ProPublica revealed how a rushed effort to arm Ukraine with artillery shells wasted half a billion dollars in taxpayer funding. Here are the biggest takeaways from that reporting.
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
How the IRS Was Gutted — ProPublica
An eight-year campaign to slash the agency’s budget has left it understaffed, hamstrung and operating with archaic equipment. The result: billions less to fund the government. That’s good news for corporations and the wealthy.
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…
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.
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
Who benefits from Russia’s war in Ukraine
While tens of millions of Europeans have suffered from Russia’s war in Ukraine, a few Russian businesspeople have gotten richer from it. This column documents four distinct trends in this enrichment: through foreign asset takeovers at heavily discounted prices, via companies operating in import-substituting industries, beneficiaries of the war’s disruptive effects on European markets, and beneficiaries of increased domestic demand. Due to these trends, the number of Russian billionaires went up since the start of the war, while billionaires under Western sanctions got wealthier on average too.
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.
Germany’s fiscal stimulus plan shows Europe is learning the wrong lesson from Ukraine | Brookings
Robin Brooks considers the feasibility and impact of Germany's planned spending on the military and infrastructure.
Western drones are underwhelming on the Ukrainian battlefield
Most are too expensive, and irrelevant to the kind of war Russia is waging
Ukraine's DIY drone makers are helping fighters on the front lines
The war in Ukraine is now largely being fought with drones. Ukraine made 2 million last year. Drone makers churn them out in factories and mom-and-pop operations like one in a Kyiv basement apartment.
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.
The Impact of Drones on the Battlefield: Lessons of the Russia-Ukraine War from a French Perspective
View PDF The Russia-Ukraine War is not just a geopolitical earthquake—it is a tactical and technological inflection point. While many initially focused on tanks and artillery, the war’s defining feature has become the mass deployment of cheap, disposable, and networked technologies—especially drones, loitering munitions, and small-scale electromagnetic warfare systems.
Ukraine is paying civilians up to $2,400 a month to shoot down Russian drones with whatever they can find
The new measure says paid volunteers have the right to use their personal cars, drones, or even hunting guns to fight off drones.
Emergent Approaches to Combined Arms Manoeuvre in Ukraine
Ukrainian forces have begun to develop novel approaches to combined arms manoeuvre, incorporating new capabilities, that bear scrutiny for NATO armies.
US reacts to Kyiv's claim it received no advance notice of Russian ballistic missile launches
In the Oct. 19 attack on Kyiv, at least one person was killed, and eight others were injured as Russian missiles struck Kyiv in multiple waves overnight.
War in the Smartphone Age | Hurst Publishers
An essential guide to understanding war and information on today’s data-saturated battlefields—from Ukraine to Gaza and beyond.
