Episode 21: Dr Jack Watling on Ukrainian Adaptation to War
In our 100th episode, we talk to RUSI senior research fellow Dr Jack Watling about the transformation in Ukraine in response to Russia’s War.
Against what many considered a materially superior adversary, Ukraine has not only withstood Russian aggression, but has fought back with courage, ingenuity and commitment from the whole of society. We discuss how it has achieved this, not just through the armed forces, but in mobilising its people and industry. We also consider what lessons there are for others facing the threat of modern war.
Dr Jack Watling is one of the UK’s foremost commentators on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The author of Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World and co-author of the RUSI paper Tactical Developments During the Third Year of the Russo-Ukrainian War, his analysis of the war is highly prized by many governments.
Recommended reading
Jack Watling, Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World, MacMillan, 2026.
Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds, Preliminary Lessons from Ukraine’s Offensive Operations, 2022-2023, RUSI, 2024.
Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds, Tactical Developments During the Third Year of the Russo-Ukrainian War, RUSI, 2025.
Siddarth Kaushal & Paul O’Neill (eds.), The Role of Dissimilar Rearmament in Allied Deterrence, RUSI Whitehall Paper 102, 2025.
FEATURING
Paul O’Neill CBE
RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, Military Sciences
Professor Beatrice Heuser
RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, Military Sciences
Dr Jack Watling
Senior Research Fellow for Applied Military Sciences
Military Sciences
