Effective immediately, the CIB’s Applied Intelligence project has entered into emergency operations mode, in response to the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The invasion began shortly before 0600 Moscow Time (UTC+3) today, 24 February, at which time Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a “special military operation” was underway in eastern Ukraine.

Launched in January of 2022, The Applied Intelligence project is the most immersive, hands-on intelligence activity that has ever been offered for students in the Intelligence and Security Studies program at CCU. Each semester, six interns serve as Critical Mission Center (CMC) Directors, and oversee the work of up to 24 CMC Support Officers, who serve as Senior Analysts for the entire semester. These teams are tasked with collecting critical information on crises and hot spots around the world as they emerge, in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment.

The Directors and Support Staff of the project’s six Critical Mission Centers (CMCs) were informed about the onset of emergency operations in an email by Applied Intelligence project supervisor, Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis. Dr. Fitsanakis informed the analysts that every CMC would redirect its attention on the situation in Ukraine, effective immediately. Several aspects of the war are now being monitored by the CMCs, including: developments in the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk; political, military and economic developments in Ukraine and Russia; responses to the war by the United States, the European Union, NATO and its front-line states of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania; as well as military developments on the ground in Ukraine.

The most recent output of the project can be accessed on the website of the European Intelligence Academy.