A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Source: U.S. ArmyPolitical Developments
Czech politician Andrej Babiš is slated to return as prime minister after concluding coalition negotiations with two rightwing parties this week. Babiš has vowed to curtail Czech military aid to Ukraine and along the campaign trail was highly critical of the Czech-led initiative to source 155mm ammunition for the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine plans to set up offices in a number of Western capitals to focus on drumming up arms exports and joint development work with European partners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Monday.
Italian bank UniCredit told the Financial Times that it is in the process of closing operations in Russia and should exit the Russian market by next year. The bank’s head, Andrea Orcel, stated that UniCredit’s intent to leave Russia is “absolutely clear” but noted that “legal and regulatory hurdles” from Moscow have slowed the process.
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has introduced a “dronification” score to rate its provinces on their development of unmanned aerial vehicles. The score is based on ten criteria, including infrastructure, financing, and the number of full-time drone operators.
A 28-year-old U.S. Army National Guardsman has been arrested by federal authorities for allegedly attempting to send a radio under export controls to Russia.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
Ukraine has received additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles from the United Kingdom and enhanced Patriot air defense systems from Germany to strengthen its long-range strike and air defense capabilities ahead of winter. In related developments, Serbia plans to finalize a missile delivery agreement with EU countries, while Rheinmetall secured a $31 million U.S. contract to develop mobile maintenance systems for Bradley vehicles supporting both U.S. and Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine has received additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems to help counter Russia’s intensified aerial attacks on urban areas and energy infrastructure. President Zelenskyy confirmed the systems are being put into operation as Russia continues its daily barrages of missiles and drones.
But so far, despite a green light from the Pentagon, the Trump administration has been opposed to delivering Tomahawk missiles to the Ukrainian military. Pressed on the issue this week, U.S. President Donald Trump stated he was “not really” considering a Tomahawk transfer at this time.
Ex-NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Berlin to deliver the Taurus cruise missile system to Ukraine, stating, “President Putin has no incentive whatsoever to engage constructively in a peace process, as long as he believes that he can win on the battlefield. So to change his calculus, we have to help the Ukrainians much more, and we have to put more pressure.”
Germany plans to deliver a batch of KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine in the near future, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger told a German magazine in an interview this week. He added that the company was in talks with Kyiv on joint production of the vehicle, but no contract has been inked.
As Ukraine’s European partners work to find more ways to support Kyiv, some in Europe are urging Norway to tap its EUR1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund to act as a backstop for a major military loan to Ukraine. No decision has been reached on that end as of yet, but Oslo plans to provide $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine in the upcoming year.
Contradictory statements have emerged from the Pentagon regarding a pause in military aid to Ukraine over the summer. A senior policy advisor told senators his office “neither ordered nor even recommended a pause,” which conflicts with a July 2 Pentagon briefing that confirmed a halt for a stockpile review, as well as different testimony from a colleague. This confusion highlights broader frustrations on Capitol Hill over the policy shop’s poor communication with Congress
Battlefield Updates
Russian forces have advanced into the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, engaging in heavy street-to-street fighting as they attempt to encircle the key Ukrainian logistics hub. Ukrainian commanders are reportedly debating whether to attempt a difficult tactical withdrawal to save troops or to continue the costly defense of the city.
Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that Ukraine was performing attacks around Dobropillia to ease pressure on logistics lines into Pokrovsk.
A Russian airstrike on November 1 hit Ukrainian troops at an awards ceremony in a rear area in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, resulting in casualties.
Russia carried out another missile strike on Ukraine overnight between November 3 and 4, launching one Iskander-M ballistic missile and six S-300 surface-to-air missiles. Russian airstrikes on Ukraine are also increasingly utilizing modified KAB bombs that are now fitted with jet engines, enabling Russian strike aircraft to fire them from further away.
The Russian Air Force received deliveries of Su-34 and Su-35 combat aircraft this week.
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- Tenacious Archer 25 Patriot Live Fire Exercise Day Two: U.S. Army
