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Thomas Gibbons-Neff
For Thomas Gibbons-Neff's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 13, 2022
Ukraine’s sudden gains prompt new questions for commanders
Stretching the Ukrainian forces — a military still much smaller and far less equipped than its Russian foe — too far could leave the troops vulnerable to attack.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 18, 2022
As Russia runs low on drones, Iran plans to step in, U.S. officials say
The potential delivery of hundreds of Iranian drones would help the Kremlin replenish a fleet that has suffered steep losses in Ukraine.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 3, 2022
Russia steps up pace of missile attacks on residential targets
Some of the deadliest strikes of the war have occurred in the past week, including at a shopping mall and a residential block.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 24, 2022
First step toward Ukraine joining EU signals solidarity amid war
While Ukraine's accession into the bloc could take a decade or more, the decision sends a powerful message of solidarity to Kyiv and a rebuke to President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 9, 2022
One village at a time: The grinding artillery war in Ukraine
Over the past several days, Ukrainian forces have advanced outward from Kharkiv, launching a concerted offensive to the north and east.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 17, 2022
Putin’s Ukraine gamble pivots to a very different battlefield
Battles over the past seven weeks raged in populated areas near Kyiv, but the war is moving into wide-open flatland, which will drastically change combat strategy.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 9, 2022
Land mines on a timer, scattered over a Ukrainian town
When Sergiy, 47, got out of bed Sunday morning in this small town in northeastern Ukraine, he discovered a chilling new hazard in a war filled with them: He had woken up in a minefield.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 4, 2022
‘This is true barbarity’: Life and death under Russian occupation
The town of Trostyanets was occupied by Russian forces for a month before the Ukrainian military liberated it. Residents described weeks of hunger and horror.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 13, 2021
‘I never believed that would happen’: After 20 years of war, an abrupt end
Five Afghans speak about the sudden end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and the uncertainty that lies ahead.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 6, 2021
U.S. citizens and Afghans wait for evacuation flights from country’s north
The holdup reflects the challenges of foreign governments working with the Taliban, which has yet to form a government.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 28, 2021
As U.S. troops searched Afghans, a bomber in the crowd moved in
Officials are still piecing together the chain of events in the attack that killed scores of people, including 13 U.S. service members, outside the Kabul airport.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 14, 2021
The Afghan military was built over 20 years. How did it collapse so quickly?
The Taliban's advance has made clear that U.S. efforts to turn the country's military into a robust fighting force have failed, with its soldiers feeling abandoned by inept leaders.

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When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree