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Christopher Solomon

@chris-solomon.bsky.social
558 followers 1.6K following 560 posts

Posting about Syria, Ukraine, Russia, and foreign affairs. 🇸🇾🇺🇦 Author of "In Search of Greater Syria." www.bloomsbury.com/us/in-search-of-…

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Reposted by Christopher Solomon
🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 @specialkhersoncat.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Ukrainian forces have launched the largest drone-based humanitarian operations of its kind, delivering food across the Dnipro River to residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson region. Around 4 tonnes of supplies have already reached 100 designated locations.
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The New Arab @thenewarab.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Rivalry, border disputes, and conflict have shaped Turkey and Syria's ties for 80 years. Assad's fall has ushered in their closest relations yet:
newarab.com
From the Cold War to post-Assad: 80 years of Syria-Turkey ties
In-Depth: Rivalry, border disputes, and conflict have shaped Turkey and Syria’s ties for 80 years. Assad’s fall has ushered in their closest relations yet
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Fedorov announced his new initiative "Army of Robots" and we officially have entered Terminator end-of-the-world dystopian science fiction territory.
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
My new article for @thenewarab.bsky.social: With US forces leaving Iraq, Baghdad faces a difficult choice between confronting powerful Iran-backed militias and absorbing them into the state. www.newarab.com/analysis/can...
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Illia Ponomarenko @ioponomarenko.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Tonight I took the car and drove across all of Kyiv, just to see how my beloved city feels at this time. It’s a strange feeling.
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The New Arab @thenewarab.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
With US forces leaving Iraq, Baghdad faces a difficult choice between confronting powerful Iran-backed militias and absorbing them into the state:
newarab.com
Can Baghdad ever bring Iraq’s militias under state control?
Analysis: With US forces leaving Iraq, Baghdad faces a difficult choice between confronting powerful Iran-backed militias and absorbing them into the state
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MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
🦾😎 The Third Army Corps revealed the secrets of the success of the second season of Operation Vivaldi The soldiers decided not to take the enemy head-on, but with a detour maneuver through ravines and gullies from north to south. It was the effect of surprise that ensured rapid advancement.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 16/09/2026
Read Mikhal Zygar on Umar Kremlev, the oligarch who helped pay for Don Jr's wedding zygaro.substack.com/p/the-oligar...
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The Ken Harbaugh Show @thekenharbaughshow.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Ukraine's military goes to extreme lengths to save injured soldiers. Meanwhile, Russia's wounded-to-killed ratio is worse than during WWI. My latest in The Atlantic (gift article):
theatlantic.com
The Armored Sarcophagus Saving Ukrainian Soldiers
Unmanned ground vehicles are conducting once-impossible medical evacuations along Ukraine’s front lines.
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elia ayoub @ayoub.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
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Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Updates on our Don Jr/Russian oligarch story, with Oversight Dem launching an investigation and President Trump weighing in www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Top Oversight Dem Opens Investigation of Donald Trump Jr.’s Russian Oligarch-Funded Wedding
Rep. Robert Garcia said the revelations that Umar Kremlev had bankrolled the wedding raise “serious national security and public corruption concerns” and requested the president’s son provide financia...
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David, just David @coldwarhost.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Khrushchev came to America... youtu.be/BU2R5hNIifE
youtu.be
To End the Cold War: Khrushchev Comes to America - DOCUMENTARY
YouTube video by The Cold War
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Danish armed forces: "One of the air force's Fennec helicopters was today fired at with flares during a routine photographic operation of a Russian frigate, which was located in international waters off Gedser." www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Denmark says Russian warship fired flares at military helicopter
The Danish prime minister has accused Russia of "reckless" behaviour, while the Kremlin is yet to comment.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 15/09/2026
Syrian Kurds aim to preserve Kurdish schooling as Damascus reasserts authority reut.rs/4xn2LOr
reut.rs
Syrian Kurds aim to preserve Kurdish schooling as Damascus reasserts authority
Syrian Kurds are seeking to preserve schooling in their mother tongue as Damascus reasserts authority over Kurdish regions that governed ​themselves during years of war, welcoming a decree that allows some subjects to be taught in Kurdish but saying it falls short of their demand for ‌a fully Kurdish-language curriculum.
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This week's podcast guest is retired Lt. General Ben Hodges! Come join our conversation! youtu.be/CQWs5d88ajA
youtu.be
Ben Hodges: Russia's Size is a Vulnerability Now | JBP (E050)
YouTube video by Jake Broe
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This agreement will last for about two seconds before Russia starts attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure again.
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Qusay Noor @qusaynoor.net · 14/09/2026
Aleppo Citadel
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/w...
nytimes.com
Inside an Ancient Lebanese City Engulfed by War
The Lebanese city of Tyre, one of the oldest metropolises in the world, has been left scarred.
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Illia Ponomarenko @ioponomarenko.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Friends, I’m immensely happy to announce my second book, The Land of Tears and Hope: The Ukrainian Story. Pre-order here: bloomsbury.com/us/land-of-t... Many of you know me as a defense reporter who spent years breaking bread with Ukrainian soldiers in trenches....
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Putin scored a big victory in Germany with the pro-Russian party AfD coming in first in a regional election. This is... not great.
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Kushner and Witkoff press conference in Kyiv was a complete disaster. They have zero understanding of what they are doing. ​They dedicated a large portion of it to convincing Ukrainians, in an extremely patronizing tone, that peace is good for us. Like, yeah???
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Kyiv Post @kyivpost.com · 04/09/2026
A Russian drone targeted SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad's office at headquarters, but he was uninjured, the agency confirmed. Officials vowed a painful response with expanded special operations. Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
My first article back at @thenewarab.bsky.social looks at what a new Black Sea grain crisis means for the Middle East. With valuable insights from @scottlucas.bsky.social, Yevgeniya Gaber, @clementmolin.bsky.social, and Benjamin Fève. www.newarab.com/analysis/wha...
newarab.com
What a new Black Sea grain crisis means for the Middle East
Analysis: As Russia and Ukraine intensify strikes in the Black Sea, disruptions to grain exports are raising new concerns about food security in the Middle East
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Qusay Noor @qusaynoor.net · 31/08/2026
President Ahmed al-Sharaa received #Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his accompanying delegation today at the People’s Palace in #Damascus, in the presence of #Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani.
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
It is now 68 regions of Russia experiencing fuel shortages (compared to 58 last week), with either empty gas stations or fuel limits imposed.
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Ukraine destroyed the Kotovsk Wildberries distribution center in Tambov. Ukraine also knocked offline the Kstovo refinery with a drone strike. The CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow to personally give a message that an attack on a NATO country this month would be a mistake.
youtu.be
Putin is Planning an Attack on NATO Before Elections
YouTube video by Jake Broe
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Evergreen Intel @vcdgf555.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A godsend.
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
france24.com
Syrian Kurdish leader announces SDF dissolution after its integration into army
Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the group in a televised speech from the presidential palace in Da...
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were supposed to have visited Ukraine for the first time by this week. Reports are they do not want to go because they are afraid of Russia's ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv.
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Our people are tired of being afraid, of hiding in bathrooms and corridors, waiting for the worst. So today, we celebrate life, our flag, our city, and our freedom. ​These are our people, who live and work under constant threat of death, the never-ending drone buzz, and regular explosions.
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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
13 years since the huge Sarin attacks in Damascus. It's really hard to underestimate what a huge catalyst that was for a denialist network that has spent the last 13 years twisting themselves into knots to find ways to deny the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
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The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
🇰🇵North Korea has sent a new military contingent of 8,500 people to the Russian Federation, of which 400 are UAV operators, — GUR The main part of the contingent is located in the Kursk region and performs engineering and logistics tasks.
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
🇵🇱 PM Tusk: I think that it’s not those who stopped Nord Stream 2 who should be ashamed, but those who built it. Germany is responsible for Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. And Russia turned out to be the aggressor. Germany shouldn’t prosecute those who, when their country was attacked by Russia
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Reactions to Fedorov calling for elections during wartime have not been positive. Even Fedorov's supporters are shocked and disappointed he would do this.
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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The people running Iran's security are mostly the same handful of men who've been at the top since they were in their twenties, back in the early 1980s. They're now in their seventies. Listen here: pod.link/682478916/ep...
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Ukrainian forces have struck seven of Wildberries’ 10 largest logistics centers since July 2026 as part of the ongoing Ukrainian strike campaign aimed at degrading the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) and dual-use logistics network. (1/4) Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar081626
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
3/ Ukrainian forces used combined arms approaches to leverage drones in support of infantry forces and achieved elements of mechanized maneuver at the tactical level during the Ukrainian 2026 Oleksandrivka counteroffensive.
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
NEW: The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Russian milbloggers continue exaggerating Russian advances in the Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole directions as part of the systematic Russian cognitive warfare effort to propagate claims of expansive Russian gains for informational effects.🧵(1/6)
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Russia is no longer able to export grain from the Black Sea. Exporters are not even willing to accept more grain from farmers. Russia's farmers paid record prices to harvest and now they can't even sell it.
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
VIDEO: Russia is using infiltration tactics to feign a rapid advance across the frontline while barely advancing at all. ISW’s George Barros explains how and why ISW adapted its methodology and implemented an infiltrations layer on its maps. Watch now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsPc4WrIKoM
youtube.com
How ISW Maps Russian Infiltrations in Ukraine: Breaking Down the "Grey Zone"
YouTube video by Institute for the Study of War
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Why Iran's strikes on Syria may have been about Hezbollah, not the US by Louay Faour via @thenewarab.bsky.social www.newarab.com/analysis/ira...
newarab.com
Is Iran warning Syria to stay out of the war on Hezbollah?
Analysis: Iran’s strikes on al-Tanf base were viewed as retaliation against the US, but they may also have been a warning shot to Damascus over Hezbollah
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
NEW: The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched an unspecified number of North Korean ballistic missiles between July 29 and 30. Russia is likely using these missiles to exploit Ukraine’s lack of anti-ballistic missile interceptors. (1/6) Read the full update: isw.pub/KoreanUpdate...
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🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 @specialkhersoncat.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
A huge cloud of smoke from the burning Wildberries logistics hub hangs over Samara.
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Wildberries in Samara today. Those firefighters are the epitome of pretending to work.
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Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
NEW: The Russian rate of advance in Ukraine remains low two and a half months into the Russian Spring-Summer 2026 offensive, which has failed to make any operationally significant gains. (1/8)
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Ian Brzezinski: Sanctions that West has placed on Russia have been incremental and marginal, they’ve given Russia time to adjust to them. It’s really time for the West to body-slam Russian economy with secondary sanctions, a complete economic cutoff.
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Nice interview with Adnan Nasser and Lebanon-based English painter Tom Young via Fursa. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKbo...
youtube.com
While the world wrote Lebanon off, an Englishman picked up a paintbrush and refused to surrender.
YouTube video by Fursa
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
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Christopher Solomon @chris-solomon.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
www.wsj.com/world/two-wa...
wsj.com
Two Wars Converge in the Caspian Sea as Ukraine Hits Iranian Supply Line to Russia
Tehran is threatening retaliation for long-range drone strikes that highlight its ties with Moscow.
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Jake Broe @realjakebroe.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Crimea is screwed. The people living there are never going to get normal power restored until this war finally ends.
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