Researching Ukraine
Newsletter (Digital)
Welcome, curious reader!
In a world flooded with information, there’s no shortage of news. What is scarce, however, is insight. Insight, by its very nature, is something that cannot be mass-produced. Like fine wine or well-aged whisky, it takes time, context, and a deep understanding of the subject at hand. Here, we don't just skim the surface—we dig deep into one of the most important geopolitical conflicts of our time: Ukraine.
You might be asking yourself: Why should I subscribe? What’s in it for you?
The Power of Knowledge and Perspective
Let me let you in on a little secret—information alone isn’t enough. The most valuable resource in today’s world is perspective. It's perspective that turns noise into signal, that cuts through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle and reveals the patterns, motivations, and strategies that truly matter.
Here, we focus not just on the headlines, but on the deeper threads that weave together the past, present, and future of Ukraine’s role in the world.
Why Ukraine?
Why Ukraine, you might ask? Well, to understand Ukraine is to understand the future of international security, energy politics, military innovation, and even the battle for democracy itself. Ukraine is not just a country—it’s a crucible of change, and those who understand what’s happening there are better positioned to understand the world itself.
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesUpdates and Where is Benjamin?
Updates and Where is Benjamin? First… It’s that time again. Time for a UAO update. As most of you know I co-founded a charity back in 2022 with my good friend Mike. The Ukraine Assistance Organization helps Ukrainians. We have been providing some level of humanitarian aid for 4 years now. These days we mostly provide medicines free to those that needed it out in the remote villages of Odesa and Kherson oblasts.
Peak NATO: Who Needs Who?
NOTE: There is a saying about the US Army, words to the effect: The Army is a logistics organization with guns. This statement is much more true for NATO. NATO as a military standards and logistics organization is the true value. Enjoying this primary “value” does not require membership. Putin did not so much destroy NATO as expose it for what it is. A logistics organization with guns. No, Article 5 is not the NATO value proposition.
Stop Fighting Russia. Start Fighting Putin.
NOTE: The most dangerous thing I have ever written? Hardly. But ChatGPT did reject correcting my grammar and structure. It seems the robots are pro-Putin. Actually, it’s because I am advocating direct psyops against a head of state. Which does carry consequences. For a lowly Substack researcher? Doubtful. For nations who have the stones to do the right thing, yes. But the right thing is still the right thing. Putin thinks he can outlast Europe. Whether he is right or wrong is not actually relevant.
Russia’s S-400 Ground Attacks Are a Sign of Desperation
Russia has again begun using missiles associated with the S-300PM and S-400 air-defense systems against ground targets in Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force reporting often groups these weapons with Iskander-M ballistic missiles, which prevents a reliable count of S-400 launches. The pattern is still clear.
Urgent Update: Who Will Replace Ukraine Ally Graham?
Lindsey Graham’s death creates an unusually complicated election in South Carolina because he died during his reelection campaign, after already winning the Republican primary in June. NOTE: As it has been widely reported, Graham sensed his own demise when he said that he could not die yet, he needed to put sanctions on Russia. With this cue from Graham himself, and the very short window of time all of this will happen in, I am not worrying about how this might appear.
Ukraine Vs Shadow Fleet: Tactics and Methods
Ukraine has attacked another 28 Russian vessels in the past 24 hours, bringing the reported total to roughly 75 targets in less than two weeks. The targets include bulk fossil-fuel carriers, tugs, barges and other transport vessels operating in the Sea of Azov. There is a pattern that is emerging. Ukrainian drones are repeatedly aimed at the pilot house or bridge. Not the flammable cargo. This is a deliberate response to the size of the weapons being used.
Are Super Computers Still “Super” in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?
Are Super Computers Still “Super” in the Age of Artificial Intelligence? Headline: A Chinese supercomputer wins the TOP500 race. It’s interesting. But not ground breaking. The new and most relevant “races” are in AI computing, and Quantum computing. Traditional supercomputing rewards precision. The TOP500 benchmark is built around solving dense systems of linear equations, the kind of workload used in scientific computing. These problems often rely on 64-bit floating point math, or FP64.
The New Kill Chain: How Claude, Grok and Palantir Turn Data Into Targets
Ivan works at the Shahed plant in Tatarstan. With his new wages, he buys a new Xiaomi phone. He quickly loads it with his favorite apps, including a popular game already compromised by U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence. (He is likely also compromised by Chinese intel.) Ivan had already been identified as a possible access point by HUMINT assets in the area. The phone gives analysts a second stream of data.
Signs of Kremlin Coup. How close?
Signs of Kremlin Coup. How close? I have been seeing a lot of war commentators argue that Putin is close to some kind of palace coup. While the signals are increasing, the most important indicators are not flashing red. Yet. For Putin to the inglorious club of Hussein, Ceaușescu, Qaddafi, and so many others, there first needs to be serious political infighting between the power factions of the Kremlin. Loyalty is clearly in short supply.
The AI Race Is Moving Faster Than AI Companies Like
The AI Race Is Moving Faster Than AI Companies Like Anthropic recently argued that AI may soon reach a point where it meaningfully accelerates its own development, and in doing so outpaces all guardrails put on it. If that happens, governments will face difficult questions about control, oversight, and whether some form of coordinated slowdown becomes necessary. The problem is that every proposal for a pause eventually runs into the same obstacle: enforcement.