Ruslan Trad
Ruslan Trad is a freelance columnist, journalist, and author with a focus on Syria, conflicts, hybrid warfare, and mercenaries. Ruslan is a member of the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria and co-founder of the Bulgarian journal De Re Militari. Ruslan has been a correspondent in Lebanon, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Thailand for TEMA Weekly and Bulgarian National Radio, and he has also reported from Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Ruslan is also a former contributor to Foreign Policy Bulgaria and Goethe-Institut. In 2014, Ruslan was awarded Activist of the Year by the Helsinki Committee for his journalistic and activist work on refugee issues and coverage of the war in Syria. In 2017, Ruslan’s first book on the Syrian Civil War, “The Murder of a Revolution,” was published in Bulgaria. His second book, “Russian Invisible Armies,” co-authored with the researcher Kiril Avramov, was published in 2020.
Latest from Ruslan Trad
The Soviet Origins of Putin’s Mercenaries
Where did the notorious Wagner Group come from, and why has Vladimir Putin relied so heavily on Russian mercenaries in the last decade? Ruslan Trad argues it’s because they’re good for business, and they have a proven track record — from Soviet-occupied Afghanistan.