Russia is creating a legal framework for removing the Taliban and HTS from the list of terrorist organizations. This should facilitate political and economic rapprochement with Afghanistan and secure Russian bases in Syria.
The Alabuga plant produced 5,760 Shahed drones in 9 months of 2024, twice as many as in 2023. russia plans to produce 10,000 decoy drones by the end of the year to overcome Ukrainian air defense.
The head of the Ukrainian Security Center called mobilization and involvement of civilians in the army the main challenges of 2025. To counter Russian attacks, Ukraine needs a large-scale supply of anti-personnel weapons.
ISW reports on a change in russian tactics in Donbas, where Putin has ordered to focus on capturing territory instead of cities. Russian troops are 10 km from the border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Russian troops executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war in the area of Blahodatne. ISW claims that Russian commanders encourage or authorize such war crimes.
Seven Chinese nationals were arrested in Guam for trespassing near military installations during a US missile defense test. The detainees arrived on one boat from Saipan, four of whom were near a military base.
The Ukrainian military successfully attacked Russian positions near Liptsi using unmanned ground vehicles and FPV drones. Ukraine is also developing new types of EW-resistant drones.
Satellite images show increased activity at the Russian bases of Khmeimim and Tartus in Syria. A massive movement of military equipment and transport aircraft has been recorded, which may indicate a reduction in the Russian contingent.
The U. S. State Department did not record the deployment of new North Korean troops to Russia after the losses in Kursk. Russia is trying to hide the presence of the DPRK military in Ukraine by burning the faces of the dead.
Russia is trying to conceal the presence of North Korean troops in the battles in the Kursk region. The Kremlin is hiding this fact in order not to recognize the lack of personnel in its own army.
Due to communication problems between Russian and North Korean troops, there are cases of friendly fire. In the Kursk region, 200 people were killed as a result of ineffective coordination and attacks by Ukrainian drones.
Russia is trying to freeze Ukraine in the winter and force the West to limit arms supplies. During the latest attack, Russia fired 94 missiles and 193 drones at Ukrainian infrastructure.
The spokesperson for the Khortytsia military unit denied the information about the presence of Russian subversive reconnaissance groups in Pokrovsk and fighting on the outskirts of the city. Fierce fighting continues in the Pokrovsk sector, where the enemy is losing up to 400 troops daily.
Russian troops are near Pokrovsk and are constantly shelling the city. The enemy uses small group tactics to probe the defense, but suffers significant losses.
Russian troops have come within 6-10 kilometers of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. Heavy fighting continues for the city, as it is an important logistical hub for the enemy.
ISW reports a critical reduction in Russia's financial reserves due to the war against Ukraine. Expenditures have exceeded $200 billion, and corruption in the country has increased by 30%.
Putin and Lukashenko have signed a new Union Treaty on security guarantees that allows the deployment of oreshnik ballistic missiles in Belarus. The treaty also provides for the use of tactical nuclear weapons in the event of aggression.
ISW: an increase in Russian military spending to 41% of the budget in 2025 does not guarantee an increase in military capabilities. A significant part of the funds will be spent on social payments, which may weaken the country's economy.
In the first 10 months of 2024, 60,000 desertion cases were opened, which is twice as many as in the previous two years. The main reasons are the lack of rotation and exhaustion of military personnel on the front line.
The President of Ukraine visited the location of the 25th Brigade in Pokrovsk and awarded the city's defenders. Ukrainian troops stopped 32 hostile attacks in the Pokrovsk sector over the last day.
The National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation denied information about the enemy's entrenchment in Kupyansk. The Russian landing force was destroyed and the situation is under control of the Defense Forces.
Russian authorities are negotiating a merger between Rosneft, Gazprom Neft and Lukoil. The goal is to strengthen its position in the energy market and obtain more favorable deals with China and India.
ISW reports that putin is creating the appearance of improving relations with Trump, but has no plans to make concessions. the kremlin continues to pursue its maximalist goals in Ukraine and on the international stage.
The Institute for the Study of War reports on attempts by Russian agents to discredit Maia Sandu's victory in the elections in Moldova. Pro-Russian politicians and oligarchs are spreading statements about the illegitimacy of the voting results.
Russian troops seized about 14 square kilometers per day in September 2024, compared to 1265 square kilometers in March 2024. Russia's recent successes are tactically significant, but most of the front remains stagnant.
Representatives of the PRC have been participating in military exercises in Belarus over the past 3-4 months. China is interested in the experience of using drones, demining, and storming buildings in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Russia is able to continue the war thanks to oil revenues and the failure of Western sanctions. Military spending has created an economic paradox: full employment and rising wages with a labor shortage.
Russia is conducting information operations to justify the use of North Korean troops against Ukraine. According to intelligence, 12,000 DPRK troops are already in Russia.
At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia will try to use the opportunity to create mechanisms to strengthen its military operations in Ukraine.
Russian forces have intensified systematic war crimes, including executions of Ukrainian prisoners and the use of chemical weapons. ISW reports an increase in such cases in recent years.
