The #BruteCast

For our ongoing focus on #Russia and #Ukraine, #TeamKrulak was pleased to welcome Ms. Nataliya Gumenyuk, speaking to us directly from #Ukraine. Ms. Gumenyuk is a Ukrainian journalist and author. She is a founder of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, which promotes constructive discussion around complex social topics. From 2015 to 2020 she headed the independent Ukrainian broadcaster Hromadske TV and the English-language Hromadske International project. Ms. Gumenyuk specializes in reporting foreign affairs and conflicts. Her recent book, The Lost Island: Tales from Occupied Crimea (2020), features her six-year reporting from Russian-annexed Crimea. NOTE: about 6 minutes in, there was some audio problems which required editing out about 1 minute of discussion. The rest of the episode is presented intact. All opinions expressed here are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Krulak Center, Marine Corps University, the United States Marine Corps, or any other agency of the U.S. Government. Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

A significant component of #Russia's ongoing invasion of #Ukraine has been the clouding or outright denial of their military actions and intent. Russia has conducted this disinformation campaign through diplomatic, social media, and entertainment channels in an effort to convince the world, and their own public, that they are not doing what all the evidence suggests they are. Arvin Verma is a highly motivated cybersecurity professional, with over 10 years of experience across a multitude of cyber and IT domains. He has worked in multiple industries spanning over 5 Fortune 500 companies and Big 4 consulting. In addition, Arvin is proudly serving in the US Navy Reserves as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer. He also serves as a research fellow with the Cybersecurity Forum Initiative where he has co- authored several research papers in new cyber trends and best practices and holds several leadership positions with InfraGard Chicago and InfraGard National. He also serves as an advisor to several private and public entities and is a guest lecturer at several universities across the State of Illinois. Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

Welcome to "Down the Rabbit Hole on the Russia-Ukraine War," a new (mini) series from the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare at Marine Corps University. Each episode will feature a snapshot of daily events from the war, with a deeper look at one important development our audience should know about, all from the insights of #TeamKrulak Distinguished Fellow and Russia subject matter expert Dr. Yuval Weber. This inaugural episode looks at the current state of peace negotiations between #Russia and #Ukraine. All opinions expressed here are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the Krulak Center, Marine Corps University, the United States Marine Corps, or any other agency of the U.S. Government. Intro/outro music is "Epic" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

#Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine is now in its third week, but it only took a few days of fighting for the world to see that Vladimir Putin’s evident hope for rapid and generally bloodless victory had been shattered. Putin expected his soldiers to walk into Ukrainian cities and be welcomed with open arms. Instead, the Russian army is stalled along several fronts by stiff Ukrainian resistance, and many of the cities that were likely objectives for the first days of the war remain unconquered. But taking those cities remains a key goal for Putin, and the world is now watching as urban warfare takes center stage in this conflict. Cities like Mariupol and Kherson are either encircled or already at least partially occupied; others, like Kyiv and Kharkiv, are being battered in preparation for attempts to seize them; and those like Odesa are wondering how long it will be before Russian ground forces reach their outskirts. To talk us through the unique and bitter challenges of urban warfare, as well as Russia’s approach to it, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Rita Konaev. Dr. Konaev is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) interested in military applications of AI and Russian military innovation. Previously, she was a Non-Resident Fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point, a post-doctoral fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. Before joining CSET, she worked as a Senior Principal in the Marketing and Communications practice at Gartner. Margarita’s research on international security, armed conflict, non-state actors and urban warfare in the Middle East, Russia and Eurasia has been published by the Journal of Strategic Studies, the Journal of Global Security Studies, Conflict Management and Peace Science, the French Institute of International Relations, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Lawfare, War on the Rocks, Defense One, Modern War Institute, Foreign Policy Research Institute and a range of other outlets. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Brandeis University. Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

The Krulak Center is very grateful to Ms. Anna Bulakh, currently residing in #Ukraine, for granting us the time to record this episode. All opinions expressed here are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Krulak Center, Marine Corps University, the United States Marine Corps, or any other agency of the U.S. Government. Ms. Bulakh has spent many years working in Ukraine on security and defense policies, and focuses on building resilience into technology and information security. In this episode, she discussed a comprehensive approach to defense and security as it also relates to cyber defense, the technology sector, and civilian engagement in the kinetic dimension of defending one's homeland as part of the territorial defense effort. She covered a range of aspects in hybrid warfare, and factors in Ukraine’s resilience in the cyber and land domains. This includes information operations and cyber attacks, private tech sector engagement, and the reality that cyber warfare extends beyond Ukraine-Russia internet spaces. She also touched on the kinetic space — society embedding in the security and defense sectors. Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, the information domain has manifested itself as one of the preeminent theaters of conflict in this war. But how Russia and Ukraine have approached this theater is a study in contrasts. The Ukrainian government has employed a robust information strategy from the highest level of political leadership to its troops on the front lines in sharing messages and images that support their narrative, and sharing them across the widest number of platforms available. Russia, on the other hand, has progressively shut down the information outlets available to its people, and those outlets it has not directly shut down have often removed their services on their own volition to protest Russia’s aggression. In this #BruteCast episode, we welcomed Mr. Thomas Kent to help us understand the Russian side of this equation, and what those outside Russia can do to push in the information that the government is denying its own citizens. Thomas Kent is a specialist on disinformation, Russian media and journalistic ethics. Until September 2018 he was president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a congressionally funded corporation providing news in 25 languages to the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He consults for governments, NGOs and corporations on Russia, disinformation, and ethical journalism. His book on combating Russian disinformation in Europe, Africa and Latin America was published in September 2021. Previously, Kent was standards editor of The Associated Press, responsible for credibility, balance and fairness in AP’s text, photo and video services worldwide. He served with the AP as reporter in Sydney, Australia; NATO and the European Union reporter in Brussels; reporter and bureau chief in Moscow; chief of AP operations in Tehran during the Iranian revolution; deputy news editor and news editor of AP's World Service Division in New York; international editor of the AP and chief of the AP supervisory desk. He lectures internationally on journalistic ethics and disinformation, has served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes in international reporting and is a member of the advisory board of the Ethical Journalism Network.  Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

This episode continues #TeamKrulak's focus on #Russia’s ongoing invasion of #Ukraine and the many new dynamics we’ve been seeing on that battlefield; our guests here talked about one which has been very prominent. We were very pleased to welcome Dr. Matthew Ford and Professor Andrew Hoskins, co-authors of the forthcoming book Radical War: Data, Attention and Control in the Twenty-First Century from Hurst Publishers. Dr. Matthew Ford is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex; founding editor of the British Journal for Military History; and author of the book Weapon of Choice. Andrew Hoskins is Professor of Global Security, University of Glasgow; and founding editor of the journals Digital War; Memory, Mind & Media; and Memory Studies. The Krulak Center is grateful to Henrik Paulsson, a Visiting Fellow from Swedish Defence University currently conducting research at Marine Corps University, for getting us in touch with these two gentlemen. Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

Maj Gen Mick Ryan, a seasoned strategist and author of "War Transformed," brings a wealth of experience from his 35 years in the Australian Army, including deployments in East Timor and Iraq. He discusses the complex nature of modern warfare, highlighting the adaptive strategies employed by Ukraine against Russia. Ryan stresses the importance of military education and innovation, as well as the strategic implications of global rivalries, particularly between democracies and authoritarian regimes. His insights serve as a critical analysis of contemporary military operations and future challenges.

In this episode, we continued our special focus on #Russia and #Ukraine. Last time we were here, Russian President Vladimir Putin had just recognized the “People’s Republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk, delivered a speech filled with historical myths and grievances, and Belarus had announced that the Russian military units there for exercises were not, in fact leaving. Only a few days later, Russia launched its long-feared invasion of Ukraine, attacking from multiple directions, bombarding cities with missile and artillery strikes, and causing a humanitarian crisis that now stands at over 1,000,000 refugees having fled Ukraine. To tell us where things stand and what more might unfold, we welcome two of our Krulak Center Fellows.  Dr.  Yuval Weber is one of our Distinguished Fellows here at the Krulak Center. He is a Research Assistant Professor at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, DC. Prior to Texas A&M, Dr. Weber served as the Kennan Institute Associate Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School, as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Harvard University, and as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Dr. Weber has held research positions at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, and the Carnegie Moscow Center. He has published on a range of Russian and Eurasian security, political, and economic topics in academic journals and for the popular press in the United States and Russia.    Dr. Rosella Cappella Zielinski is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Boston University specializing in  the study of political economy of security. Her book How States Pay for Wars (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2016) won the 2017 American Political Science Association Robert L. Jervis and Paul W. Schroeder Best Book Award in International History and Politics. Her other works can be found in Conflict Management and Peace Science, European Journal of International Relations, Journal of Global Security Studies, Journal of Peace Research, and Security Studies, as well as Foreign Affairs, Texas National Security Review, and War on the Rocks. She is one of #TeamKrulak's Non-Resident Fellows, and is also affiliated with the Costs of War Project. In addition to her academic research, she is committed to promoting the study of political economy of national security, and is the founder and Co-Director of Boston University’s Project for the Political Economy of Security.  Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic

The United States is reducing its military presence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea Zone while its main strategic competitors, China and Russia, are increasing their presence in the military, political, and economic spheres. This virtual lecture examined the ways China and Russia are using to expand their influence in Africa, consider how Chinese and Russian efforts differ, and evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches. The lecture also discussed how the U.S. and its allies should respond, arguing for proportional, tailored responses according to the actual threat levels posed by Chinese and Russian influence in the region. Guest Speaker, Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen is Professor of International Relations and Director of the Master's Program in International Affairs at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). He has advised and been an invited subject matter expert for CENTCOM, AFRICOM, USSOCOM, the NATO Intelligence Center and NATO Defense College, and the British Military Mission to Nigeria. He is the author most recently of Al-Shabaab in Somalia: The History and Ideology of a Militant Islamist Group (Oxford University Press, 2013), Horn, Sahel, and Rift: Fault-lines of the African Jihad (Oxford University Press, 2019), and co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of Deradicalisation and Disengagement (Routledge, 2020). Dr. Hansen is also the author of a two-article series for MES Insights on strategic competition between the U.S., China, and Russia in the Red Sea zone and East Africa:   *Vol. 12, Issue 3: "Dragon Rising? Evaluating Chinese Power in the Horn of Africa"  *Vol. 12, Issue 5: "Specters of the Past, Prospects for the Future? Russian Engagement in the Horn of Africa"  Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com) Follow the Krulak Center: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekrulakcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekrulakcenter/ Twitter: @TheKrulakCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIYZ84VMuP8bDw0T9K8S3g LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brute-krulak-center-for-innovation-and-future-warfare Krulak Center homepage on The Landing: https://unum.nsin.us/kcic