The Russia-Ukraine War - Security Lessons: An analysis informed by sociological approaches to risk management: 2 (Systems Thinking for Safety)

As the Russia-Ukraine War sees its fourth year, this book provides a timely analysis of the successes and failures of Ukraine's campaign to expel Russian forces from sovereign Ukrainian territory. Lessons are drawn using sociological approaches to risk management such as systems-thinking, organising for high-reliability, latent and active error, mindfulness, groupthink, strategic empathy, passive and active learning, single and double-loop learning, isomorphic learning and active foresight. The aim of this book is to help Western nations improve their defences against, as former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak put it, 'An axis of authoritarian states with different values to ours'. Lessons range from the urgent need to improve the resilience of critical national infrastructure to the benefits of allowing front-line commanders greater decision-making freedom. If Western liberal democracy is to survive, the lessons of the Russia-Ukraine War must be actioned.

Simon Bennett is interested in the organisational, social, economic and political origins of risk. He has worked with the National Police Air Service and the Royal Air Force. His books include Atomic Blackmail? The Weaponisation of Nuclear Facilities During the Russia-Ukraine War (2023) and Corruption and the Management of Public Safety (2024).