Threats
Russia Aims A Second Salvo at Syria, Hits Iran Instead
Cruise missiles launched from warships in the Caspian Sea go awry on their 1,000-mile journey.
Threats
Russia Fired Cruise Missiles At Syria and YouTubed the Whole Thing
The Defense Ministry said 26 medium-range cruise missiles were fired into Syria from ships nearly 1,000 miles away.
Ideas
Watch What Putin Does, Not What He Says
Nothing in the Russian president’s UN speech suggested he was about to bomb Syria or withdraw from Ukraine. But that’s what he did.
Ideas
US No Longer ‘Allergic’ To Iranian Role in Syrian Solution
A former US ambassador to Syria spies a subtle shift in US thinking about a way forward in the wartorn country.
Threats
U.S., Russia Discussing Deconfliction in Syria — One Day After Russian Strikes Begin
Also: Pentagon officials say Russian strikes didn’t hit ISIS targets as Moscow claims.
Threats
Defense Secretary Ash Carter: US Won't Be Clearing Syria’s Skies for Russia
As Russia launches its first strikes in Syria, defying recent agreements to deconflict with U.S. forces, the Pentagon is rejecting its call to stay out of the way.
Ideas
Moscow’s Moves in Syria Exploit Limits of Obama's Containment Strategy
Washington wants to shape the conflict from afar, but Russia is now shaping the facts on the ground.
Policy
Putin Makes the Case For Dictators With UN Speech
Obama and Putin both want to defeat ISIS. But their visions for how the world should look after its defeat don't match up.
Policy
Who Cares If Russia Helps Stabilize Syria
If Putin and Obama don't want a fight, Moscow and Washington should get over themselves and let this work.
Threats
Obama, Putin Will Meet About Syria
With their military forces both engaged in a single war-torn country, the leaders will meet during the UN General Assembly.
Threats
As Moscow Sends Fighter Jets Into Syria, US and Russian Defense Chiefs Open Talks
Four Russian Flankers have arrived at Moscow’s forward operating base in Syria, Pentagon confirms.
Threats
Eyeing Russia, Estonian Company Creates Underground Hamster City for Humans
With an aggressive Russia nearby, Estonia is making mobile underground bunkers. But other countries are buying them too.
Policy
Russia Is Setting Up A Forward Operating Base in Syria, Pentagon Confirms
Amid a tide of news reports and statements about Russian deployments to Syria, the Defense Department confirms a few details.
Threats
US and Russian Forces in Syria Aren’t Talking to Each Other
CENTCOM says it has “no military-to-military contact” with Russian forces sent to help the embattled Assad regime.
Threats
NATO Caught ‘Surprised’ By Russia’s Move Into Syria
Intelligence chief says the alliance members can’t even agree whether Moscow or ISIS is the greater threat — and there’s not enough ISR to go around.
Science & Tech
Russia’s Troll Army Is Making Life Harder for US Spies
How Moscow’s robotic feeds and paid social-media commentators complicate open-source intelligence gathering.
Threats
What's Putin Doing in the Arctic? Trying To Keep Russians Distracted
Stuck in Ukraine, battered by global energy trends, the Russian president is trying to insure his still-stratospheric popularity at home.
Threats
Russia Is Running Out of Options in Ukraine
As negotiations flounder, Moscow is turning to other subtle, more desperate means to influence its non-NATO neighbor.
Policy
America Is Paying a Heavy Price for Russia’s Help
Washington is getting Moscow’s assistance on grave, complex issues like Iran and Syria — and Ukraine is footing the bill for it.
Threats