Islamic State Khorasan Province’s recent attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow Oblast has catapulted the group into international headlines. Today, it seems the group’s increasingly expansive attacks are not only a concern for Central and South Asian countries but have also put Western countries on alert, writes Saif Islam.
The start of 2024 has not been easy for Ukraine, underscored by continued weapons shortages and the loss of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Richard Gardiner considers Ukraine’s defence prospects in 2024 and its ability to expose Russia’s looming challenges in 2025 and beyond.
S-RM spoke to Paul Padman, Deputy Head of Crisis Response, about some of the global trends in kidnapping, political evacuations and wrongful detention cases, and to hear about some of the key considerations for S-RM’s Crisis Response team when they are working on a live case.
Saif Islam and Richard Gardiner explore some of the major developments that may influence the trajectory of the conflict in the new year.
A recent clash between Kosovar security forces and ethnic-Serb gunmen in northern Kosovo, and the subsequent build-up of Serbian forces on the Kosovo border, has prompted concerns of renewed conflict. Richard Gardiner considers what these events mean for the security situation in one of Europe’s most divided territories.
Profiling school attackers is complex and wrought with challenges, but mapping the conditions under which attacks happen can shed some light on what prompts them, and how to prevent them, writes Markus Korhonen.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, two months after his failed mutiny against the Russian state, poses yet another setback for the Wagner mercenary group. While likely to see significant change closer to home, the impact on the group’s operations in Africa will not be immediate, writes Saif Islam.
With Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive in southern and eastern Ukraine now under way, pressure will build on Kyiv to demonstrate its forces can make strategic gains and prove to its Western allies that it can win the war. Richard Gardiner discusses the nature of the task at hand, and measures what success and failure would look like for Ukraine.…
As Russia steps up offensive operations, Ukraine will have to endure a nervous wait for vital western military aid, including tanks, that will boost their own ability to stage a counteroffensive in the spring. Richard Gardiner discusses how both sides are under pressure to succeed and considers the trajectory of the conflict over the coming months.
Since the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 10 million people have been displaced by the conflict. Military, humanitarian, and financial assistance have flooded the country, but with crises mounting elsewhere, Natasha Glazer and Tamsin Hunt investigate the potential realities for increased global competition for aid.
Warfare between states has undergone a continuous evolution; from first, second and third generation warfare which comprised traditional combat, to the fourth generation characterised by the growing involvement of non-state actors like terrorist groups, through to the fifth and current generation (5GW) driven by the digital age and a ubiquitous battlefield…
Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Richard Gardiner and Saif Islam explore the subtle implications for Russia’s traditional sphere of influence.