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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

Jun 11, 2026

Putin can no longer shield ordinary Russians from the war he unleashed

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on St. Petersburg provided arguably the most visible indication to date that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going according to plan, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Ukrainian civilians face new threat from Russia’s upgraded jet drones

By David Kirichenko

Russia has reportedly begun deploying a new generation of jet-powered strike drones against Ukrainian targets in recent weeks as the Kremlin seeks to counter the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s interceptor drones, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Countries across Russia’s former empire are reclaiming place names to assert identity

By Joseph Epstein

Ukraine's campaign to strip Soviet and Russian imperial place names from the country’s towns and cities is not a reaction to the current war so much as the leading edge of a region-wide rejection of Moscow's cartography, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia Civil Society

UkraineAlert

Jun 8, 2026

The Ukraine Support Act sends a strong signal even if it won’t send weapons

By Leslie Shedd

As momentum in the Russia-Ukraine War shifts in Kyiv’s favor, the US Congress took a tentative step last week toward rewarding Ukraine’s progress with much-needed weapons for their troops and support for the country, writes Leslie Shedd.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Ukraine just showed the whole world that Putin is losing control of the war

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's audacious drone strike on St. Petersburg as the Russian city hosted a flagship international economic forum known as "Putin's Davos" sent a clear signal to global audiences that the Kremlin dictator is losing control of the war, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine trapped in the geopolitical grey zone

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine stuck in the geopolitical grey zone as this uncertainty fuels Russia's invasion and feeds Putin's dreams of a new Russian Empire, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Jun 2, 2026

As Russia’s Ukraine invasion unravels, Putin escalates attacks on civilians

By Peter Dickinson

Russia launched a major bombardment of Ukrainian cities on June 2 as Vladimir Putin continues to escalate attacks on Ukraine's civilian population amid growing signs that his invasion is unraveling, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jun 2, 2026

Ukraine is now Europe’s shield but still needs more help to stop Russia

By Olena Tregub

Europeans increasingly recognize Ukraine as the continent's shield against Russian aggression, but this must not fuel complacency over the country's ability to bear the current burden indefinitely, writes Olena Tregub.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

May 28, 2026

Ukraine’s battlefield success should not lead us to underestimate Russia

By Peter Dickinson

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has failed to achieve any of its key goals, but this reflects Ukrainian strength rather than Russian weakness. Putin's army remains a formidable threat to Europe that must not be underestimated, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

May 26, 2026

Kyiv hosts Belarus opposition leader as Moscow drags Minsk closer to war

By Hanna Liubakova

As concern mounts that Moscow is pushing Minsk to join the invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv is strengthening ties with the democratic Belarusian opposition, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Conflict

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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.

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UkraineAlert

Oct 27, 2026

UN report: Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid are a ‘crime against humanity’

By Kateryna Odarchenko

Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine’s civilian power grid qualifies as a crime against humanity, according to a new report by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Oct 27, 2026

European infrastructure is vulnerable as Putin escalates Russia’s hybrid war

By Maksym Beznosiuk

Putin is currently looking to exploit Europe’s vulnerabilities as he seeks ways to isolate Ukraine and cut off Kyiv’s European aid lifeline. Civilian infrastructure may be one of the continent’s weakest links, writes Maksym Beznosiuk.

Conflict Critical Infrastructure Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Ukrainians are not fighting for Zelenskyy. They are fighting for national survival.

By Peter Dickinson

Trump and Putin both seem to think that removing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would set the stage for a Kremlin-friendly peace deal, but most Ukrainians see the war as a fight for national survival that does not depend on any one man, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Education

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Moldova’s fight against Kremlin interference faces Gagauzia election test

By Laurențiu Pleșca, Will Kingston-Cox

Moldova’s democratic resilience faces a revealing litmus test on November 15, when autonomous Gagauzia elects a new governor and People’s Assembly amid concerns over Kremlin interference, write Laurențiu Pleșca and Will Kingston-Cox.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians may have a domestic dimension

By Syrus Solo Jin, Anton Ponomarenko

Russia's escalating bombing campaign against civilian targets across Ukraine aims to make much of the country unlivable while also serving a propaganda purpose for the Kremlin on the home front, write Syrus Solo Jin and Anton Ponomarenko.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Oct 16, 2026

Ukrainian drone strikes highlight the vulnerability of Russia’s data centers

By Leonid Baratz

The idea of Ukrainian drones silencing Kremlin bots clearly caught the world’s imagination, but the real story behind Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russia’s mega data centers is one of strategic vulnerability, writes Leonid Baratz.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 15, 2026

Russia’s Starlink substitute poses a security threat far beyond Ukraine

By Joshua Stein

The Kremlin is currently in the process of deploying a satellite communications network known as Rassvet, creating concerns for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for the wider international security environment, writes Joshua Stein.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 15, 2026

Ukraine reports more battlefield gains as Putin’s invasion loses momentum

By David Kirichenko

Kyiv has reported further battlefield gains this week as the country’s Operation Vivaldi counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region continues to advance, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 13, 2026

Putin snubs Trump’s ceasefire as Russia aims to make Ukraine unlivable

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Hours after US President Donald Trump’s surprise Sunday announcement of an energy ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, Russia responded by bombing a series of Ukrainian power plants, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2026

Ukraine can help Europe counter Russia’s escalating shadow war

By Ryan Prior, Maria Kovach

From Leipzig Airport to the Black Sea, Russia’s campaign of gray zone aggression against Europe has been escalating at an alarming rate in recent months. Ukraine's experience can help European leaders find the right response, write Ryan Prior and Maria Kovach.

Cybersecurity Disinformation