Alexandr Burilkov
Researcher, Leuphana University Lüneburg
Dr. Alexandr Burilkov is a researcher and lecturer in international relations at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (ZDEMO), Leuphana University of Lüneburg. He obtained his PhD in political science from the University of Hamburg. He is an expert on military and security issues in Russia, China, and the post-Soviet space. He is also a member of the European Expert Network on Terrorism Issues.
Featured work
The costs and failures of air defence in the Iran conflict and what they mean for Europe
Shoring up Europe’s defensive capabilities needs to focus on cheap interceptors and offensive capability to target military industries
Peace through strength: why Europe needs a missile deterrent
Europe should acknowledge the limitations of air defence and build up its capacity to hit back at Russia as a deterrent
Fit for war by 2030? European rearmament vis-a-vis Russia lagging in numbers and technologies
Defending Europe without the US: first estimates of what is needed
Europe could need 300,000 more troops and an annual defence spending hike of at least €250 billion in the short term to deter Russian aggression
All work
First Glance
30 March 2026
The costs and failures of air defence in the Iran conflict and what they mean for Europe
Shoring up Europe’s defensive capabilities needs to focus on cheap interceptors and offensive capability to target military industries
First Glance
02 October 2025
Peace through strength: why Europe needs a missile deterrent
Europe should acknowledge the limitations of air defence and build up its capacity to hit back at Russia as a deterrent
Report
20 June 2025
Event
20 June 2025
Fit for war by 2030? European rearmament efforts vis-a-vis Russia: rising but lagging in numbers and technologies
Invitation-only, online webinar
Analysis
21 February 2025
Defending Europe without the US: first estimates of what is needed
Europe could need 300,000 more troops and an annual defence spending hike of at least €250 billion in the short term to deter Russian aggression
Analysis
18 December 2024
The US defence industrial base can no longer reliably supply Europe
Europe has long relied on US weapons but the US military industrial base faces constraints and its production may be redirected elsewhere
First Glance
31 October 2024
Europe stands increasingly alone on defence production and needs to act
Europe must rebuild its defence industry; reliance on the US is no longer tenable, whatever the outcome of the US presidential election
Analysis
16 September 2024
Fit for war in decades: sluggish German rearmament versus surging Russian defence production
It will take Germany, and Europe more generally, decades to match current Russian volumes of weapons production