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Marc Champion
For Marc Champion's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv turned to the world’s richest human, Elon Musk, as he was likely the only person on the planet capable of providing the communications it needed.
COMMENTARY
Sep 21, 2023
Elon Musk has power in Ukraine. Does he know how to use it?
When Russia invaded, Ukraine turned to Elon Musk because he was probably the only person on the planet capable of providing the communications it needed.
The remains of a missile that dropped cluster bombs at a housing complex in Sloviansk, Ukraine
WORLD
Aug 18, 2023
Unexploded missile suggests Moscow is rushing weapons to the front
The discovery adds to other evidence that Moscow is under pressure to fire missiles as soon as they roll off manufacturing lines.
Women and children fleeing Ukraine gather in Przemysl train station on March 2, 2022.
WORLD
Jul 24, 2023
Ukraine needs its women back for a shot at economic recovery
Failure to persuade any of the 2.8 million working-age women who have fled the country to return would cost Ukraine 10% of its annual prewar gross domestic product.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 7, 2023
Shift in balance of arms in Ukraine underscored by fresh data
Figures suggest that Ukraine’s tank fleet has grown since the start of the invasion last year, even as Russia’s has halved.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 30, 2023
Wagner’s exit from Ukraine won’t radically alter the war’s course
Ukraine confirmed on Wednesday that Wagner troops were no longer fighting at the front, replaced by a mix of paratroopers and inexperienced regular troops.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 9, 2023
Ukraine’s new tanks are seen in action as counteroffensive gets underway
It remains unclear whether the Ukrainian operations are the spearhead of a main attack or efforts to expose weak spots in Russian defenses, according to one European official.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 19, 2023
Russia is adapting arms and tactics ahead of Ukraine offensive
Widespread perceptions of Russian army weakness are in some cases either out of date or misconceived.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 12, 2023
Ukraine prepares to strike back, with over $30 billion arsenal from allies
Kyiv’s troops will leverage their new hardware to try to overrun dug-in Russian positions and retake occupied territory, but whether it will be enough remains unclear.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 6, 2023
Ukraine has decimated its oligarchs, but now fears new ones
Key allies from Group of Seven nations are pressing the government in Kyiv to resume reform programs now.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Feb 20, 2023
Ukraine’s allies are working through the consequences of the long war ahead
A mood of resolve exhibited at a German security conference over the weekend was underpinned by a deep concern about the future, and not just on the battlefields.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 18, 2023
The post-Cold War era is gone. A new arms race has arrived.
Governments around the world are drawing lessons from Europe’s first high-intensity war since 1945, reassessing everything from ammunition stocks to weapons systems and supply lines.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 12, 2023
As Ukraine battlefields freeze, don’t expect the big offensive yet
Military analysts say that while the shift from muddy to frozen terrain is important, it's just one of many factors commanders would consider before risking a major new assault.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 17, 2022
Missile blast in Poland puts focus on Ukraine’s need for stronger air defense
Kyiv's allies are facing growing pressure to deliver more aid to fend off intensifying Russian attacks.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 2, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine moves toward ‘war of drones’ as winter looms
The war's different theaters — front line, long range and economic — are tightly interwoven. Taken together, they suggest Putin still has an ambitious strategy to control Ukraine.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 27, 2022
One missile shook Ukraine’s grain trade. Another might kill it.
If Russia doesn't renew a grain deal that allowed Ukraine back into global markets, it could send prices soaring again and savage Ukrainian farms.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 24, 2022
COP27 climate summit is heading for a geopolitical hurricane
As Egypt prepares to stage the climate summit early next month, the geopolitical context that shapes all international diplomacy has gone from tense to precarious.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Oct 9, 2022
Eight years of combat hardened Ukraine’s army into a fighting force
One key factor behind Kyiv's battlefield successes stands out: The very different ways in which two armies both with Soviet roots have learned to fight.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 3, 2022
Iranian drones, cheap and plentiful, help Russia terrorize Ukraine's port of Odesa
The bombardment is leading some Ukrainians to flee the city again for the first time since before the summer.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 30, 2022
Ukraine advance near key Donbas town tests Putin’s land grab
Ukrainian, Western and Russian military analysts say Russian units are at risk of being enveloped in the Donetsk town of Lyman.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 27, 2022
Ukraine is on the offensive but struggling to get more powerful weapons
Ukraine's backers have shied away from sending the longest-range missile systems, combat aircraft and NATO standard tanks.

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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