How To Kill A Russian Commander In 20 Minutes Or Less by Ian Thornton-Trump and Philip Ingram

Setting Expectations

Ian Thornton-Trump and former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram present a provocative SteelCon talk blending dark humor with operational ethics. Ingram, a 26-year military intelligence veteran, distinguishes protest pacifism from “fighting for peace,” sharing intercept-driven decisions that prevented mass civilian killings.

Modern Battlefield Domains

They contrast WWII/Vietnam imagery with post-9/11 counterinsurgency and today’s Ukraine fight, active since 2014’s first Russian invasion. Cyber and information operations are now central—not peripheral—alongside land warfare, especially Putin’s long-running “little Russians” narrative and pre-invasion conditioning.

Information Warfare History

Ingram traces disinformation from Sun Tzu through WWII Operation Fortitude to smartphone-accelerated fake news. Ukraine’s 19th–20th century occupation history informs current rhetoric; Western kinetic-response threats to cyber attacks are noted as already practiced in counterterror targeting of online recruiters.

Operational Ethics and Q&A

The speakers warn the topic is uncomfortable, invite unrestricted audience questions, and emphasize that intelligence and military professionals often act to protect civilians when diplomacy fails against actors who reject negotiation.