Lauren Kahn

Sep 20, 2023 | warontherocks.com | Lauren Kahn

The U.S. Department of Defense recently unveiled an ambitious initiative aptly named Replicator, aimed at rapidly scaling capabilities in the face of strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. Replicator’s first task will be to quickly scale and field thousands of attritable autonomous systems within the next 18 to 24 months, leveraging AI, robotics, and commercial technology.

Jun 21, 2023 | russiamatters.org | Ho-Chun Herbert Chang |Robert Wright |Lauren Kahn

Report Card*Change in control of Ukrainian territory Since Feb. 24: Russia: +25,000 square miles. 11% of Ukraine. Area equivalent to Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut combined. Ukraine: 0. Ukraine has not taken any territory controlled by Russia before the 2022 invasion. Since Aug. 29 Ukrainian counteroffensive: Ukraine +6,760 square miles. 3% of Ukraine. Area equivalent to Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Russia: +420. Ukraine: +7,180.

Jun 20, 2023 | russiamatters.org | Ho-Chun Herbert Chang |Matthew Bunn |Robert Wright |Lauren Kahn

Prigozhin’s Mutiny: What Happened, Why Now and What’s Next?   Who is Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin, and what was the real purpose of his “march for justice,” which brought his 25,000-strong PMC Wagner past some of Russia’s nuclear depots and as close as 200 km to Moscow this past weekend? Was it an anti-Putin mutiny meant to install the political leader of Russia’s most powerful private army in the Kremlin?

Jun 15, 2023 | russiamatters.org | Ho-Chun Herbert Chang |Robert Wright |Lauren Kahn

June 15, 2023 Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv's Western allies have sanctioned numerous ultra-wealthy associates of Vladimir Putin, regarding them as enablers of Moscow's aggression. How to make these measures most effective has been a topic of debate, but one thing is clear: The global offshore system makes assets easy to hide and sanctions against them difficult to enforce. (A case in point was a superyacht linked to Uzbek-Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.

Jun 15, 2023 | russiamatters.org | Ho-Chun Herbert Chang |Matthew Bunn |Robert Wright |Lauren Kahn

4 Things to Know President Joe Biden has warned that the threat that Putin could initiate the use of tactical nuclear weapons is “real,” saying this week: “When … I worried about the Colorado River drying up, everybody looked at me like I was crazy… They looked at me like when I said I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons. It’s real.” His comments came as debate flared among some of Russia’s most influential pundits on whether such first use is feasible.