Why subscribe?

Back to the Front offers a fresh perspective on Ukraine, Russia, eastern Europe and the Balkans through the eyes of Julius Strauss, a veteran war correspondent who has covered the region for 30 years.

After 15 years as a correspondent for the Daily Telegraph in the region, Julius was caught up in the Beslan school siege in southern Russia in 2004, in which more than 170 children were killed. He gave up journalism and moved to the Canadian wilderness.

For years Julius lived off-grid. He became an expert in grizzly bear behaviour, a wilderness guide, an animal tracker, and learned to fly his own bush plane. (To watch a documentary about his story click here.)

Julius has now returned to try and make sense of the war in Ukraine, and what is happening in Russia and the Balkans.

If you would like to read his field reports, commentary and analysis, please subscribe.

Updates will come out every week or two and less often during the months Julius is in the wilderness in Canada (the peak grizzly bear seasons of May-June and Sept-Oct).