Illya Sekirin is the author of Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, Strategy (2026). www.amazon.com/Rise-Machine...
Rise of the Machines on Amazon:
Today on fronts.co:
Illya Sekirin, senior advisor to Ukrainian High Command, shares critical insights on Ukraine's successes and setbacks in cutting-edge drone warfare.
fronts.co/article/avdi...
As the oil-rich Gulf states struggle to adapt to full-scale regional hostilities, Ukraine has stepped in to offer its expertise.
Now, a growing slate of bilateral defense deals have given Ukraine an opportunity to secure Gulf support, and cause problems for Russia.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eip1...
Today on WarFronts:
It's been three full years, and the world is still ignoring the Sudanese Civil War.
The conflict shows no sign of a conclusion anytime soon; very much the opposite.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpH3...
With a fragile ceasefire established in Iran, it's time to turn our collective attention to Gaza.
There, Hamas faces today's deadline to agree to disarmament--a highly unlikely proposition, and one that could force a return to open conflict.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVqC...
On Sunday, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban faces the toughest test of his political life.
With Washington in full support of Orban's Fidesz, and eager to chart a path away from the NATO alliance, the election's stakes are far greater than Hungary alone.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcKI...
Today on WarFronts:
From new cells in Morocco, Libya, and Azerbaijan, to rising threats in Syria, Afghanistan, and the Sahel, the Islamic State is gaining ground--and the world's distraction is helping.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVUk...
Today on WarFronts:
An in-depth look at a hypothetical invasion of Iran's Kharg Island, and the risk that an island takeover could devolve into a US strategic nightmare.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqlN...
Today on WarFronts:
The Houthis join the Iran War, and more.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2NJ...
Most recently on WarFronts:
The United States opens a new front in Ecuador, as Quito works to suppress a transnational, narco-trafficking quasi-insurgency.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNWP...
Today on Fronts.co:
Our special Q&A episode
What Next for the Iran War? And Other Burning Questions
Free to view, no account required. Enjoy!
fronts.co/video/what-n...
Today on Fronts.co:
Writer Kyle, of the WarFronts team, details the long series of catastrophic miscalculations that led Iran to this moment.
fronts.co/article/the-...
Today on WarFronts:
-Battlefield Update
-Death of the Ayatollah
-Gulf State Retaliation
-Strait of Hormuz Partial Shutdown
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaud...
WarFronts will be covering as much, and as quickly, as possible in the coming days.
To get caught up on the opening strikes:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjYG...
New crisis just dropped.
US sources indicate that the vessel was not naval or Coast Guard; Cuban government claims boat passengers opened fire first.
Per @nytimes boat may have been part of a civilian flotilla to "get relatives out of Cuba".
This would bring the total number of deployed F-22s in the Middle East to 23--greater than ten percent of the US' entire prized F-22 fleet.
Additional indicators of forces building on Diego Garcia, as the UK pauses its ratification of the treaty to relinquish control of the Chagos Archipelago.
Today's newsletter:
-Europe Shows Backbone in Munich
-Tracking America's Military Buildup in the Middle East
-Regular roundup of under-the-radar global headlines
Check it out, and subscribe: fronts.co/warfronts-we...
(3/3)
Per that reporting, it appeared at that time that the US had underestimated the forces required to get an Iran regime change operation started and finished relatively quickly.
This sort of air power will help.
(2/3)
These ferry flights are precisely the indicator our team has been looking for, to signal imminent action.
Seemed to happen with a smaller wave, immediately prior to what's since been reported as a decision in Washington to call off strikes after significant prep.
WarFronts team is tracking US flight movements very closely. Per @oalexanderdk.bsky.social on X, the US is about to have:
24xF-15E
30xF-35A
6xEA-18G
12xA-10C
At one single airbase in Jordan.
(1/3)
Middle Eastern pivot toward Somalia is telling.
-Egyptian troop deployment ongoing
-Turkish heavy armor and fighter jets stationed in Mogadishu
-Pakistan reportedly about to sign a deal for Somali JF-17s.
All a direct response to UAE/Israeli backing of autonomous zones.
www.dw.com/en/why-is-eg...
South Korean Intelligence 🤝 WarFronts
This week, lawmakers in Seoul revealed that North Korean First Daughter Kim Ju-ae is Kim Jong-un's likely successor.
We covered Kim Ju-ae in October, on our sister channel HomeFronts. Check it out.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZLJ...
Also in Asia, Thailand's ruling coalition surged to victory on a wave of nationalist support, after two limited conflicts with Cambodia in the last year.
Will that victory embolden Anutin to pursue further conflict? Or relieve pressure on Thai leaders to stoke nationalist fervor?
Time will tell.
Two major election results in Asia this weekend, and this is the biggest.
With a supermajority, Takaichi has a real shot at revising Japan's Constitution, to allow for a dramatic expansion of the Japanese military.
In an age of rearmament, the world's fifth-largest economy is coming online.
Today on WarFronts:
Simon sits down with Greg Scarlatoiu, President and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK).
Check it out!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0U...
Critical shift, from a nation that was advocating forcefully against US military action just days ago.
With Saudi Arabia in alignment, and US air defenses positioned in Qatar and Bahrain, remaining Gulf states will struggle to muster continued opposition to strikes.
www.axios.com/2026/01/31/s...
Third prototype, in less than 15 months since the first was revealed.
Regardless of the weird control surfaces and other stealth-questionable characteristics, it's impressive for China to be iterating on a design like this at such a rapid pace.
Final surge of US assets toward Iran appears to be underway:
-Tankers leading photo-documented F-35s toward the Middle East
-B-52s to Guam, likely continuing to Diego Garcia
-Warships taking up position in eastern Mediterranean
Busy weekend upcoming?
Today on WarFronts:
We combine flight/maritime data, OSINT reports, journalistic sources, and accounts from within Iran, to map out the contours of likely US action against the Islamic Republic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Klm...
Today on WarFronts:
We make the case for a Taiwan-style armament of Moldova, as a European strategic bulwark against Russia.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msmg...