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Since last week, global attention has been gripped by the rapidly escalating crisis in the Middle East. Israel’s unprecedented strike on Iranian nuclear facilities has raised urgent questions: Will this conflict spiral into a broader regional war? Will the United States be drawn in? And what role might Russia play, given its close ties with Tehran? But in this blog post, I want to shift the focus. Rather than speculate on what may unfold in the Middle East, I want to examine how this development could impact the ongoing war in Ukraine. For those of us in Europe, it's crucial that we don’t lose sight of the conflict unfolding on our doorstep—even as new crises emerge elsewhere. THE EVENTS IN IRAN We discussed this briefly in our last post on asymmetric warfare. Basically, on 13th June 2025, 61 days after Trump's ultimatum to Iran to come to the negotiating table, Israel launched Operation "Rising Lion". This was a large-scale, coordinated Israeli military operation tar...

In this post, we take a closer look at AUKUS — the ambitious security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US. Designed to boost military power, create jobs, and counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS has been hailed as a once-in-a-generation strategic win for the United States. So why is President Trump now putting it under review? With billions at stake and one of America’s closest allies in the balance, the decision to question AUKUS is raising eyebrows across the globe. Is this a shift in strategy — or something bigger? WHAT IS AUKUS?   AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, announced in 2021 with the goal of reshaping the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. At its core, the deal enables Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, marking a significant leap in its naval capabilities. But AUKUS goes beyond submarines — it includes cooperation on advanced technologies like cyber security, artificia...

These days, wars are waged both conventionally and unconventionally. Major powers often target smaller nations in efforts to assert dominance. Yet, smaller countries today hold a significant edge compared to just a few decades ago. With the rise of hybrid warfare, cyber operations, drones, and other technological tools, asymmetrical warfare has become a realistic and effective strategy for underdogs facing much larger foes. In this blog post, we’ll explore what asymmetrical warfare entails and examine some current real-world examples. Finally, we’ll consider whether this approach is a smart strategy for less advantaged nations—and why. WHAT IS ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE? Asymmetrical warfare refers to conflict between groups or nations with vastly different military capabilities or strategies. Instead of meeting larger, more advanced forces head-on, the weaker side uses unconventional tactics to exploit vulnerabilities. These can include guerrilla warfare, cyber attacks, misinformation campa...

Is democracy dead, or is it on its way out? Why should we even care? In an era where right-wing politics and authoritarian regimes are rapidly gaining ground, these are not just rhetorical questions—they're crucial ones. Democracy is just one political system among many, but it’s the one the Western world swears by and actively promotes across the globe. Why is that? In this post, we’ll take a closer look at what democracy really is, why it has been so highly valued, and why Western countries so fervently advocate for it. We’ll then explore the meteoric rise of right-wing ideologies and authoritarian figures, and finally ask ourselves: is this the direction we want to be heading in, or are we slowly dismantling the very freedoms we claim to cherish? WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHAT ARE ITS ROOTS?   Democracy is a system of government where power lies with the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. It’s built on core principles like political equality, individu...

Over the past several weeks, Ukraine carried out one of its most daring and innovative operations yet—Operation Spiderweb. This meticulously planned strike targeted Russian airfields deep inside enemy territory, showcasing not only Ukraine's increasing technological prowess but also its capacity for strategic surprise. More importantly, it revealed the vulnerabilities of supposedly secure military assets within Russia's own borders. In this blog post, we’ll explore the details of Operation Spiderweb and what it teaches us about the future of warfare. What lessons can NATO, global defense analysts, and even civilians learn from this? And what does it say about the next era of military technology? A still from drone footage showing the point of impact INSIDE OPERATION SPIDERWEB Operation Spiderweb was the result of 18 months of careful planning and execution by Ukraine’s SBU (Security Service of Ukraine). Though many operational details remain classified due to ongoing missions, ...

When the Bolsheviks took power in Russia in 1917, things were chaotic. They had just overthrown the Provisional Government, World War I was still dragging on, and civil war was brewing. The new leaders knew they had enemies—lots of them. So they created a special force to deal with these threats. This group was called the Cheka, and it became the first of many secret police organizations in the Soviet Union. In this blog post, we will look at the history of this notorious organization that was the root of the infamous KGB, which later led to the FSB we know today. WHY WAS IT CALLED CHEKA? The full name was a bit of a mouthful: The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage ( in Russian  Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya po bor'be s kontrrevolyutsiey i sabotazhem ). Most people just called it the Cheka or VeCheka . It was formed in December 1917, just weeks after the Bolsheviks seized power. They were the " sword and shield " ...