OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defences had downed a series of drones late on Thursday targeting regions near the Ukrainian border, including two in the Belgorod region, two in the Bryansk region and one in the Kursk region. The governor of Russia’s Oryol region said four drones had been downed in the area.

Moscow also said that Russian troops had downed a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet, 97 drones and six United States-supplied HIMARS rocket launchers.

Ukraine said its forces shot down 47 of 72 Russian drones targeting the country overnight, and another 24 drones were lost – due to electronic jamming."

lousubcap

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian air defences downed 34 out of 81 drones launched by Russia overnight, the air force said on Saturday. It said that 47 drones were “lost”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched 300 attack drones and 20 missiles at Ukrainian targets in the first three days of 2025.

Ukraine will reportedly receive its first French Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighters this month, according to French magazine Avions Legendaires.

President Joe Biden is expected to announce additional security assistance for Ukraine in the coming days, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby."

lousubcap

Sunday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia has pledged to respond after it claimed to have shot down eight US-supplied ATACMS missiles fired by Ukraine at its border region of Belgorod.

Ukraine’s air force said its air defence shot down 61 out of 103 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack. It said that 42 other drones were “lost”.

The Russian Defence ministry also said its air defence systems had shot down 10 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including three over the northern Leningrad region."

lousubcap

Monday Middle East update:

"The State Department said on Friday it notified Congress that it intends to approve a $8 billion arms sale to Israel. Barak Ravid reports for Axios

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem both threatened to resume attacks over the weekend, each accusing the other of failing to respect the ceasefire terms. Catherine Nicholls, Dana Karni, and Charbel Mallo report for CNN.

The Israeli military yesterday said it had been conducting “operational raids” in recent weeks on Mount Hermon in Syria. Separately, a British-based Syrian war monitor attributed airstrikes around the Syrian capital on Sunday to the Israeli military. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

The Biden administration is reportedly set to announce easing humanitarian aid provision restrictions on Syria today while maintaining its sanctions regime. Alexander Ward reports for the Wall Street Journal."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian forces yesterday launched a new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukrainian and Russian officials said, in an apparent effort to regain the initiative there amid Russian assaults on eastern Ukraine. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken today said Russia may be close to sharing advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea. Helen Regan, Alex Stambaugh, Gawon Bae, and Mariya Knight report for CNN.

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down two Kh-59 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight. Of 128 drones launched, 79 drones were shot down and 49 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets, it added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has heard loud blasts near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, coinciding with reports of a drone attack on the plant’s training centre, it said in a statement. The IAEA has not yet been able to confirm any effect of the attacks. The IAEA team also reported hearing machine-gun fire coming from the site on multiple occasions, it added.

President Zelenskyy said security guarantees for Kyiv to end Russia’s war would only be effective if the US provides them. “Without the United States, security guarantees are not possible. I mean these security guarantees that can prevent Russian aggression,” he said in an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman published on Sunday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainians were counting on Trump to force Moscow to end its war and that Russia would escalate in Europe if Washington were to quit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance."

lousubcap

Worth a read regarding an appreciation for the real drivers here-

MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2025

John Hendrickson STAFF WRITER

Since January 6, 2021, American democracy has been more fragile than at any point in living memory.

Through the Front Door

(Photo by Rebecca Noble / Getty)

This afternoon, after Kamala Harris certified Donald Trump’s 2024 electoral victory, the vice president had a curious choice of words: “Today, America’s democracy stood.” Although such a statement is meant to portray the durability of institutions, in reality, it showcased how volatile and fragile the American experiment has become. This time around, no one is arguing over who won. Trump finished with 312 Electoral College votes, well over the 270 threshold needed to become president. (And unlike in 2016, he also triumphed in the popular vote.) Thus, today, amid a snowstorm, Harris and other officials entered the Capitol and carried out their constitutional duty, affirming those results and initiating the peaceful transfer of power. Like former Vice President Al Gore did 24 years ago, Harris personally confirmed the victory of the man who’d defeated her. For a moment, Congress was operating under a shared reality, one in which vote totals mattered, free and fair elections mattered, facts mattered. In the weeks, months, and years after January 6, 2021, though, none of the above has mattered—not enough. You may recall that, after trying to overthrow the government, Trump was impeached in the House but acquitted in the Senate, which allowed for the possibility of his return. He embarked on a vengeance tour, vanquishing his GOP rivals in primaries and silencing virtually all dissenters into submission (or retirement). Democracy stood, as Harris put it, because democracy is a series of systems, and all systems can be shaped, bent, and exploited by human beings. Trump had help with his attempt to illegitimately stay in power last time around. In 2021, 147 members of the GOP voted to overturn the recent presidential-election results. But after nightfall on January 6, Senator Mitch McConnell could theoretically have whipped his fellow Republicans into an anti-Trump bloc that might have persisted from that day forward. He didn’t. Senator Lindsey Graham, who, hours after the mob seized the Capitol, declared “Enough is enough,” has likewise decided that, in fact, he hasn’t had enough, and is among the many erstwhile Trump critics who have fallen back in line. J. D. Vance, who in an essay for this magazine once called Trump “cultural heroin,” will resign his Senate seat in order to serve as Trump’s vice president. Trump’s historic comeback can be attributed to many things—inflation, immigration, the economy, grievance politics, his own charisma, his weak Democratic opponent(s)—but perhaps nothing has mattered more than his keen understanding of the nebulous nature of rules. Decades ago, people in Trump’s orbit, such as Roy Cohn and Roger Stone, taught him that rules are malleable, that winning is all that matters. Democrats, however, are by and large a party of rule followers. Despite being forced out of the race by his own party, President Joe Biden is still an institutionalist. There he was, smiling next to Trump, the man whom he had characterized as an “existential threat.” Biden’s courtesies, his adherence to norms, extend all the way down. Susie Wiles, Trump’s former co–campaign manager, said that Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, has been “very helpful” to her, and that he has gone so far as to host a dinner for her and others at his home. Opposition party this is not. The Democrats are playing one game, and Trump is playing another. Trump is winning. “Today, I did what I have done my entire career, which is take seriously the oath that I have taken many times to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Harris said this afternoon. As was the case with Mike Pence four years ago, there’s no compelling argument for why she should have done otherwise. She had a job to do, and she did it. Harris and everyone else in the Capitol today were supporting and defending a system that Trump has bent to his will—and all but broken. Trump takes his own oath two weeks from today. In his second term, he’s poised to remake the existing systems in his own image. Nobody quite knows what comes after that."

lousubcap

Tuesday Middle East update:

"The Israeli military left the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura yesterday and will continue to withdraw “until all Israeli forces are out of Lebanon completely,” U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said yesterday after arriving in Beirut. The Washington Post reports.

The Biden administration will divert $95 million in military aid allocated for Egypt to Lebanon, according to a document seen by Reuters yesterday. Patricia Zengerle reports.

Iranian forces have largely withdrawn from Syria after the Assad regime’s collapse, losing a key land bridge to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, U.S., European, and Arab officials say. Lara Seligman, Jared Malsin, Benoit Faucon, and Summer Said report for the Wall Street Journal.  

The U.S. Treasury Department yesterday issued a six-month general license authorizing certain types of transactions with the Syrian government, including some energy sales. Fatima Hussein and Kareem Chehayeb report for AP News.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plans to “significantly” expand its work in Syria beyond an initial $100 million program, the organization’s president said yesterday. Riham Alkousaa reports for Reuters.

Turkey is ready to “swiftly” step in if Syria breaks up, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said yesterday. Sasha Schroeder reports for POLITICO.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday called for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Biden leaves office. James Mackenzie and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates has discussed with Israel and the United States participating in post-war Gaza’s administration until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge, sources say. Alexander Cornwell reports for Reuters."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update: (pretty sparse)

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia has suffered heavy losses amid the five-month incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region, with nearly 15,000 killed. The occupation of the southern Russian region has allowed Kyiv’s troops to establish a buffer zone, forcing Moscow to divert military units away from front-line areas in eastern Ukraine, he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Ukraine to have “realistic” expectations regarding territory as its fight against the Russian invasion heads towards a fourth year, saying he saw no “quick and easy solution” to the conflict.

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Ukraine envoy, retired Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, has postponed a fact-finding trip to Kyiv and other European capitals until after Trump’s inauguration on January 20, according to sources.

Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment said that Ukraine is grinding down Russian forces. Russian gains are small relative to costs. There has been no collapse of the front.

On the other hand, he said, “Ukraine is losing territory. The coldest part of the winter is yet ahead. The current theory of success is unclear, or what resources will be made available by the West in 2025.”

Russia has been driving westward in a slow and costly effort to capture all of Donetsk. Ukraine is short of troops on the front lines and is straining to hold back the bigger Russian army.

Russian forces are trying to close in on Pokrovsk, a key road junction and rail distribution center furnishing supplies to a broad span of the Ukrainian front line.

In 2022, Moscow illegally annexed the Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk regions, which make up the Donbas industrial area, together with southeastern provinces of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. But Russian forces don’t fully control any of them."

lousubcap

For our member of the GWN-an interesting read-

Exit Trudeau

Is Justin Trudeau a victim of global political trends, a unique failure, a leader who left a positive mark, or a bit of all three?

https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1736288436052e8902a8127c8/raw?utm_source=cnn_Fareed's+Global+Briefing,+Jan.+7,+2025&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=58Fqjvh2YnZ9hEb2kIz7TofjzNhKvDNDFOc1ZuPWKsgk701Yh7huBYMchnS5kZjO&bt_ts=1736288436054

Braggart

lousubcap said:

For our member of the GWN-an interesting read-

Exit Trudeau

Is Justin Trudeau a victim of global political trends, a unique failure, a leader who left a positive mark, or a bit of all three?

https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1736288436052e8902a8127c8/raw?utm_source=cnn_Fareed's+Global+Briefing,+Jan.+7,+2025&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=58Fqjvh2YnZ9hEb2kIz7TofjzNhKvDNDFOc1ZuPWKsgk701Yh7huBYMchnS5kZjO&bt_ts=1736288436054

An absolute waste of skin of a human being.   Zero substance.  Initially voted in due to his hair, fancy socks and last name.  Has no business running a country.  Re-Voted in 2 additional times by those that enjoyed his vote buying. Pitted east against west, indigenous against non, Israelis against Palestinians.  Self proclaimed feminist who discarded females under his thumb if they dared to question his marching orders (even those orders that were suspect or illegal).  Did anything to cater to his voter base, rest of Canada be damned. Managed to double (yes, double) our national debt in his tenure, from 600odd billion to 1.2odd trillion in a short 10 years.   Let that sink in.  Canada was founded in 1867.  From that point to the time Trudeau was elected the national debt was 600b.    That took about 150 years.    In the following 10 years he spent an additional 600b with really nothing to show for it.   Health care is in peril (will spend more on debt servicing than health care this year!!).  Military is a joke.  Infrastructure is crumbling.  I could go on.

"You'll excuse me if I don't worry about monetary policy".
"The budget will balance itself".

I would call him a putz, but that would be a disservice to foreskins everywhere.

Ask me how I really feel...

(Non partisan Canadian here.  No party affiliation.  Just someone who sees that our children will be paying for his lack of true leadership for years and years).

 

lousubcap

Wednesday Middle East update:

"The United Arab Emirates has discussed the possibility of contributing to postwar efforts to rebuild Gaza but its conditions for involvement have yet to be met, a UAE official told CNN yesterday. Mostafa Salem and Tareq Al Hilou report.

Gaza aid supply is facing a “dangerous pattern of sabotage and deliberate disruption,” U.N. humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher said on Monday. Kelly Kasulis Cho reports for the Washington Post.

President-elect Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism over ongoing Doha ceasefire and hostage negotiations yesterday, with Trump reiterating that “all hell will break out” if the hostages are not released by Inauguration Day. Gram Slattery reports for Reuters; Michael D. Shear and Michael Crowley report for the New York Times. 

A Hamas official yesterday reiterated the group’s demand that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages.James Mackenzie and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.

Israel has signed domestic deals worth around $275 million to produce its own heavy bombs and defense materials and reduce reliance on imports, the Defense Ministry announced yesterday. The Washington Post reports.

Syria will “take its time” to organize a national dialogue conference to ensure all segments of the Syrian society are included, the country’s interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said yesterday. Timour Azhari and Tuvan Gumrukcu report for Reuters.

The EU could “swiftly” lift sanctions that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder Syria’s recovery, France's foreign minister said today. John Irish reports for Reuters.

Qatar is planning to help finance a boost of Syrian public sector salaries, according to a U.S. official and a senior diplomat. Timour Azhari and Andrew Mills report for Reuters.

Jordan and Syria will form a joint security committee to combat cross-border smuggling and prevent an Islamic State resurgence, the Jordanian foreign minister said yesterday. Nayera Abdallah, Tala Ramadan, and Suleiman Al-Khalidi report for Reuters."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President-elect Donald Trump claimed that US President Joe Biden had changed Washington’s position towards Ukraine joining NATO, and he understood how Moscow felt about its neighbour joining the military alliance. “Somewhere along the line, Biden said, ‘No. They [Ukraine] should be able to join NATO’. Well, then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I could understand their feelings about that,” Trump said.

Ukraine said its forces were “commencing new offensive actions” in Russia’s western Kursk region, in its first substantive remarks two days after Russian reports of a renewed Ukrainian thrust in the area.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff in Kyiv, there have been 218 clashes on all sections of the front line in the past 24 hours. In the Kursk region alone, the army repelled 94 Russian attacks.

The Ukrainian Army also said it launched a “precision strike” on a Russian Army “military command post” near Belaya, in the Kursk region."

lousubcap

Thursday Middle East update:

"State Department officials warned the Trump transition team of the risk of a humanitarian “catastrophe” in Gaza once the Israeli ban on contact with the U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) takes effect, U.S. officials said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

U.S. ground presence is still needed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State from reconstituting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday. Tara Copp reports for AP News.

The Biden administration will maintain the terrorist designation of Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for the remainder of President Biden’s tenure, three U.S. officials said. John Hudson reports for the Washington Post.

Iran’s top-ranking Syria general said Iran “was defeated very badly” but will still try to operate in the country in a speech last week, contradicting the Iranian leaders’ official line on the fall of the Assad regime. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

Turkish officials will tell Under-Secretary of State John Bass that Syria needs to be rid of terrorist groups during his visit to Ankara this week, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said yesterday. Tuvan Gumrukcu reports for Reuters."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Ukrainian military said that Russia launched a total of 70 drones at the country overnight. Of those drones, Ukraine’s air force shot down 46, while 24 “imitator drones” did not reach their targets. The attack damaged private residences in three Ukrainian regions.

The United States will provide Ukraine with an additional $500 million in weapons pulled from its existing stockpiles, two U.S. officials said. Tara Copp and Matthew Lee report for AP News.

North Korea is “significantly benefitting” from combat in Russia by increasing its war-waging experience, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Camille Shea told the Security Council yesterday. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said any future deal to end the war in Ukraine would need to build into it “the necessary deterrence” to prevent Russia from once again attacking Ukraine."

lousubcap

Friday Middle East update:

"U.S. and Arab mediators have made some progress on Gaza ceasefire talks but not enough to seal a deal, Palestinian sources said yesterday. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.

Pope Francis yesterday described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “very serious and shameful” in an annual address to diplomats, stepping up his criticism of Israel’s military campaign there. Joshua McElwee reports for Reuters.

Arab states and Turkey are jockeying for influence with Syria’s government despite holding misgivings about its Islamist roots, analysts say. Benoit Faucon and Summer Said report for the Wall Street Journal."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Biden administration is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting Russia's economy to bolster Ukraine’s war effort this week, a U.S. official said. Trevor Hunnicutt reports for Reuters.

NATO took over air defenses in Poland from the United States yesterday, the alliance’s spokesperson said, adding that the move is part of a broader effort to shift the responsibility for helping Ukraine to European countries. Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN.

Russian forces have established a bridgehead on the Ukrainian-held side of the front-line Oskil river in the east of the country, an official said, pointing to Kyiv’s mounting battlefield struggles. The river is the de facto front line in parts of the eastern Kharkiv region.

An international coalition to procure unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Ukraine, co-led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, will send 30,000 newly ordered drones to Kyiv, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.

President-elect Donald Trump said a meeting was being set up between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He did not set a timeline for the meeting.

Putin was open to talks with Trump without preconditions, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding the Kremlin welcomed the incoming US president’s “readiness to solve problems through dialogue”.

Ukraine expects high level contacts with the new US administration immediately after Trump takes office, including an eventual meeting between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv’s foreign ministry said.

Zelenskyy said the latest meetings with Kyiv’s Western allies in Germany had resulted in pledges of an additional $2bn in military aid to help it fight the war against Russia."

lousubcap

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia’s defence ministry said it intercepted and destroyed 85 Ukrainian drones overnight in several regions of the country, including 31 drones over the Black Sea, 16 each in the Voronezh and Krasnodar regions and 14 over the Azov Sea.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 74 drones overnight, adding it had downed 47 of them, while 27 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets.

A Ukrainian security service source said a Russian ammunition depot and drone storage facility were hit in a drone and missile attack by Ukraine. The source in the SBU security service said it had launched the joint operation with the navy.

Russian officials reported that an industrial facility near the village of Chaltyr in the Rostov region of Russia bordering Ukraine was ablaze following a drone barrage, without elaborating."

lousubcap

Sunday Russia-Ukraine update: (not much to offer)

"Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the army gained control of the settlement of Shevchenko, near the logistical centre of Pokrovsk, a key target in its advance through Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine has yet to acknowledge the loss of the town.

Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said it repelled 46 of 56 Russian attacks around a dozen towns in the Pokrovsk sector and several clashes were ongoing.

A Ukrainian drone hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries – in Taneko, Tatarstan – according to Russian Telegram channel ASTRA.

Germany continues its battle to secure a heavily loaded tanker stranded off its northern coast, towing the stricken ship that it said was part of Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet” away from shore to avert an oil spill. The 274-metre-long Eventin, carrying almost 100,000 tonnes of oil, was reported adrift and “unable to manoeuvre” in the Baltic Sea."

lousubcap

Monday Middle East update:

"Israel and the mediators have agreed on a draft of the Gaza ceasefire deal and have forwarded it to Hamas, two senior Israeli officials said, with a response expected in the next 24 hours. Axios’ Barak Ravid reports.

The U.N. and Israel are arguing over who must fill the gap in aid delivery if the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) stops operating in Gaza and West Bank later this month when an Israeli law comes into force. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.

Syria’s Intelligence Directorate thwarted a planned Islamic State attack on a Damascus Shi'ite shrine, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported Saturday. Menna Alaa and Tala Ramadan report for Reuters.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday, according to a statement from Mikati’s office. Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.

U.S., French, and German envoys have warned Syria’s HTS that its appointment of foreign jihadists to senior military posts is a security concern and harmful to its international reputation, according to a U.S. official. Timour Azhari and John Irish report for Reuters."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday it had downed nine Ukrainian drones that tried to attack part of the infrastructure of the TurkStream gas pipeline, through which Russian gas flows to Turkey and Europe. It said the attack was aimed against a compressor station in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia, but the facility was working normally and there were no casualties.

Russia’s defence ministry also said that its forces launched 139 missile, drone and artillery attacks on Ukrainian military targets within 24 hours.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the latest round of US sanctions on the Russian energy sector risked destabilising global markets. “It is clear that the United States will continue to try to undermine the positions of our companies in non-competitive ways, but we expect that we will be able to counteract this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “At the same time, of course, such decisions cannot but lead to a certain destabilisation of international energy markets, oil markets. We will very carefully monitor the consequences and configure the work of our companies in order to minimise the consequences of these … illegal decisions.”"

lousubcap

Tuesday Middle East update:

"Israel and Hamas are finalizing the terms of a ceasefire deal in Gaza that could be announced as soon as today, according to Arab and Israeli officials. President Biden yesterday said negotiators were “on the brink” of an agreement, an assessment echoed by senior U.S. and Hamas officials. Summer Said and Anant Peled report for the Wall Street Journal; Niha Masih, Abbie Cheeseman, Adam Taylor, and Hazem Balousha report for the Washington Post.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will today present a plan for rebuilding and governing post-war Gaza, according to three U.S. officials. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement being finalized in Doha while Israel would free “dozens” of Palestinian prisoners and partially withdraw some of its forces from Gaza, according to a copy of the proposed deal seen by AP News."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Biden administration is facing skepticism from European partners toward its last-ditch effort to seize hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian assets as negotiating leverage for Ukraine, two senior officials said. Kayla Tausche, Alex Marquardt, Jennifer Hansler, and Oren Liebermann report for CNN.

Ukraine struck Russia with a major drone and missile attack overnight, damaging at least three industrial sites and forcing school closures, according to Russian officials and media. Reuters reports.

Russian forces are bypassing the key stronghold and vital logistics hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine that they have fought for months to capture. Instead, they are focused on cutting supply lines to the city by taking aim at a highway that leads from there to the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, Ukraine’s military said.

Ukraine is not currently in a strong enough position for peace talks with Russia, NATO chief Mark Rutte said. “At this moment, clearly Ukraine is not there, because they cannot at this moment negotiate from a position of strength,” Rutte told European Union lawmakers."

lousubcap

Wednesday Middle East update:

"Hamas’ military leader Mohammed Sinwar has reportedly agreed to the Gaza ceasefire deal, according to an Israeli official. Axios’ Barak Ravid reports.

Israel and Hamas have both approved a broad framework of a Gaza ceasefire deal, with Doha negotiations currently focused on the final details of the agreement, an Egyptian official said. A senior Hamas official yesterday said the group is still waiting for Israel to submit maps outlining its forces’ withdrawal from Gaza. Claire Parker reports for the Washington Post; Adam Rasgon, Aaron Boxerman, Isabel Kershner, and Michael D. Shear report for the New York Times; Andrew Mills, Nidal Al-Mughrabi, and Maayan Lubell report for Reuters.

If the current draft Gaza ceasefire deal is implemented, fighting will stop in Gaza for 42 days and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed, according to a copy of the deal seen by AP News. However, the question of whether the ceasefire will hold beyond the initial phase remains. Lee Keath and Samy Magdy report for AP News. 

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 Palestinians in Gaza yesterday, medics said. Separately, an Israeli strike killed at least six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Ali Sawafta reports for Reuters.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday offered his most detailed picture yet of plans for post-war Gaza governance, stressing the importance of not leaving a power vacuum. Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President-elect Trump’s advisers now concede that a Ukraine peace deal is months away, backing away from a key campaign promise to end the war on the first day back in the White House. Gram Slattery reports for Reuters. (Is anyone surprised??)

Australia will take the “strongest action possible” if Russia has harmed an Australian national captured fighting for Ukraine, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said following reports that the man has “likely” been killed. Eric Cheung and Hilary Whiteman report for CNN.

Russia’s “massive” missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure forced emergency power cuts today, Kyiv’s energy minister said. Cassandra Vinograd reports for the New York Times.

Ukraine’s military claimed its largest missile and drone attacks on Russian territory since the start of the war, reportedly hitting the Russian towns of Saratov and Engels and causing some damage to factories.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it would retaliate to the large-scale air attack, accusing Ukraine of again using missiles against Russia that were supplied by the United States and United Kingdom.

NATO chief Mark Rutte says the US-led military alliance will launch a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region following deliberate damage to underwater infrastructure in the region amid the Russia-Ukraine war."

lousubcap

Thursday Middle East update:

"An Israeli cabinet vote on the Gaza ceasefire deal announced yesterday has been delayed due to “Hamas reneg[ing] on parts of the agreement,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today, adding that the cabinet will not convene “until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.” Tamar Michaelis, Ibrahim Dahman, and Catherine Nicholls report for CNN.

A senior Hamas leader said this morning the group is committed to the ceasefire as announced by the mediators. Late yesterday, a different Hamas source said they were hoping to include one or two significant names from the group’s former leaders held in Israeli prisons. Rushdi Abualouf reports for BBC News

The Gaza ceasefire deal emerged at the end of an intense 96 hours of negotiations in Doha, with the presence of President-elect Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, “critical” to its achievement, according to a senior Biden administration official. The deal came about through an extraordinary collaboration between the incoming and ongoing presidential administrations. Steve Holland reports for Reuters;  Peter Baker reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s air force claimed that Russia hit its western part with 43 cruise and ballistic missiles as well as 74 drones.

Russian authorities confirmed the attack, saying it was in response to Kyiv’s aerial attack on Russian army factories and energy hubs with US ATACMS missiles and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles.

Zelenskyy said he expects the United States to continue supporting Ukraine’s military capabilities against Russia after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week."

lousubcap

Friday Middle East update:

"Negotiators from Israel and Hamas officially signed a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Doha yesterday after “11th-hour negotiations,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early today. Israel’s security cabinet and coalition government still have to sign off on the deal. The Washington Post reports.

Israel’s security cabinet today approved the proposed ceasefire agreement, while the full 30-minister cabinet is set to meet later in the day and is expected to greenlight it. Despite delays, the government said the deal could go into effect on Sunday as planned, provided the full cabinet approves it. Andrew Mills, Nidal Al-Mughrabi, and James Mackenzie report for Reuters; Axios’ Barak Ravid reports; Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times; Johnatan Reiss reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s air force said its air defences downed 33 of 50 drones launched by Russia overnight. It said that nine of the drones were “lost”, in reference to Ukraine’s use of electronic warfare to redirect Russian drones, while one left in the direction of Romania.

A Ukrainian official said a major munitions factory in Russia’s Tambov region had been attacked. Russia made no comment regarding the reported attack.

The United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a “historic” 100-year agreement offering Ukraine security guarantees in the event of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. The deal, which recognises Ukraine as a “future NATO ally”, covers several areas including defence, energy and trade.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country would play its “full part” in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security and pledged to deliver a “mobile air defence system” tailored to Ukraine’s needs. He also promised to bolster maritime cooperation with Ukraine through new security frameworks in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov."

lousubcap

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s military destroyed 24 drones and two ballistic missiles launched by Russia during an overnight air strike, Kyiv’s air force said. It added that a total of 39 drones and four missiles had been launched across various parts of Ukraine.

Ukraine has continued its drone attacks against Russian oil infrastructure, hitting depots in the Tula and Kaluga regions south of Moscow overnight. Images said to depict the burning depots have been shared online as Kaluga’s regional governor claimed several drones had been shot down.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes the incoming Trump administration will shred Biden-era policies on Ukraine. The Associated Press news agency reports that Blinken made the statement in a wide-ranging final interview and said he hoped there would be “continuity” in Washington’s assistance to Kyiv."

lousubcap

Sunday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s air force said it downed two Iskander ballistic missiles as well as 24 Russian attack drones overnight.

Russia said its forces made advances in the eastern Donetsk region, capturing two villages – Vremivka and Petropavlivka.

Ukraine’s military intelligence unit said Ukrainian drones hit an oil depot in Russia’s Tula region in the early hours of Saturday, with the Russian governor of the region earlier reporting a fuel tank fire at an industrial site."