After more than 13 years of civil war, the Assad regime collapsed in a matter of weeks in December 2024. With few foreseeing the swiftness of the regime's demise, Russian interests in the region were dealt a resounding blow, following nearly a decade of committed involvement. As arguably the Russian ally which enjoyed the most military backing, the old Syria under Assad proved to be somewhat of a testing ground for Russian military expertise - perhaps the most important element of its relations with friendly states in the ‘global south’.
The Strange Rise and Fall of Russia’s Crowd Sourced Defense Industry
In the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, much that could go wrong did for the Russian military. As one volunteer
Dispersed, Disguised, and Degradable: The Implications of the Fighting in Ukraine for Future U.S.-Involved Conflicts
Wars reveal new information about warfighting and can spur changes in how foreign observers prepare for future conflicts. In this report, the authors make eight novel or notable observations about the Russia-Ukraine war and forecast how these observations might translate to a potential NATO-Russia or U.S.-China war. The authors also identify broader tactical, operational, and strategic implications for U.S. policymakers.
Imperial Ends: The Decay, Collapse, and Revival of Empires
Despite their historical importance, empires have received scant attention from social scientists. Now, Alexander J. Motyl examines the structure, dynamics, and continuing relevance of empire—and asks, "Why do empires decline? Why do some empires collapse? And why do some collapsed empires revive?"Rejecting choice-centered theories of imperial decline, Motyl maintains that the very structure of empires promotes decay and that decay in turn facilitates the progressive loss of territory. Although most major empires have in fact declined in this manner, some, such as the Soviet Union, have collapsed suddenly and comprehensively. Motyl explains how and why collapse occurs, why such an outcome is hard to foresee, and why some collapsed empires revive. While broad-ranging historically and empirically, Imperial Ends focuses on five modern empires: the Soviet, Romanov, Ottoman, Habsburg, and Wilhelmine.Examining the possibility of a revival of the Soviet empire, Motyl points out that the expansion of NATO and the European Union, along with increasing globalization, will isolate Russia and its neighbors, promoting their dependence upon one another and perhaps facilitating the rise of the former core. With boldly stated conclusions and concise analytical interpretations, Imperial Ends cohesively illustrates to policymakers and social scientists alike the importance of possible imperial revivals and the rise of future empires.
A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them
Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade, and why most of Europe – including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dismissed them
Western drones are underwhelming on the Ukrainian battlefield
Most are too expensive, and irrelevant to the kind of war Russia is waging
Russian troops survive just 20-30 minutes on Ukraine’s front lines, CIA director says
Russian recruits arriving on the battlefield in Ukraine survive an estimated 20 to 30 minutes before they are killed or wounded, the CIA director said.
Living under armed drones: an ethnography of terror and survival in Northeastern Syria - AOAV
An ethnographic study of northeastern Syria reveals how Turkish armed drone strikes between 2019 and 2023 have reshaped daily life, instilling fear, destroying infrastructure, and forcing civilians to adopt survival strategies under constant surveillance and random violence.
Ukraine’s Second Miracle Year
The war isn’t won, but for the first time in years, outright victory seems possible.
‘I’m fighting two wars. One against the Russians. And one inside myself.’
A drone pilot and her all-women unit are waging a new kind of warfare on Ukraine’s eastern front
As Russia’s fiber optic drones flood the battlefield, Ukraine is racing to catch up
Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. Every year, as the way war is fought constantly evolves on the battlefields of Ukraine, the visuals of the fighting on the ground that constantly flood the internet transform with it. In the frantic first weeks of the full-scale invasion, it was Russian tanks stolen by farmers tossing their turrets after Ukrainian Javelin strikes.
Darfur’s Endless War
As paramilitaries tear through their already devastated province, self-defense fighters in North Darfur have taken up arms to defend their homes.
Drug cartel operatives snuck into Ukraine for drone training: report
The revelations highlight Ukraine’s unintended emergence as a training ground for modern asymmetric warfare techniques amid the conflict with Russia.
Exclusive | How Ukraine volunteers down Russia drones with pick-up trucks and WWII guns
Thousands of Ukrainian civilian volunteers recently ventured into Ukraine's countryside in the dead of night loaded with World War II-era guns and pick-up trucks to go hunting — for Russian...
Reconsider Yandex integration due to the geopolitical status quo - Kagi Feedback
ve been a very happy Kagi user since an early stage. t want to contribute in any sense to Russian irredentism and war...
The war in Ukraine as an example of the problematic nature of the effective use of mobilized civilians
The war in Ukraine has underscored not only the strategic and military differences between professional soldiers and mobilized civilians but also the complex…
Meet the Ukrainian volunteers shooting down Russian drones
Russia's military launches a steady stream of drones and missiles at Ukraine, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds. It's often up to volunteers to try and keep the country's skies safe — ordinary citizens who have only old weapons at their disposal. DW traveled to the town of Pereyaslav to meet one of the volunteer teams.
