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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

Feb 26, 2026

Ukraine’s women may hold the key to the country’s future security

By Calin Trenkov-Wermuth, Sofia Kryshtal

Ukraine's female population should play a larger part in the country's future security strategy and can take on a wide range of military support and administrative roles far from the front lines, write Calin Trenkov-Wermuth and Sofia Kryshtal.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 26, 2026

Putin’s plan: Make Ukraine unlivable by destroying essential infrastructure

By William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk

With the Russian army currently unable to achieve any meaningful breakthroughs on the battlefield, Putin's plan for 2026 looks set to focus on escalating bombardment of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in a bid to make the country unlivable, write William Dixon and Maksym Beznosiuk.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 24, 2026

Fiber-optic drones have emerged as critical kit for both Russia and Ukraine

By Vlad Sutea

Fiber-optic drones may not replace conventional unmanned systems, but they have established themselves in Ukraine as a durable component of the modern battlefield toolkit, writes Vlad Sutea.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Feb 24, 2026

Ukrainians don’t want to be resilient. Putin has given them no other choice.

By Peter Dickinson

For the past four years, Ukrainians have been praised for their remarkable resilience, but in reality most recognize that Russia's genocidal invasion leaves them with no real choice but to fight on, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Feb 20, 2026

After four years of Russia’s invasion, time to stop underestimating Ukraine

By Mykola Bielieskov

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters a fifth year, it is time to stop underestimating the Ukrainian military and recognize that Kyiv is now a major military power with plenty of trump cards in its possession, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Feb 19, 2026

Ukraine hopes escalating Russian losses will push Putin toward peace

By David Kirichenko

As the Russian invasion enters a fifth year, Ukraine is hoping escalating Russian losses can finally force Putin to seek a meaningful settlement, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 19, 2026

As Russian battlefield losses mount, Putin is turning to Africa for soldiers

By Katherine Spencer

Russia’s growing reliance on African recruits to continue the war in Ukraine is a powerful symbol of an invasion that has gone horribly wrong for Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, writes Katherine Spencer.

Africa Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 17, 2026

Ukrainian defense tech companies must prepare for export opportunities

By Michael Druckman

Ukraine’s defense sector has already demonstrated enormous battlefield credibility. The next phase is commercial and institutional credibility, writes Michael Druckman.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Feb 17, 2026

A bad Ukraine peace could ignite new wars in Russia’s former empire

By Joseph Epstein

If a settlement in Ukraine frees up Russian military resources without establishing credible deterrents against further Kremlin aggression, Moscow will have the means and the motive to reassert dominance elsewhere in its former empire, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia European Union

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2026

Vladimir Putin is trapped in a war he cannot win but dare not end

By Peter Dickinson

As the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale Ukraine invasion approaches, Vladimir Putin finds himself trapped in a war he cannot win but dare not end for fear of entering Russian history as the man who lost Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

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UkraineAlert

Feb 15, 2024

Ukraine’s Black Sea success offers hope as Russian invasion enters third year

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's remarkable success in the Battle of the Black Sea exposes the emptiness of Russia's red lines and provides a road map for victory over Putin, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2024

Putin’s history lecture reveals his dreams of a new Russian Empire

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin turned his hotly anticipated interview with Tucker Carlson into a history lecture that laid bare the dangerous delusions and imperial ambitions driving the invasion of Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Feb 8, 2024

Removal of Ukraine’s ‘Iron General’ is one of Zelenskyy’s biggest gambles

By Peter Dickinson

President Zelenskyy's decision to remove Ukraine's top general comes as no surprise but is nevertheless one of his biggest gambles of the entire war, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 8, 2024

President Zelenskyy’s dual citizenship proposal presents wartime dilemmas

By Mark Temnycky

President Zelenskyy's recent proposal to allow dual citizenship is a potentially popular but impractical measure in the current wartime conditions, writes Mark Temnycky.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2024

Ukraine opens new front with drone strikes on Russia’s energy sector

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine is seeking to bring the war home to Russia in 2024 with a new long-range drone strike campaign against Putin's oil and gas industry, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2024

Russia’s Bashkortostan protests: Separatism isn’t the real threat facing Putin

By Dylan Myles-Primakoff, Lillian Posner

The main risk to the Putin regime is unity and solidarity across regions between Russians protesting shared forms of mistreatment at the hands of the state, write Dylan Myles-Primakoff and Lillian Posner.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 1, 2024

Wartime Ukraine ranks among world’s top performers in anti-corruption index

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine’s partners are right to expect maximum accountability, but there are currently no grounds for abandoning the country based on claims of corruption that are both exaggerated and outdated, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 1, 2024

Zelenskyy gives Putin a long overdue history lesson

By Taras Kuzio

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s weaponization of bad history has helped fuel the bloodiest European conflict since World War II, writes Taras Kuzio.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 1, 2024

Europe United: EU leaders agree on long-term support package for Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

The European Union confirmed a landmark $54 billion aid package for Ukraine on February 1 in Brussels, after EU leaders were able to overcome opposition from Hungary.

Conflict European Union

UkraineAlert

Jan 30, 2024

Big Tech must listen to the concerns of Russia’s pro-democracy voices

By Joanna Nowakowska, Anna Kuznetsova, Marta Bilska

Big Tech companies offer a variety of opportunities for free expression in Putin's Russia, write Joanna Nowakowska, Anna Kuznetsova, and Marta Bilska.

Civil Society Conflict