Warfare Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Russian Shahed Strike on Romania and the Targeting of a Turkish Vessel in the Black Sea: Accident, Escalation, or Deliberate Strategy?

The reported impact of a Russian-origin Shahed-type drone on a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați, combined with the reported strike on a Turkish-operated vessel departing a Ukrainian…

May 29, 2026NATO, Romania, Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine

National Security Terrorism Warfare

The Invisible Attack: How Russia’s GPS Spoofing Campaign Threatens European Aviation and NATO Security

Russia is capable of deliberately distorting GPS signals across parts of Europe, creating risks for security and navigation. According to Darius Kulešius, deputy head of Lithuania’s communications regulator, Russia has…

May 27, 2026EW, NATO, Russia, spoofing

Geopolitics Nonproliferation Warfare

Russia’s Nuclear Shadow over Europe: Belarus as the Kremlin’s Forward Nuclear Platform

Russia, as part of large-scale three-day exercises on the preparation and potential use of nuclear weapons (May 19–21), delivered nuclear munitions to field storage sites on the territory of Belarus.…

May 22, 2026Belarus, nuclear weapons, Russia

Conflict Intelligence ops National Security Warfare

Russia’s Passportization of Transnistria: A Hidden Mobilization Reserve for the Kremlin’s Future Wars

Russia’s Passport Expansion in Transnistria: A Hybrid Mobilization Tool and a Potential Prelude to Regional Escalation President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu sharply criticized Vladimir Putin’s decree simplifying the acquisition…

May 18, 2026Moldova, Russia, Transnistria

Conflict Warfare

Russia’s Setback in Mali: Intelligence Failures, Strategic Limits, and the Future of Moscow’s Africa Project

Russia’s recent military and political setbacks in Mali represent more than a tactical defeat in the Sahel. The withdrawal of the Russian-controlled Africa Corps from key northern positions such as Kidal…

May 11, 2026Mali, Russia

ideology Terrorism War crimes Warfare

Mali at the Breaking Point: Insurgency Resurgence, Russian Intervention, and the Limits of the Africa Corps

The situation in Mali in 2026 reflects the collapse of a decade-long international counterterrorism architecture and the failure of its replacement by Russian-backed forces. What was initially framed by the military…

April 27, 2026Mali, Russia

Conflict Geopolitics Warfare

Testing NATO’s Edge: Russian Hybrid Threats and Societal Resistance in the Baltics

The Security Council of the Russian Federation, in an official statement, accused Lithuania of creating a center of tension near the borders of the Kaliningrad Oblast. In particular, Lithuanian authorities are criticized for allegedly ignoring…

April 24, 2026Lithuania, Russia

Intelligence ops National Security Warfare

Italy as a Gateway: Russian Elite Networks, Criminal Ecosystems, Intelligence and Hybrid Influence in Southern Europe

Italy remains the leading country in the Schengen Area in terms of the number of visas issued to Russian citizens (152,000 in 2025), which enabled the visa operator VMS to increase its revenue by…

April 22, 2026Italy, Russia

Governance Warfare

Covert Mobilization in Belarus: Strategic Logic Behind the Reserve Call-Up

According to Decree No. 132 issued by Alexander Lukashenko on April 17, 2026, the formal call-up of reserve officers in Belarus should be interpreted in a broader strategic context that extends beyond routine staff…

April 20, 2026Belarus, Ukraine

Warfare

Drones Over the Balkans: When Capability Meets Narrative

When serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that Serbia would jointly manufacture combat drones with Israel, the move was embedded not in a neutral narrative of defense modernization, but in a broader…

April 16, 2026Israel, Serbia