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Articles 31 - 60 of 164
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Authoritarian Strategic Alignments In The Ukraine War: Russia, Iran, North Korea, And China, Yasin Çağlar Kaya, Yunus Emre Aydin
Authoritarian Strategic Alignments In The Ukraine War: Russia, Iran, North Korea, And China, Yasin Çağlar Kaya, Yunus Emre Aydin
Journal of Strategic Security
This article explores how Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea have adapted their strategies during the Ukraine war. Rather than forming treaty-based alliances, they have turned to flexible partnerships shaped by sanctions evasion, arms transfers, and coordinated diplomacy. The framework draws on concepts such as authoritarian solidarity, hedging, norm subsidiarity, and wartime strategic learning, and the analysis focuses on four domains of cooperation: defense industries, finance, information operations, and institutional platforms. Empirical cases highlight Iran’s drone supplies, North Korea’s transfer of artillery and munitions, and China’s provision of economic lifelines, with Russia serving as the central coordinator. These relationships display …
Surveying New Battlegrounds: Ukraine And The Future Of Cognitive Warfare, Chad M. Briggs, Anita Tusor
Surveying New Battlegrounds: Ukraine And The Future Of Cognitive Warfare, Chad M. Briggs, Anita Tusor
Journal of Strategic Security
Cognitive warfare (CW) has emerged as a decisive battlespace in modern conflict, shifting the focus from physical terrain to the perceptions and resilience of societies. This article analyzes the Russian Federation's application of CW in Ukraine since 2013, contrasting it with the strategic concepts developed by the People's Republic of China (PRC). Russia's approach, rooted in Soviet-era maskirovka and reflexive control, integrates cyber operations, disinformation, and the use of non-state proxies, including private military companies, organized crime, and the Russian Orthodox Church, to destabilize adversaries and manufacture uncertainty. In response, Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience through a whole-of-society mobilization, effectively …
The Future Of War: Kill-Chain Supremacy And Ukraine's Lessons, Ashley Ruiz
The Future Of War: Kill-Chain Supremacy And Ukraine's Lessons, Ashley Ruiz
Journal of Strategic Security
The war in Ukraine has reshaped contemporary understandings of how wars are fought and sustained. This article argues that the defining characteristic of modern warfare is not only the compression of kill chains – the sequence linking detection, decision, and destruction – but their diversification and resilience under continuous disruption. Drawing on empirical evidence from Ukraine’s integration of unmanned systems, digital battle management tools, and artificial intelligence, the analysis demonstrates how technological acceleration can yield short-term tactical advantages while exposing long-term structural vulnerabilities. Russia’s extensive use of electronic warfare, hybrid attacks, and adaptive countermeasures reveals that kill-chain supremacy is both …
Slava Ukraini! Solving Ukraine’S Present With The Past, Daniel Armes
Slava Ukraini! Solving Ukraine’S Present With The Past, Daniel Armes
Journal of Strategic Security
Ukraine desires to be a free state, drawing on over one thousand years of history to legitimize a national identity consisting of a distinct culture, language, and religion. While this is an achievable goal, the country faces challenges based on competing claims to Ukraine’s historical legacy. This article will analyze the roots of the current conflict over Ukraine’s national identity beginning with the religious divide between Eastern and Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054 and the Rus diaspora caused by the Mongol invasion of eastern Europe in 1240. A millennium of history and conflict are relevant today because …
Sacralizing Security: Orthodoxy And Securitization In Russia’S War On Ukraine, Bayram Aliyev
Sacralizing Security: Orthodoxy And Securitization In Russia’S War On Ukraine, Bayram Aliyev
Journal of Strategic Security
This article analyzes Russia’s religious securitization of the Ukraine war. It argues that securitizing actors in the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate present Orthodoxy, Russian civilization, and traditional moral values as referent objects under existential threat. Using a corpus of strategy texts, speeches, and sermons, the study identifies a triad of narratives, sacred war, moral decline, and anti-Westernism, that structure public messaging. These narratives authorize extraordinary measures, from mobilization and legal restrictions to symbolic acts involving icons and clergy. The article proposes a layered framework that connects soft power instruments to sharper techniques in crisis, showing how religious language reshapes …
Ukrainian Studies On Terrorism: Contemporary Overview And Thematic Classification, Lesia Horodenko, Yevhen Tsymbalenko
Ukrainian Studies On Terrorism: Contemporary Overview And Thematic Classification, Lesia Horodenko, Yevhen Tsymbalenko
Journal of Strategic Security
This article presents the first systematic and reproducible map of Ukrainian academic scholarship on terrorism (2000–2024). It addresses three questions: what directions the field has developed, which methods prevail across periods and disciplines, and where the gaps lie. The central argument is that clarifying the boundary between media terrorism—amplification via media logics—and information terrorism—manipulative information operations—reorients the field under conditions of hybrid warfare. Methods: systematic search of national repositories and journals; mixed-methods content analysis with iterative thematic coding and periodization (pre-2014; 2014–2021; post-2022). Corpus: n=896 publications. Results: a post-2014 surge and a post-2022 consolidation around hybrid warfare strategies, information operations, …
Navigating Energy Transition: Eu’S Lessons In The Wake Of The Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Sharmistha Hazra, Pramod Kumar
Navigating Energy Transition: Eu’S Lessons In The Wake Of The Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Sharmistha Hazra, Pramod Kumar
Journal of Strategic Security
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 disrupted the European Union’s energy landscape, exposing its heavy reliance on Russian fuels. The ongoing crisis prompted a shift in the EU’s policy, accelerating efforts toward energy self-sufficiency and diversification of energy sources. The REPowerEU Plan, launched in March 2022, aimed to reduce Russian dependence by boosting renewables, enhancing energy efficiency, and diversifying suppliers, including Norway, the U.S., and Qatar. Despite progress in reducing gas demand and increasing wind and solar capacity, challenges such as slow policy implementation, internal divisions, and continued Russian energy imports remain significant concerns. Geopolitical tensions and reliance on …
The Evolving Landscape Of European Security: An Assessment Of Nato’S Posture And Deterrence Strategies In Response To The Russia-Ukraine War, Goddy U. Osimen, Oluwakemi Fulani, Nesochi Mogbolu
The Evolving Landscape Of European Security: An Assessment Of Nato’S Posture And Deterrence Strategies In Response To The Russia-Ukraine War, Goddy U. Osimen, Oluwakemi Fulani, Nesochi Mogbolu
Journal of Strategic Security
The Russia-Ukraine War has reshaped Europe’s security landscape, leading to NATO’s most significant transformation since the Cold War. This study explores how the conflict has prompted NATO to realign its deterrence and defence strategies in response to Russia’s violations of international norms and changing battlefield dynamics. Employing a qualitative analysis of academic literature, official documents and credible reports, this study argues that NATO has shifted from assurance to a more assertive deterrence approach, enhancing its forward presence, increasing defence spending, and adopting effective new technologies. Key findings reveal important lessons about modern warfare, particularly the roles of artillery, unmanned systems, …
Has Russian Electronic Warfare Underperformed In The Ukrainian Conflict?, Guillem Colom Piella, Cristina Marzal Ruano
Has Russian Electronic Warfare Underperformed In The Ukrainian Conflict?, Guillem Colom Piella, Cristina Marzal Ruano
Journal of Strategic Security
In what has been referred to as a “War of Drones”, the ongoing Ukrainian conflict has contributed to shed light on electronic warfare as a key capability in modern military operations. The capacity to trace, deny, detect and collect intelligence from enemy communications has become a crucial asset as combat systems become highly interconnected and small, commercial drones storm in as strong alternatives to traditional, more expensive and less versatile unmanned systems. In this regard, much has been discussed about whether Russia, a perceivably dominant EW power, lived up to expectations regarding its performance in the electromagnetic domain. Through the …
Legal Framework For Counterintelligence Activities In Ukraine, Viktor Tyshchuk
Legal Framework For Counterintelligence Activities In Ukraine, Viktor Tyshchuk
Journal of Strategic Security
The legal framework governing counterintelligence activities in Ukraine is one of the key elements in ensuring national security and protecting state interests, particularly in the context of modern challenges, as this article analyzes the current legislation and normative acts regulating the activities of counterintelligence agencies while evaluating their impact on the effectiveness of combating potential threats; a notable aspect is the change in the criminogenic situation, specifically the increase in crimes against the foundations of national security in 2022, which coincided with the onset of a full-scale invasion and significantly affected the investigative process due to difficulties associated with martial …
Artificial Intelligence In Warfare: The Case Of The Russia-Ukraine War, Baurzhan Rakhmetov, Kamila Murzagulova
Artificial Intelligence In Warfare: The Case Of The Russia-Ukraine War, Baurzhan Rakhmetov, Kamila Murzagulova
Journal of Strategic Security
The last decade has marked the rise and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across various spheres. Nowadays, militaries worldwide apply AI to optimize and revolutionize warfighting tactics. The war in Ukraine has shown how AI-driven technologies enhance traditional military equipment, such as by automating drone take-off, landing, and even targeting. Moreover, AI has begun to play a crucial role in information warfare, enabling both sides to manipulate public opinion, destabilize adversaries, and mislead populations, but also counter disinformation. This qualitative study analyzes the approach to AI integration in information and kinetic warfare by both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, forecasts …
Energy Weaponization In The Ukraine–Russia War: Sanctions, Rerouting Flows, And Implications For Smaller States, Aysel Quliyeva
Energy Weaponization In The Ukraine–Russia War: Sanctions, Rerouting Flows, And Implications For Smaller States, Aysel Quliyeva
Journal of Strategic Security
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified the use of energy as a geopolitical weapon, transforming global energy markets and testing the resilience of states dependent on Russian oil and gas. This study examines the mechanisms of energy weaponization in the context of the Ukraine-Russia war, with particular emphasis on sanctions, the rerouting of energy flows, and the strategic implications for smaller states. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of energy security, hybrid warfare, and small-state vulnerability, the paper integrates policy analysis with trade and price data from 2014 to 2024. The findings reveal that sanctions accelerated Russia’s eastward energy pivot, …
Understanding Russian Hybrid Warfare Against Europe In The Energy Sector And In The Future ‘Energy-Resources-Climate’ Security Nexus., Maurizio Geri
Understanding Russian Hybrid Warfare Against Europe In The Energy Sector And In The Future ‘Energy-Resources-Climate’ Security Nexus., Maurizio Geri
Journal of Strategic Security
To avoid escalations to full kinetic (military) wars is imperative to win the non-kinetic part of the so-called “hybrid warfare”, which use both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. The goal of the non-kinetic methods of hybrid warfare, or as others call it “grey zone” activities, or “subthreshold” tactics, is to defeat hearts and minds, as well as pockets, of adversaries, with social, political, and economic tools. This article focuses on energy as the crucial sector of the economic tools, and specifically uses an innovative approach, what the author calls the ‘energy-resources-climate security nexus’, as a new battleground for future strategic competition …
Suicide Bombing In Afghanistan: A Multilevel Analysis, Kaneshka Nawabi
Suicide Bombing In Afghanistan: A Multilevel Analysis, Kaneshka Nawabi
Journal of Strategic Security
In August 2021, an insurgency spearheaded by violent suicide campaigns saw the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. A claimed four thousand suicide bombers remain a strategic asset at the hands of the Taliban and other extremist groups with extensive technical and logistical capabilities and a strong deterrence against their rivals. Despite this emanating threat, the majority of suicide terrorism research continues to rely on data from the Middle East, where social status, financial gains, and collective honour are cited as key factors. Using a multilevel framework and analysis, this article is based on field interviews with victims, …
How Does This End?: The Ukraine War And The Future Of Russia, Jonathan M. Acuff, Hannah N. Clegg
How Does This End?: The Ukraine War And The Future Of Russia, Jonathan M. Acuff, Hannah N. Clegg
Journal of Strategic Security
We analyze a range of future scenarios for Russia related to the Ukraine War. Although regime change is a publicly-stated objective for several leaders of NATO countries, we find very little prospect for it. The Russian economy has largely evaded the effects of the sanctions. Despite enormous casualties and incompetence in the management of the war, both Putin and the war remain popular with the Russian public. Contrary to most analysis to date, the Wagner Group mutiny of June 2023 is not an indication of Putin’s weakness, but his strength. The coercive mechanisms of the Russian state remain intact. Indeed, …
Making Us Security Cooperation In Fragile States Work: Organizational Capital In Aid Provision, Randell Yi, Edward J. O'Connell
Making Us Security Cooperation In Fragile States Work: Organizational Capital In Aid Provision, Randell Yi, Edward J. O'Connell
Journal of Strategic Security
The article examine how materiel and non-materiel organizational capital, as conveyed by military aid, differ in their effects on recipient nations with respect to governance. The authors analyze the Varieties of Democracy (vDem) dataset’s Regime Corruption Index alongside Security Sector Assistance expenditures as reported by the US Aid to Security Sector Actors (USASSA) dataset. They find that non-materiel forms of investment toward building partner nation capacity create generally better governance outcomes than materiel ones that involve transfers of weapons systems or supplies. They further contend that investments toward social cohesion and norms transmission “build the capacity to have capacity built.” …
Hybrid Warfare: How To Escape The Conceptual Gray-Zone, Borislav Bankov
Hybrid Warfare: How To Escape The Conceptual Gray-Zone, Borislav Bankov
Journal of Strategic Security
Hybrid warfare (HW) is one of the most debated concepts in contemporary military science. While most scholars agree that HW is conducted in the gray-zone between war and peace, they define the phenomenon differently. This disagreement has resulted in a conceptual gray-zone. The lack of theoretical clarity is exacerbated by the fact that authors have coined additional security and defense concepts that are based on the idea of hybridity, such as hybrid peace and hybrid influence. This article examines the different views on HW and aims to offer a more precise framework for its analysis. To fulfill its objective, it …
Responding To Fait Accompli: Lessons From Crimea, Lan Di Ngo
Responding To Fait Accompli: Lessons From Crimea, Lan Di Ngo
Journal of Strategic Security
This article focuses on the nuanced decision-making process of Ukrainian leaders in the wake of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Utilizing primary sources, including transcripts of Ukraine's cabinet meeting, it seeks to explain why Kiev refrained from employing coercive means to immediately retake Crimea following the fait accompli. The analysis reveals that decisions in such scenarios are typically influenced by a complex interplay of perceived territorial value and the strategic advantages of restraint. It also argues that fait accompli strategies can be strikingly effective when carried out with agility and minimal force, as demonstrated by Russia in Crimea. The …
Quarrelsome Siblings – The Relationship Between Special Operations And Conventional Forces, Anna M. Gielas Phd
Quarrelsome Siblings – The Relationship Between Special Operations And Conventional Forces, Anna M. Gielas Phd
Journal of Strategic Security
The relationship between U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Conventional Forces (CF) has historically been challenging, leading to mission failures and the loss of lives. An unprecedented integration of the two forces was seen following 9/11 during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This article investigates whether this intimate collaboration in Afghanistan and Iraq improved relations between SOF and CF. Drawing from a sample of 48 master’s theses authored by U.S. officers on the topic of SOF–CF integration from 1994 to 2018, this article documents a deterioration in the relationship between the two forces and identifies four underlying causes. It …
“Divergent Perspectives: A Comparative Review Of ‘The Nuclear Club’ And ‘Winning And Losing The Nuclear Peace’”, Abhishek Verma
“Divergent Perspectives: A Comparative Review Of ‘The Nuclear Club’ And ‘Winning And Losing The Nuclear Peace’”, Abhishek Verma
Journal of Strategic Security
No abstract provided.
Determining The Impact Of The U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program On The Proliferation Of Democracy, Matteo Garofalo
Determining The Impact Of The U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program On The Proliferation Of Democracy, Matteo Garofalo
Journal of Strategic Security
The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program is one of two systems by which foreign nations can purchase U.S. military technologies, and it is additionally the largest component of U.S. foreign security cooperation assistance. As such, it functions as a key tool in the arsenal of U.S. foreign policy, and is therefore tasked with supporting foreign policy objectives, such as the promotion of democracy abroad. This study analyzes all nations to have received FMS sales (for which data has been made available) to determine if either the receipt of FMS contracts impacts their level of democracy, or, alternatively, if changes in …
Extended Space Deterrence: Providing Security Assurance In Space, Kiseok Michael Kang
Extended Space Deterrence: Providing Security Assurance In Space, Kiseok Michael Kang
Journal of Strategic Security
Many U.S. allies are increasingly dependent on space-based platforms for their military and economic activities. At the same time, the counterspace threats from U.S. adversaries such as China and Russia are rapidly intensifying. The United States has provided extended deterrence to its allies through its overwhelming nuclear and conventional capabilities for decades. The question arises as to whether the time-tested logic of extended deterrence is applicable in the space domain. This research argues that U.S. extended deterrence in space—relying on the traditional mechanism of deterrence-by-punishment—is ineffective due to the unique nature of outer space.
Desperate And Opportunistic: Cbrn Terrorists And Civilian Radiological Material, Oliver Mihell-Hale
Desperate And Opportunistic: Cbrn Terrorists And Civilian Radiological Material, Oliver Mihell-Hale
Journal of Strategic Security
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism has long been a threat that has concerned policy makers. This paper highlights the factors which determine when a group is likely to use CBRN weapons given the numerous constraints on their use. A group which is desperate, small, and innovative is most likely to resort to their use as the taboos which constrain groups under normal circumstances become an incentive. These characteristics also determine what type of CBRN weapon will be used, a basic radiological weapon. A radiological weapon is relatively easy to develop compared to other options, and the material for …
The Brave New World Of Third Party Location Data, Shelby Brennan, Stephen Coulthart, Brian Nussbaum
The Brave New World Of Third Party Location Data, Shelby Brennan, Stephen Coulthart, Brian Nussbaum
Journal of Strategic Security
The use of third-party location data (3PLD)—geospatial data captured by smart devices and sold by ‘data brokers’—for intelligence and investigations is increasing each year. This data source provides opportunities for analysts and decision makers to better understand as well as counter a host of security threats from common criminals to terrorists. However, and like other emerging and potent sources of intelligence like social media intelligence (SOCMINT), 3PLD must also be wielded legitimately by the government. We argue that the in the US context the legal framework surrounding these data is unclear. Due to the legal ambiguity as well as technological …
How Putin's Cyberwar Failed In Ukraine, Austen D. Givens, Max Gorbachevsky, Anita C. Biernat
How Putin's Cyberwar Failed In Ukraine, Austen D. Givens, Max Gorbachevsky, Anita C. Biernat
Journal of Strategic Security
As Russian military forces surged across the Ukrainian border in February 2022, cybersecurity analysts shared predictions about the ways in which the Russian government would use cyberattacks to thwart Ukrainian defenses. Some government agencies and private sector organizations forecast that the Russians would launch a blitz of devastating electronic attacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure targets, such as electrical power plants and air traffic control networks, crippling the country. While Russian cyberattacks have played a role in the conflict, their effects to date have been significantly less than what some analysts anticipated. But why? This article examines how analysts’ most extreme …
Modern Cognitive Operations And Hybrid Warfare, Yuriy Danyk, Chad M. Briggs
Modern Cognitive Operations And Hybrid Warfare, Yuriy Danyk, Chad M. Briggs
Journal of Strategic Security
Concepts of cognitive warfare and operations are explored in the context of hybrid warfare, including how cyber technologies promote greater asymmetric opportunities for influence, control, and undermining of one’s adversary. Research areas are analyzed in the interconnection with hybrid cognitive operations. The purpose of the article is to study the features and theoretical and applied substantiation of cognitive actions in cyberspace and through cyberspace and their possible consequences within the framework of hybrid conflicts.
Cyber Cases: The Picca Framework For Documenting Geopolitically Relevant Cyber Action, Chris Bronk, Nathan Jones
Cyber Cases: The Picca Framework For Documenting Geopolitically Relevant Cyber Action, Chris Bronk, Nathan Jones
Journal of Strategic Security
This article presents a novel framework called the Policy Informative Cyber Case Analysis for cyberattack incidents. The aim of this framework is to provide a structured documentation and translational assessment tool for cyber incidents of geopolitical significance to a broader policy audience. The article discusses case study method as applied to cyber incidents, situates the framework amongst other useful methods, discusses the application of structured analytic techniques (SAT) such as “chronologies and timelines” and “devil’s advocacy,” presents the framework, and provides conclusions. Cyber incident cases, primarily the 2015 attack on the Ukrainian electric-grid is used throughout to elucidate the utility …
Military Advisors, Service Strategies, And Great Power Competition, Mike Anderson
Military Advisors, Service Strategies, And Great Power Competition, Mike Anderson
Journal of Strategic Security
United States professional military advisors play a critical role across the spectrum of conflict within the various services’ strategies in support of the overall National Defense Strategy. In an era of great power competition, the role of advisory forces within the shadow of large-scale conflict, provide a crucial edge for the US military services fulfilling their strategic role. Within each of the services’ unique strategies - the Army’s multidomain operations, the Marine Corps expeditionary advanced base operations nested within the Navy’s broader littoral operations in a contested environment, and the Air Force’s forward projecting agile basing concept - advisors from …
Decision Advantage: Intelligence In International Politics From The Spanish Armada To Cyberwar. By Jennifer E. Sims. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022., Adam D.M. Svendsen
Decision Advantage: Intelligence In International Politics From The Spanish Armada To Cyberwar. By Jennifer E. Sims. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022., Adam D.M. Svendsen
Journal of Strategic Security
This article provides an annotated review essay of Jennifer E. Sims’ book, Decision Advantage (2022). She communicates several valuable insights into how intelligence manifests in international affairs. Qualities are accomplished through Sims’ development of the concept and theory of ‘decision advantage’ in a variety of intelligence contexts, articulated via a series of different historical case studies ranging chronologically from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar. Alongside acknowledging intelligence systems and engineering, notions of ‘intelligence power’ and ‘intelligence advantage(s)’ emerge as central, together with ideas of agility and adaptability amongst exponents. While undeniably forming a useful start, what Sims’ work ultimately discloses …
Russian And U.S. News Media Coverage Of Ukrainian Biological Laboratories, February – March 2022, Annie E. Sundelson, Marc Trotochaud, Noelle Huhn, Tara Kirk Sell
Russian And U.S. News Media Coverage Of Ukrainian Biological Laboratories, February – March 2022, Annie E. Sundelson, Marc Trotochaud, Noelle Huhn, Tara Kirk Sell
Journal of Strategic Security
Soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, narratives about U.S.-funded biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine began circulating in both Russian and U.S. news. We sought to characterize news media coverage of this topic and to understand potential differences in coverage between different news sources. 401 news media items from Russian and U.S. news sources covering Ukrainian biological laboratories between February 24 and March 24, 2022 were analyzed for content and framing tactics based on theories of risk perception, persuasion, and misinformation/disinformation. Results showed strong differences between U.S. mainstream news coverage and Russian news coverage and similarities between U.S. hyper-partisan right …