Structured context for readers who need more than a headline
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Core explainers that stay useful beyond the daily news cycle.
Military, political, humanitarian, and economic angles in one place.
Fast entry points for each conflict theatre and adjacent actors.
Essential reading
Start here for the most critical conflict backgrounds.
Ukraine Conflict: Origins and Historical Roots
A concise history of how the modern Ukraine conflict formed, from post-Soviet state building to the war in the Donbas and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Updated 10/10/2025
Ukraine Conflict: Political Actors and Interests
A map of the main political actors in the war: Ukraine, Russia, Western allies, and the institutions trying to shape the outcome.
Updated 09/10/2025
Vladimir Putin: From KGB Agent to Autocrat
A short biography of Vladimir Putin, focusing on the rise of his political system and why it matters for the war in Ukraine.
Updated 06/10/2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From Comedian to Wartime President
A biography of Ukraine's president and the political role he has played since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Updated 05/10/2025
Crimea: From Annexation to Today
How Crimea was seized in 2014, why it matters strategically, and how occupation has changed the peninsula.
Updated 16/10/2025
Ukraine 2025: Drone Warfare and New Tactics
A look at how drones, electronic warfare, and battlefield adaptation have changed the war in 2025.
Updated 20/10/2025
Historical Background
7 articlesOrigins, milestones, and long-term drivers behind each conflict.
Ukraine Conflict: Origins and Historical Roots
A concise history of how the modern Ukraine conflict formed, from post-Soviet state building to the war in the Donbas and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Updated 10/10/2025
Crimea: From Annexation to Today
How Crimea was seized in 2014, why it matters strategically, and how occupation has changed the peninsula.
Updated 16/10/2025
The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Historical Roots and Turning Points
A clear historical overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict, from competing national movements and partition to war, occupation, and the failure of the peace process.
Updated 10/10/2025
The Syrian Civil War
A broad overview of the Syrian civil war from its beginnings in the Arab Spring to its internationalized, fragmented form today.
Updated 07/10/2025
The Yemen Conflict: A Humanitarian Catastrophe
An overview of the complex civil war in Yemen, which began in 2014 and produced one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Updated 12/10/2025
The Oslo Accords: Hope and Failure
An analysis of the 1993 and 1995 Oslo Accords, the most ambitious attempt yet to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Updated 15/10/2025
Darfur: From Genocide to RSF Rule
Darfur suffered a genocide between 2003 and 2010 and is once again on the edge of catastrophe under brutal RSF control.
Updated 21/10/2025
Political Context
6 articlesActors, institutions, domestic pressures, and strategic interests.
Ukraine Conflict: Political Actors and Interests
A map of the main political actors in the war: Ukraine, Russia, Western allies, and the institutions trying to shape the outcome.
Updated 09/10/2025
Ukraine and the EU: Accession Track and Reform Agenda
How Ukraine moved onto the EU accession path and why reforms remain central even during war.
Updated 16/11/2025
Netanyahu's War Cabinet: Domestic Politics and Gaza Strategy
How Netanyahu's wartime and coalition politics shaped Israel's strategy in Gaza: domestic constraints, far-right partners, and international tension.
Updated 17/10/2025
Iran's 'Axis of Resistance': The Proxy Network
Iran has built a far-reaching network of proxies - the so-called axis of resistance - aimed at Israel, the United States, and regional rivals.
Updated 18/10/2025
Settlement Policy in the West Bank
An analysis of Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank, including its historical development, legal status, and impact on the two-state solution.
Updated 16/11/2025
Myanmar's 2021 Military Coup
The February 2021 military coup ended Myanmar's democratic opening and pushed the country into violence and chaos.
Updated 09/10/2025
Military Aspects
7 articlesOperational trends, force structure, weapons, and battlefield adaptation.
Ukraine War: Military Equipment and Tactics
A practical overview of the main weapons systems and battlefield methods that have shaped the war in Ukraine.
Updated 08/10/2025
North Korea-Russia Military Pact: The New Axis
An overview of the strategic deal between North Korea and Russia and why it matters for the Ukraine war and Asian security.
Updated 19/10/2025
Drone Warfare in the 21st Century
A broader look at drone warfare beyond one conflict, including strike drones, reconnaissance systems, and counter-drone measures.
Updated 17/11/2025
The Wagner Group in Africa
The Wagner Group turned battlefield access, regime protection, and resource deals into a broader Russian strategy in Africa.
Updated 03/10/2025
The Sahel Security Crisis
The Sahel has become a core theater of terrorism, military rule, and humanitarian stress, with violence spilling toward the coast.
Updated 12/10/2025
France's Withdrawal from the Sahel
After decades of military presence, France left the Sahel, reshaping regional security and French foreign policy.
Updated 18/10/2025
Myanmar's Ethnic Mosaic in Civil War
Myanmar is a multiethnic state with more than 100 communities, many of which are now fighting the military junta.
Updated 20/10/2025
Humanitarian Situation
4 articlesCivilian impact, displacement, relief access, and protection concerns.
Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine
A snapshot of the humanitarian cost of the war in Ukraine, from displacement and medical strain to winter survival.
Updated 05/10/2025
Gaza 2025: Humanitarian Situation After 13 Months of War
UNOCHA-based reporting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza in November 2025, including shelter, the health system, and food and water security.
Updated 15/11/2025
Sudan 2025: Famine Along the El Fasher-El Obeid Corridor
UNHCR and UNOCHA report more than 12 million displaced people, 1.2 million trapped in El Fasher, and millions of square kilometers of contaminated land.
Updated 15/11/2025
The Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar
Systematic persecution of the Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar has produced one of Asia's largest refugee crises.
Updated 11/10/2025
Economic Aspects
2 articlesWar finance, sanctions, supply chains, and market effects.
Sanctions on Russia in the Ukraine War
An overview of the sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014 and their economic, political, and military effects.
Updated 04/10/2025
Wartime Economy in Ukraine
How Ukraine keeps its economy functioning under invasion and why foreign financing remains essential.
Updated 16/11/2025
Diplomacy
5 articlesNegotiations, mediation tracks, and external diplomatic leverage.
Peace Efforts in the Ukraine Conflict
Why negotiations around Ukraine have repeatedly failed, and what still matters diplomatically.
Updated 04/10/2025
Gaza 2025: Ceasefire Talks and Political Deadlock
An analysis of the October 2025 ceasefire talks for Gaza, including the main demands, mediators, and political bottlenecks.
Updated 21/10/2025
Hostage Deals in the Israel-Hamas War, 2023-2025
An overview of hostage negotiations in the Israel-Hamas war, including mediators, deal mechanics, and political consequences in Israel, Gaza, and the wider region.
Updated 16/11/2025
Egypt's Role in the Gaza Conflict
Egypt controls the Rafah crossing and acts as a key mediator between Israel, Hamas, and external actors, driven by its own security and stability interests.
Updated 16/11/2025
Sudan's Failed Peace Talks in 2025
Despite repeated international mediation efforts, Sudan's warring parties have shown no willingness to trade battlefield logic for a political settlement.
Updated 19/10/2025
Key Figures
2 articlesProfiles of leaders, commanders, and influential decision-makers.
Vladimir Putin: From KGB Agent to Autocrat
A short biography of Vladimir Putin, focusing on the rise of his political system and why it matters for the war in Ukraine.
Updated 06/10/2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From Comedian to Wartime President
A biography of Ukraine's president and the political role he has played since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Updated 05/10/2025
Organizations
5 articlesArmed groups, alliances, institutions, and international bodies.
UN Peacekeeping Missions
An explanation of UN peacekeeping: what it can do, where it cannot go, and why mandates often run into political limits.
Updated 06/10/2025
Mercenaries and Private Military Companies in Modern Conflicts
How private armed actors operate in gray legal zones and why groups like Wagner became so influential.
Updated 17/11/2025
Hamas: Organization, Ideology, and Power in Gaza
A profile of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, including its history, ideology, military wing, and political role in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Updated 08/10/2025
Hezbollah: The Party of God
Hezbollah is a powerful military and political force in Lebanon with deep ties to Iran and a central role in the wider Middle East conflict system.
Updated 07/10/2025
The Houthi Movement: Rise and Ideology
A detailed analysis of the Houthi movement, its origins, ideology, military capacity, and attacks on maritime traffic.
Updated 10/10/2025
Timeline
4 articlesChronologies that explain how each conflict escalated and shifted over time.
Ukraine War 2022-2025: Front Lines and Offensives
A chronological view of how the front moved from the first invasion phase to the grinding battles of 2025.
Updated 16/11/2025
Israel-Hamas War 2023: Attack, Response, Escalation
A chronology of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the war that followed: military escalation, hostage-taking, and global reactions.
Updated 09/10/2025
Sudan's Civil War: A Country in Chaos
The war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces has driven the country into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Updated 11/10/2025
Coups in the Sahel, 2020-2023
A chronology of the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, with the causes, regional spillovers, and responses from external actors.
Updated 16/11/2025
Analysis
8 articlesInterpretive pieces that connect events, capabilities, and strategic intent.
Ukraine 2025: Drone Warfare and New Tactics
A look at how drones, electronic warfare, and battlefield adaptation have changed the war in 2025.
Updated 20/10/2025
Black Sea Security: Grain Corridors and Naval Blockades
The Black Sea is now a military theater, an export corridor, and a global food-security problem at the same time.
Updated 16/11/2025
Cyberwar in the Ukraine Conflict
How cyber operations have become part of the wider conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and why the battlefield now includes networks and data.
Updated 16/11/2025
Climate Change as a Conflict Driver
A clear look at the way climate stress can amplify conflict, especially where governance is weak and livelihoods are already fragile.
Updated 10/10/2025
Proxy Warfare: Definition, Examples, and Consequences
An explanation of how proxy wars work, why states use them, and why they are so damaging for civilians.
Updated 17/11/2025
Information Warfare and Propaganda in Modern Conflicts
A guide to propaganda, disinformation, and the role of social media in shaping conflict narratives.
Updated 17/11/2025
War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide
A practical explanation of the legal categories used to describe mass violence and why the distinctions matter.
Updated 17/11/2025
Indo-Pacific Security Architecture Between the US and China
An overview of the Indo-Pacific security environment, from US-China rivalry to regional alliances and escalation risks.
Updated 16/11/2025