Dmitry Gorenburg, winner of this year’s Trustees Award, joins the show to discuss his 20-year career at CNA and how the study of Russia has changed during that time.   

Guest Biography 

Dmitry Gorenburg is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA’s Russia Studies Program. He is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity. His recent research has focused on decision-making processes in the senior Russian leadership, Russia’s relationship with China, Russian naval strategy, and Russian influence operations.

Further Reading

News Release: CNA Trustees Award Presented to Dmitry Gorenburg

CNA Report: Russian Military Mobilization During the Ukraine War

CNA Report: Crafting the Russian War Economy

This episode examines how uncrewed systems have been used in the Ukraine war and how the US can use this information to develop countermeasures. 

Guest Biographies

Samuel Bendett is an advisor with CNA’s Russia Studies Program. His research focuses on Russian defense and technology developments; uncrewed, robotic, and autonomous military systems; artificial intelligence; and Russian military capabilities. His analysis of Russia’s war against Ukraine has appeared in globally read news outlets such as VICE and The Washington Post.  

Michael Petersen is a principal research scientist in CNA's Russia Studies Program. He is an expert on Russian military strategy, operations, and net assessments of high-intensity conflict. From 2023-2024, he served as senior advisor to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti. 

Further Reading

CNA InDepth: Drones Over Ukraine

CNA Report: Russia’s Use of Uncrewed Systems in Ukraine