In The News

Jeffrey Edmonds says, “That CAST should not be seen as a direct arm of the Kremlin, although its researchers' views are generally consistent with the line being pushed by Moscow.”

Michael Kofman says, "To place the offensive in context, much of the front has become active with UA forces launching localized counter attacks around Kharkiv and Donbas."

Samuel Bendett says, “According to Russia’s Android Technology company, its Marker ground robotic testing platform will be able to carry up to 16 “kamikaze” quadrocopters to counter aerial drones, as well as a C-UAS laser system.”

Samuel Bendett says,” Russia has lost about 50 of its Orlan-10s in the war, but “whatever they lost could be a small portion of what’s flying,”

Michael Kofman says, "Those watching this battle from afar need to moderate their expectations about how fast the Ukrainians will be able to prosecute this offensive. The Russians have had time to entrench."

Dmitry Gorenburg says, "Russia is making efforts to conserve its stocks of precision-guided munitions. Initially, they didn't hold a lot back because they didn't seem to expect the war in Ukraine to last more than two or three weeks, and so they went for a kind of shock and awe strategy thinking they wouldn't have to sustain those kinds of expenditures. Now though, they've started using them more judiciously."

Samuel Bendett says, “The sinking of the Moskva cruiser may have sobered up the Russians to the challenges they are facing in the maritime domain, specifically considering that Ukrainians have a lot of missiles, a lot of weapons and systems that can reach the Russians.”

Samuel Bendett says, “They understand that they needed those drones yesterday in large quantities."

Samuel Bendett says, "HIMARS and Triple 7s are at the very top of that [list that Russian military leaders are focused on destroying. That is why Russia needs extra capabilities to identify a target and hit it very quickly after identification."

Ken Gause says, "It's a good idea to start talking about normalization of relations as being the first step in the relationship" as opposed to "denuclearization, which happens further down the line."

Samuel Bendett says, “They understand that they needed those drones yesterday in large quantities."

Michael Kofman says “An offensive is risky. If it fails, the outcome could affect external support. On the other hand, Kyiv likely sees this as a window of opportunity, beyond which lies the uncertainty of a protracted war against a Russian army that has had time to entrench."

Michael Kofman says, "I think Russia is going to have significant challenges in trying to establish any sort of stable administration,”

Michael Kofman says, “We’re likely going to see an inflection point in this war, and there’s likely to be a Ukrainian counteroffensive. It’s just unclear what its chances of success are.”

Michael Kofman says, “Independent of what happens in the coming months, the U.S. likely anticipates it could be a protracted conflict.”

Ken Gause says, “Seoul made a "strategic decision" not to include human rights in the plan, which would improve "organically as two Koreas engage. "The less said about human rights in terms of offers to North Korea, probably the better."