A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Political Developments
North Korea may be providing a greater level of support to the Russian military than originally thought. Pyongyang is accused of delivering several types of missiles to Russia, along with shipments of ammunition, small arms, rocket launchers and mortars.
Washington announced a new series of sanctions on Russia on Thursday, targeting Russian energy companies as well as the networks that supply Russia with components for the LANCET and KUB-BLA loitering munition drones.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
Dutch F-16 fighter jets being donated to Ukraine are expected to arrive at a training center in Romania within the next two weeks, meaning training for Ukrainian pilots can begin shortly. Belgium, Denmark, and Norway also plan to donate F-16s to Ukraine.
The Biden administration is urging Congress to pass a proposed $106 billion supplemental spending package that includes over $61 billion for Ukraine, as well as aid for Israel and domestic issues. The new House speaker has said he wants to split those items into separate spending bills, which could lengthen negotiations.
In the meantime, the White House announced a $425 million aid package to Ukraine. This package exhausts funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), meaning Congress must pass additional legislation to replenish USAI funds.
Ukraine is seeking additional weapons and training from the U.S., including air defenses to protect against Russian glide bombs, a unitary warhead version of the Army Tactical Missile System (the U.S. has already provided a submunition ATACMS variant), and training from the Marine Corps on ship-to-shore operations.
Slovenian unmanned aircraft system manufacturer C-Astral confirmed its Bramor C4EYE reconnaissance drones were provided to Ukraine. The delivery took place recently and involved several systems, but exact details were not made public. The drones were supplied by the Slovenian government.
Battlefield Updates
The Russian army is running low on tanks. Losses in October are higher than any other month since the start of the war with Ukraine. Russian tank losses far exceed the rate of production and repair.
Even so, Russia is pursuing “active actions” in the area around Bakhmut, General Oleksandr Syrskyi said this week, switching from the defensive posture that Russian forces have taken since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive five months ago. That counteroffensive has stalled, and General Valery Zaluzhny wrote in The Economist this week that the period of “maneuver” warfare may be over.
Russia is making growing use of its LANCET attack drone. This weapon is called “one of the most effective” in use, according to the U.K. government. The LANCETs are designed to fly over enemy territory, then detonate close to an identified target.
Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-supplied ATACMS in another attack on Russian forces. The ATACMS targeted a site in occupied Crimea. The attack took place on October 30.
Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey are finding it more difficult to operate in Ukraine now that Russia has improved its air defenses in the region. The drones received a lot of attention early in the war, but Ukrainian officials say it’s now difficult to find opportunities to use them.
Russia conducted a number of airstrikes throughout western and southern Ukraine on Friday, according to officials. Ukraine said it shot down dozens of Shahed drones.
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