Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

This article addresses the issue of protecting civilian space assets that are utilized by states, and particularly by armed forces. It examines the unique characteristics of operating in the space environment, importance of these space assets, the concept of the military use of space, and the strategies applied in the United States to ensure the protection of such assets. The authors propose five protective measures: war risk insurance; physical protection of the ground segment; in-orbit physical protection; deterrence; and threat information sharing.

War rarely announces itself politely; instead, it abruptly restructures systems that once appeared routine into matters of existential urgency. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in Ukraine’s railway network. Since the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) has evolved from a largely invisible economic backbone into a central artery of national survival. This article examines how the railway system absorbed simultaneous shocks, including military attacks, infrastructural collapse, and a minus 44.3% contraction in the transport sector while maintaining operational continuity under extreme wartime pressure. Drawing upon statistical data, policy documents, and theoretical insights from resilience and vulnerability research, the analysis situates railway infrastructure at the intersection of logistics, geopolitics, and humanitarian response. The study argues that Ukraine’s railway system represents not merely a resilient infrastructure but a strategically transformative mechanism that catalyzed a structural shift in international freight flows, enabling rail to partially replace maritime routes that previously dominated export logistics. The article contributes to transport resilience scholarship by illustrating how large-scale conflict accelerates adaptation cycles, strengthens institutional learning, and redefines the operational role of railway systems in contested environments.

The current geopolitical changes and the dedication to regional safety have drawn researchers’ attention towards discussion on the multiple aspects of new residents’ integration. Ensuring that new members of society are welcomed has been of significant scientific and political interest in sustaining coherent and resilient communities. This discussion also extends to the well-being of soldiers and their families when relocating due to deployment. Since deployment locations vary, the state of scientific knowledge highlights the need to investigate the integration of soldiers and military-related families within the specific contexts of individual states. Accordingly, this study examines the case of Lithuania, with a focus on the socio-legal factors influencing the integration of military-related families. The research is based on a thematic analysis of international scientific literature, identifying the main challenges faced by families residing in foreign countries. It also outlines the conditions necessary for the successful integration of military-related families in the Lithuanian context. The findings indicate that: a) in addition to traditional integration programs, special attention must be given to the specific characteristics of military life; b) integration of military-related residents should adopt a family-centred approach that considers the past, present, and future experiences, needs, and aspirations of family members; and c) successful integration requires strong intersectoral cooperation. The practical implications highlight the need for practitioners to pay particular attention to monitoring and managing both the sequence and quality of the integration of foreign soldiers’ families during their residence in the host country.

The purpose of civil-military cooperation is to exchange resources and information to effectively manage different types of disasters. In this regard, civil-military cooperation in disaster preparedness should increase coherence in the area of information sharing and mutual support. The purpose of this study is to examine how cooperation between municipal institutions and the same nation’s military meets these requirements. The results presented in the article show that cooperation between municipal institutions and military personnel of the same nation is similar to civilian and military cooperation in international missions or disaster relief. This cooperation is based on a mutual understanding of the value of cooperation; willingness to cooperate and mutual support. At the same time, there are objective obstacles to the effectiveness of cooperation in disaster preparedness between municipal institutions and the military, mainly related to legal regulation, bureaucracy and hierarchy, often impeding the dissemination of information and undermining mutual trust between institutions. The study found that simplification of existing legislation, detailed planning process, information sharing during joint exercises and other joined activities would be important factors in improving civil (municipal)-military cooperation in disaster preparedness.

With the changing global security situation, increase in external threats or emergence of new ones (cyberattacks, non-conventional warfare models, etc.), countries must feel concern regarding consolidation of their security. In this regard, both the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine are taking measures to enhance and expand their military forces. One of the means to fortify military forces is attracting citizens to serve in the civilian national defence service. Authors of the article employ a comparative aspect to analyse the need for statutory servants serving in the civilian national defence service, as well as reveal the number and type of professionals to be required by the national defence system and explore benefits provided by such statutory servants as well as their purpose in the army. Additionally, in the article authors reveal administrational-legal status of civilian national defence services in both the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine, its place in the system of other militarised or civil public administration institutions. Comparative aspect is also used to analyse administrative legal status of statutory servants of civilian national defence service, peculiarities of admission of statutory servants to the national defence system and their service therein, as well as possibilities for motivation and stimulation of citizens to exercise service in the civilian national defence service. Therefore, the article aims to answer the question of what could motivate citizens to carry out service in the civilian national defence service, what incentives (needs, interests, values, stimulus, realisation of importance of certain matters, remuneration, etc.) would result in motivation (attitude and interest in) to serve in the Lithuanian Armed Forces and to participate in international operations.