A historian analyzes whether Ukraine has a localized advantage in modern combat power

NPR | By Scott Simon

Published June 27, 2026 at 7:40 AM EDT

NPR's Scott Simon talks with strategic studies professor Phillips O'Brien of St Andrew's University in Scotland about whether Ukraine has gained the upper hand in the fight against Russia.

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

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