Latest Articles about Military/Security
Kyiv Expands Efforts to Attract Non-Russians in Russia
As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine drags on, Ukraine is stepping up its efforts to attract the non-Russian peoples of Russia to its side. Kyiv is working from the long-standing conviction that these nations are natural allies in resisting Russian imperialism. Ukraine’s current... MORE
The Wagner Group Evolves After the Death of Prigozhin
The end of September and early October brought several important developments concerning the Wagner Group and its future. On September 27, a press officer for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Illia Yevlash, confirmed the presence of Wagner mercenaries in the... MORE
Brief: New Jihadist Group Wahdat al-Muslimin Aims to Unite JNIM and ISGS in the Sahel
In August, the Sahelian Islamist landscape grew more crowded as a new group entering the scene: Wahdat al-Muslimin (Unity of Muslims). Wahdat al-Muslimin has called for Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) and Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) jihadist groups to unite... MORE
Brief: Sulu Island in the Philippines ‘Abu Sayyaf-Free’ after Mass Surrender of Militants
On August 2, a Philippine military spokesman announced that Sulu Island in Mindanao is now free of Abu Sayyaf (The Manila Times, August 2). If there were any doubts about the military’s confidence in this claim, on September 7, the commander of Joint Task Force... MORE
Outside of Succession, IRGC Unlikely to Attempt Wagner-Like Coup
Following the brief June rebellion staged by now-deceased Russian Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin (see EDM, August 16), Iranian-state media quickly denied the feasibility of a similar rebellion by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran (Tehran Times, June 29). The publication referenced a... MORE
Were Jamaat Ansarullo’s Incursions into Tajikistan Real or Staged?
Ever since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Tajikistan has been under an increased threat of terrorist attacks. Exacerbating this situation is the Taliban’s endorsement of Jamaat Ansarullo (JA); the historical animosity between the Taliban and the Tajik government; and Tajikistan’s... MORE
Indonesian President and West Papuan Militants Rely on Regional Organization to Resolve Conflict; Negotiations to Free Hostage New Zealander Continue
On May 27, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) received a video-recorded death threat from Egianus Kogoya (“Egi”), the commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army-The Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) in Nduga Region, Highland Papua Province. Egi stated he would execute his hostage, New Zealander... MORE
Tensions Rise Between Minsk and Warsaw on the Eve of Polish Elections
On September 28, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense claimed that a Polish helicopter had violated Belarus’s airspace (Belta, September 28). According to the statement, the helicopter first crossed 1.5 kilometers into Belarus’s airspace, then passed 300 meters over the border again an hour later. Minsk... MORE
Zangezur Emerges From the Shadows as a Dangerous New Hotspot
The violence in the Middle East has overshadowed the rise of a potentially explosive hot spot in the South Caucasus following Azerbaijan’s re-assertion of control over the Karabakh region. That is the Zangezur Corridor, a narrow strip of land inside Armenia (known as the Syunik... MORE
Russian Naval Base in Abkhazia Strengthens Separatists Yet Weakens Pro-Russian Officials in Georgia
Russia has been planning to establish a permanent naval base in the Ochamchire district of occupied Abkhazia for quite some time. On October 4, the leader of the separatist regime in Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, reaffirmed that agreement when he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin... MORE