Russia’s War in Ukraine

News, analysis, and background on military campaigns, battlefield technology, and global diplomacy, negotiations, and sanctions.

A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.
A fiery orange and black explosion behind a gray razor wire fence.

Ukraine Is Hitting Russia Where It Hurts: Its Oil Refineries

Kyiv’s two-year offensive against Russian oil facilities has intensified, eating away at Moscow’s energy revenues.

Analysis
Keith Johnson
Russian flags fly above the graves of Russian soldiers
Russian flags fly above the graves of Russian soldiers

Russia’s Next Opposition Will Not Be Liberal

Army corruption and mass death are breeding new dissent—deep inside Vladimir Putin’s loyal core.

Analysis
Alexey Kovalev
A man holds a drone in Ukraine.
A man holds a drone in Ukraine.

Ukraine Needs More Drones

Tight cooperation with Beijing and Tehran is giving Moscow an edge on the critical weapons.

Analysis
Sam Skove
A woman in a red face mask and a coat over a red hoodie stands on a sidewalk, holding a laptop and speaking on her phone. Cars drive past behind her, with a suitcase and an international airport visible in the background.
A woman in a red face mask and a coat over a red hoodie stands on a sidewalk, holding a laptop and speaking on her phone. Cars drive past behind her, with a suitcase and an international airport visible in the background.

Putin vs. the Press

You’d have to be fearless or a fanatic to persist in journalism in Russia. These women are both.

Review
Anastasia Edel
Putin gives an interview
Putin gives an interview

From Moldova to Africa, Russia’s Power Is Waning

The defeat of Moscow-friendly parties in the Moldovan election is just the latest of many setbacks.

Analysis
Adrian Karatnycky, Alexander J. Motyl
Donald Trump leaves UNGA following his speech
Donald Trump leaves UNGA following his speech

Europe Is on Its Own With Russia Now

Donald Trump’s latest U-turn on Ukraine doesn’t change the naked truth for Europe.

Analysis
Christian Caryl

Battlefield Strategy

A Tomahawk missile launches from a boat
A Tomahawk missile launches from a boat

Why the White House Is Considering Tomahawks for Ukraine

The move makes sense for U.S. strategy, but it may cause heartburn for isolationist and Pacific-focused Pentagon leaders.

Analysis
Sam Skove
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.
Soldiers of the 115th Mechanized Brigade in a house where they are staying when not on the front lines near Lyman, Ukraine.

The Mood on the Front Line, Three Years On

Ukrainian troops watch with anxiety as the United States moves closer to talks with Russia over the war.

Dispatch
Fabrice Deprez
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.
Drones fly above grass in an open field dotted with trees and small sheds.

How Russia Is Escalating the Drone Arms Race

Routine strikes involve smaller, daily launches designed to keep steady pressure on Ukraine. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Yasir Atalan
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.
The oil tanker Eagle S is seen anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, on the Gulf of Finland, on Jan. 7.

The ‘Paper Tiger’ Still Has Its Shadow Fleet

Trump says Russia is in economic trouble—but there's a loophole in the West's sanctions.

Argument
Petras Katinas

Wartime Diplomacy

From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
From left, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Trump Makes U-Turn on Ukraine Rhetoric

Trump says Ukraine can win back all of its territory.

Report
Sam Skove
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.
A Finnish defender is seen near the front during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in early 1940.

The Ghost of Finlandization Is Haunting the Ukraine Debate

A 1944 armistice that traded land for peace is a poor precedent for ending Russia’s war. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Kristi Raik
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces U.S. strikes on Iran with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth standing alongside, at the White House in Washington on June 21.

An Emerging Trump Doctrine?

Success in the Middle East could be a template for a new approach to Russia’s war.

Argument
Adrian Karatnycky
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.
Workers construct an outdoor ice skating rink in Red Square in downtown Moscow on Nov. 9, 2021.

What the Next Round of Sanctions Against Russia Should Look Like

Moscow has successfully restructured its economy on an impressive war footing, but there are weaknesses under the hood. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Nicholas Fenton, Maria Snegovaya

Regional Dynamics

U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.
U.S. Marines take part in the international military exercise Cold Response 22 near Sandstrand in northern Norway on March 21, 2022.

A Russia-NATO War Would Look Nothing Like Ukraine

Moscow will seek to avoid a full-on war and focus on breaking the bloc’s resolve. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Fabian Hoffmann
Macron, Starmer, and Merz talk at a summit in Tirana, Albania
Macron, Starmer, and Merz talk at a summit in Tirana, Albania

Europe’s Delusions Over What It Means to Deter Russia

Leaders are afraid to tell voters what it will take to defend their continent. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Franz-Stefan Gady
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.
The oil tanker Eagle S next to Finnish border guard ship Uisko and tugboat Ukko in the Gulf of Finland on December 28, 2024.

Anchors Away

Finland’s failure to convict Russian crew clears the way for more cable-cutting attacks.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.
A photo of two white tanks near a yellow crane. A blue-and-white tanker carrying liquified natural gas is docked nearby in snow and sea ice. White smoke billows out of its smokestack.

The China-Russia Axis Is Getting Firmer, and It’s Built on Gas

Moscow pivoted to the east a decade ago, but it is now besmitten—or captive.

Analysis
Keith Johnson

Latest Stories

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Russian public, as seen on screens in Moscow on June 24.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Russian public, as seen on screens in Moscow on June 24.

Putin’s Strongman Image Suddenly Unravels for Russians

His mishandling of the revolt puts him in the spotlight—and Russians don’t like what they see.

Analysis
Alexey Kovalev
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a 70-year-old man wearing a black suit and tie, leans forward with his hands on the table in front of him as he speaks into a microphone.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a 70-year-old man wearing a black suit and tie, leans forward with his hands on the table in front of him as he speaks into a microphone.

Putin’s Stability Was Always a Myth

Prigozhin’s revolt has exposed the rotten foundations of a mafia state.

Argument
Natalia Antonova
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is surrounded by by members of Congress as he carries a U.S. flag in a triangular box following his address at the Capitol in Washington on Dec. 21, 2022.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is surrounded by by members of Congress as he carries a U.S. flag in a triangular box following his address at the Capitol in Washington on Dec. 21, 2022.

Congress Presses Biden to Deliver Cluster Munitions to Ukraine

Lawmakers from both parties want Ukraine to have the tools to root out entrenched Russian occupiers.

Report
Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer
Russian conscripts attend a religious service.
Russian conscripts attend a religious service.

Wagner’s Revolt May Weaken Russia’s Draft

Conscripts will fear being used as stopgaps in Ukraine.

Argument
Elisabeth Braw
Russian Army Gen. Lavr Kornilov, in military garb, salutes a row of uniformed passing troops carrying weapons.
Russian Army Gen. Lavr Kornilov, in military garb, salutes a row of uniformed passing troops carrying weapons.

Why Kornilov’s Ghost Haunts Putin

A 1917 attempted coup d’etat is a reminder that even an ineffective mutiny can alter the course of history.

Argument
Robert Service
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold glasses during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold glasses during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow.

The Global South Is Keeping Russia’s Energy Economy Afloat

Gas and oil flows are reshaping geopolitical alignments.

Argument
Eugene Chausovsky
A man walks past the tail section of an unexploded rocket containing cluster submunitions in Lysychansk, Ukraine, on April 11, 2022.
A man walks past the tail section of an unexploded rocket containing cluster submunitions in Lysychansk, Ukraine, on April 11, 2022.

Cluster Munitions Are Biden’s Latest Slow-Roll on Ukraine Aid

Yes, they can put some civilians at risk—but that should be the Ukrainians’ call to make.

Argument
John Hardie
The Russian flag is shown with military vehicles in the background.
The Russian flag is shown with military vehicles in the background.

Prigozhin’s Mutiny Is the Beginning of Putin’s End

Nobody in Russia understands what the war in Ukraine is about. And now, nobody knows if that war is coming to them.

Analysis
Lucian Kim
Three members of the Wagner Group, wearing combinations of military fatigues, body armor, and helmets, sit on top of a tank in the middle of a street. Several of the men carry rifles, and all wear partial face coverings.
Three members of the Wagner Group, wearing combinations of military fatigues, body armor, and helmets, sit on top of a tank in the middle of a street. Several of the men carry rifles, and all wear partial face coverings.

What Russian Elites Think About the Wagner Crisis

What Russian elites are thinking about the mercenary leader’s abortive march on Moscow.

Q&A
Robbie Gramer
Two workers stand among the rubble of a damaged bus station. Crumpled sheets of corrugated metal surround them on the ground, and the windows of the station building behind them have been shattered and blown out.
Two workers stand among the rubble of a damaged bus station. Crumpled sheets of corrugated metal surround them on the ground, and the windows of the station building behind them have been shattered and blown out.

How to Curb Corruption in Ukraine’s Postwar Reconstruction

Lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan on managing malfeasance while rebuilding.

Argument
Eugene Z. Stakhiv, Stuart W. Bowen Jr.
Liubov, 70, looks at the remains of her house in the Ukrainian village of Rus'ka Lozova.
Liubov, 70, looks at the remains of her house in the Ukrainian village of Rus'ka Lozova.

How to Use Russia’s Frozen Assets to Rebuild Ukraine

Conventional institutions won’t be able to handle reparations.

Argument
Azeem Ibrahim
The U.S. flag and the Ukrainian flag fly next to each other at the Ukrainian presidential palace.
The U.S. flag and the Ukrainian flag fly next to each other at the Ukrainian presidential palace.

Congress Pressures Biden to Help Ukraine Into NATO

Kyiv doesn’t want to get stuck in NATO’s never-never land.

Report
Jack Detsch
This photo taken on March 7 shows a cargo ship powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) loaded with containers at a port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province.
This photo taken on March 7 shows a cargo ship powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) loaded with containers at a port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province.

China’s Big Gas Bet Raises Questions About Complicity With Russia

Chinese-linked firms went on a spree of deals in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine.

Argument
Steven R. Miles, Gabriel Collins
A dog walks in the water during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson, Ukraine.
A dog walks in the water during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson, Ukraine.

Ukrainians Are Accusing Russia of Ecocide. What Does That Mean?

The dam blast rekindled a concept with Vietnam War roots but no place in international law—yet.

Explainer
Clara Gutman-Argemí, Ashley Ahn, Brawley Benson
A Ukrainian soldier fires a rocket launcher during a military training exercise not far from the front line in the Donetsk region.
A Ukrainian soldier fires a rocket launcher during a military training exercise not far from the front line in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine’s Big Counteroffensive Gets Underway

Unlike last fall, Ukraine has to crack hardened Russian lines before doing any open-field running.

Report
Jack Detsch
A Swedish soldier takes part in a NATO military exercise called Baltops 22 in the Stockholm archipelago.
A Swedish soldier takes part in a NATO military exercise called Baltops 22 in the Stockholm archipelago.

Sweden Pushes to Fast-Track Delayed NATO Bid

NATO is revamping defense plans that will be a whole lot harder to execute with Sweden on the outside.

Report
Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer
Load More Stories
Loading graphics