I have covered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since March 2022.
I served in the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted infantryman. My father was a Vietnam veteran and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks spurred me to join the military. I deployed twice to Afghanistan, then left to pursue a degree from Georgetown University.
I worked at The Washington Post from 2015-17, covering the U.S. military, and joined The Times in 2017. I later returned to Afghanistan to serve as a correspondent then as the Kabul bureau chief, covering the nation at a pivotal moment ahead of the U.S. departure.
I strive for accuracy, fairness and empathy when I set out to cover a story. Reporting on subjects such as war and loss is emotionally fraught and I do everything I can to ensure that the people I talk to feel heard and respected. You can learn more about The Times’s ethics guidelines here.
Email: [email protected]
X: @tmgneff
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The gunman who opened fire at a Trump rally grew up in an area where hunting and target shooting have long been popular pastimes. Now, there’s new talk of gun regulation.
By Bianca Pallaro, Amy Julia Harris and Jack Healy
The gunman wore a T-shirt from a popular gun-themed YouTube channel. The creator said he was “just in disbelief.”
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
This was featured in live coverage.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
In photographs of the Secret Service snipers, they appeared to be using long-range and powerful rifles that likely fire .300 or .338 cartridges, commonly used by well-trained military snipers.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
The AR-15 rifle, billed as “America’s rifle” by the National Rifle Association, has been commonly used by mass shooters and is one of the most ubiquitous weapons in the United States.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
A German medic said he was so troubled that he confronted his commander. Others boasted about killings in a group chat.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Families of some soldiers say they have spent months trying to get official confirmation of their loved ones’ deaths, adding to their anguish.
By Maria Varenikova
The days of lightning battlefield breakthroughs may be over. With Russia preparing to make a big push, the Ukrainians can do little but dig in.
By Josh Holder, Eric Schmitt and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
As explosive drones gain battlefield prominence, even the mighty U.S. Abrams tank is increasingly vulnerable.
By Lara Jakes
Reporters from The New York Times spoke to men who could be affected by the change.
By David Guttenfelder, Yurii Shyvala and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
As war beat a path through southern and eastern Ukraine, most of the population fled. But other residents have hunkered down, unable — or unwilling — to leave.
By Emile Ducke, Oleksandr Naselenko and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Drones have become a critical weapon for both sides, but a lack of coordination among troops has put Ukraine at a disadvantage.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Yurii Shyvala
Ukrainian officials are disheartened about stalled aid. The Pentagon wants Kyiv to heed its advice on how to fight.
By Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Ukraine only built a sparse, rudimentary defensive line outside Avdiivka. Russia is taking advantage.
By Josh Holder, Constant Méheut, Eric Schmitt and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Russian forces have an unorthodox view of acceptable levels of military losses, with a willingness to expend troops and equipment to make even small gains on the battlefield.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Anatoly Kurmanaev
Kyle Parker says he delivered sniper gear as part of his unabashed support for Ukraine. Investigators say there may be “counterintelligence issues.”
By Lara Jakes, Justin Scheck and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
After nearly two years and only scraps of information, a Ukrainian family still hopes their son, a marine captured by the Russians in Mariupol, will come home soon.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and David Guttenfelder
The fall of Avdiivka to Russia may be more significant than it initially seemed as Ukraine struggles with morale and recruitment.
By Julian E. Barnes, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Eric Schmitt
After the capture of Avdiivka, Ukrainian forces will need a new defensive line in unforgiving terrain, while Russia tries to press its advantage.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky is taking a job vacated by a general who is well-regarded by the army, in what is widely perceived as a politicized shake-up of Ukraine’s military leadership.
By Andrew E. Kramer and Maria Varenikova
A Russian plane shot down with a Patriot missile was probably carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, U.S. officials say.
By Julian E. Barnes and Marc Santora
A proposed bill on mobilization has become the focus of a debate as more men dodge the draft and calls rise to demobilize exhausted soldiers.
By Constant Méheut and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Ukrainians are weary, short of ammunition and outnumbered, and their prospects look bleak. “We can stop them for now, but who knows,” one soldier said. “Tomorrow or the next day, maybe we can’t stop them.”
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Finbarr O’Reilly
The report found that American officials and diplomats had failed to quickly or fully account for all of the nearly 40,000 weapons sent to the front.
By Lara Jakes
Ukraine said it was defending territory behind the eastern frontline town. Its capture would be Russia’s most significant territorial advance in Ukraine in more than six months.
By Constant Méheut
In one of the war’s largest bombardments, 35 missiles slipped through Ukraine’s air cover on Friday, killing dozens. Ukraine responded with shelling on the Russian region of Belgorod, killing at least 22.
By Constant Méheut
The missile and drone attacks killed at least 30 people and damaged critical industrial and military infrastructure, part of a wintertime campaign that Ukraine had been dreading.
By Constant Méheut and Daria Mitiuk
Ukrainian men are reporting incidents of wrongful draft notices, unprofessional medical commissions and coercive mobilization tactics.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington at a critical moment, both on the battlefield and on Capitol Hill.
By Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt, David E. Sanger and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Winter in Ukraine’s eastern steppe brings an inescapable cold. The wind blowing through damaged homes, the shattered windows, the chill in your bones — it feels as if it will be permanent.
By Emile Ducke and Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Since Russian troops were pushed out of the city of Kherson, they have bombed it relentlessly. Closely held river operations could change that.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Oleksandr Naselenko and Emile Ducke
In a candid assessment, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny said no “beautiful breakthrough” was imminent and that breaking the deadlock could require advances in technological warfare.
By Constant Méheut and Andrew E. Kramer
Hundreds of experienced fighters have joined Kyiv’s ranks to improve their financial fortunes, reflecting the recruitment struggles faced by both sides of the conflict.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev and Isayen Herrera
A New York Times reporter who is a former Marine has a conversation with a Ukrainian sniper about morality in war.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff
Scores of young Nepali men have gone to fight, some lured by Russia’s promise of work, others to fight for Ukraine, raising the prospect of Nepalis fighting one another in a distant war.
By Bhadra Sharma and Jeffrey Gettleman
This was featured in live coverage.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Natalia Yermak
In a war built around artillery, tanks, drones and cruise missiles, the role of the sniper, unseen and lethal, occupies an often overlooked but essential part of the battlefield.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Natalia Yermak and David Guttenfelder
Ukraine’s counteroffensive has breached Russian defenses, but progress has been grueling and slow. Familiar obstacles, fresh troops and worsening weather lie ahead.
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Lauren Leatherby
Witness accounts and an analysis of video and weapon fragments suggest a Ukrainian missile failed to hit its intended target and landed in a bustling street, with devastating consequences.
By John Ismay, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Haley Willis, Malachy Browne, Christoph Koettl and Alexander Cardia
This was featured in live coverage.
By Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Cassandra Vinograd