Armed conflicts throughout history have always involved anticipating the opponent's strategies to increase your own chances of victory, which is even more vital if your opponent is stronger. On 24 February 2022, the strong state of Russia invaded the much weaker state of Ukraine after eight years of military tension. Despite the protracted military escalation, the outcomes of the battles fought vary, with both actors achieving success to different degrees.   Existing theories provide solid explanations for historical asymmetric conflict outcomes, but most of these theories lack explanatory value in contemporary armed conflicts, which this paper aims to examine. The purpose of the study is to test existing asymmetric conflict theory against a contemporary ongoing armed conflict, where the strategic interaction thesis by Ivan Arreguín-Toft is used in a theory-testing approach. The results show that both actors use a combination of attack and defence strategies, illustrating the complex nature of war. However, the results show a clear tendency towards opposite approach strategies on the part of the weak actor, which supports the theory of strategic interaction.

This thesis investigates the portrayal of the Mariupol Theatre Airstrike withinthe Russo-Ukrainian War through a discourse analysis of news articles fromdiverse media outlets in Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, the UK, and theUS. The study employs a qualitative comparative case study approach withinthe academic domain of targeting civilians in war. By applying the lenses oftraditionalist and revisionist perspectives within the theoretical framework ofJust War Theory, the research aims to understand how moral judgements aremanifested in the discourses presented by the media outlets reporting on theMariupol Theatre Airstrike. Notably, the findings reveal a dichotomy in media reporting: Russian mediaadopts a blend of traditionalist and revisionist positions, while Westernmedia also exhibits a blend of both positions, leaning more towards therevisionist perspective. By focusing on the specific case of the MariupolTheatre Airstrike, the study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis thatcontributes to the broader understanding of the complexities of media and theprovide a nuanced understanding on how moral judgments are being exhibited in the Russo-Ukrainian War.