Ukraine and the Problem of Restoring Maneuver in Contemporary War

This paper primarily aims to offer a new framework for Ukrainian forces and their Western backers to break the current positional warfare and restore maneuver to the battlefield.

Interactive Map: Hundreds of Known Russian Military Objects are in Range of ATACMS

ISW provides this list and interactive map of military and paramilitary targets to demonstrate how U.S. restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS limit its ability to strike key military infrastructure in Russia.

Putin is Vulnerable

Russia has vulnerabilities that the West has simply not been exploiting. US incrementalism has helped the Kremlin offset and mask its weaknesses.

Assessing the Significance of the Current Russian and Ukrainian Operations for the Course of the War

The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine are not in themselves decisive military operations that will win the war.

Exploring a PRC Short-of-War Coercion Campaign to Seize Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands and Possible Responses

By Matthew Sperzel, Daniel Shats, and Alexis Turek


Latest from ISW

Iran Update, September 17, 2024

Sep 17, 2024 - ISW Press

Israel simultaneously detonated thousands of pagers used by Lebanese Hezbollah members across Lebanon and Syria on September 17. Lebanese officials reported that around 2,800 individuals were injured, though some reports suggest that the number is closer to 4,000, most of whom are Hezbollah members. Israel reportedly executed the attack by planting one-to-two ounces of explosive material and remote triggers inside a batch of Taiwanese-made pagers en route to Lebanon. Hezbollah had ordered the pagers to communicate across its ranks, as Hezbollah Secretary General ordered group members to limit cellphone usage in order to avoid Israeli detection. Hezbollah responded to the attack by blaming Israel and vowing to retaliate.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 17, 2024

Sep 17, 2024 - ISW Press

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran for an unannounced visit on September 17 following recent visits to Syria and North Korea amid ongoing Russian efforts to secure military cooperation and support from non-Western allies. Shoigu met with Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akhbar Ahmadian and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a previously unannounced visit to Tehran on September 17 and conveyed an unspecified message from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Iran Update, September 16, 2024

Sep 16, 2024 - ISW Press

Israel is refocusing its operations in the Gaza Strip to prioritize “destroying the pillars of Hamas’ civil rule . . . especially the distribution of humanitarian aid,” according to an anonymous Israeli official. The official told Israeli media that controlling aid distribution enables Hamas to project the image that it still controls the Gazan population.

Iran Update, September 15, 2024

Sep 15, 2024 - ISW Press

Israeli air defenses “partially intercepted” a Houthi ballistic missile that entered Israeli airspace on September 14. Iran, the Houthis, and the rest of the Axis of Resistance could learn lessons from the Houthi attack in order to increase the effectiveness of future attacks on Israel. Hamas conducted a relatively simple but multi-stage attack targeting Israeli forces in eastern Rafah City on September 15. Israeli forces thwarted an infiltration attempt by a group of Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 14, 2024

Sep 14, 2024 - ISW Press

Ukrainian officials and sources indicated that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast has prompted the Russian authorities to increase the size of the Russian force grouping in Kursk Oblast by upwards of a factor of three. Ukrainian Pivnich (Northern) Operational Command Spokesperson Vadym Mysnyk stated on September 14 that Russian forces had 11,000 personnel deployed in Kursk Oblast at the start of Ukraine's incursion in early August 2024.

Iran Update, September 14, 2024

Sep 14, 2024 - ISW Press

The IDF Air Force struck two buildings in Sheikh Radwan, Gaza City, on September 14 where Hamas fighters were operating. The IDF reported that fighters used the buildings to conduct operations and produce weapons.[2] The buildings were located near the Dar al Arqam school currently being used as a shelter for displaced Gazans.