Read more about the article Mandatory military conscription in Europe: addressing past or present threats?
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Mandatory military conscription in Europe: addressing past or present threats?

This Info Flash aims to shed light on the case of Latvia, which passed a law in April 2023 calling for the mandatory reintroduction of military conscription after it was abolished in 2007. A perspective on the possible downfalls of such defence policy is analysed, while also contextualising the growing support for mandatory military service across the EU in the 21st century. A brief historical analysis also portrays the main reasons why it was abandoned by most European countries over the course of the last two decades and how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has generated a U-turn in defence policy in the Latvian case.

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8 June 2023
Read more about the article Paramilitary Groups Cross-border Incursions from Ukraine in Belgorod Region
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Paramilitary Groups Cross-border Incursions from Ukraine in Belgorod Region

On the 22nd of May, there was a two-day incursion in the Western Russian borderlands led by two paramilitary groups in opposition to the Russian regime, namely the Liberty of Russia Legion (LSR) and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), whose aim is to dismantle Putin’s government and claims (BBC, 2023). The two legions were set up during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They attracted Russian volunteer fighters willing to fight against their own country alongside Ukraine and topple Putin’s regime (EURACTIV, 2023). The two groups differ from one another. However, each group is characterised by supremacist and extremist fighters.

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29 May 2023
Read more about the article United with Ukraine: International Support for Ukraine goes from strength to strength as Western Powers Support the delivery of F16 Fighter Jets
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United with Ukraine: International Support for Ukraine goes from strength to strength as Western Powers Support the delivery of F16 Fighter Jets

International governments have pledged military assistance for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February of 2022. This support has yet again grown with the UK and Netherlands vowing to form an “International Coalition” with the express purpose of providing training and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine (Kent et al., 2023, para. 1). Since the Russian invasion last February, the US has given $19.3 billion in aid, the UK £2.3 billion, and the EU as a coalition have transferred €3.1 million, most of which is in the form of lethal platforms and weapons (Mills & Curtis, 2023, p. 4).

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29 May 2023
Read more about the article A Never-Ending War… Russian Forces Target Kherson Oblast Killing 6 people in 24 Hours
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A Never-Ending War… Russian Forces Target Kherson Oblast Killing 6 people in 24 Hours

On the afternoon of Monday, 8 May 2023, Russian forces once again bombed Kherson Oblast, a province in southern Ukraine, killing 6 people in the past 24 hours (Lozovenko, 2023). Additionally, an assault on the suburb of Antonivka has left a 67-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man injured and hospitalised (Lozovenko, 2023). With the woman unfortunately sustaining several shrapnel wounds to her head, chest, and abdomen, medical professionals are currently attending to her and doing their best to save her life (The Kyiv Independent, 2023). The Kherson Oblast Military Administration has reported the incident and is likely already investigating the instigators of the attack (Petrenko, 2023). Later in the same day, the village of Stanislav came under attack from the Russian military, resulting in four people getting injured (The Kyiv Independent, 2023). Finally, the village of Kizomys was also targeted with bombs, causing the destruction of two houses (Lozovenko, 2023).

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9 May 2023
Read more about the article A Step Forward for EU as a Defense Actor: The Jointly Procurement of Ammunition for Ukraine
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A Step Forward for EU as a Defense Actor: The Jointly Procurement of Ammunition for Ukraine

This Info Flash analysis how from the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, the European Union member states took several steps against the Russian government, especially in terms of individual and economic sanctions to publicly condemn the illegal and unjustified aggression of February 2022. This war has been recognized as a wake-up call for the EU, which - for the first time - devoted funds for the supply of lethal weapons to a third country. Specifically, the European Peace Facility (EPF) has become the most important budget tool for the EU to implement a number of active military operations and assistance missions. The latest project put forward by the EU—and partially connected to the EPF—has been a three-track proposal meant to collectively provide Ukraine with additional artillery ammunition. Despite the criticism and doubts that have been raised on the subject, this Info Flash represents a landmark juncture for the EU in terms of military and defence efforts.

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27 April 2023