Wagner Group

Hezbollah’s Shadow Economy in Post-Assad Syria

Can Syria Be Friends with Both Europe and Russia?

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to open up relations with Europe while retaining the country’s longstanding ties with Moscow.

Why the United States Should Pay More Attention to the War in Mali

The ongoing civil war in Mali—where a jihadist group is poised to seize power—is spilling over into Nigeria, with ominous humanitarian consequences.

SADAT: Turkey’s Wagner Group

The SADAT International Defense Consultancy has grown into a key instrument of Turkish influence in Africa and the Middle East.

Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly get new commander

Colonel-General Aleksandr Chaiko has been appointed commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces (VKS), according to Russian media reports on May 4. If true, Chaiko is a rather unusual choice, given his army...

JNIM and allied rebels surge across Mali, take several cities, pressure capital

Beginning on Saturday, Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), and its allies in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a collection of Tuareg and Arab rebel groups, fully or partially...

How Sudan Became a Killing Field

On the third anniversary of Sudan’s war, the bloody fight is turning into the scene for proxy fights between the likes of Iran, Russia, and other global bad actors.

5 Things to Know About China-Iran Security Cooperation

China and Iran both seek to counter American influence in the Middle East and have long cooperated to further that shared goal. China provides Iran with inputs for its ballistic missile program, helps...

The day after in Syria

Curb your enthusiasm

Back in Business: Russian ‘Merchant of Death’ Selling Arms to Houthis

The prolific Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, released from American custody in 2022 as part of a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap, is once again plying his old trade, this time selling arms to Yemen’s...

Erdogan’s private military company looks to raise an Islamist army

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks a role for Turkey in Gaza’s post-war reconstruction if not governance, and the Biden administration appears ready to accede to this request. Others also see...

Ukraine’s bold—and risky—gamble in Kursk

Now on its fourth day, Ukraine’s surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region is a daring gambit likely intended to divert Russian forces and snatch back the war’s momentum. But it also comes with...

Tuareg rebels, JNIM each claim victory over Russia’s Wagner Group in Mali

Over the weekend, fierce fighting between Tuareg rebels and the Malian military, backed by mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group, was reported in the extreme north of Mali. The Russian mercenaries suffered...

Israel Strikes Syrian Terror Group That Targeted Eilat School with Drone

Israel said on November 10 that it conducted a strike in Syria targeting a group that launched a drone attack on an Israeli school in Eilat the day before. The drone attack was one...

Israel SitRep: Nov. 8, 2023

Netanyahu Reiterates: No Ceasefire Without Release of Hostages; Qatar-Mediated Deal on Ceasefire-Hostage Exchange Reported to be Underway | IDF: Israel Operating in the ‘Heart of Gaza’; Hamas Retains...

Russia’s Wagner Group to Transfer Air Defense System to Hezbollah, U.S. Intel Says 

U.S. intelligence reportedly believes that Russia’s Wagner paramilitary organization plans to send Hezbollah a short-range air defense system that currently belongs to the Syrian military. Moscow may...

Russia’s alarming axis with Iran is in plain view and should stiffen resolve behind Ukraine

News that the Wagner Group will provide Hezbollah with sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons should remove any doubt: Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and Israel’s campaign to evict Hamas...

Russia-Iran axis: Could Wagner weapons in Lebanon harm Israel? – analysis

Hezbollah operates as an illegal terrorist army in Lebanon. The fact that it works with other groups like Wagner potentially presents a threat to the region.

Analysis: Setting the stage for Mali’s near future

Mali’s immediate and near future prospects for security are immensely bleak. France, and many of its international counter-terrorism partners, are long gone. The United Nations’ peacekeeping mission...

Time To Destroy North Korea’s Revenue Generation

The Biden team believes it can shame North Korea into being a responsible actor. But Kim cares not about international prestige but about survival, and right now Putin and Xi are offering better terms.