Professional Affiliation

PhD Candidate, University of New Mexico; Lecturer, Political Science Department, University of New Mexico; former Senior Intelligence Officer, Office of Naval Intelligence.  

Expert Bio

Michael Flaherty, Public Policy Fellow with the Kennan Institute at the Wilson center, is a Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of New Mexico. He is also a Fellow at the UNM Center for Regional Studies. His research and teaching bridge the international relations and public policy sub-fields, with a focus on conflict. Flaherty was previously a senior intelligence officer at the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center, Office of Naval Intelligence. He conducted extensive fieldwork in Africa and Europe, during which time he worked closely with international organizations and foreign partners. He was also a member of three US Embassy Country Teams as a Special Operations Liaison.

Expertise

• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
• Security and Defense

Wilson Center Project

Assessment of Russian Spetsnaz and Proxy Force Performance in Ukraine

Project Summary

Research will evaluate Russian military performance in Ukraine, with an emphasis on the activities of Spetsialnoye Naznacheniya (Special Purpose or Spetsnaz) forces, which include proxies such as the Wagner Group.