David Patrikarakos is a British author, journalist, and war correspondent specializing in international security, digital media’s influence on conflict, and nuclear proliferation.

He gained recognition for his 2012 book Nuclear Iran: The Birth of an Atomic State, which examines Iran’s nuclear ambitions through historical and geopolitical analysis, and his 2017 work War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century, which explores how platforms like Twitter have transformed information warfare in modern conflicts such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Patrikarakos has reported from active war zones, including being among the first Western journalists in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine, in 2014 during the early stages of the Russia-backed separatist insurgency, and has covered the Israel-Gaza conflict, emphasizing on-the-ground realities and the challenges of real-time digital reporting.

As a contributor to outlets including Politico, The Daily Beast, UnHerd, and the Daily Mail—where he serves as special correspondent—he focuses on themes like disinformation, hybrid warfare, and state-sponsored influence operations, often drawing from direct fieldwork rather than institutional narratives.