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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

Jul 21, 2026

Ukraine is in danger of losing its innovation edge over Russia

By
Miro Sedlák

President Zelenskyy's recent decision to dismiss tech-savvy Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is one of a number of factors that are threatening to erode Ukraine’s fragile innovation advantage over Russia, writes Miro Sedlák.


Conflict


Defense Industry


UkraineAlert

Jul 21, 2026

Civilian control over the armed forces is crucial for Ukraine’s future

By
Olena Tregub

A political crisis erupted in wartime Ukraine last week over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov following a power struggle with Ukrainian army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, writes Olena Tregub.


Civil Society


Conflict


UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2026

Ukraine’s tech-savvy defense minister ousted in clash with army old guard

By
Peter Dickinson

President Zelenskyy's decision to side with the army old guard and oust Ukraine's tech-savvy Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked a political crisis and raised questions over the country's future direction, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict


Defense Policy


UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2026

Innovation under fire: Ukraine’s energy defense is a blueprint for the world

By
Oleksii Riabchyn

Those who still treat energy resilience as a technical matter are not prepared for the changes currently taking place in military doctrine. Thanks to Ukraine, the blueprint to address this vulnerability exists, writes Oleksii Riabchyn.


Conflict


Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Jul 16, 2026

Ukraine’s national recovery must go far beyond rebuilding what was lost

By
Vitalii Kim

As international efforts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine continue, it is also vital to look beyond the battlefield and address the issue of Ukraine’s recovery in order to create the conditions for a genuine national renewal, writes Vitalii Kim.


Conflict


Critical Infrastructure Policy


UkraineAlert

Jul 14, 2026

Drone superpower Ukraine is now Europe’s first line of defense

By
David Kirichenko

Ukrainian troops took part in the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris for the first time on July 14, underling Ukraine's key role as Europe's first line of defense against Putin's Russia, writes David Kirichenko.


Conflict


Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Jul 9, 2026

NATO summit dashes Putin’s hopes of outlasting the West in Ukraine

By
Peter Dickinson

This week's NATO summit in Ankara focused on demonstrating a united front in support of Ukraine. This was a major blow for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who still hopes Western disunity can hand Russia victory in Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict


Defense Policy


UkraineAlert

Jul 7, 2026

Putin escalates ballistic missile attacks as Patriot shortages leave Ukraine defenseless

By
Karlis Kuskevics

Ballistic missiles are accounting for a growing share of Russia’s increasingly deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities, as Moscow unleashes a new bombing strategy seeking to exploit a global shortage of US-made Patriot air defense systems, writes Karlis Kuskevics.


Conflict


Defense Technologies


UkraineAlert

Jul 6, 2026

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine

By
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, with thousands of Ukrainian civilians facing severe risks to their lives, food shortages, and a lack of medical assistance, according to a new UN report.


Conflict


Drones


UkraineAlert

Jul 5, 2026

With Putin visibly weakened, now is the time to back Ukraine

By
Kira Rudik

Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently in a weaker position than at any time since Ukraine's battlefield victories in 2022. Kyiv's Western allies must seize this window of opportunity to push for peace through strength, writes Kira Rudik.


Conflict


European Union

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Content

UkraineAlert

Jun 22, 2016

EU Renews Sanctions on Crimea but Overlooks Plight of Crimean Tatars

By Eleanor Knott

In April 2016, Crimea’s de facto authorities banned the Crimean Tatar Mejlis—the organ of political representation for Crimean Tatars on the peninsula—under the pretext of “extremism.” Increasingly, Crimean Tatars seem to be framed as “extremist” just for being themselves. A historically nonviolent community, Crimean Tatars were the most visible and vociferous opponents of the region’s […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 21, 2016

The Painful Journeys of Ukraine’s IDPs

By Kateryna Moroz

Two years ago this past April, the words “internal displacement” first appeared in the Ukrainian media. The term was brought by UN agencies that, along with local nongovernmental organizations, worked on a legal framework to regulate the phenomenon, which was completely new to Ukraine. Before then, journalists, volunteers, and even government officials called those who […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 21, 2016

Germany’s Socialists, Russia’s Fascism, and Ukrainian Deaths

By Alexander J. Motyl

On June 15, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak informed NATO that Ukraine had suffered 623 battle deaths in its war with Russia in 2016. This astoundingly large figure—which amounts to three to four deaths per day—demonstrates conclusively that Russia and its proxies have no intention whatsoever of adhering to the Minsk accords. The number […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 20, 2016

Why the West Was Wrong about Ukraine’s New Government

By John E. Herbst

It is too early to draw firm conclusions, but Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman’s and Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko’s early moves indicate that Ukraine is still on the reform path. There was understandable pessimism when Groisman assumed office in April with a new government that did not include the previous cabinet’s strongest reformers. Critics also cast […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 15, 2016

Ukraine’s New Reform Plan Is Better but Not Radical Enough

By Hlib Vyshlinsky

Two months ago, the Ukrainian parliament appointed Volodymyr Groisman as the country’s new prime minister. “I will show you how the country should be managed,” he said in his appointment speech. Groisman’s predecessor Arseniy Yatsenyuk was widely criticized for lacking a detailed action plan, so the new prime minister began managing the country from exactly […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 15, 2016

Ukraine’s Grassroots Transformation of Education

By Yuriy Didula and Nadiya Mykhalevych

In today’s globalized world, education is perhaps the greatest challenge in a developing country. To keep pace with new technology and innovation, young people must possess not only basic skills but also be proactive, creative, innovative, and able to adjust quickly. According to the New Vision for Education report compiled at the World Economic Forum in […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 14, 2016

Odious Film about Russian Whistle-Blower Screens at Newseum

By Natalia Arno and Melinda Haring

On June 13, the Newseum did what the European Parliament was too principled to do: it showed The Magnitsky Act, Russian filmmaker Andrei Nekrasov’s controversial new film about Sergei Magnitsky. Magnitsky was a Russian tax lawyer who investigated a tax fraud scheme on behalf of his client, British-American financier William Browder. In 2008, Magnitsky accused […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 13, 2016

Counting Sheep Is Courageous, Soulful, and Important: A Review

By Diane Francis

“Counting Sheep” is a “guerrilla folk opera” that guides audiences on an immersive and soulful journey through Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity. Its creators are Mark and Marichka Marczyk who met and fell in love in Kyiv during the protests of 2013 and 2014. Mark is a talented Canadian musician of Ukrainian heritage and Marichka Kudriavtseva […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 13, 2016

Ukraine’s Oligarchs May Own the Media, but Public Broadcasting Is Shaking Things Up

By Roman Shutov

Last year, after years of debate and lobbying on the issue, public broadcasting was established in Ukraine. In a country suffering from a serious crisis of trust in the media, it looked like a chance to regain people’s faith. The dramatic decline in citizens’ trust in media started in 2014, when central Ukrainian TV channels […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jun 8, 2016

Ukraine’s Next Big Reform You Haven’t Heard of Yet

By Michael Druckman

Ukraine watchers know all too well that for every success reported about the country, there are numerous setbacks. Yet there are encouraging signs currently occurring within the reform process, particularly at the local level. Perhaps the most successful reform is quietly taking place outside of Kyiv, and has the potential to reinvigorate civic participation, address […]

Ukraine