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Olena Melnyk | Praevisio Institute
Olena Melnyk

Research Fellow · Praevisio Institute

OlenaMelnyk

Eastern Europe · Ukraine Conflict · Post-Soviet Security · Great Power Competition

Focused on the shifting tectonic plates of Eastern Europe, with deep analytical grounding in the Ukraine conflict and the broader contest for influence between great powers across the post-Soviet space.

About

Research Fellow,
Praevisio Institute

Olena Melnyk is a Research Fellow at the Praevisio Institute for Geopolitical Affairs, specialising in Eastern European security architecture, the dynamics of the Ukraine conflict, and the contest for strategic influence across the post-Soviet space.

A Ukrainian national, Olena combines academic grounding in international security with analytical work that tracks the intersection of military developments, diplomatic manoeuvring, and great power positioning — particularly the competing interests of Russia, the United States, and the European Union along Europe’s eastern frontier.

Her research draws on Ukrainian-language primary sources alongside Western and Russian-language secondary literature, giving her analysis a grounded perspective that bridges the gap between on-the-ground realities and broader strategic frameworks.

Experience

Research Fellow
Praevisio Institute for Geopolitical Affairs — Amsterdam
Freelance Geopolitical Analyst
Independent — Eastern Europe & Post-Soviet Affairs
Programme Assistant
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

Education

MA
International Security Studies
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, 2018
BA
Political Science & International Relations
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 2016

Expertise & Research

Areas of focus — and the analytical work behind them

Ukraine Conflict Analysis
Granular tracking of military, political, and humanitarian dimensions of the Ukraine conflict, including frontline developments, mobilisation dynamics, and the evolving nature of battlefield strategy.
Great Power Competition
Analysis of how Russia, the United States, China, and the European Union project influence across Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space — through security commitments, economic leverage, and political interference.
Hybrid Warfare & Information Operations
Study of non-kinetic conflict methods deployed across Eastern Europe, including disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and the weaponisation of energy dependency as tools of coercion.
Post-War Reconstruction & Security Guarantees
Research into frameworks for Ukraine’s post-conflict recovery, the architecture of credible security guarantees, and the long-term reordering of European security following the 2022 invasion.
Master’s Thesis
“NATO’s Eastern Flank and the Limits of Deterrence: Ukraine Between Alliance Politics and Russian Strategic Interests”
Examined the structural tensions between NATO’s open-door policy and Russia’s red-line doctrine, analysing how deterrence frameworks failed to prevent escalation in the post-2014 security environment.
Analytical Approach — Inside-Out Perspective on Eastern Europe

Olena’s analytical edge lies in her ability to read the conflict from the inside out. Grounded in Ukrainian-language primary sources — political statements, military reporting, civil society documentation — she integrates these with Western strategic literature and Russian-language sources to produce analysis that is neither purely Western in framing nor uncritical of Ukrainian political dynamics. Her time at the Razumkov Centre and with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission gave her direct exposure to the policy process and to conditions on the ground, while her academic training provides the theoretical scaffolding to contextualise rapidly evolving events within longer-term structural shifts in European security.

Publications & Research

Publications & written analysis

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Get in touch

Research collaboration & speaking engagements

For research collaboration, policy consulting on Eastern European affairs, or speaking engagements on the Ukraine conflict and post-Soviet security, reach out directly.

Email Olena Praevisio Institute