressive pressure on North Caucasians... MORE

Russia Continues Conservative Pivot in Arctic (Part One)
Executive Summary: In response to what Moscow labels the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s militarization of the Arctic, Russia has significantly restructured its Arctic policies. Russia has expanded the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and enacted symbolic legislative and institutional changes to cement federal control... MORE