Security & Defense

Memo to the president: How to deter Russian nuclear use in Ukraine—and respond if deterrence fails

The US should issue vague public threats of serious consequences should Russia use nuclear weapons and be prepared to follow through with conventional military strikes if deterrence fails.

Russian War Report: Ukraine secures new territory as Prigozhin recruits Russian prisoners 

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

As Ukraine recaptures its territory, Russia attempts to recruit convicts. Elsewhere, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan renews and hundreds of civilians are found dead in Izyum.

Putin’s self-defeating invasion turns southern Ukrainians away from Russia

By Michael Druckman

Putin framed his Ukraine invasion as a crusade to rescue Russian-speaking Ukrainians but polling data indicates that the war has turned traditionally Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine decisively against the Kremlin.

Outer space has reached a “tipping point” as activity outpaces space traffic management

By Aidan Poling

A panel of space experts discuss how the US government can encourage the long-term sustainable use of space by establishing a framework for space traffic management.

The complex reality behind Vladimir Putin’s nuclear blackmail in Ukraine

By Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti

Putin's recent efforts to blackmail European leaders by threatening a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine reflect Russia's use of fear and energy as foreign policy tools.

Detecting disruption in closed systems

By Natalie Barrett, David Bray, Mary Versa Clemens-Sewall, Kiran Jivnani, Anthony Scriffignano

This paper utilizes commercial data aggregation and data analytics to evaluate whether commercial data sets can be used to better understand the resiliency of closed military communities or other closed ecosystems of high value and importance.

Ukrainian victory shatters Russia’s reputation as a military superpower

By Andriy Zagorodnyuk

The stunning success of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region has exposed the rotten reality behind Russia’s military superpower reputation and convinced many that a decisive Ukrainian victory is now possible.