Authors

Bianka is a writer and analyst working at the intersection of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and the structural forces that shape them. She spent 14 years in the private tech sector while building knowledge across history, macroeconomics, supply chains, trade, and defence. Find her at waronomics.substack.com or on X at @‌BiankaB12.

Casus Belli is an independent analyst mostly focused on Africa and the ex-USSR. He has worked alongside various OSINT projects such as All Eyes On Wagner and monitors major changes in Sahel. He regularly post on Russian activities on his X page : https://x.com/casusbellii

Micky Braeger is a Global Intelligence Analyst based in Houston, Texas, with experience researching security and geopolitics for international energy and engineering firms. He is a graduate of the Master of Global Affairs Program at Rice University's Baker Institute, where he concentrated on issues of security and technology transformation in geopolitics. He has also worked as a Subject Matter Expert for Kaplan Education, crafting an online international relations curriculum. Reach him via his email at mb3422011@gmail.com.

Oli Carpenter is a Fronts Staff member delivering reporting and analysis across defense, security, and global affairs.

Phillip Carroll is a Fronts Staff member delivering reporting and analysis across defense, security, and global affairs.

Rafael Vargas Castellar is a Fronts Staff member delivering reporting and analysis across defense, security, and global affairs.

Phil Cowin is an experienced OSINT analyst with a background in aviation and significant experience transforming large battlefield datasets into functional, accessible information. He has contributed to a range of analytical projects, including leading UAControlMap. His work focuses on battlefield analysis, force movements, and the impact of information warfare on military decision-making.

Tom Dale is a writer and researcher who works on modern armed conflict and the history of international relations theory. He has worked in Palestine, Egypt, and Lebanon, and reported from wars in Syria and Libya. He writes a newsletter, Zero Line at Substack. You can also find him on X @tom_d_ and on Bluesky @tom-d.

Leo Feypel is a passionate researcher, writer and editor with an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and experience in diplomacy and international relations through their work with the Embassy of Luxembourg in Athens. Their engagement spans social media campaigning, investigative reporting, and community building through various companies, NGOs, and Foundations. Leo's research and reporting has highlighted issues of defense and international relations faced by NATO and its member states. A Luxembourg native, they currently reside in the Netherlands. You can reach them via email at schrobilltgen@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.

Henrik Hannes Herkel is a political analyst with a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in political science. His work spans geopolitical analysis with particular focus on Eastern Europe and Africa, often through the lens of development cooperation and the right to self determination.

David Holden is a decorated infantry officer who served with distinction in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he was wounded during combat in Fallujah in 2004. Drawing from his frontline experiences, he later earned a PhD and spent 12 years teaching military theory and history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, shaping the next generation of leaders with insights forged in the crucible of war. A dedicated scholar and veteran, he continues to explore the intersections of strategy, history, and modern conflict. Reach him via his X account: @HoldenwDavid

Seth is a researcher with a penchant for CBRN weapons and missiles, but he doesn't discriminate—anything strategic and below will do. He holds an MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California and currently works on the New Tools Team at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The only 'Seth Hosford' on LinkedIn and can be found on X at @shendre3000, where he checks and posts infrequently and inconsistently.

Jakub Janovsky is an experienced OSINT analyst and telecommunications engineer who has done extensive work documenting and analysing the Syrian Civil War and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is currently running the Oryx Blog.

Jompy is an OSINT analyst who has done extensive research on Russian military hardware storage and repair facilities and keeps track of the flows of equipment shipped to the Russian ground forces to replenish them since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

Liam Karr is the Africa Team Lead for the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project. He and his team provide expert analysis of geopolitical and security dynamics on the African continent, with a focus on the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Great Lakes regions. He provides regular commentary and updates on his X page, @liam_karr.

Alexander C. Kaufman is an award-winning reporter and writer who has covered energy and climate change for more than a decade. His reporting has traversed four continents, with dispatches from the Brazilian Amazon to Greenland's ice sheet, Mongolia's frigid steppe to the Philippines' mothballed nuclear plant. A fourth-generation New Yorker, he lives in southern Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. Reach him via his website www.alexanderckaufman.com, follow him on X at @AlexCKaufman or Bluesky at @alexckaufman.bsky.social, and subscribe to his newsletter at kaufman.substack.com.

Yelyzaveta Khomovska is a researcher and analyst working at the intersection of war, global security, and politics. She holds a Master's in Conflict Studies from the LSE and has written on everything from the Tatmadaw's strategic thinking in Myanmar's insurgency to Russia's cultural assimilation playbook. Her work has taken her through think tanks and research teams in Canada, the UK, and Ukraine. Still, nothing prepared her quite like navigating a life under a full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war, and her cat staging daily ambushes under the table.

Thomas van Linge (1996) is a conflict reporter and researcher. He is best known for the maps he creates of various conflict zones. He covers multiple armed conflicts and popular uprisings around the world. For his work, he has traveled to several troubled areas such as Myanmar, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Syria.

Ever since he saw Lord of War with Nicolas Cage in 2005, he has been fascinated with all things related to defence. Started off by updating those huge Jane's books in 2015, and by 2025, has done a bit of everything in defence that you can do without a security clearance or a STEM degree, such as M&A, procurement, and consulting. Through ups and downs, a great deal was learned about the quasi-Kafkaesque nature of the defence industry while developing an extensive network. Feel free to get in touch here.

Evan Moloney is Head Writer at WarFronts and HomeFronts, and contributes analysis regularly to Fronts. Evan leads ongoing coverage of global conflicts and other rapidly evolving stories. Evan also authors the twice-weekly email newsletter WarFronts Weekly

Kyle Moran is a staff writer with Fronts, specializing in international affairs with a focus on the Middle East. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a double major in political science and history. Outside of work, he has traveled extensively, including to Israel and the West Bank.

Brant Philip is an independent analyst and expert on African jihadism especially West Africa, and a contributor to the Counter Extremism Project. He regularly monitors the situation on his X page https://x.com/BrantPhilip_

Illya Sekirin is the author of Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, Strategy (2026). In addition to advising several senior members of the Ukrainian High Command since early 2024, he has also worked as a researcher and translator for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He has also served as a front line drone operator in 2022 and 2023. Here’s the link to get his book: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/rise-of-the-machines-drone-warfare-in-the-russia-ukraine-war---tactics-operations-strategy.php

Fronts Staff delivers reporting and analysis across defense, security, and global affairs.

Wilfred Maina Waimiri is an award-winning writer, editor and publicist who has led communication campaigns around the world. His work spans global media strategy, investigative reporting, and narrative storytelling, with a sharp focus on politics, conflict, and emerging industries. Wilfred's reporting and editorial work have brought international attention to undercovered conflicts, systemic injustice, and the shifting dynamics of global influence. A Nairobi native, Wilfred splits his time between East Africa and the digital front lines of global discourse. Reach him via his website www.wilfredmaina.com.

Simon Whistler is the on-camera host of Fronts video briefings and the WarFronts and HomeFronts YouTube channels.

M. Reed Whitney is a military analyst, freelance writer and Icelandic Coast Guard Staff Officer with over 12 years of military experience. As a retired U.S. Naval Flight Officer with a background in Anti-Submarine Warfare and a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, he primarily covers maritime threats, policy, history and politics in the High North. He resides in Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in History from the University of Highlands and Islands to broaden the scope of his writing. Reach him for comments or questions via email at m.reed.whitney.freelance@gmail.com.

Paweł Wojcik is a Polish analyst regularly commenting on issues related to jihadi terrorism, especially in West Africa and the Middle East. Currently maintaining his own Substack blog with ongoing events in the Sahel.