thestudyofwar.bsky.social
ISW is a policy research organization focused on U.S. national security. Email: [email protected]. For more: https://linktr.ee/understandingwar
3,797 posts
92,069 followers
418 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
comment in response to
post
3/ Russian officials are also attempting to rhetorically split Ukraine from its Western partners and advocating for an escalation of Russian strike tactics in Ukraine as part of wider efforts to intimidate the West into weakening its support for Ukraine.
Read more: isw.pub/UkrWar061125
comment in response to
post
2/ The Kremlin continues to attack Ukraine using rhetoric presenting an anachronistic reading of Ukraine's history, denying the existence of an independent Ukrainian language and culture, and discrediting the Ukrainian government.
comment in response to
post
6/ Syria Sanctions: US Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack told al Monitor on June 10 that the US holds several “expectations” for Syrian President Ahmed al Shara to act upon following the US decision to lift sanctions on Syria.
Iran Update w/ @criticalthreats.bsky.social: isw.pub/IranUpdate06...
comment in response to
post
5/ Iran-Russia Cooperation: Russia offered to accept Iran's "excess" enriched uranium stockpile as part of a potential US-Iran nuclear agreement.
comment in response to
post
4/ IAEA Board of Governors Meeting: The United States and the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) submitted a non-compliance resolution that declares Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations at the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting on June 11.
comment in response to
post
3/ Iranian Threats Towards the United States: Iran continues to threaten to target US and Israeli assets in the region, likely to deter potential US or Israeli strikes on Iran.
comment in response to
post
2/ Some reports suggest that Iran is opposed to several provisions of a recent US nuclear negotiations proposal.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors maritime security issues, also reacted on June 11 to increased tensions in the region.
comment in response to
post
Significant Russian Military Exercises
Russian forces continued major naval exercises in the Baltic Sea involving more than 20 warships and 25 aircraft, likely in support of the Kremlin's recent escalatory rhetoric against the Baltic States.
Full report here: isw.pub/ForceGen061125
comment in response to
post
Russian Technological Adaptations
Russia is belatedly constructing hangars and other defensive infrastructure across airfields in Russia and in occupied Ukraine to protect Russian aircraft from Ukrainian drones.
comment in response to
post
Russian authorities approved a plan to construct a "Warrior Temple" for Russian veterans of the war in Ukraine outside of St. Petersburg.
Russian Defense Industrial Base
The Russian Government announced on June 9 the establishment of the Russian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development Center.
comment in response to
post
Militarization of Society and Youth
Russian authorities reportedly proposed that Rosgvardia oblige cadets to watch state media propaganda programs in an effort to involve them in special propaganda and counter propaganda efforts.
comment in response to
post
Russian Military Reforms and Force Restructuring
The Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) is reportedly planning to bolster security around Russian infrastructure to protect infrastructure from Ukrainian drones.
comment in response to
post
The Kremlin appears to have entrusted a Russian billionaire with control of the Africa Corps, contradicting the ongoing centralization effort.
comment in response to
post
Russian Force Centralization
The Wagner Group announced on June 6 that it is leaving Mali after 3.5 years likely as part of the Russian Ministry of Defense's (MoD) ongoing effort to replace remaining Wagner personnel with state-controlled Africa Corps.
comment in response to
post
3/ The Iranian Supreme National Defense University published its first-ever analysis on military lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russian intelligence has reportedly grown concerned about PRC espionage since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Read more: isw.pub/AdversaryEnt...
comment in response to
post
2/ Putin likely seeks to portray Russia as a useful collaborator and partner that the United States needs to achieve certain global outcomes. It is far from clear, however, that Russia has the leverage to help secure a nuclear agreement.
comment in response to
post
3/ Hezbollah is reportedly prioritizing domestic drone production in order to reduce its reliance on procuring Iranian weapons. Hezbollah likely seeks to prioritize domestic drone production after recent setbacks that have complicated its ability to procure and smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon.
comment in response to
post
2/ The Syrian transitional government has quickly responded to several false reports of insurgent activity in coastal Syria over the last week. The rapid response shows that the government remains concerned about violence in coastal Syria despite low levels of Alawite insurgency activity there.
comment in response to
post
3/ Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Borova, Lyman, and Toretsk.
Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk and Toretsk. isw.pub/UkrWar061025
comment in response to
post
2/ Russia is reportedly working to increase the number of North Korean labor migrants in Russia, likely to support Russia's workforce and join the Russian military.
Ukraine and Russia conducted the second round of POW exchanges on June 10, per agreements the parties reached in Istanbul on June 2.
comment in response to
post
4/ Russia is consolidating control over occupied Ukraine in the digital sphere.
The ongoing “Great Russian Word” festival in occupied Crimea highlights Russian efforts to use the Russian language as a tool of sociocultural occupation.
Russian Occupation Update:
isw.pub/OccupationUpdate060925
comment in response to
post
3/ Russian occupation courts continue to weaponize spurious or overblown “high treason” charges to prosecute residents of occupied Crimea for perceived anti-Russian or pro-Ukrainian sentiment.
comment in response to
post
2/ Schools in occupied Kherson Oblast are introducing new curricula for the upcoming school year to encourage high birth rates amongst Ukrainian youth and to propagate traditional Russian family values.
comment in response to
post
2/ ISW assessed in early 2025 that Russia was using economic incentives that are unrelated to the war in Ukraine to extract concessions from the US about the war in Ukraine, and Russia's use of incentives related to arms control talks appears to be the latest iteration of this overall effort.
comment in response to
post
3/ Ukraine and Russia on June 9 conducted the first round of the POW exchanges that the parties agreed to during the latest bilateral talks in Istanbul on June 2 as Russian officials continued to baselessly accuse Ukraine of failing to repatriate the bodies of killed in action (KIA) soldiers.
comment in response to
post
2/ Russian forces conducted the largest combined missile and drone strike of the war overnight on June 8 & 9
Ukrainian forces continue to conduct drone strikes against Russian military and defense industrial targets that are involved in Russia's long-range drone and missile strikes against Ukraine.
comment in response to
post
3/ ISW will continue to assess the situation in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and update its assessment.
Russian officials have repeatedly signaled that the Kremlin has wider territorial ambitions in Ukraine, including in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. isw.pub/UkrWar060825
comment in response to
post
2/ ISW assesses that current Russian tactical activity in the vicinity of SE Dnipropetrovsk is a continuation of ongoing Russian offensive efforts in southwestern Donetsk Oblast — not the beginning of a new major offensive operation to seize operationally significant territory in Dnipropetrovsk.
comment in response to
post
4/ Maximum US economic pressure against Russia is not possible without continued military sales to Ukraine.
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar060725
comment in response to
post
3/ US President Donald Trump signaled on June 6 that he could be willing to increase sanctions against Russia. Russia's economic struggles, however, have been and will continue to be driven by Russian military losses on the battlefield.
comment in response to
post
2/ This is part of the Kremlin's efforts to undermine mutually agreed upon confidence building measures with Ukraine.
Russian officials continue efforts to deflect blame away from Russia and onto Western states for the lack of progress toward a peace settlement.