Editor’s Note: Moscow-based Swiss geopolitical analyst and legal expert Dr. Peter Hänseler responds to Swiss officer Pascal Kohler’s article published in ASMZ, which targets military analyst Jacques Baud. In his article featured on Forum Geopolitica, Hänseler proves that Kohler’s claims regarding subjects such as Bucha, Skripal, Navalny, and the Ukraine war contradict the actual statements found in Baud’s books, and accuses Kohler of plagiarizing from Wikipedia without citation. Furthermore, he points out that Kohler distorted Baud’s analyses to slander him, producing a smear piece with an amateurism unbecoming of an officer.

Kohler’s article in the Allgemeine Schweizerische Militär Zeitschrift (ASMZ)

On 30 December 2025, the ASMZ published an article by Kohler entitled «Kognitive Zermürbung: Die Logik hinter dem Fall Baud» (‘Cognitive attrition: The logic behind the Baud case’). This article is a vicious, defamatory attack on the most objective military analyst in the Western hemisphere, Jacques Baud.

In the lead-in to the article, Kohler does not describe the sanctions as ‘a blow to the freedom of expression of an individual’. He describes them as ‘rather a precise intervention in the logistics of modern hybrid warfare’, deliberately omitting what he believes ‘hybrid’ warfare to mean. Kohler thus insinuates that the EU is waging war – nota bene against a fellow Swiss officer – and that this justifies the suppression of freedom of expression. Kohler not only supports the EU’s sanctioning of Baud, but also assures the EU of the Swiss army’s support in this fight. It can be assumed that the Swiss army leadership is behind this strategy, otherwise a subordinate would not have written such an inflammatory article on the ASMZ website. However, I was unable to find any confirmation of this.

Kohler does not work carefully; rather, it seems that he did not even formulate his specific accusations against Baud himself, but simply copied them from Wikipedia, without citing the source, of course. This is plagiarism from a source that no serious geopolitician would touch.

On the ASMZ website, he describes his work as follows:

‘He is currently Head of International Cooperation & Training in the Operations Command, responsible for coordinating and implementing international training and engagements.’

— Pascal Kohler, ASZM

Whatever this verbiage may mean, Kohler is head of training, and as head of training, he must set an example. A role model does not copy information from Wikipedia without citing the source and sell it as his own. In addition, Kohler deliberately neglects the real sources completely; those sources that contain Baud’s statements – the books by Jacques Baud himself.

The work of Jacques Baud

Jacques Baud’s real statements on many geopolitical issues are exhaustively covered in his books, which are pure analyses and in which Baud relies exclusively on Western and Ukrainian sources.

In none of his publications has Baud ever taken sides in any of the conflicts he has analysed. Jacques Baud’s statements in his books are exhaustive, as he does not use social media channels. We therefore compare the statements made by Kohler with the statements actually made by Jacques Baud.

Preliminary remarks on the defamatory statements

I have carefully read all the passages on all the topics raised by Kohler in his pamphlet in Jacques Baud’s books. Baud’s analyses are very accurate, detailed and clearly referenced with footnotes and sources, as befits a scientific work.

In order to make this article manageable for readers in terms of length, I will analyse Kohler’s slander regarding Butscha in detail by quoting longer passages from Baud’s books.

For the other topics – Skripal, Navalny, etc. – I will limit myself to quoting short passages from Baud’s work, which does not mean, however, that Baud has not written detailed analyses with references for all topics.

Bucha – 2022

Regarding Bucha, Kohler writes the following:

‘In the case of Bucha, he interprets the documented massacre as having been planned by the British and carried out by the Ukrainians – a thesis that contradicts German intelligence recordings of Russian soldiers’ conversations about killings and satellite images of corpses during the Russian occupation.’

— Kohler, 30 December 2025

Jacques Baud wrote the following in his book ‘Operation Z’ in 7.3.2:

“[…] What exactly happened there? No one knows. But some civilians were executed, while others appear to have been collateral victims of the fighting. As for responsibility, Ukraine accuses the Russian army, while Russia claims it was a fabrication.”

Baud describes the sequence of events as follows:

On April 4, the New York Times publishes a satellite photo of the scene from March 11, 2022, almost three weeks before the “discovery” of the bodies[i] (the date of which is later changed to March 19 for no reason). Two facts are surprising: that the Russians allegedly left the bodies lying on the street for three weeks, even though they had carefully buried other victims in the area during that period, and that the bodies remained in exactly the same position during that entire time.

It is also known that the New York Times image was provided by Maxar, a company that works for the US government. We also know which satellites Maxar uses, their trajectory, their position at a given time, and their overflight times. Using this information and measuring the shadows, we can determine exactly on which day the photo was taken. A group of independent Russian analysts was able to determine that the photo was taken on April 1 at 11:57 GMT (2:57 p.m. local time) [ii]. This is confirmed by traces of a violent thunderstorm that hit the city on the night of March 31 to April 1. Strangely, Maxar does not provide images of this area for March 21 and 23, even though they are listed in the catalog.

Furthermore, other facts give cause for caution:

• On April 4, the Pentagon announces that it is unable to confirm Russia’s responsibility in the Bucha affair.
• Ukrainian Socialist MP Ilya Kiva[iv] reveals on Telegram that the Bucha tragedy was planned by the British intelligence service MI6 and carried out by the SBU[v].
• In June 2022, Italian television station TG24 investigates the killings and crimes against civilians who allegedly collaborated with Russian forces and concludes that this was the case in Bucha.
• Other images from Maxar taken in the same area at a different time “weigh” 100 MB, while the image of the “massacre” is barely 50 MB, suggesting that it has been manipulated to conceal manipulation.

None of this proves anything in itself, but it shows that what is presented to us as indisputable is anything but clear.

As Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Foreign Minister, explains:

“These are not war crimes unless a court has determined that they are.”

— Ignazio Cassis, April 7, 2022

Slander 1: Baud never wrote or said what Kohler claims

Baud never claimed that Bucha was planned by British intelligence. He clearly stated that no one knows what happened there.

In his remarks, Baud merely quotes a post on X by Ukrainian MP Ilya Kiva, who was murdered in Moscow on December 6, 2023. On December 6, 2023, the BBC reported that Kyva had been murdered by the Ukrainian secret service SBU.

Against his better judgment, Kohler is passing off the statement made by the murdered Kiva as a statement made by Baud.

Baud agreed with Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, who stated on Swiss television on April 7, 2022:

“These are not war crimes as long as no court has determined that they are.”

— Ignazio Cassis, April 7, 2022

Skripal – 2018

Regarding Skripal, Kohler writes the following:

“In the case of the attack on Skripal in 2018, he interprets the proven nerve agent as something else.”

— Kohler, December 30, 2025

Jacques Baud wrote the following in section 8.6.5 of his book “Fake News”:

We will limit ourselves here to two quotes from Baud’s book; the entire analysis can be found in the book.

“Furthermore, the initial report compiled after the victims were admitted to hospital mentioned fentanyl poisoning, as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported in September 2018, without mentioning ‘Novichok’[i]. The Salisbury Journal of March 5 also mentions possible fentanyl poisoning[ii]

“The silence of the British and Western authorities on this issue suggests that the analysis was unable to confirm Russia’s guilt. But in fact, we know nothing about it.

Slander 2: Baud never wrote or said what Kohler claims

Baud does not interpret anything; he analyzes the official findings and statements with precise references and concludes that the analyses cannot confirm Russia’s guilt – nothing more.

Navalny – 2020

Regarding Navalny, Kohler writes the following:

“In the Navalny case in 2020, he claimed it was a mafia act, even though the use of Novichok was verified by independent OPCW certification laboratories and the involvement of FSB agents was proven.”

— Kohler, December 30, 2025

In his book “The Navalny Case,” Jacques Baud wrote the following in section 7.1:

“Analysis of the Navalny case shows that at every stage of the proceedings, the explanations that were systematically selected from the range of possible explanations were those that fit the narrative of poisoning with Novichok and thus must have been ordered by Vladimir Putin. The fact that Skripal and Navalny’s symptoms were completely different, that neither of them showed symptoms of nerve agent poisoning, that neither of them showed the long-term effects associated with Novichok poisoning, or that Novichok was also produced by Western countries, did not cause the media or politicians to exercise caution.

On the contrary, foreign policy is being shaped and measures with uncertain consequences are being taken based solely on the telephone “confession” of an agent whose identity and status no one could verify, and on secret military reports.”

“Since the reports from the German, French, and Swedish laboratories and the OPCW are classified as secret, we do not know their content. However, it can be assumed that if their conclusions had clearly confirmed the presence of Novichok, they would have been published in more detail.”

Slander 3: Baud never wrote or said what Kohler claims

Baud never used the term “mafia-like” as claimed by Kohler. In his detailed analysis, Baud merely concludes that the German, French, and Swedish laboratories were unable to verify the “desired” result. Kohler’s claims that Novichok and the involvement of the FSB have been proven are false.

Osama bin Laden – 2001

Regarding Osama bin Laden, Kohler writes the following:

“On historical events: Baud claimed that Osama bin Laden had nothing to do with September 11.”

— Kohler, December 30, 2025

Jacques Baud wrote the following in his book Gouverner par les Fake News (Governing by Fake News) – Section 5.4:

In June 2006, Rex Tomb, head of public affairs for the FBI, confirmed:

The reason “9/11” is not mentioned on the Osama bin Laden wanted poster is that the FBI has no evidence linking Bin Laden to “9/11”[iii] .

Slander 4: Baud never wrote or said what Kohler claims

Nowhere in his books did Jacques Baud ever claim that Osama bin Laden had nothing to do with September 11; he merely analyzed Western sources and concluded that not much was known about the origins of 9/11.

Cause-and-effect relationship Ukraine conflict – 2021

Regarding the Ukraine conflict in 2021, Kohler writes the following:

“He reverses the cause-and-effect relationship with regard to the invasion of Ukraine. He claims that Ukraine provoked Russia by attempting to recapture Donbass in 2022. To support his claims, he quotes a statement made by Zelensky’s advisor Arestovich in 2019, which, however, was an analytical warning of a possible Russian invasion, i.e., a security policy forecast that later tragically came true.”

— Kohler, December 30, 2025

Jacques Baud wrote the following in his book Ukraine Between War and Peace – Section 3.1:

“Ukraine’s accession to NATO is therefore only possible if Russia is unable to threaten it. Russia must therefore suffer a crushing defeat that destroys its economy, triggers a revolution and regime change, or even leads to the division of Russia into smaller entities. This is exactly what Arestovych explains: “Our price for joining NATO is a war against Russia and its defeat.” He even mentions the expected date of this war: “2021 or 2022”[iv] !”

Slander 5: What Kohler claims, Baud never wrote or said

Jacques Baud never reversed the cause-and-effect relationship regarding the invasion of Ukraine. He merely quotes from an interview with Olekseï Arestovych and explains his thoughts.

Conclusion

It is somewhat astonishing that a career officer in the Swiss army, who is also responsible for training, would write such an easily refutable pamphlet or hate speech against a former colleague, thereby stabbing a colleague who has been weakened by sanctions in the back. The question of whether he did so on behalf of a superior remains unanswered.

This pamphlet is characterized not only by malice, but also by an almost incomprehensible amateurishness. One can only hope that Jacques Baud will not let this primitive and actionable attack go unchallenged, but will hold this person, who does not deserve to wear an officer’s uniform, accountable. It remains to be seen how long this person’s superiors will stand by him. A training officer convicted of defamation would be a first for the Swiss Army.

References:

[i] Ron Synovitz, „Name Your Poison: Exotic Toxins Fell Kremlin Foes”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, September 18, 2018

[ii] “Man found seriously ill in Maltings, Salisbury, is former Russian spy Sergei Skripal,” www.salisburyjournal.co.uk, March 5, 2018.

[iii] http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=rex_tomb_1

[iv] „Predicted Russian – Ukrainian war in 2019 – Alexey Arestovich”, YouTube, March 18, 2022 (https://youtu.be/1xNHmHpERH8).

[i]. Carole Landry, „The Horror in Bucha“, The New York Times, April 4, 2022 (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/briefing/russia-ukraine-war-briefing-bucha-warcrimes.html)

[ii]. https://t.me/rybar/30599

[iii]. „Pentagon can’t independently confirm atrocities in Ukraine’s Bucha, official says”, Reuters, April 4, 2022 (https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-cant-independently-confirm-atrocities-ukraines-bucha-official-says-2022-04-04/?taid=624b43bd3225ef0001288ec4)

[iv]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illia_Kyva

[v]. https://t.me/intelslava/24353

[vi]. Jacopo Arbarello, „Guerra in Ucraina, la questione dei collaborazionisti filorussi” (War in Ukraine, the issue of pro-Russian collaborators), Sky TG24, June 7, 2022 (https://tg24.sky.it/mondo/2022/06/06/guerra-russia-ucraina-filorussi)

[i]. https://t.me/vityzeva/52988.

[ii]. „Bucha liberated from Russian invaders – mayor”, ukrinform.net, April 1, 2022 (https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3445989-bucha-liberated-from-russian-invaders-mayor.html).

[iii]. Violetta Orlova, „Мер Бучі підтвердив звільнення міста від російських військ”, Unian, April 1, 2022 (https://www.unian.ua/war/bucha-novini-mer-buchi-zayavlyaye-pro-zvilnennya-mista-vid-okupantiv-novini-vtorgnennya-rosiji-v-ukrajinu-11769010.html).

[iv]„Буча после ухода русских военныхQ”, Kedrov Talks/YouTube, April 2, 2022 (https://youtu.be/72TZbAeKPSE).

[v]. Violetta Orlova, „У звільненій Бучі розпочали зачистку території від диверсантів та російських пособників”, Unian, April 2, 2022 (https://www.unian.ua/war/bucha-u-zvilnenomu-misti-rozpochali-zachistku-teritoriji-vid-diversantiv-ta-rosiyskih-posobnikiv-novini-kiyeva-11770498.html).

[vi]. https://youtu.be/Z7yIyNBMpQY.