Matthew Bodner

Matthew Bodner covered Russian affairs for Defense News.


  • Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force
    Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force

    As the Kremlin continues to assert its air power in a bid to intimidate NATO allies in Europe and North America, its mostly Soviet-built aircraft are being pushed to their limits — a fact experts point to when attempting to explain the loss of five aircraft of different designs in just the past month.

  • Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17
    Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17

    Russia’s largest defense company, Almaz-Antey, presented evidence that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by an out-of-production rocket fired by a Ukrainian Buk-M1 air defense system

  • Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware
    Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware

    Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over the grand unveiling of a new generation of Russian military hardware as part of Moscow’s most extravagant Victory Day celebrations since the fall of the Soviet Union on May 9.

  • Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med
    Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med

    Russia’s annexation of Crimea secured the future of its Black Sea Fleet, enabling Moscow to pump money into bolstering its capabilities while expanding its reach well into the Mediterranean Sea

  • RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm
    RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm

    The future of one of Russia’s most renowned space firms is in jeopardy, with the weight of Western sanctions, economic crisis, and industrial decay all coming to bear on the small company.

  • Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development
    Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development

    Russia’s helicopter industry, shepherded by Russian Helicopters — last year the world’s largest copter exporter — has its eyes set on competing in the emerging market of high-speed helicopters.

  • Russia’s Polar Pivot
    Russia’s Polar Pivot

    In order to secure its large swath of the resource-rich Arctic, Moscow has created a new Northern Command structure under which ground, sea and air units are being deployed to reopened Soviet-era bases along Russia’s northern frontier

  • Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force
    Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force

    As the Kremlin continues to assert its air power in a bid to intimidate NATO allies in Europe and North America, its mostly Soviet-built aircraft are being pushed to their limits — a fact experts point to when attempting to explain the loss of five aircraft of different designs in just the past month.

  • Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17
    Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17

    Russia’s largest defense company, Almaz-Antey, presented evidence that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by an out-of-production rocket fired by a Ukrainian Buk-M1 air defense system

  • Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware
    Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware

    Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over the grand unveiling of a new generation of Russian military hardware as part of Moscow’s most extravagant Victory Day celebrations since the fall of the Soviet Union on May 9.

  • Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med
    Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med

    Russia’s annexation of Crimea secured the future of its Black Sea Fleet, enabling Moscow to pump money into bolstering its capabilities while expanding its reach well into the Mediterranean Sea

  • RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm
    RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm

    The future of one of Russia’s most renowned space firms is in jeopardy, with the weight of Western sanctions, economic crisis, and industrial decay all coming to bear on the small company.

  • Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development
    Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development

    Russia’s helicopter industry, shepherded by Russian Helicopters — last year the world’s largest copter exporter — has its eyes set on competing in the emerging market of high-speed helicopters.

  • Russia’s Polar Pivot
    Russia’s Polar Pivot

    In order to secure its large swath of the resource-rich Arctic, Moscow has created a new Northern Command structure under which ground, sea and air units are being deployed to reopened Soviet-era bases along Russia’s northern frontier

  • Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force
    Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force

    As the Kremlin continues to assert its air power in a bid to intimidate NATO allies in Europe and North America, its mostly Soviet-built aircraft are being pushed to their limits — a fact experts point to when attempting to explain the loss of five aircraft of different designs in just the past month.

  • Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17
    Russian Firm: Ukrainians Downed Flight MH17

    Russia’s largest defense company, Almaz-Antey, presented evidence that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by an out-of-production rocket fired by a Ukrainian Buk-M1 air defense system

  • Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware
    Putin Uses Parade to Unveil Hardware

    Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over the grand unveiling of a new generation of Russian military hardware as part of Moscow’s most extravagant Victory Day celebrations since the fall of the Soviet Union on May 9.

  • Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med
    Russia Extends Grasp Over Black Sea, Into Med

    Russia’s annexation of Crimea secured the future of its Black Sea Fleet, enabling Moscow to pump money into bolstering its capabilities while expanding its reach well into the Mediterranean Sea

  • RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm
    RD-180 Ban Threatens Russian Firm

    The future of one of Russia’s most renowned space firms is in jeopardy, with the weight of Western sanctions, economic crisis, and industrial decay all coming to bear on the small company.

  • Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development
    Russia Sets Sights on High-Speed Development

    Russia’s helicopter industry, shepherded by Russian Helicopters — last year the world’s largest copter exporter — has its eyes set on competing in the emerging market of high-speed helicopters.

  • Russia’s Polar Pivot
    Russia’s Polar Pivot

    In order to secure its large swath of the resource-rich Arctic, Moscow has created a new Northern Command structure under which ground, sea and air units are being deployed to reopened Soviet-era bases along Russia’s northern frontier