As Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches the two-year mark, it is vital for Ukraine’s military and political leadership to properly digest the lessons of 2022 and 2023. The most important conclusion to draw from the past two years of fighting is the dominance of defensive warfare over offensive operations. This has been demonstrated again and again,
Ukrainians spent much of the New Year holiday period in bomb shelters as Russia marked the festive season by unleashing some of the biggest air assaults of the entire war. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia launched at least 500 missiles and drones at targets across Ukraine during a five-day period from December 29,
Where is the Russian invasion of Ukraine headed in 2024? Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny’s sobering recent assessment of his army’s stalled counteroffensive has generated widespread attention and a measure of disillusionment among those who expected a decisive breakthrough during the 2023 campaigning season. Experts from across the political and security spectrum are probing for answers,
Poland’s newly appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to rally Western support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s ongoing invasion. Addressing the Polish parliament on December 12 following his appointment, Tusk said he would “loudly and decisively demand the full mobilization of the free world, the Western world, to help
Speaking at his annual Valdai meeting in October 2023, Vladimir Putin confidently declared that Ukrainian Black Sea port Odesa is “certainly a Russian city.” The Kremlin dictator has long been notorious for such casual denials of Ukrainian statehood, but on this occasion he could not have been more mistaken. While Odesa has a rich legacy
As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) is keeping a close eye on Russia’s movements across the military, cyber, and information domains. With more than seven years of experience monitoring the situation in Ukraine—as well as Russia’s use of propaganda and disinformation to undermine the United States, NATO,
As members of the US Congress continue to debate the future of their country’s support for Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has reminded everyone of the pragmatic argument for continued military aid. “If we walk away from the challenges of today, the risk of conflict could spread, and the costs to address them will only
Last winter, Russia launched a massive bombing campaign targeting Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure in a bid to freeze the country into submission. For five months beginning in October 2022, regular waves of Russian missile and drone strikes terrorized the Ukrainian population, leaving millions in darkness and without access to power, heating, and water amid freezing
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny is not known for seeking the limelight, but his recent interview and essay in Britain’s The Economist magazine made headlines around the world. International attention has focused heavily on Zaluzhny’s assertion that the war with Russia has reached a stalemate, with some using the Ukrainian commander’s comments to bolster calls for
As bitter fighting continues along the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine, an ominous mood hangs over the entire country as Ukrainians brace for a repeat of last year’s winter bombing campaign targeting Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure. While the Ukrainian authorities have had over half a year to prepare for a new wave of
