Hans Petter Midttun

392 posts

Hans Petter Midttun is educated at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, the Norwegian National Defence Command and Staff College and the Norwegian Defense College, as well as education from the Federal Defence Forces of Germany. He has broad international experience from both operations and postings abroad (NATO, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Ukraine). The service includes seven years in command of frigates and six NATO deployments. Midttun put into operation, tested and verified the operational capabilities of one of the newest frigates in the Norwegian Navy. He served at the Norwegian Joint Headquarters and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) before being posted to Ukraine as the Norwegian Defence Attache (2014-2018). Based on previous experiences, Midttun is presently publishing articles and analytic works on the security situation in and around Ukraine as a private person.

All materials Featured articles

ukraine's counteroffensive 2023 ukrainian soldiers marines

7 minute read

Analysis

Ukraine’s counteroffensive: signs of concern and optimism

Ukraine is creating the conditions for a decisive breakthrough on the ground and has the initiative at sea, but Russian air strikes are a reason for growing concern, as is the West's resolve to support Ukraine.

9 minute read

Opinion

Russia’s “ultimate” red line is as hollow as the first ten

Ukraine has repeatedly proved that Russian "red lines" are a fiction. Now it's finally time for the West to call out Putin's nuclear bluff.

17 minute read

Opinion

Will NATO survive the war?

Once the bedrock of European defense, NATO now confronts doubts about its future purpose and relevance after years of under-investment left it unready against Russian aggression.

6 minute read

Opinion

Ukraine has the initiative in all dimensions

While Russia still has the advantage, Ukraine is little by little gaining the initiative in maritime, air, and land warfare. And it has not yet peaked.

7 minute read

Opinion

How badly do the US and Europe want peace?

We've been there in WWII. The only way to achieve peace is to fight for it.

5 minute read

Opinion

G20 opts for obfuscation on Ukraine, a symptom of Western fatigue

Ukraine suffered a major diplomatic defeat as Western weakness allowed the G20 to adopt a declaration failing to assign clear blame for Russia's devastating war

36 minute read

Daily review

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 562: US believes Ukraine can breach Russian defenses by year’s end

American intelligence sees a "realistic possibility" Ukraine can break through the rest of Russia's lines in the south in 2023. Russian trade volumes have returned to pre-war levels. Ukrainian forces made further gains near Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

43 minute read

Daily review

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 560: Armenia questions ties with Russia, sends first aid to Ukraine

Armenia has reportedly provided its first aid to Ukraine since the war began. Over 7 million artillery shells and body armor have been procured or received since the invasion began. Romania denies Russian drones reached its territory.

40 minute read

Daily review

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 558: Ukraine chips away at Russia’s southern wall

Ukraine is poised to quicken the pace of its advance in the south after conclusively penetrating Russia's first main line of defense, which the Kremlin had devoted most of its engineering efforts towards fortifying. Russian forces are now reduced to defensive "patches" amid dwindling reserves, but progress remains grueling for Ukrainian troops facing dense minefields.

47 minute read

Daily review

Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 556: Russia delivers first nuclear warheads to Belarus

Daily report day 556 – 2 September 2023 According to information from the General Staff as of 06.00…

43 minute read

Daily review

Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 548: Ukraine launches 42 drones on Crimea

Ukraine launches 42 drones on Crimea; Russia says all drones destroyed. Ukraine advances despite Russia’s desperate resistance in…

6 minute read

West’s fear feeds Putin’s ambition: not arming Ukraine counteroffensive risks wider war

Many NATO-promised weapons have yet to arrive, leaving Ukraine counteroffensive shorthanded.

Stian Jenssen NATO Ukraine trade territories

7 minute read

Opinion

NATO strategist’s Ukraine “land grab” slip is as absurd as revealing

A NATO strategist prompted Ukrainian fury and NATO backpedaling after arguing Ukraine could trade territory for NATO membership, a slip that reveals how much the Alliance is willing to play along with Russian aggression

37 minute read

Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 536: Ukraine makes ‘tactically significant’ progress – NYT

Ukraine makes ‘tactically significant’ progress in its counteroffensive – NYT. Explosions on Kerch Bridge. Russians try to seize…

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