• Resident Fellow for Security Research

Ruslan Trad

Ruslan Trad is a Resident Fellow for Security Research at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab).

Ruslan is interested in Eurasia, Syria, conflicts, hybrid warfare, and mercenary groups. Before joining DFRLab, he worked as a risk analyst, consultant, and freelance journalist. In recent years, he has worked in the field of OSINT investigations and due diligence reports. Ruslan is also author and co-author of three books and a wide range of articles related to the Syrian Civil War, Russian foreign policy, and security.

Ruslan is a member of the Association of European Journalists–Bulgaria and is co-founder of De Re Militari, a Bulgarian online journal for conflict analysis. During his journalism career he was a correspondent in several countries including Lebanon, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Thailand.

In 2014 Ruslan was awarded Activist of the Year by the Helsinki Committee for his Syria war coverage. Ruslan’s articles can be found in Bellingcat, BBC, Carnegie Middle East Center, New Lines Magazine, Die Presse, European Eye on Radicalization, Vocal Europe, Bild, Vocativ, IB Times, Der Standard, Muftah, Internazionale, Al Jazeera, and others.

May 2023

Russian War Report: Russia fires barrage at Kyiv while UK promises ‘kamikaze’ drones

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

A series of Russian missile strikes directed at Kyiv were largely intercepted while the UK promises hundreds of drones. In Poland, a missile "cover up" controversy.
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May 2023

Russian War Report: Russia wages an invisible war with radar waves and Russian music across borders

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russian surveillance has increased on Ukraine's border. Meanwhile a museum in Estonia hung a large poster depicting Putin as a war criminal.
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May 2023

Russian War Report: Prigozhin threatens Wagner withdrawal from Bakhmut

by Digital Forensic Research Lab

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to withdraw forces from Bakhmut following conflict with Russian military leadership over resources.
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