Where I go to learn about the Russia-Ukraine War
I’m going to write something a bit more political and current events oriented than I usually intend to write here. Also exposing a passion:
I want Ukraine to win the war, recapturing all its territory.
And I want Russia to lose, badly.
Devastatingly.
Warning-to-other-autocrats devastatingly.
As can be expected by someone with that desire, I follow the War in Ukraine quite closely. Not the day by day back and forth of the conflict - the right in the middle of the Fog of War reporting - but analyses of higher-level issues like defense economics, strategies, information warfare, and related topics.
Here are my main sources, whom I think anyone interested in the war should keep up with. If to be unbiased means that you don’t care or don’t state which side of an unprovoked war of expansion and state destruction wins, then these are biased sources. But they’re not biased in suppressing bad news or promoting false narratives, either. They also aren’t Twitter1 shit posters sharing “bro, check out this sick FPV strike!” videos.
Institute for the Study of War
The best source I have found for summaries of battlefield updates. They offer near-daily campaign assessments, tying reporting and analysis of the developing strategic situation between Russia-Ukraine with front-by-front coverage of ongoing battles. This latter coverage is often a little too down-in-the-weeds for me, covering the individual movements of different formations along the front, the progress of offensives and the capture of towns. In a war as grinding as this one, minute-by minute-coverage is not critical or important. Still, I’m glad they do it.
I particularly value their analyses of information operations by Russia and Ukraine, how each side attempts to shape narratives in the West and in non-Western countries to suit themselves and provide some minor advantage.
The channel also collects and reports info on other global conflict and near-conflicts, including all the Middle East wars related to Iran and Israel, and tensions between China and Taiwan, with similar depth of analysis and in-the-weeds reporting.
Perun (YouTube)
The man, the legend, the Australian YouTube creator who proved that you can grow a channel to over half a million subscribers with hour-long PowerPoint presentations on defense logistics and procurement policy. The difference: dry Australian wit and exceptionally engaging presentation. I’ve been watching Perun’s detailed analyses since soon after the war began, and his Sunday updates are a part of my weekly routine.
In addition to covering the conflict, he has a number of fascinating series on different topics that affect how armies are built and sustained, the pressures that shape military forces, the geopolitical strategies that shape when and how force is used in international conflicts, and how all of these things go wrong.
Some playlists:
William Spaniel (YouTube)
A political scientist who studies war, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism using formal models. He also makes incredibly informative and educational YouTube videos, and not just about the War in Ukraine. He also has a great Game Theory 101 course.
He’s not Australian, but he does have good dry wit, and more than adequate Adobe Premiere skills. Get ready for lots of “LINES ON MAPS,” which he uses to explain bargaining strategies and positioning.
One of the most valuable parts of his channel is up-to-date analysis of current events informed by the latest in political science thinking. He’s particularly good at a tripartite analysis:
Step 1: summarize what the global news media is saying about event X.
Step 2: show how what the news media is saying - specifically what the news media is SPECULATING - is wrong, and why about event X. Explain big complicated political science concept by applying it to event X, showing how it shapes what is and is not possible for the decision makers in the situation.
Step 3: show how the global news media came to be wrong about event X.
Often this is him pointing out that if there is an “obvious” outcome, one that the news media can convey to their viewers, then the parties actively fighting the war are already aware of it, and to borrow an economics and finance term, it is already ‘priced in’ to their strategies.
If you also closely follow the conflict over Ukraine, let me know in the comments any other info sources you find helpful.
I will never call it “X”