Christopher Solomon
@chris-solomon.bsky.social
Editor @thestudyofwar.bsky.social. Posting about Syria, Ukraine, Russia, and foreign affairs. 🇸🇾🇺🇦
Author of "In Search of Greater Syria." https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/in-search-of-greater-syria-9780755641826/
Author of "In Search of Greater Syria." https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/in-search-of-greater-syria-9780755641826/
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: US, Ukrainian, and European officials reportedly agreed on unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine during a peace negotiation meeting in Berlin on December 15.
Read the full Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 15, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar121525
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Read the full Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 15, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar121525
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
December 16, 2025 at 2:44 AM
NEW: US, Ukrainian, and European officials reportedly agreed on unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine during a peace negotiation meeting in Berlin on December 15.
Read the full Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 15, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar121525
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Read the full Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 15, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar121525
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: Ukrainian forces continue to advance within and near Kupyansk, and more details have emerged about the counteroffensive effort.
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121325
Other Key Takeaways: ⬇️ [🧵] (1/6)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121325
Other Key Takeaways: ⬇️ [🧵] (1/6)
December 14, 2025 at 3:00 AM
NEW: Ukrainian forces continue to advance within and near Kupyansk, and more details have emerged about the counteroffensive effort.
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121325
Other Key Takeaways: ⬇️ [🧵] (1/6)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121325
Other Key Takeaways: ⬇️ [🧵] (1/6)
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: Ukrainian forces recently liberated territory including part of the city of Kupyansk in a tactical counterattack in the Kupyansk direction. 🧵(1/6)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121225
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121225
December 13, 2025 at 2:09 AM
NEW: Ukrainian forces recently liberated territory including part of the city of Kupyansk in a tactical counterattack in the Kupyansk direction. 🧵(1/6)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121225
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121225
Epic! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Zelensky arrived in Kupyansk, which Putin claims is "under Russian control."
December 12, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Epic! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
6/ The Kremlin is attempting to portray the claimed fall of Siversk as the start of the battle for Slovyansk – a battle the Kremlin has not set conditions on the ground to begin.
December 12, 2025 at 2:31 AM
6/ The Kremlin is attempting to portray the claimed fall of Siversk as the start of the battle for Slovyansk – a battle the Kremlin has not set conditions on the ground to begin.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
5/ The Kremlin claimed that Russian forces seized Siversk as part of the Kremlin’s intensified cognitive warfare effort that seeks to portray Ukraine’s frontline as on the verge of collapse, and Russian battlefield victory as inevitable. Russian seizure of Siversk is unconfirmed as of Dec. 11.
December 12, 2025 at 2:31 AM
5/ The Kremlin claimed that Russian forces seized Siversk as part of the Kremlin’s intensified cognitive warfare effort that seeks to portray Ukraine’s frontline as on the verge of collapse, and Russian battlefield victory as inevitable. Russian seizure of Siversk is unconfirmed as of Dec. 11.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
4/ Available open-source information indicates that Russian forces have not yet seized Pokrovsk, but the situation in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area remains difficult.
December 11, 2025 at 4:36 AM
4/ Available open-source information indicates that Russian forces have not yet seized Pokrovsk, but the situation in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area remains difficult.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: The Kremlin is setting information conditions to reject any meaningful security guarantees for Ukraine by threatening Europe.
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121025
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ [🧵] (1/8)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121025
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ [🧵] (1/8)
December 11, 2025 at 4:36 AM
NEW: The Kremlin is setting information conditions to reject any meaningful security guarantees for Ukraine by threatening Europe.
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121025
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ [🧵] (1/8)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar121025
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ [🧵] (1/8)
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
8/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the latest 20-point US-proposed peace plan.
Ukraine continued discussions with its European allies on December 8 about the ongoing peace negotiations.
Ukraine continued discussions with its European allies on December 8 about the ongoing peace negotiations.
December 10, 2025 at 3:29 AM
8/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the latest 20-point US-proposed peace plan.
Ukraine continued discussions with its European allies on December 8 about the ongoing peace negotiations.
Ukraine continued discussions with its European allies on December 8 about the ongoing peace negotiations.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
4/ Russia’s resources are not endless as Putin is trying to assert, and Putin currently appears to be facing difficult decision points regarding the strategic sustainment of Russian force generation.
December 10, 2025 at 3:28 AM
4/ Russia’s resources are not endless as Putin is trying to assert, and Putin currently appears to be facing difficult decision points regarding the strategic sustainment of Russian force generation.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: The Kremlin is significantly intensifying its cognitive warfare effort to present the Russian military and economy as able to inevitably win a war of attrition against Ukraine. 🧵(1/9)
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 9, 2025: isw.pub/UkrUpdate120925
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 9, 2025: isw.pub/UkrUpdate120925
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
December 10, 2025 at 3:28 AM
NEW: The Kremlin is significantly intensifying its cognitive warfare effort to present the Russian military and economy as able to inevitably win a war of attrition against Ukraine. 🧵(1/9)
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 9, 2025: isw.pub/UkrUpdate120925
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 9, 2025: isw.pub/UkrUpdate120925
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Excellent @wsj.com video report on Ukraine's "fortress belt" in Donetsk Oblast and why it matters so much in the negotiations with Russia.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pls6...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pls6...
December 8, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Excellent @wsj.com video report on Ukraine's "fortress belt" in Donetsk Oblast and why it matters so much in the negotiations with Russia.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pls6...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pls6...
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
1/ December 8, 2025, marks a year since the Assad regime collapsed. Since then, Syrian Transitional President Ahmed al Shara and his political coalition have been building a new army as part of their effort to unite and consolidate their control over Syria after the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war.
December 8, 2025 at 6:30 PM
1/ December 8, 2025, marks a year since the Assad regime collapsed. Since then, Syrian Transitional President Ahmed al Shara and his political coalition have been building a new army as part of their effort to unite and consolidate their control over Syria after the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
Peace talks between the US and Ukraine have stumbled over one main issue: how to force Ukraine to give up what the Kremlin has failed to seize during the war — the entirety of the Donbas region.
What the US wants from Ukraine: Leave Donbas, one way or another
Kyiv keeps insisting war should be frozen along current lines.
www.politico.eu
December 8, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Peace talks between the US and Ukraine have stumbled over one main issue: how to force Ukraine to give up what the Kremlin has failed to seize during the war — the entirety of the Donbas region.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 7, 2025: The Kremlin positively reacted to the recently released US National Security Strategy (NSS). 🧵(1/4)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar120725
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar120725
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
December 8, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 7, 2025: The Kremlin positively reacted to the recently released US National Security Strategy (NSS). 🧵(1/4)
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar120725
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar120725
Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
4/ India’s increased partnerships w/ RU are against the backdrop of RU’s growing reliance on N. Korea & the PRC to support the war.
UA advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area & near Novopavlivka & Oleksandrivka. RU marginally advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
UA advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area & near Novopavlivka & Oleksandrivka. RU marginally advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
December 7, 2025 at 1:08 AM
4/ India’s increased partnerships w/ RU are against the backdrop of RU’s growing reliance on N. Korea & the PRC to support the war.
UA advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area & near Novopavlivka & Oleksandrivka. RU marginally advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
UA advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area & near Novopavlivka & Oleksandrivka. RU marginally advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
NEW: Russian forces launched 704 total missiles and drones against Ukraine overnight on December 5 to 6, heavily targeting railway and energy infrastructure across the country.
Read the Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 6, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar120625
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Read the Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 6, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar120625
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
December 7, 2025 at 1:08 AM
NEW: Russian forces launched 704 total missiles and drones against Ukraine overnight on December 5 to 6, heavily targeting railway and energy infrastructure across the country.
Read the Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 6, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar120625
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Read the Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 6, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar120625
More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/4)
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
3/ Russian forces are attempting to completely deny Ukrainian tactical- and operational-level logistics to the Pokrovsk direction using drones to achieve effects of battlefield air interdiction (BAI). isw.pub/UkrWar120525
December 6, 2025 at 1:28 AM
3/ Russian forces are attempting to completely deny Ukrainian tactical- and operational-level logistics to the Pokrovsk direction using drones to achieve effects of battlefield air interdiction (BAI). isw.pub/UkrWar120525
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
2/ Available open-source information indicates that Russian forces have not encircled Ukrainian forces in Myrnohrad as of December 5 as Russian forces continue efforts to complete the encirclement of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad pocket. isw.pub/UkrWar120525
December 6, 2025 at 1:28 AM
2/ Available open-source information indicates that Russian forces have not encircled Ukrainian forces in Myrnohrad as of December 5 as Russian forces continue efforts to complete the encirclement of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad pocket. isw.pub/UkrWar120525
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
4/ ISW has not observed evidence to suggest that Russian forces have encircled Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk) as some Ukrainian sources continue to indicate that Ukrainian forces maintain limited ground lines of communication (GLOCs) into Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
December 5, 2025 at 2:27 AM
4/ ISW has not observed evidence to suggest that Russian forces have encircled Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk) as some Ukrainian sources continue to indicate that Ukrainian forces maintain limited ground lines of communication (GLOCs) into Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
Reposted by Christopher Solomon
"The Russian military is learning and adapting — which, if gone unchecked, could foreshadow serious trouble for Ukraine in the near to medium term," @georgewbarros.bsky.social writes. https://wapo.st/48I25Jw
Opinion | Ominous maps of a falling fortress city reveal a change in Ukraine war
Putting Russia’s campaign to capture the Ukrainian fortress city into perspective.
wapo.st
December 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"The Russian military is learning and adapting — which, if gone unchecked, could foreshadow serious trouble for Ukraine in the near to medium term," @georgewbarros.bsky.social writes. https://wapo.st/48I25Jw