For months, it was conventional wisdom among large swaths of the American right that Ukraine would inevitably have to cede its Donbas region to Russia to end the war. Now, with Russian morale flagging, “that assumption is just no longer true,” says Aidan Stretch, a CBS News international reporter based in Kyiv. Today, Stretch joins School of War to discuss the state of play on the battlefield, Laura Loomer’s recent change of heart about the war, and how drone warfare has transformed the very idea of the front line as we know it.
02:36 - Is Ukraine Really Winning?
05:58 - Political Turmoil in Kyiv
06:51 - The Fedorov–Syrskyi Power Struggle
12:06 - The Protests That Changed Ukraine's Military
13:11 - Why Drapatyi Replaced Syrskyi
14:07 - Meeting President Zelensky
17:42 - Asking Zelensky if Ukraine Is Winning the War
20:00 - How Ukrainian Protests Force Political Change
24:29 - The Power of Ukrainian Civil Society
27:10 - Laura Loomer's Visit to Ukraine
28:50 - Ukraine's Military Innovation
30:48 - How Ukraine's Military Really Works
33:58 - Ukraine's Mobilization Challenge
37:24 - Why Drone Warfare Is Only the Beginning
41:34 - How the Middle East and Ukraine Wars Intersect
44:47 - Reporting From the Front Lines of Ukraine
This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com.
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