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Karolina Hird

Karolina is a Russia Deputy Team Lead and Analyst and Evans Hanson Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War. Karolina is a senior member of the team that produces the daily Russian Campaign Assessments since spring 2022. Karolina particularly focuses on Russian operational campaign design and the humanitarian aspects of the war in Ukraine, particularly the issue of forced deportations and adoption of Ukrainian children. Karolina has been quoted in Reuters, The Telegraph, NPR, The Daily Beast, Task and Purpose, Newsweek, Voice of America, and others. Karolina regularly briefs senior military and political decision-makers. Karolina received a BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, where she focused on international security, international law, and gender analysis.
In the Media:
Ukraine warns Russia might attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. How worried should we be? CNN, July 5, 2023
Has Ukraine's Long-Awaited Counteroffensive Begun? Here's What We Know, TIME, June 6, 2023
Where does Russia expect Ukraine’s counterattack? Overview of defensive lines, The Kyiv Independent, May 17, 2023
Why Russia and Ukraine are fighting over Bakhmut, The Washington Post, March 3, 2023
"Gross Human Rights Violations due to the Aggression Against Ukraine," United Nations Briefing, February 22, 2023
US spies lag rivals in seizing on data hiding in plain sight, The Associated Press, January 12, 2023
Putin’s Pre-Emptive Strike Plan Exposed in Satellite Photos, The Daily Beast, January 27, 2023
The War in Ukraine: Open Secrets, The Hayden Center, January 3, 2023
External Publications:
How the Ukraine Counteroffensive Can Still Succeed, TIME, August 3, 2023
ISW Publications:
Russia’s Military Restructuring and Expansion Hindered by the Ukraine War, November 12, 2023
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 23, 2023
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 19, 2023
Follow Karolina on Twitter: @KarolinaAHird