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Harvesting Vulnerability: The Challenges of Organ Trafficking in Armed Conflict
This post is drawn from the author’s article-length work, “Harvesting Vulnerability: The Challenges of Organ Trafficking in Armed Conflict” appearing in the International Review of the Red Cross. Over 140,000 organ transplants are performed each year worldwide, a...
Ukraine Symposium – Transfers of POWs to Third States
Introduction On 9 June 2023, media reported that Hungary received eleven Ukrainian Prisoners of War (POWs) from Russia. More than a week later, Reuters reported that three of these persons had been repatriated to Ukraine. The exact circumstances of how the group of...
International Law and Accountability for the Nova Kakhovka Dam Disaster
The Dnieper River is one of the largest transboundary rivers in Europe, originating in Russia, flowing through Belarus and Ukraine before reaching the Black Sea. The river is Ukraine’s primary water source and covers a significant portion of the country. Ukraine has...
How Qualified Neutrality Impacts the Law of Contraband
It is often thought that the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine conflict may depend heavily on the amount and type of military equipment that both parties are able to bring to the battlefield. Depriving the enemy State of material it needs to sustain its warfighting...
Curing the COIN Hangover
As we are adapting to the new reality of preparing for large scale combat operations (LSCO) rather than just the next counter insurgency (COIN) or counter terrorism (CT) operation, educators and trainers are raising the same concern: our forces are struggling to...
Putin Admits to Funding the Wagner Group: Implications for Russia’s State Responsibility
On June 27, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a remarkable announcement. After years of denying any links between the Wagner Group and the Russian State, Putin stated, “I want to point out and I want everyone to know about it: The maintenance of the entire...
A New Silenus Box: The French Manual on the Law of Military Operations
French armed forces have participated in more than a hundred military operations since 1995. Enhanced operational activity notwithstanding, France strives to consistently keep its military operations in line with international law. The new French Manual on the Law of...
Contracts Between the Wagner Group and Russia’s Defense Ministry: International Law Implications
After months of infighting between Russian defense officials and the Wagner Group, the Deputy Defense Minister, Nikolai Pankov, announced on June 10, 2023, that “volunteer formations” would be required to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense before the...
Large-Scale Combat Operations Symposium – Detention in Non-International Armed Conflict
Editor’s note: The following post highlights a subject addressed during an expert workshop that the Lieber Institute co-convened alongside Harvard Law School’s Program on International Law and Armed Conflict and the International Committee of the Red Cross, focusing...
Large-Scale Combat Operations Symposium – Introduction
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the ICRC, HLS PILAC, or other workshop participants. Large-scale combat operations (LSCOs) involve widespread, devastating violence, usually on a vast scale. They...
Reflections on the DoD General Counsel’s Cyber Law Address
On Tuesday, the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, the Honorable Caroline Krass, addressed the annual United States Cyber Command Legal Conference. Her speech followed in the footsteps of Hon. Harold Koh’s 2010 presentation to the conference as Department...
Rebellious Detention: Reflections on the ICRC Study on Detention by Non-State Armed Groups
Editor's note: We are delighted to publish this post on the subject of armed groups by Dr. Ezequiel Heffes. In addition to being a valued contributor to Articles of War, Dr. Heffes is an Editor of the blog Armed Groups and International Law, where readers can find...