Category: Defense Policy

Moscow escalates nuclear threats as Ukraine erases Russia’s red lines

The Kremlin has this week announced plans to revise its nuclear doctrine, less than one month after Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia made a complete mockery of Moscow’s frequent nuclear threats. In a September 1 interview, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Russia is in the process of amending its doctrine on the

Putin hopes Belarus border bluff can disrupt Ukraine’s invasion of Russia

Kyiv has this week called on Belarus to withdraw its army from the Ukrainian border and warned of “tragic consequences” if the Belarusian military joins the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The strongly worded August 25 statement from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs came in response to mounting reports of Belarusian troops concentrating close to the

Invasion? What invasion? Putin is downplaying Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

In the space of just two weeks, Ukraine has claimed more Russian land than Putin’s army managed to seize in Ukraine since the start of 2024. Kyiv’s bold summer offensive caught the Kremlin completely off-guard and has transformed perceptions of a war that many believed was moving slowly but surely toward an inevitable Russian victory.

Kursk offensive could help free Ukrainians in Russian captivity

In just two weeks, Ukraine’s surprise summer offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast has brought more than one thousand square kilometers of Russian land under Kyiv’s control. The ambitious operation has also netted unprecedented numbers of prisoners, with entire groups of Russian soldiers surrendering to the advancing Ukrainians. This is fueling speculation over a potentially major

Ukraine’s invasion of Russia exposes the folly of the West’s escalation fears

Units of the Ukrainian army crossed the border into Russia for the first time on August 6, marking the launch of a surprise summer offensive that is rapidly transforming the dynamics of the invasion unleashed by Vladimir Putin almost exactly two-and-a-half years ago. During the first week of Ukraine’s counter-invasion, Ukrainian forces established control over

How Ukraine’s incursion into Russia could change the war

GET UP TO SPEED The August surprise came from Ukraine. Beginning on Tuesday, as many as a thousand Ukrainian troops reportedly crossed the border into the Kursk region in Russia, capturing an estimated seventeen square miles of territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the move a “major provocation,” while the Ukrainian government has largely declined