Stay Updated

As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold, UkraineAlert delivers the best Atlantic Council expert insight and analysis on Ukraine twice a week directly to your inbox.

editor’s picks

Latest analysis

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2026

Putin aims to break Ukraine by terrorizing the civilian population

By Peter Dickinson

With the Russian army unable to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, Putin is turning to terror tactics and is using ballistic missiles and jet drones in a bid to bomb Ukraine's civilian population into submission, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Sep 30, 2026

Ukraine can play a key role enabling US energy exports to Europe

By Stephen Blank

As Russia expands the bombardment of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, changes are taking place in the country's energy sector with implications for the United States and the future shape of European gas markets, writes Stephen Blank.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Sep 29, 2026

Europe needs a new strategy for Russian gray zone aggression

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Europe needs a new counter-hybrid playbook, but an approach that focuses on coordinating responses after Russian attacks have already taken place is not an effective deterrent, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Cybersecurity Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Sep 29, 2026

Ukraine’s innovative robot offensive just reversed a year of Russian gains

By David Kirichenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hopes of capturing eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region have been dealt a major blow in recent months by an innovative Ukrainian offensive that has reversed over a year of Russian territorial gains, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Sep 29, 2026

Vladimir Putin only has two options in Ukraine: Total victory or endless war

By Peter Dickinson

US-led efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine War by offering the Kremlin limited territorial concessions reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the imperial ambitions driving Putin's invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 24, 2026

Ukraine’s defense tech sector must offer investors more than innovation

By Olga Usenko

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has built one of the world’s most dynamic defense tech ecosystems under conditions few industries ever face. However, innovation alone will not be enough to win over potential investors, writes Olga Usenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Sep 23, 2026

Putin’s Ukraine invasion has made Russia China’s junior partner

By Zahar Hryniv

Putin’s evident inability to secure Beijing’s backing for the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline is strengthening international perceptions that the invasion of Ukraine has reduced Russia to the status of China’s junior partner, writes Zahar Hryniv.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 22, 2026

Ukrainians are braced for a brutal winter. Are the Russians also ready?

By Peter Dickinson

With Ukraine's air defenses running low, Russia is expected to escalate the bombardment of Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure ahead of the coming winter season in a bid to freeze the country into submission, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2026

Ukraine can do more to counter Russia’s illicit finance threat

By Matthew McGlynn

For more than four years, Ukraine has impressed global audiences with the country’s ability to defend itself against Russia on land, at sea, and in the air. Illicit finance is another important front in the fight against Russian aggression, writes Matthew McGlynn.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2026

Putin is escalating against NATO but a Baltic incursion remains unlikely

By James Rice

The recent escalation in Russian gray zone aggression across Europe has sparked a lively debate over how far the Kremlin may be prepared to go, but a Russian attack on the Baltic states remains unlikely, writes James Rice.

Conflict European Union

spotlight

The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.

Follow us on social media
and support our work

Content

UkraineAlert

Oct 3, 2019

Rebuilding Ukraine one house at a time

By Yurko Didula

Five years after Kramatorsk, our volunteer initiative has become the largest volunteer movement in Ukraine with a network of more than 2,500 volunteers. Together, we have restored housing for 220 families and helped 17 cities create their own youth centers.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 2, 2019

Will Ukraine make a deal with Kolomoisky? Three things to watch

By Oksana Bedratenko

There are only three things to watch to determine whether rumors about a possible deal with Kolomoisky are true: changes in NBU leadership, developments in PrivatBank-related cases in Ukrainian courts, and how the cases in international courts play out.

Financial Regulation International Financial Institutions

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2019

Hard questions for Mr. Zelenskyy

By Bohdan Nahaylo

Is Ukraine about to be sold out and further weakened by internal splits?

Elections Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2019

Leave Ukraine out of the Ukraine scandal

By Oleksii Honcharenko

I have one request for American political elites: stop making Ukraine a political football in the internal affairs of the United States. Nothing less than our security and Europe’s security depends on it.

Crisis Management Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2019

Ukraine is having a very bad month

By Melinda Haring

Only three weeks ago, diplomats, the international finance community, and Ukraine boosters were so upbeat.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 27, 2019

Why Zelenskyy needs a new chief of staff now

By Melinda Haring

A new investigation may shed light on the views of Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Bohdan toward Russia and the West.

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 26, 2019

Expert Q&A: How’s the US-Ukraine relationship after New York?

By Melinda Haring

How’s the US-Ukraine relationship after New York? What should Zelenskyy do next? How could Russian President Vladimir Putin exploit this?

Corruption Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 26, 2019

Will Zelenskyy make the same fatal mistake as Poroshenko?

By Kateryna Butko

Judicial reform is one of the most anticipated promises made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his unorthodox campaign.

Civil Society Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 26, 2019

Explainer: Five things about the Ukraine controversy you need to know (plus a freebie)

By Melinda Haring

Many of the names in the Ukraine controversy are new to general readers, so we attempt to answer a few basic questions. If you have others, please drop us a line on Twitter.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform

UkraineAlert

Sep 26, 2019

Gontareva: “Too many have sacrificed and died to let oligarchs run the country again.”

By Diane Francis

Support for the National Bank of Ukraine and Gontareva from the West has been overwhelming, but if Zelenskyy cannot take on Kolomoisky, then his landmark election and reform agenda will be added to the trash heap of failed Ukrainian presidents and support for the country will erode.

Civil Society Corruption