Institute for the Study of War engagement report
@TheStudyofWar - 1.4M followers on X
Measured over 45 original posts from a 30-day window, last computed on September 1, 2026.
Engagement
A typical post picks up 435 interactions against 1.4M followers, an engagement rate of 0.031%. Measured over 45 original posts, its engagement rate beats 52% of 3,774 tracked accounts of a similar size, which puts it in the middle of its size range rather than at either end. Posts are seen about 88K times each, and 0.495% of those impressions turn into an interaction. That is about 6.25% of the follower count, which is the gap between an audience on paper and an audience in a timeline. Posting runs at about 7.2 posts a day over the last 30 days, with activity on roughly 73% of days. Most posts go out around 23:00 UTC, and Tuesday is the busiest day of the week. Of the 45 posts sampled, 100% carry an image or video and 78% are part of a thread. The account's strongest tracked post pulled 2.0K interactions, about 4.5x its own typical post.
Measured over 45 original posts from a 30-day window, last computed on September 1, 2026.
Compared with accounts its own size
Institute for the Study of War's engagement rate beats 52% of the tracked X accounts closest to it in follower count (3,774 accounts, accounts of similar size (decile 9 of 10)). A percentile is spread evenly by construction, so 50 really is the middle of that group and 90 really is its top tenth.
On engagement per impression rather than per follower it beats 32% of the same group. When those two numbers disagree, the gap is about how far its posts travel rather than how people react to them.
Where this sits in the catalog
At 0.031%, Institute for the Study of War sits above the 25th percentile of the 36,654 accounts in this comparison. That places it in the below the median band, which runs 0.012% to 0.08%.
Show the percentile table
| Percentile | Engagement rate |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 0.002% |
| 25th percentile | 0.012% |
| 50th percentile | 0.08% |
| 75th percentile | 0.433% |
| 90th percentile | 2.10% |
| 99th percentile | 160.5% |
This ruler is the whole measured catalog, not a size-matched group: it shows where the raw rate falls across every account we can measure, all of which are large. For a like-for-like comparison, read the size-band percentile above instead. See how the bands are built
Posting timing
This account posts most often around 23:00 UTC, and Tuesday is its busiest day of the week. The bars below are the catalog-wide pattern, with this account's own busiest slot marked. They do not show how this account performs at each hour: we keep one aggregate per account, not one per hour, so that measurement does not exist in our data.
Show engagement by hour posted, utc as a table
| Hour (UTC) | Vs author median | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC | -1% | 51K |
| 01:00 UTC | -2% | 52K |
| 02:00 UTC | -3% | 50K |
| 03:00 UTC | -4% | 53K |
| 04:00 UTC | -6% | 43K |
| 05:00 UTC | -4% | 42K |
| 06:00 UTC | -4% | 48K |
| 07:00 UTC | -5% | 52K |
| 08:00 UTC | -4% | 61K |
| 09:00 UTC | -3% | 70K |
| 10:00 UTC | -2% | 72K |
| 11:00 UTC | -3% | 78K |
| 12:00 UTC | -2% | 86K |
| 13:00 UTC | -2% | 94K |
| 14:00 UTC | -4% | 97K |
| 15:00 UTC | -2% | 101K |
| 16:00 UTC | -3% | 98K |
| 17:00 UTC | -2% | 91K |
| 18:00 UTC | -1% | 85K |
| 19:00 UTC | -1% | 80K |
| 20:00 UTC | -1% | 74K |
| 21:00 UTC | -1% | 66K |
| 22:00 UTC | -1% | 57K |
| 23:00 UTC | -2% | 52K |
Show engagement by day of week as a table
| Day | Vs author median | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | +4% | 231K |
| Monday | 0% | 288K |
| Tuesday | -2% | 278K |
| Wednesday | -1% | 251K |
| Thursday | -1% | 245K |
| Friday | -3% | 253K |
| Saturday | +3% | 227K |
Best tweets
- Aug 28, 20264.5x their median
NEW: US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow suggests that Russia may be preparing to conduct an act of aggression against a NATO member in the relatively near term to invalidate NATO’s Article 5. A near-term Russian attack is highly unlikely to involve a full-scale conventional invasion of a NATO state. The nature of the Russian threat that the US is reportedly attempting to deter in 2026 is significantly different from the threat of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late 2021. The Kremlin continues to deflect Western concerns and deny any intention of conducting aggression against NATO, but these statements are part of a larger effort to create ambiguity and to degrade the alliance’s resolve to counter Russian threats. Baltic state officials and government-affiliated analysts emphasized that NATO should take the Russian threat seriously but that their immediate threat assessment has not changed. Russia may conduct air, missile, or drone strikes or a limited incursion against one or more Baltic states to test and seek to break NATO’s resolve to invoke and respond under Article 5. Several unidentified drones entered Moldovan airspace on the night of August 26 to 27, demonstrating that the Kremlin continues to accept the risk that Russia’s war against Ukraine can cause damage to other states, including Moldova and NATO states bordering Ukraine. Other Key Takeaways ⬇️
- Aug 14, 20262.4x their median
NEW: Russia is expanding the institutionalized use of state-approved history textbooks in occupied Ukraine to indoctrinate children with Kremlin narratives that delegitimize Ukrainian identity and justify Russia’s occupation and illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. Other Key Takeaways: Russian occupation administrations are additionally preparing for the upcoming schoolyear by importing Russian teachers to work in schools in occupied areas via the Zemsky Teacher program. The Kherson Oblast occupation administration is investing in efforts to train Ukrainian youth how to operate drones as part of its broader youth policy programming. Russia is formalizing a federal-level electoral framework for occupied Ukraine ahead of the September 2026 State Duma elections. Local preparations for Duma elections include candidate registration and campaign formation, voter outreach and intensified registration efforts, early and at-home voting preparation, and election security measures. Russian occupation courts continue to impose harsh sentences on residents of occupied areas for allegedly sending small donations to Ukrainian forces.
- Aug 15, 20262.2x their median
NEW: The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Russian milbloggers continue exaggerating Russian advances in the Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole directions as part of the systematic Russian cognitive warfare effort to propagate claims of expansive Russian gains for informational effects. Other Key Takeaways: Ukrainian forces used combined arms approaches to leverage drones in support of infantry forces and achieved elements of mechanized maneuver at the tactical level during the Ukrainian 2026 Oleksandrivka counteroffensive. Ukrainian forces conducted an FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile strike against an enterprise critical to Russia’s efforts to develop domestic satellite communications for the battlefield in Ukraine overnight on August 14 to 15. Ukrainian forces appear to be targeting Russian ballistic missile launch infrastructure amidst Ukraine’s ongoing anti-ballistic missile interceptor shortage. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Oleksandrivka direction. Russian forces launched 152 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight on August 14 to 15.
- Aug 15, 20262.0x their median
NEW: Kremlin officials continue to reiterate Russia’s unwillingness to engage in any meaningful peace negotiations that fail to fulfill Russia’s demands for Ukraine’s complete capitulation, despite Ukraine’s repeated negotiation efforts. (1/2) Other Key Takeaways: Russia rejected Turkish and Ukrainian proposals for a moratorium on strikes against maritime targets in the Black Sea, further underscoring the fact that Moscow is systematically refusing even the most limited diplomatic proposals from Ukraine and third-party states. The technological offense-defense drone race in Ukraine is advancing rapidly and expanding the kill zone. Ukrainian forces hit a Russian oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast and a Wildberries warehouse in Tver Oblast overnight on August 13 to 14. Russian forces launched 112 drones against Ukraine overnight. Russian forces recently advanced in the Hulyaipole direction.
- Aug 24, 20262.0x their median
NEW: Russian forces recently advanced east of Slovyansk as they continue prioritizing efforts to secure favorable positions east and southeast of the city in preparation for frontal assaults towards Slovyansk and the rest of the Fortress Belt. Other Key Takeaways: Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to set unrealistic deadlines for the Russian military to seize the entirety of Donetsk Oblast likely in part because of his misunderstanding of the battlefield realities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly presented a joint Ukraine-US-Europe proposal on August 23 to end the war in Ukraine that offers significant Ukrainian concessions even as Putin and other Kremlin officials continue to refuse to compromise on any of their core demands. Ukrainian forces are conducting an intermediate-range strike campaign in occupied Ukraine, including occupied Crimea, and Russia in a concerted effort to degrade Russia’s strike and air defense capabilities. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign targeting Russian logistics, fuel, and electrical infrastructure. Russian forces launched 127 drones against Ukraine overnight.
- Aug 20, 20262.0x their median
NEW: Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to present Russia’s poor economic performance in a positive light as he is unable to conceal the damage that over four years of war and Ukrainian long-range strikes have done to the Russian economy. Other Key Takeaways: Gasoline shortages are continuing across Russia, including in areas Putin has sought to shield from negative consequences of the war. The Russian government’s attempts to alleviate gasoline shortages are having compounding effects, including in other key economic sectors. Kremlin concern about social disorders resulting from fuel shortages has reportedly led to the deployment of paramilitary forces in some areas. Russian authorities are restricting mass gatherings in Moscow’s Red Square, likely out of fear of protests and domestic unrest. The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) confirmed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s appointment of Yevheniy Khmara as the Ukrainian Defense Minister on August 19. Russia and Ukraine recently conducted an exchange of prisoners of war (POW). Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast, and Russian forces recently advanced in the Kupyansk direction. Ukrainian forces struck the Ufa Oil Refining Hub, which includes three separate refineries, in Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan (about 1,200 kilometers from the international border) overnight on August 18 to 19. Russian forces launched 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 65 drones against Ukraine overnight.
- Aug 16, 20262.0x their median
NEW: Ukrainian forces have struck seven of Wildberries’ 10 largest logistics centers since July 2026 as part of the ongoing Ukrainian strike campaign aimed at degrading the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) and dual-use logistics network. Other Key Takeaways: Ukrainian forces struck a Russian defense industrial facility in Rostov Oblast on the night of August 15 to 16. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces made confirmed advances on August 16. Russia launched an unspecified number of Onyx anti-ship missiles, Iskander-M/S-400/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, and 106 drones against Ukraine overnight.
- Aug 29, 20261.8x their median
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 28, 2026: Ukrainian forces struck a Russian strategic bomber at the Engels-2 Airbase in Saratov Oblast, demonstrating Ukraine’s ability to strike heavily defended targets in Russia’s rear. Other Key Takeaways: Russian budgetary challenges resulting from its costly war effort, Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign, international sanctions, and economic mismanagement are manifesting in concrete operational problems. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) will likely expand its access to Russians’ personal and medical information ahead of rumored involuntary reserve call-ups after the September 20 State Duma elections. Russian forces conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch as part of the Kremlin’s nuclear saber-rattling to project military strength. Russia is portraying its Starlink-jamming electronic warfare (EW) system as a breakthrough capability as part of its cognitive warfare effort to dissuade the United States from granting Ukraine access to Starlink over Russian territory. Ukrainian forces made limited tactical advances in the Kostyantynivka direction. Ukrainian forces are conducting repeat strikes against Russian oil refineries to keep them offline. Russia launched 164 drones against Ukraine overnight. (1/2)
- Aug 27, 20261.8x their median
NEW: Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi proposed a headquarters restructuring to support the Ukrainian defense in Donetsk Oblast during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 26. Other Key Takeaways: Russian forces are conducting two main efforts, attacking the northern and southern tips of Ukraine’s Fortress Belt in Donetsk Oblast — Russia’s primary objective in its Spring-Summer 2026 offensive. Russian forces continue to infiltrate into and around Kostyantynivka as part of the broader campaign to seize Ukraine’s Fortress Belt and all of Donetsk Oblast, while Ukrainian forces continue holding positions in northern and northwestern parts of the city. Russian forces are meanwhile intensifying their battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign against Slovyansk that aims to disrupt Ukrainian logistics and set conditions for Russian ground offensive operations against Slovyansk. The United Russia Party is reportedly planning to increase its control over State Duma committees to establish United Russia as the dominant force in Russian domestic politics. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Dobropillya and Kupyansk directions. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil and dual-use logistics infrastructure and Russian military assets. Russia launched 162 drones against Ukraine overnight.
- Sep 1, 20261.7x their median
NEW: Russia’s second batch of Rassvet satellites appears to have failed to reach intended operational altitudes, marking another setback in Moscow’s efforts to rapidly develop a Russian analogue to Starlink. Russia is likely rushing to launch Rassvet satellites to compensate for the loss of Starlink connectivity over Ukraine. Russia will likely continue struggling to establish an analogous version of the Starlink constellation unless it dramatically increases the number of successful Rassvet satellite launches. Ukrainian strikes against Rassvet satellite production and launch sites threaten to further degrade Russia’s ability to establish a successful constellation on a timeline Russia deems acceptable. Other Key Takeaways: Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to remain in favor of conducting covert mobilization following Russia’s September 18-20 State Duma elections and appears committed to sustaining his existing force generation mechanism. Russian President Vladimir Putin met separately with People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 31 ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. Russian officials continue to implicitly threaten NATO in the Arctic as part of its rhetorical efforts to deter NATO defensive and cohesion measures in the region. US, Ukrainian, and Russian officials appear to be resuming limited bilateral negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Sumy, Borova, and Slovyansk directions and the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and Russian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction and Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Belgorod Oblast, including Ozon (Wildberries’ main competitor) marketplaces, on the night of August 30 to 31. Russia launched one Kh-59 cruise missile and 121 drones against Ukraine overnight.
Ranked by total interactions across everything we have tracked for this account, which is a longer history than the 30-day window the rates above use. The multiple compares each post to this account's own median.
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Reading these numbers
A typical post picks up 435 interactions against 1.4M followers, an engagement rate of 0.031%. Measured over 45 original posts, its engagement rate beats 52% of 3,774 tracked accounts of a similar size, which puts it in the middle of its size range rather than at either end. Posts are seen about 88K times each, and 0.495% of those impressions turn into an interaction. That is about 6.25% of the follower count, which is the gap between an audience on paper and an audience in a timeline. Posting runs at about 7.2 posts a day over the last 30 days, with activity on roughly 73% of days. Most posts go out around 23:00 UTC, and Tuesday is the busiest day of the week. Of the 45 posts sampled, 100% carry an image or video and 78% are part of a thread. The account's strongest tracked post pulled 2.0K interactions, about 4.5x its own typical post.
- What is Institute for the Study of War's engagement rate on X?
- Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) has an engagement rate of 0.031%, based on the median interactions across 45 original posts from the last 30 days against 1,407,351 followers. Replies, reposts and quote-posts of other people are excluded from that sample.
- Is that a good engagement rate?
- At 0.031%, Institute for the Study of War sits above the 25th percentile of the 36,654 accounts in this comparison. Those comparison accounts are all large ones, because our scanning cadence is weighted towards big accounts, so this is a ranking among peers of similar scale rather than a ranking across X.
- Does @TheStudyofWar have real engagement?
- Its engagement rate beats 52% of the tracked X accounts closest to it in follower count (3,774 accounts), which puts it in the middle of its size range group. Ranking inside a size band matters because engagement rate falls as accounts grow, so a raw rate would mostly re-measure the follower count. It is a starting point for a look at follower quality, not a verdict on it.
- When does @TheStudyofWar post?
- Most posts go out around 23:00 UTC, and Tuesday is its busiest day, at roughly 7.2 posts per day across the measured window.