Conflict in Focus: Lessons from Russia-Ukraine

Photo: LALSSTOCK/Adobe Stock

Photo: LALSSTOCK/Adobe Stock

Report by Matthew Slusher, Krista Auchenbach, Scott Murphy, Quinton Packard, Scott Pence, and Luke Slivinski

Published May 2, 2025

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The Russia-Ukraine conflict has marked a pivotal shift in modern warfare, showcasing the importance of resilience, innovation, and multidomain operations. Conflict in Focus, a limited event series by CSIS held from February to March 2025, explored these themes through expert-led discussions with military fellows and strategic thinkers. Each episode focused on a key domain—air, land, maritime, cyber, and space—drawing on firsthand insights to analyze how the war is reshaping military strategy and future force planning. This paper summarizes the series’ main takeaways, offering critical lessons for military professionals, policymakers, and strategists preparing for the conflicts of tomorrow.

This report is made possible by general support to CSIS. No direct sponsorship contributed to this report.

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Defense and Security, Defense Budget and Acquisition, Defense Industrial Base, Geopolitics and International Security, Intelligence, Missile Defense, Space and Aerospace, Technology, and Terrorism and Irregular Warfare
Matthew Slusher

Matthew Slusher

Former Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Krista Auchenbach

Krista Auchenbach

Former Visiting Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Scott Murphy

Scott Murphy

Former Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Quinton Packard

Quinton Packard

Former Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Scott Pence

Scott Pence

Former Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Luke Slivinski

Luke Slivinski

Former Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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