CLOAK AND CABINET

The past few weeks has been one of the most politically dramatic periods in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy carried out a sweeping government reshuffle, replacing the prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko dismissing the defence minister, and making many other changes across the cabinet. The outgoing prime minister was offered a diplomatic post in Washington, which she has still not accepted formally. The dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in particular, sparked strong reactions among many Ukrainians, who viewed him as one of the key architects of the country's technological and military innovation, and sweeping changes for the better in the defence forces. Perhaps the most significant change, however, came within Ukraine's military leadership. Zelenskyy also replaced Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi with Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi.  In this post, we'll look at what happened, why thes...

The battlefield is changing faster than most military planners ever expected. In Ukraine, drones have become the most important weapon of the war. They dominate the air, the sea, and the land. Long range drones strike targets deep inside Russia, sometimes thousands of kilometres from the front lines. Ground drones evacuate wounded soldiers and deliver ammunition and supplies. At sea, Ukrainian drones have forced Russia's Black Sea Fleet to pull back and limit its operations. A country that does not have a navy has succeeded in beating the Russian navy!  This raises an important question. Should countries continue spending billions on tanks, fighter jets, and warships if cheap drones can destroy them in minutes? Have the world's most expensive weapons become obsolete? This week, we examine whether the era of traditional military hardware is coming to an end.   THE END OF THE AGE OF BIG PLATFORMS? For decades, military power has been measured by the number of tanks, fighter jets...

Belarus is often described as Europe's last dictatorship. Led by Aleksandr Lukashenko since 1994, the country has become one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies. As Russia's war against Ukraine continues, Belarus has repeatedly found itself at the centre of speculation over whether it could become directly involved in the conflict. In recent weeks, Ukraine has warned that it may strike military infrastructure inside Belarus if Minsk does not remove what it sees as a growing threat. In this blog post, we'll explore who Aleksandr Lukashenko is, how he rose to power, and whether Belarus is actually likely to enter the war in Ukraine. WHO IS ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO? Aleksandr Lukashenko was born on 30 August 1954 in Kopys, a small village in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the name of Belarus when it was part of the Soviet Union. He was raised by his mother in a single-parent household on a farm. Life was modest, as they lived in a small rural village. Lukashenko ne...