RSI Connect: How Russia Wages War

Steven Main
Russia Military Studies Office

Dr. Steven J Main has been studying and working on the Soviet (Russian) Armed Forces for the best part of 30 years, both at UK academic and government-level, and now currently runs his own company, namely the Russian Military Studies Office Ltd., based in Scotland. He has written and published a large number of articles, papers, reports, etc., both in the academic and military-related, journals, on various aspects of the military history, personnel, organisation and operations of both the Soviet and Russian Armed Forces, again over the past thirty years (including a series of articles published in British Army Review dealing with the Russian annexation of the Crimea; detailed examination of the Russian CGS, V Gerasimov; analysis of the Western MD; examined the creation and work of the National Defence Management Centre of the Russian Federation back in 2015, accurately predicting that this was destined to become the future wartime organ for/of/ the Russian state. As is clearly evident now, it is heavily involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine, etc.) Also collated a significant body of material – again almost exclusively from Russian-language sources – on Russian military technology. Recently submitted a number of reports on Russian ‘Strelets’ Joint Fires systems, ‘Avangrad’ hypersonic glide vehicle, RS-18 ‘Sarmat’ ICBM, etc., for Missile Defence Centre (DSTL, UK MoD).

Tracey German
Professor of Conflict and Security
Defence Studies Department, King's College London

Tracey German is a Professor of Conflict and Security in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London. Her research focuses on Russian foreign and security policies, particularly Russia’s use of force, and how its neighbours have responded, as well as Russian strategic culture and military thought. Publications include Russia’s Chechen War and The Ukrainian Crisis: the role of, and implications for, sub-state and non-state actors, as well as articles in journals such as International Affairs, Contemporary Security Policy, Europe-Asia Studies and Comparative Strategy. Her latest book, Russia and the Changing Character of Conflict [cambriapress.com], will be published by Cambria Press later this year. She is a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI.

Alexander Hill
Professor of Military History
University of Calgary

Graeme Herd
Professor of Transnational Security Studies
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

Dr. Graeme Herd joined the Marshall Center in January 2015. He is a Professor of Transnational Security Studies in the Research and Policy Analysis Department. He runs a monthly virtual seminar series examining Russian crisis behavior, the Russia-China nexus, and the implications of this for the United States, Germany, friends, and allies.  

Prior to joining the Marshall Center, Dr. Herd was the Professor of International Relations and founding Director of the School of Government, and Associate Dean, Faculty of Business, University of Plymouth, UK (2013-14). He previously served as a Faculty member at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (2005-13). Dr. Herd was a British Council Scholar in Moscow from 1991-1992. He was a Fellow at both the Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) and Copenhagen Peace Research Institute (COPRI) in the 1990s.

Dr. Herd has published eleven books, written over 70 academic papers and delivered more than 100 academic and policy-related presentations in 46 countries. His latest publications include: Understanding Russia’s Strategic Behavior: Imperial Strategic Culture and Putin’s Operational Code (London and New York, Routledge, 2022) and Russia’s Global Reach: A Security and Statecraft Assessment, ed. Graeme P. Herd (Garmisch-Partenkirchen: George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, 2021).