Following months of mostly defensive warfare, Russian forces recently resumed large-scale offensive operations in eastern Ukraine. However, after more than two weeks of intense fighting around the heavily fortified Ukrainian-held town of Avdiivka, Putin’s army has achieved only limited advances while suffering very significant losses in both men and equipment. This stuttering campaign is sparking
Ukraine has finally received long-range ATACMS missiles from the United States and has begun deploying them against Russian targets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on October 17. In his daily video address, Zelenskyy thanked the US directly for the precision weapons and quipped that Ukraine’s agreements with President Biden are being implemented “very accurately.” He
The current fighting season is still far from over in Ukraine, but it is already clear that the war unleashed by Vladimir Putin in February 2022 will continue into the coming year. Developments on the Ukrainian battlefield in 2024 will likely depend on a number of factors including geopolitical considerations, election cycles, weapons deliveries, and
Russia has reportedly withdrawn most of its Black Sea Fleet from occupied Crimea in recent weeks following a series of successful Ukrainian attacks. The retreat of the Russian fleet is a serious setback for Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion and the latest indication that Ukraine is winning the Battle of the Black Sea. Satellite footage from
Russia’s war against Ukraine is a system-transforming conflict that is reconfiguring the geostrategic picture in Europe and in Asia. It is also fueling a debate in the US defense policy community about how to structure and posture US forces. For the United States and its NATO allies, there are big lessons from this war that
The first US M1 Abrams tanks have arrived in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced early this week. Pentagon officials confirmed the delivery, with a spokesperson commenting that “the mere presence of Abrams tanks serves as a potent deterrent.” This is the initial batch of an anticipated 31 Abrams tanks which Ukraine will receive in
More than three months since the start of Ukraine’s much-hyped counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have only managed to liberate a tiny portion of the territory currently under Russian occupation. However, the success or failure of the campaign cannot be measured in square kilometers alone. Beyond the front lines, the Ukrainian military is steadily reducing Russia’s ability
One of the most striking aspects of the Russia-Ukraine War over the past six months has been the intensification of Ukrainian drone strikes against targets throughout the Russian Federation. While the Ukrainian authorities remain reluctant to officially acknowledge responsibility for these attacks, there is little doubt that they reflect the steadily expanding capabilities of Ukraine’s
In the early hours of September 21, Russia launched a wave of airstrikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The attack involved 43 cruise missiles, 36 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces. The remainder of these missiles hit energy facilities in central and western Ukraine. At least two people were killed in the
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip this week to New York and Washington is just the latest twist in a flurry of contacts between the United States and Ukraine this summer. Zelenskyy met with US President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July and hosted Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv two
