The dismissal of Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov over corruption allegations represents a significant shift in Ukraine’s wartime leadership well into the second year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. While Reznikov was not personally accused of corruption, allegations, and scandals over procurement practices within his ministry provided an avenue for him …

Battlefield Update Ukraine has finally started ramming Russia’s first line of defenses near Zaporizhzhia, piercing through the outer ring of the Surovikin Defensive Line, a complex set of fortified positions named after the dismissed commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VDV), General Sergei Surovikin. This progress has been months in …

Pope Francis made headlines last week when he described the Russian Empire as “enlightened” and invoked the names of two expansionist Russian czars as examples of Russia’s “great culture.” In impromptu remarks, Francis said to a group of Russian Catholics, “You are the heirs of the great Russia: the great …