Eurasia

Ukraine Disrupts Russia’s Donetsk Offensive

Executive Summary Ukrainian forces have defeated the 2026 Russian campaign to seize Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces intended to conduct a deep encirclement of the entire Fortress Belt from the Lyman direction in the north and the Dobropillya direction in the southwest, linking up near Barvinkove, Kharkiv Oblast. This wide encirclement …

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A New Reality Emerging in Polish-Ukrainian Relations

Clouds gathered again over Polish-Ukrainian relations in the spring and summer of 2026. After a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit was named after the “heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Armyi,” Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, of the Order of the White Eagle. In response, Ukrainian politicians, …

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The Islamic State in Iraq After the U.S. Withdrawal

To prevent the type of jihadist resurgence seen after past U.S. military departures, Washington will need to sustain counterterrorism support and close any political, security, and detention gaps that IS could exploit. On September 30, the last U.S. forces left Erbil Air Base in Iraq, ending the coalition mission against …

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Iran Update, October 8, 2026

Key Takeaways Forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government seized mountainous terrain that overlooks the Red Sea coastal plain on October 8, which could set favorable conditions for government-aligned forces to continue their counteroffensive and advance northward on the coastal plain.The Houthis are still capable of threatening Yemeni government …

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 8, 2026

Toplines Russian milbloggers recently acknowledged Ukrainian advances east of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, possibly after months of battlefield shaping efforts similar to those which Ukrainian forces conducted in the months leading up to Operation Vivaldi in the Lyman direction. Russian milbloggers recently stated that Ukrainian forces liberated Ozerne, advanced east of …

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