In The News

Samuel Bendett says, "What we are witnessing now is Ukrainians taking advantage of the tank flaw."

Michael Kofman says, "Both militaries are using different variations or generations of what is principally Soviet weaponry."

Samuel Bendett says, “Russians were to exercise the full extent of their powers in the outcome of the negotiations, there would probably seek to limit Ukrainian military cooperation with Turkey.”

Analyst Julian Waller speaks at length with Yahoo! News to explain the symbolic meaning of May 9 to Russia, and how it fits in to the current Russia-Ukraine war context.

Samuel Bendett says, “The Ukrainian experience has convinced Russia of the utility of combat UAVs in modern warfare as such like previously in Syria: “Russian military is again re-learning this lesson in Ukraine, even as it showcases more and more of its own combat drones like Forpost-R and Orion launching strikes against Ukrainian targets.”

: Jonathan Schroden says, “In the long term, several factors could tip the scales in the fight: the anti-Taliban groups’ success in finding a “state sponsor,” their ability to coalesce under a “common banner” and growing popular discontent with the Taliban regime.”

Dmitry Gorenburg says, “Ukraine is taking in “a lot of new Western new equipment, maybe more than the Russians have been capable of moving into the country themselves, so the imbalance in equipment that we saw in the early phases of the war is starting to equalize.”

Samuel Bendett says, "Turkey is a significant factor here because the Russian president is talking to the Turkish president, the Ukrainian president is talking to the Turkish president. So, Turkey is involved and is in the know, and it could be potentially an important mediator if both sides feel it is time for Turkey to step up into that role."

Analyst Sam Bendett sheds light on the role of drones for both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries.

Michael Kofman says, “Putin may want to brandish a victory of some sort on May 9, when an annual military parade in Red Square commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. "I am not a big believer in fetishising dates, but it is true that the Russian military needs to deliver some kind of success.”

Samuel Bendett says, “Even if Russian economy and even if the technical ecosystem continued to be battered by the sanctions, this will not stop the MLD thinking through what these concepts may eventually mean once the war ends one way or another,”

Samuel Bendett says, “Even if Russian economy and even if the technical ecosystem continued to be battered by the sanctions, this will not stop the [Ministry of Defense] thinking through what these concepts may eventually mean once the war ends one way or another.”

Michael Kofman says, "The Russian military has no capacity for this kind of offensive. It's very likely that they will be a spent force after the offensive in Donbas."

Michael Kofman says, "Win, lose or draw, the Russian military is likely to be a spent force after this next phase, Russia would be hard-pressed to sustain any campaign beyond the Donbas."

Michael Kofman says, “That while it was true Russia was "desperate to show results" by May 9, "I am skeptical that they are going to be able to take Donbas by then, if at all.”

Senior Russia expert Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg comments on the impact on the war of Western weapons shipments to Ukraine.