Karolina Hird

Position:

Russia Deputy Team Lead and Analyst and Evans Hanson Fellow

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:

Ukraine and the Problem of Restoring Maneuver in Contemporary War, August 12, 2024

Assessing Russian plans for military regeneration, Chatham House, July 9, 2024