The Latest Breaking News from Frank Ledwidge

The US must decide what ‘victory’ means in Ukraine – or waste even more lives there

Its support is critical to the conflict, but the US is failing to learn the lessons of its sprawling wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, says former military officer Frank Ledwidge

The Guardian - UK · Jan 10, 2023

Ukraine recap: prepare for a 'long war' says Putin – but most Russians beg to disagree

If nuclear weapons are used in Ukraine, it won’t be Russia that starts it, says Russian president Vladimir Putin – ostensibly seeking to reassure the world while also delivering an arch reminder that he does, after all, have the power to swing the world’s largest nuclear arsenal into action if…

The Conversation · Dec 8, 2022

Ukraine needs tanks, and the west should supply them. They could finish off Putin and Russia

In 1941, Churchill said to the US: ‘give us the tools and we will finish the job’. Zelenskiy is saying the same to us – and we should listen, says ex-military officer Frank Ledwidge

The Guardian - UK · Nov 29, 2022

Ukraine recap: Russian setbacks on the battlefield, Putin's limited military and diplomatic options

While his troops struggle to regroup in the face of a lightning-fast Ukrainian offensive in the northeast, Vladimir Putin is in Samarkand, fabled halfway point of the silk road in Uzbekistan, for a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). While he is there he has a busy schedule…

The Conversation · Sep 15, 2022

Can US-supplied HIMARS be a game changer for Ukraine?

Answering Ukrainian calls for more long-range precision weapons, the US last week said it will send more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Kyiv as part of a new $400 million weapons package. Can the new HIMARS turn the battle in the Donbas in Ukraine’s favour?

France 24 · Jul 14, 2022

Ukraine Recap: letter from Kyiv and despatches from the war zone

For the duration of the war in Ukraine, we’ve received regular military updates from Frank Ledwidge, an expert in military strategy at the University of Portsmouth. A few weeks ago Ledwidge got in touch to say that he was moving temporarily to Kyiv, where he is a visiting fellow with…

The Conversation · Jul 7, 2022

Satellite data shows how Russia levelled Ukrainian cities like Mariupol

Satellite data reveals the devastating impact of the Russian army's brutal tactics on some of Ukraine's largest cities.

ABC News · May 25, 2022

Vladimir Putin training Syrian barrel bomb ‘experts’ is sign of desperation, says expert

Over 50 specialist Syrian barrel bomb technicians are in Russia but an expert claims the move shows Russian President Vladimir Putin is "going downmarket militarily"

Daily Mirror · May 24, 2022

Vladimir Putin's Victory Day speech could offer clues on the future of Russia's disastrous war in Ukraine

One of the most important days on the Russian calendar is just around the corner, and all eyes are on Vladimir Putin who could use the holiday to declare his intentions for the future of Ukraine.

ABC News · May 7, 2022

Scores of civilians reach safety as Russia renews assault on Mariupol plant

Ukraine say Russian forces have launched a "powerful assault" on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where more than 200 civilians are still holed up with Ukrainian fighters, according to the city's mayor. Humanitarian workers say around 100 civilians have successfully been evacuated from the plant and are now in…

France 24 · May 3, 2022