Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 Felon is benefiting from lessons learned in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the head of the country’s state-run defense conglomerate Rostec. Work to continue evolving the jet’s design is visible at this year’s Dubai Airshow, especially through a model depicting an export “Su-57E” variant featuring two-dimensional thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles. A pre-production prototype is also on display and flying at the event, sporting a new wide-area cockpit display.
Speaking through a translator, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov talked about the Su-57, as well as other Russian aviation and defense industry developments, with TWZ and other outlets on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow yesterday. Among his remarks, he also claimed that work to improve the Felon’s capabilities based on feedback from real-world combat operations has led to a surge in overseas interest in the type. On Monday, Vadim Badekha, head of the United Aircraft Corporation, of which Sukhoi is currently a division, separately announced the delivery of the first two Su-57s to an unnamed foreign customer, something we will come back to later on.
A pre-production Su-57 prototype seen during a demo flight at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. Jamie Hunter
“So, I will not confirm any contract number or any of our partners,” Chemezov said, responding to a question about export orders, according to the translator. “I can definitely highlight that we have a very huge demand from many countries for this particular aircraft, and we’re hoping to even expand this demand.”
The video below offers a close-up walkaround of the pre-production Su-57 prototype at this year’s Dubai Airshow.
“The upgrade of the fighter jet is kind of a non-stop process that continues as we continue our special military operation, we get the feedback from our pilots from the war zone, and we are tweaking and adjusting our equipment accordingly,” Chemezov also said in response to a separate query about recent updates to the Su-57 design, again per the translator. “And that’s why you can witness the high demand from our foreign customers, because they understand, and they know that our equipment goes through a continuous upgrade based on the experience we gain in the real combat environment.”
The pre-production Su-57 prototype on the ground in Dubai. Jamie Hunter
The extent to which Su-57s have been used in combat in the ongoing war in Ukraine, which the Russian government refers to as a “special military operation,” is unclear. Reports have said the jets flew their first combat missions in support of operations in Ukraine within weeks of Russia launching its all-out invasion in 2022. Additional reporting, as recently as last year, has claimed that Su-57s have continued taking part in the conflict, on and off, at least on some level, flying air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, but hard details remain scant. There are reports that an Su-57 was responsible for shooting down a friendly S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter-B) flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) over Ukraine in an incident last year that you can read more about here.
How many Su-57s the Russians have in service currently is also unclear. The Russian Air Force only began to receive serial production examples in 2022 after placing an order for a relatively modest 76 jets. Around 18 aircraft are at least understood to have been delivered between then and the end of 2024. Whether more deliveries have occurred this year is unclear. At least one Su-57 (and possibly two) was at least damaged in a Ukrainian attack on Akhtubinsk airfield last year.
A total of 10 pre-production prototypes, also referred to as T-50s, were also built, but not all of them are flyable, let alone suitable for operational use. The type’s first flight came on January 29, 2010, more than 15 years ago.
Chemezov did not elaborate on how any real combat experiences have directly impacted the design and capabilities of the Su-57 while speaking yesterday in Dubai, where the Su-57 has been heavily showcased. This has included a flight demonstration that offered the best look to date at the jet’s internal weapons bays.
The pre-production Su-57 prototype seen with its weapons bays open during its flight routine at the Dubai Airshow this week. Jamie Hunter
As noted, there is a scale model of an Su-57E with two-dimensional thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles on display at this year’s Dubai Airshow. This nozzle design has been seen in the past and is also linked to work on an improved engine for the Felon, the AL-51F-1 turbofan, as you can read more about here.
A close-up look at the two-dimensional thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles on the Su-57E model on display at this year’s Dubai Airshow. Jamie Hunter
The AL-51F rectangular nozzle, like its predecessors the AL-31FP is equipped with a 2D TVC nozzle that is mounted 32 degrees in the horizontal plane and can be deflected ±15 degrees in the vertical plane, creating a corkscrew effect that enhances the aircraft’s turning capability https://t.co/3iWIVfHJlXpic.twitter.com/OOUFIco1f3
“In its initial form, the AL-51F-1 also retains a similar three-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzle, but what we see in the new imagery is an alternative nozzle, this time of the two-dimensional type, which provides pitch control as well as limited roll control if engaged asymmetrically. It isn’t clear if the angled installation of the nozzle is meant to provide extra control in the latter.
This kind of stealthy ‘flat’ engine nozzle is also used on the F-22 Raptor, for example, and is primarily chosen to reduce radar signature compared with an axisymmetric nozzle design. It also provides infrared signature advantages, as well.
…
For the Su-57, the flat nozzle would bring notable advantages in terms of improving its low observability from the rear aspect. The original design of the Felon better optimized low observability from the frontal aspect, with less attention paid to the side and rear aspects. At the same time, the revised nozzles will reduce thrust output to some degree, but this is clearly considered a worthwhile penalty based on the improved low-observable aspects it brings…”
A view of the rear aspect of the pre-production Su-57 prototype at this year’s Dubai Airshow. Jamie Hunter
As an aside, the Russians are also showing off a relatively new turbofan engine design called the Izdeliye 177S at this year’s Dubai Airshow. This engine was first unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow in China last year. It is reportedly a derivative of the AL-41F-1, the original engine for the Su-57, which also incorporates technology from the AL-51F-1. It has been presented a potential powerplant for new-production export Su-57s, as well as an upgrade option for existing jets with AL-31 engines, especially newer generation Flanker variants.
The Izdeliye 177S engine displayed at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. Jamie HunterAnother view of the Izdeliye 177S engine from the rear. Jamie Hunter
As also mentioned, the flying pre-production prototype on display at the Dubai Airshow, also known as T-50-9, has notably received a new wide-area display in its cockpit. This is said to be reflective of the Su-57E configuration the Russians are now pitching to prospective export customers. The single-screen unit replaces two smaller displays that had previously been installed. Large, wide-area displays are an increasingly common feature on modern fighters, offering various benefits, above all else providing more overall customizable ‘real estate’ for users to work with and enhanced situational awareness when combined with upgraded processing power.
In terms of actual Su-57 export sales to date, the Russians have only explicitly talked about a firm order from one customer. Algeria is widely posited as being the country in question following a report earlier this year from one of the country’s state-run television networks. Visual confirmation of the delivery of Su-57s to the Algerian Air Force, or any other foreign customer, has yet to emerge.
“Our foreign customer, our foreign partner, has already received the first two aircraft,” Vadim Badekha, United Aircraft Corporation’s General Director, had said on Monday in an interview with Russia’s state-run Channel One television station. “They have begun combat duty and are demonstrating their best qualities. Our customer is satisfied.”
There are broader questions about Russia’s ability to produce Su-57s, or other combat jets, in the face of years of Western sanctions. In Dubai yesterday, Rostec’s Chemezov acknowledged, but downplayed the impacts of sanctions, touting Russia’s resourcefulness in sourcing alternative items domestically. These claims aside, there is substantial evidence that Russia’s defense industry, overall, continues to acquire electronics and other key components from overseas, including from the West and increasingly from China, despite international sanctions.
The second serial production Su-57 seen being built in 2020. United Aircraft Corporation
Chemezov also said that Russian defense exports have been cut roughly in half since the start of the war in Ukraine. However, he blamed this on higher demand from Russia’s own armed forces rather than a drop in international interest in Russian arms. There are certainly reports that some countries have been working to decouple their defense procurement plans from Russia for geopolitical reasons in recent years. Nations that buy Russian weapon systems may also be at risk of triggering secondary sanctions, especially from the United States.
When it comes to the Su-57 specifically, Russia has reportedly offered a degree of local production as part of past pitches to the United Arab Emirates and India to help offset concerns about domestic capacity and sanctions. Bringing additional partners into the Su-57 program would also help reduce the cost burden on the Russian side. India previously cooperated with Russia on the development of a country-specific version of the jet before dropping out in 2018, reportedly over disappointment in the aircraft’s expected capabilities and how the program was progressing overall.
From Dubai Airshow:
Ahead of Putin visit, Russia Pitches to Delhi the Production of Su-57 Fighter Jet in India.
Senior representative of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport says our “technology transfer comes without restrictions and possible sanctions.” pic.twitter.com/tnxbHeQPgc
Renewed discussions about Su-57 exports, especially in the Middle East, now also come against the backdrop of a prospective U.S. sale to Saudi Arabia of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The White House confirmed late yesterday that President Donald Trump had approved the deal, though members of Congress could still seek to block it, and other steps would also be required to finalize it. Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, have pursued F-35 purchases in the past, but have been rebuffed, largely over operational security concerns and potential negative impacts to Israel’s so-called “qualitative edge” militarily in the region.
The Su-57 has often been presented as a potential alternative for many countries that cannot get approval to buy F-35s. A significant shift in U.S. policy when it comes to countries eligible to buy Joint Strike Fighters could have impacts on prospects for future Su-57 sales.
Rostec’s Chemezov was asked yesterday about direct competition between the Su-57 and the F-35. He downplayed any such rivalry, saying prospective customers are free to choose whatever design they think best suits their needs, according to the translator.
While many significant questions remain about the future of the Su-57, even just in Russian service, work is clearly continuing at least on a level to improve the design, and with renewed focus on potential export sales.
Former Ukrainian officer Serhii Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of infrastructure.
Published On 20 Nov 202520 Nov 2025
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Italy’s top court has approved the extradition to Germany of a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe in 2022.
The suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov, 49, has denied being part of a cell of saboteurs accused of placing explosives on the underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea, severing much of Russia’s gas transfers to Europe and prompting supply shortages on the continent.
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After Italy originally blocked Kuznietsov’s extradition last month over an issue with a German arrest warrant, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation approved the transfer on Wednesday.
Kuznietsov “will therefore be surrendered to Germany within the next few days”, his lawyer Nicola Canestrini said.
The suspect, a former officer in the Ukrainian military, has denied any role in the attack and has fought attempts to transfer him to Germany since he was detained on a European arrest warrant in the Italian town of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his family, in August.
“However great the disappointment, I remain confident in an acquittal after the full trial in Germany,” Canestrini said in a statement.
Last month, a court in Poland ruled against handing over another Ukrainian suspect wanted by Germany in connection with the pipeline explosions and ordered his immediate release from detention.
Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of important structures.
German prosecutors said he used forged identity documents to charter a yacht that departed from the German city of Rostock to carry out the attack near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.
According to extradition documents, prosecutors said Kuznietsov organised and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs containing 14kg to 27kg (31lb to 62lb) of explosives at a depth of 70 to 80 metres (230ft to 263ft).
The explosions damaged both the Nord Stream 1 and the Nord Stream 2 pipelines so severely that no gas could be transported through them. In total, four ruptures were discovered in the pipelines after the attack.
Kuznietsov says he was a member of the Ukrainian armed forces and in Ukraine at the time of the incident, a claim his defence team has said would give him “functional immunity” under international law.
Earlier this month, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sent a letter to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing concern about Kuznietsov’s extradition.
Al Jazeera
“The destruction of the pipelines dealt a significant blow to Russia’s war machine in its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine,” the MEPs wrote.
“From the standpoint of international law, actions undertaken in defence against such aggression, including the neutralisation of the enemy’s military infrastructure, fall within the lawful conduct of a just war,” they wrote.
“We, therefore, urge the Italian government to suspend any steps toward extradition until the guarantees of functional immunity and state responsibility are thoroughly and independently assessed,” they added.
Kuznietsov, who faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty by a German court, has been held in a high security jail in Italy since his arrest and at one point staged a hunger strike to protest against his prison conditions.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Justice Department acknowledged in court Wednesday the grand jury that charged former FBI Director James Comey was not presented with a copy of the final indictment, a concession that may further imperil a prosecution already subject to multiple challenges and demands for its dismissal.
The revelation is the latest indication of a troubled presentation of the case to the grand jury by an inexperienced and hastily appointed U.S. attorney named to the job just days earlier by President Trump.
Concerns about the process surfaced earlier in the week when a different judge in the case said there was no record in the transcript he had reviewed of the grand jury reviewing the indictment that was actually presented against Comey.
Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney in charge of the case, said under questioning that only the foreperson of the grand jury and a second grand juror were present for the returning of the indictment.
Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of making a false statement and obstructing Congress and has denied any wrongdoing.
The Justice Department has denied that the prosecution was vindictive or selective and insists that the allegations support the indictment.
Trump fired Comey as FBI director in May 2017 as Comey was overseeing an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. The two have been publicly at odds ever since, with Trump deriding Comey as “a weak and untruthful slime ball” and calling for his prosecution.
Tucker and Kunzelman write for the Associated Press.
Moscow accuses Poland of Russophobia, pledges to respond by reducing Polish diplomatic and consular presence in Russia.
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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Poland has announced it will close its last remaining Russian consulate in the northern Polish city of Gdansk following the targeting of a railway line to Ukraine from Warsaw, blaming Moscow for the incident.
“I have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists on Wednesday.
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Sikorski said he had repeatedly warned Russia that its diplomatic and consular presence would be reduced further if it did not cease hostile actions against Poland, Polish news agency PAP reported.
The move means the only Russian diplomatic mission that will remain open in Poland will be the embassy in Warsaw.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, second right, visits the site of rail line sabotage in Mika, near Deblin, Poland, November 17, 2025 [KPRM via AP]
The Kremlin responded to the allegation by accusing Poland of “Russophobia”.
“Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration – the Polish authorities’ desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the consulate closure.
“One can only express regret here … This has nothing to do with common sense.”
Later on Wednesday, Russia’s state news agency TASS quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying Moscow will respond by reducing Poland’s diplomatic and consular presence in the country.
‘Unprecedented sabotage’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the weekend explosion on a line linking Warsaw to the border with Ukraine as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
On Tuesday, Tusk told the Polish parliament that the two suspects had been collaborating with the Russian secret services for a long time.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus.
He said their identities were known but could not be revealed because of the ongoing investigation, and that the pair had already left Poland, crossing into Belarus.
Western officials have accused Russia and its proxies of staging dozens of attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, according to data collected by The Associated Press news agency.
Moscow’s goal, Western officials say, is to undermine support for Ukraine, spark fear and divide European societies.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Ukraine announced it launched Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles at military targets in Russia. The attack appears to be the first use of these U.S.-made weapons into Russia under the Trump administration. It also points to the strong possibility that another batch of the prized missiles have been supplied to Ukraine, which is noteworthy in itself due to the limited U.S. stocks of the weapons, and/or that the White House has approved the type’s use once again.
“This is a significant development that underscores Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to its sovereignty,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said of the attack. “Despite the ongoing pressure of Russian offensive actions, Ukrainians remain resilient, demonstrating determination and consistent resolve in defending their homeland.”
ATACMS launch from a HIMARS vehicle. (U.S. Army) (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Cecil Elliott II)
“The use of long-range strike capabilities, including systems such as ATACMS, will continue,” the Armed Forces General Staff added.
Ukrainian officials provided no details about the ATACMS targets or how many were launched. Newer variants of these missiles can reach to nearly 200 miles, with first generation models having just over half the range.
Ukrainian and Russian mibloggers suggested that Ukraine attacked locations in Russia’s Voronezh region, among them the Pogonovo training area, located roughly 105 miles from the border. However, there is no independent verification of that.
Ukrainian milbloggers claim that the Pogonovo training ground in Russia’s Voronezh region was attacked by ATACMS. (Google Earth)
Ukrainian Armed Forces now unleashing new capabilities.
General Staff of Ukraine: “The Armed Forces of Ukraine have successfully employed ATACMS tactical missile systems to carry out a precision strike against military targets on the territory of Russia. This is a significant… pic.twitter.com/Ugee9cFULc
Cluster warheads packed with submunitions would be an ideal weapon to fire at a location where troops might be concentrated in the open. Ukraine used cluster munitions-equipped ATACMS to hit a Russian training ground in the occupied Luhansk region in May 2024 to devastating effect. That strike was also captured on video, which you can see below.
Seems like 🇺🇦did another ATACMS strike near Kuban, Luhansk.
Though Kyiv claimed it will continue using ATACMS, just how many it has left is a mystery. Considering the long stretch between known uses, it likely ran dry for an extended period of time until the U.S. supplied more. The Trump administration could have also blocked the use of the weapons, especially into Russian territory, until now, although we cannot confirm this at this time.
Ukraine still has a number of U.S.-made Army High Mobility Rocket System (HIMARS) and M270 MLRS launchers that fire ATACMs. However, the last of these munitions authorized to be sent to Ukraine by former President Joe Biden arrived in the spring, The Wall Street Journal reported in August. The publication noted that “Kyiv has a small supply left, according to U.S. officials.”
Meanwhile, in March, The Associated Press reported Ukraine ran out of ATACMs. A U.S. official told the wire service at the time that “Ukraine was given fewer than 40 of those missiles overall and that Ukraine ran out of them in late January.”
We cannot confirm that number, but we do know they were not furnished by the many hundreds or anything approaching that number. The U.S. inventory is thought to be the low thousands.
Senior U.S. defense leaders, including the previous Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin, “had made it clear that only a limited number of the ATACMs would be delivered and that the U.S. and NATO allies considered other weapons to be more valuable in the fight,” according to the AP.
ATACMS being launched by an M270 MLRS. (US Army)
As we previously reported, the first tranche of about 20 early generation, shorter-range ATACMS variants arrived in Ukraine in October 2023 and were apparently mostly used during attacks on Russian-held airfields the same month. Ukraine has used the limited number of these prized weapons it has received with major results. Longer-range variants, which were not introduced into the war until the Spring of 2024, were first used in a wave of attacks on air bases and air defense installations across the Crimean peninsula, according to the Kyiv Post.
A major reason for the limited number of ATACMS given to Ukraine is that U.S. officials have expressed concern about their own stockpiles. However, in December 2023, the U.S. Army began receiving the first tranches of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missiles. The Army, which sees PrSMs as the ATACMS successor, said in September 2023 that the advent of these weapons could reduce some of the readiness risks associated with giving Ukraine ATACMS. It is quite possible that PrSM deliveries had freed-up more ATACMS rounds for Ukraine, and, given the chill between the White House and the Kremlin, these weapons would work both as a tactical tool and a strategic message.
This is especially the case as discussions continue regarding the U.S. supplying even more advanced and longer-range weaponry to Ukraine. While Trump has seemed to sour on giving Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles, more ATACMS, which have far shorter range and do not set a new precedent, would be a likely alternative.
A PrSM missile is fired from an M142 HIMARS launcher during a test. (DOD) A PrSM missile is fired from an M142 HIMARS launcher during a test. DOD
After meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his American counterpart was open to lifting restrictions on Kyiv’s use of American-made long-range weapons to strike inside Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump didn’t make any commitments to do so, the newspaper reported.
A month earlier, the Journal wrote that the Pentagon had for months “been blocking Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.”
“A high-level Defense Department approval procedure, which hasn’t been announced, has prevented Ukraine from firing ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia since late spring,” the Journal added. “On at least one occasion, Ukraine sought to use ATACMS against a target on Russian territory but was rejected.”
The last recorded case of a Ukrainian ATACMS strike inside Russia was on January 14 as part of a massive attack also using U.K.-made Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles and long-range drones. That took place in the waning days of the Joe Biden administration, which also took a circuitous route in giving Ukraine ATACMS and then allowing them to strike inside Russia. The following graphic, produced as Biden was debating allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with ATACMS, gave a sense of what kinds of targets could be reached.
Photo by Murat Usubali/Anadolu via Getty Images Anadolu
The first such attack took place almost exactly a year ago. On Nov. 19, 2024, a munitions storage facility near the town of Karachev in the Bryansk region of western Russia was hit by ATACMS. The target was around 70 miles from the Ukrainian border, well within range of these missiles.
There are many questions unanswered about Ukraine’s claimed ATACMS strike today. We have reached out to the White House, Pentagon and State Department to see if we can get some answers about the last time Ukraine was given these weapons and the last time they were used in Russia. We will update this story if they give us any useful details.
While ATACMS did have major lasting battlefield effects, it never proved to be a game-changer based on the tiny quantities provided. But they are another long-range weapon that has existed in Ukraine’s arsenal that packs a punch far heavier than the long-range drones Kyiv has been using across Russia. With Ukraine’s introduction of home-made cruise missiles, this equation is changing, but still, ATACMS are survivable and hit very hard when equipped with a unitary warhead and its cluster warheads can blanket large areas with explosions and shrapnel.
If the strike occurred as stated today, it points to a shift in the Trump administration’s policy when it comes to long-range strikes with U.S. weapons into Russia and it could also indicate the ATACMS supplies are flowing once again.
Here are the key events from day 1,364 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
By Al Jazeera and News Agencies
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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Here is how things stand on Wednesday, November 19:
Fighting
Russian drones struck two central districts – Slobidskyi and Osnovyansk – in Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv, injuring five people in an apartment building and triggering a fire, authorities said.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 22 residents had been evacuated from one section of the damaged apartment building while another drone struck an area outside a medical facility, injuring a doctor and damaging the building and nearby cars.
The Kharkiv region’s governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said 11 drones were deployed in the attack and seven people were injured in total.
Russia’s civil aviation authority said it was temporarily halting flights at Krasnodar International Airport in southern Russia on Wednesday morning, saying only that it was for flight safety.
Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones en route to Moscow on Tuesday, the city’s mayor said. Moscow’s two largest airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, stopped all air traffic for a time before later reopening, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.
Ukrainian drone attacks have caused extensive damage to the power grid in the Russian-occupied part of the Donetsk region. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said about 65 percent of consumers were without power in the region.
Ukraine attacked two thermal power stations in Russian-occupied Donetsk, according to a Telegram post by the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces. Major Robert Brovdi said the Starobeshivska and Zuivska power plants had been hit by his forces.
Ukraine said it attacked military targets in Russia with United States-supplied ATACMS missiles, calling it a “significant development”. The military said in a statement that the “use of long-range strike capabilities, including systems such as ATACMS, will continue”.
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov conducted a regular inspection of troops fighting in eastern Ukraine, his ministry’s outlet, Zvezda, reported. Video posted by Zvezda showed Belousov presenting awards to military servicemen.
Military aid
The Trump administration has approved a $105m arms sale to Ukraine to help it maintain existing Patriot missile air defence systems. The sale includes upgrading from M901 to M903 launchers, which can fire more missiles at once.
Spain will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth 615 million euros ($710m), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday.
“Your fight is ours,” Sanchez said alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “neoimperialism” seeks to “weaken the European project and everything it stands for”.
Regional security
The United Kingdom lacks a plan to defend itself from military attack, members of parliament warned while at least 13 sites across the UK have been identified for new factories to make munitions and military explosives, according to a report.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities have identified two Ukrainian nationals who had collaborated with Russia for “a long time” and were responsible for an explosion on a Polish railway route to Ukraine.
“The most important information is that … we have identified the people responsible for the acts of sabotage,” Tusk told lawmakers. “In both cases, we are sure that the attempt to blow up the rails and the railway infrastructure violation were intentional and their aim was to cause a railway traffic catastrophe,” he said.
The Kremlin accused Poland of succumbing to Russophobia after Warsaw blamed the explosion on a railway route to Ukraine on two Ukrainian citizens who it said were recruited by Russian intelligence.
Soldiers from across the NATO alliance practised counterdrone skills in Poland on Tuesday with troops from the US, UK and Romania joining their Polish counterparts at the exercises in Nowa Deba in Poland’s southeast corner.
The European Commission will propose a new initiative to help speed up the development and purchase of innovative defence technologies, according to a draft document seen by the Reuters news agency.
US soldiers carry an AS3 interceptor, part of the US-made, AI-powered counterdrone system MEROPS, during a presentation in Nowa Deba, Poland [Kacper Pempel/Reuters]
Ceasefire
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will try to “reactivate” the diplomatic process to end the war with Russia. Zelenskyy later announced he planned to go to Turkiye on Wednesday to try to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.
No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since they met in Istanbul in July.
Steve Witkoff, a US special envoy, is expected to join the talks with Zelenskyy in Turkiye, another Ukrainian official involved in the meeting’s preparations told the AFP news agency.
Ukraine plans to claim $43bn in climate compensation from Russia to help fund a planet-friendly rebuild after the war, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Economy, Environment and Agriculture Pavlo Kartashov announced at the UN climate conference in Brazil.
“We in Ukraine face brutality directly, but the climate shockwaves of this aggression will be felt well beyond our borders and into the future,” Kartashov said.
Politics and diplomacy
One of Ukraine’s main opposition parties physically blocked lawmakers from holding a vote in parliament on Tuesday to dismiss two ministers over a corruption investigation, demanding the removal of the entire cabinet instead.
Zelenskyy made a one-day visit on Tuesday to Spain and took the opportunity to view Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, a painting that depicts the horrors of war and specifically the bombardment of civilian targets in Spain by fascist German and Italian forces.
Economy
Russian state conglomerate Rostec said its defence exports have fallen by half since 2022 as domestic orders became a priority during the war in Ukraine. Until 2022, Russia held second place in the world after the US in defence exports, but the volumes dropped “due to the fact that we have had to supply most of our production to our army”, Rostec chief Sergey Chemezov told reporters.
Russian lawmakers endorsed new tax hikes on Tuesday as Moscow looks for new revenue sources to boost its economy during its nearly four-year war with Ukraine. Legislators in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved the key second reading of a bill to raise the value-added tax from 20 percent to 22 percent.
Sanctions
US oil firm Exxon Mobil has joined rival Chevron Corp in considering options to buy parts of sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil’s international assets, sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency.
Exxon is considering options for Lukoil assets in Kazakhstan, where both the US and the Russian firm have stakes in the Karachaganak and Tengiz fields, the sources said. Chevron, another partner in these assets, is also studying options to buy.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Polish authorities have accused Russia of rail sabotage attacks over the weekend, while arresting two Ukrainian men said to be responsible for the incidents. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said these attacks constituted “perhaps the most serious — when it comes to the security of the Polish state — incidents since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine” in February 2022. If verified, this would be the latest example of Russian hybrid warfare, which, as you can read about here, is just below the threshold of armed conflict. In this context, it’s a means of creating disruption and sowing fear, but, so long as it uses proxies to achieve its aims, it remains very hard for such activities to be directly traced back to the Kremlin.
The main incident occurred on Sunday in the village of Mika, in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland, and involved the use of a military-grade C-4 plastic explosive that was supposed to blow up a train. The explosives were to be detonated via a 300-meter (328-yard) cable.
Police investigate at the scene of a damaged section of railway tracks on the Deblin-Warsaw route near the Mika railway station, next to the town of Zyczyn, east-central Poland, on November 17, 2025. Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto Aleksander Kalka
The explosive went off under a freight train, which suffered minor damage to its undercarriage, but more serious damage was inflicted on the tracks. The next train had already been warned about the problem and was able to stop in time.
Tusk said that “a certain line has been crossed,” since the incident could have been much worse if it weren’t for undisclosed errors made in the execution of the attack by the perpetrators.
A second incident occurred further down the same railway line on Sunday, where a busy train was forced to stop suddenly. This is considered likely another case of sabotage, though not involving an explosion.
Speaking in the Polish parliament, Tusk said today that the rail sabotage incidents were “unprecedented” and warned of “escalation” by Russian intelligence services. The Polish prime minister said these activities aimed to sow chaos across Europe and to foster opposition to governments’ support for Ukraine. They also aimed to hamper the delivery of arms and other aid to Ukraine by targeting train lines connecting the two countries.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, during a session of the Polish Parliament, informing MPs about acts of terrorist sabotage directed against railway infrastructure, in Warsaw, Poland, on November 18, 2025. Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images NurPhoto
Tusk said that Polish authorities receive dozens of alerts each day, not all of which are genuine, increasing the burden on the services investigating them.
“These acts of sabotage and the actions of Russian services across the whole of Europe, not only in Poland, are unfortunately gaining momentum,” Tusk told lawmakers.
Tusk claimed that the Kremlin is interested “not only in the direct effect of this type of actions, but also the social and political consequences,” including spreading “disorganization, chaos, panic, speculation, uncertainty,” and “the stirring up of possibly radically anti-Ukrainian sentiments.”
“This is particularly dangerous in countries like Poland, where we have enough burdens that we bear due to over a million Ukrainian refugees in Poland,” Tusk added.
A map showing the approximate location of the village of Kima. Google Earth
Poland today identified two Ukrainian men who it says were the main suspects behind the sabotage incidents. Authorities in Warsaw said the perpetrators are thought to be working for the Russian intelligence services, who organized their crossing into Poland from Belarus this fall. After the attack, the two men are said to have fled to Belarus.
If the accused are the perpetrators, this would fit with the pattern of Moscow’s use of so-called ‘disposable agents’. These individuals are recruited, often online, to undertake specific acts of sabotage. Often paid in cryptocurrency, they may well be unaware that their masters are in Russian intelligence. In this way, sabotage campaigns can be orchestrated from Russia, with no need to put its own agents into the field. Ukrainians, Belarusians, and other nationalities have been recruited for such activities. In this case, Tusk said that the use of Ukrainians was deliberate, to help promote anti-Ukrainian feelings in Poland.
Polish border guards secure the fence at the Poland/Belarus border on August 25, 2025, in Krynki, eastern Poland. Photo by JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP JANEK SKARZYNSKI
Poland has said it will respond to the sabotage attacks by increasing the threat level to protect selected rail routes. Poland will raise the alert level to its third level out of four. However, the rail network elsewhere in the country will remain unchanged, at the second level.
European leaders outside Poland have also responded to the attacks.
In the neighboring Czech Republic, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that the Polish rail sabotage was “extremely alarming.”
In a post on X, Fiala wrote: “Russia is behaving in an openly hostile manner towards us and has long been undermining the security and stability of Europe. We must not be naive or underestimate the risks we are facing. It is our duty to strengthen our defense, invest in security, cooperate with our allies, and be prepared to confront similar attacks.”
Je velmi vážné, že za sabotáží na železniční trati Varšava–Lublin stály ruské tajné služby. Informaci dnes přinesly polské bezpečnostní složky.
Rusko se chová jako nepřítel. Je to jen další z celé řady incidentů, který ohrožuje naši bezpečnost. Kreml prostě zkouší, kam až může…
Meanwhile, the Kremlin accused Poland of “Russophobia” after its allegations.
“Russia is accused of all manifestations of the hybrid and direct war that is taking place,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state television reporter. “In Poland, let’s say, everyone is trying to run ahead of the European locomotive in this regard. And Russophobia, of course, is flourishing there,” he said.
Bordering Poland, Ukraine, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, Poland has been very much on the frontline of the hybrid war being waged by Russia alongside its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to Tusk, Poland has faced multiple sabotage incidents in recent years, resulting in 55 people being detained. However, there is, by now, a broader pattern of attacks, with other acts of Russian sabotage in Europe, including in Moldova, Romania, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus.
Poland has experienced a series of major arson and sabotage attacks in recent years, including parcel bombings, which it sees as part of Moscow’s hybrid war on the West.
In September, Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace were deemed deliberate by Poland, which claimed they were a calculated test of NATO’s ability to react to aerial threats. Polish authorities said 19 Russian drones entered the country’s airspace, with some of them being shot down by Polish and Dutch combat aircraft. You can catch up to our reporting on the incident in our story here.
Poland also faces a threat from rogue Russian missiles targeting Ukraine.
In November 2022, two Polish citizens were killed by falling debris when Ukraine shot down a Russian missile near the Polish border using a surface-to-air missile.
There have been promises made to provide Poland with additional air defense resources, and NATO is reviewing how to improve its collective defenses.
The Netherlands already decided to deliver layered air defence to east Poland later this year.
With 2 Patriot systems, NASAMS, counter drone systems and 300 troops, we’ll deploy advanced capabilities.
Today has shown this is more important than ever for our joint security. 🇳🇱🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/NwR9N6Rw7T
Previously, European and NATO members took a more circumspect tone when discussing these incidents.
However, both Prime Minister Tusk and the Polish security services have put the blame for the rail sabotage squarely on Moscow.
The Polish security services minister’s spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzyński, confirmed that “everything indicates” that Russian intelligence services were behind the sabotage incidents in Poland. “The fact is that everything indicates that this … we can already confidently call it a terrorist attack, was initiated by special services from the East,” he later added.
At this stage, however, no details have been released that explain how responsibility has been traced back to Russia.
“I cannot say what stage the officers are [at] or [what they are] currently working on and what threads they are connecting or what threads they are analysing. The Russian services would very much want to have this information: where our officers are or in which direction they are heading,” Dobrzyński said.
Summing up the situation that Poland, a key ally of Ukraine and a NATO member of growing military stature, faces on the fringes of the war in Ukraine, the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Władysław Marcin Kosiniak-Kamysz, said that the country faced “a state between war and peace, where we have attacks, acts of sabotage, disinformation on a gigantic scale on the internet, the destruction, or attempts at destruction, of critical infrastructure across the whole of Europe.”
For a while, Europe has been more alert to the prospect of these kinds of infrastructure attacks, orchestrated by Moscow, becoming much more common across the continent. The incidents in Poland are further evidence of the level of threat.
The UN Security Council has adopted the US’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, approving an international stabilisation force and a ‘board of peace’ with extensive powers to oversee Gaza’s governance and reconstruction.
Here are the key events from day 1,363 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 18 Nov 202518 Nov 2025
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Here is how things stand on Tuesday, November 18:
Fighting
A Russian missile strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia killed three people and wounded 10, including three children, a regional military official in the Kharkiv region said on Telegram on Monday.
At least two people were killed and three were injured in Russian shelling of the Nikopol district in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, Vladyslav Haivanenko, the acting head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, wrote on Facebook.
Russian troops captured three villages across three Ukrainian regions, the RIA news agency cited the Russian Ministry of Defence as saying on Monday. The villages are Hai in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Platonivka in the Donetsk region and Dvorichanske in the Kharkiv region.
Russia’s air defence forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, RIA reported on Monday, citing the Defence Ministry’s daily data.
A Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa sparked fires at energy and port infrastructure facilities, Ukraine’s emergency services said on Monday.
The attack damaged port equipment and several civilian vessels, including one carrying liquefied natural gas, and forced Romania to evacuate a border village, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
A 68-year-old man has died after he was injured in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s Kherson region, the head of the regional administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, wrote on Telegram.
Two Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been running at reduced capacity for 10 days after a military attack damaged an electrical substation needed for nuclear safety, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia’s port of Novorossiysk resumed export activities after a Ukrainian attack caused a two-day suspension of its oil loadings.
A firefighter stands at the site of apartment buildings hit by Russian missile strikes in the town of Balakliia in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on November 17, 2025 [Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters]
Military aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal with French President Emmanuel Macron at France’s Velizy-Villacoublay Air Base for Ukraine to obtain up to 100 French-made Rafale warplanes over the next 10 years.
Macron said France’s rail transport manufacturer Alstom and Ukrainian Railways have signed a 475-million-euro ($551m) contract on delivering 55 electric locomotives to Ukraine, according to the Interfax news agency.
Regional security
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said on Monday that one confirmed and one likely act of sabotage occurred on Polish railways after an explosion damaged a Polish railway track on a route to Ukraine over the weekend.
Polish Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak added during the same news conference that chances are very high that the people who conducted the sabotage were acting on orders of foreign intelligence services. He appeared to be pointing fingers at Russia although he did not name the country.
Politics and diplomacy
During a joint news conference in Paris, Macron said he was confident Zelenskyy could improve Ukraine’s anticorruption track record and institute reforms to clear its path to European Union membership.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil told Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng during a state visit to Beijing on Monday that the two countries “should work together to finish the war in Ukraine” and “China can play a key role”.
He responded by saying, “China will continue to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.”
The Kremlin said on Monday that there was an ongoing conversation about a possible prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine but declined to provide details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia hoped for another summit between President Vladimir Putin and United States President Donald Trump soon.
Peskov added that Moscow took a very negative view of a bill that Trump said Republicans in the US were working on that would impose sanctions on any country doing business with Russia.
Russia’s financial watchdog added former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and leading economist Sergei Guriev – both critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – to its list of “extremists and terrorists”, its website showed on Monday.
Economy
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter to EU members on Monday that the bloc had three options or a combination of them to help Ukraine meet its financing needs: “Support … financed by member states via grants, a limited recourse loan funded by the union borrowing on the financial markets or a limited recourse loan linked to the cash balances of immobilised assets”.
The Chevron oil company is studying options to buy international assets of sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil after the US Department of the Treasury gave clearance to potential buyers to talk to Lukoil about foreign assets, five sources familiar with the process told the Reuters news agency.
As part of the second international forum “Russia-Africa Expo-2025,” a roundtable discussion titled “The Potential of Africa’s Mining Industry: New Opportunities for Cooperation with Russia and China” was held at the conference hall of the Financial and Business Association of Euro-Asian Cooperation (FBAEAC). The event served as an important platform for strengthening the trilateral Russia-China-Africa partnership in industrial and technological development.
The roundtable was organized by the FBA EAC, with co-organizers including the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Council for Financial, Industrial, and Investment Policy, the Peace Foundation, the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), and the company “Kapital-Info.”
The event brought together over 70 participants—diplomats, as well as representatives from business, academia, and international organizations. Among them were delegations from more than 15 African countries, as well as from Russia, China, and Iran.
The Chinese delegation played a significant role in the event. Participants included Sun Yongjun, First Secretary of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, and Liu Yan, Second Secretary, along with representatives from the “Chongqing Pump Plant” (joining online): Su Ao, Ji Xiaodong, Yang Jiaquan, Yang Yiguang, and Wang Renjie. The participation of the Chinese side confirmed the practical focus of the trilateral cooperation and the readiness for joint implementation of projects in the mining industry.
The African side was represented by a wide range of participants: Jean Rick Biyaya Kadievu (Minister Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Russia), Sid’Ahmed Cheikh Ould Aichetou (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania); Eric Rubayita (Counsellor of the Embassy of Rwanda); Diarra Hadja Niamé Mariam Fofana (President of the Program of Consultations and Actions for Women Leaders of Mali); Gerry Mane (Chairman of the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and IT, Guinea-Bissau); Pierre Bangourou (Africa International Trade Connection, Côte d’Ivoire); Yumssi Tichuè (Général Import Export SARL, Cameroon); Amadou Demba Sy (Demba Mining & Frères, Cameroon); Domou Nouble Bruno Alkis (GIES, Cameroon).
The presentations by the African speakers emphasized the continent’s readiness to attract investments, adopt new technologies, and build sustainable production chains. Particular attention was paid to logistics, personnel training, and environmental issues.
The roundtable was also attended by a representative of Iran—Mehdi Rezazadeh, founder and general director of ZedPay Financial System & Services P.J.S.C. His participation further underscored the cross-regional nature of the discussion and the interest in expanding financial and technological cooperation within the context of industry projects.
Li Shaobin, President of the FBA EAC, addressed the participants with a welcome speech, noting that the development of cooperation with Africa in the mining industry opens new horizons for the entire Eurasian business space.
Ivan Borisovich Arkhipov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, also delivered a welcoming address, emphasizing the importance of strengthening humanitarian and economic ties.
Sergey Korotkov, Advisor to the President of the FBA EAC, presented a message from Vitaly Vovk, Deputy Director of the Industrial Policy Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EAEC). In his address, Vovk noted that the constructive discussion provides a new impetus for the development of sectoral cooperation and expressed the EAEC’s readiness to assist in developing specific mechanisms for collaboration.
A presentation by Roman Isakov, a recognized expert in the mining industry, attracted particular attention from the roundtable participants. Roman Isaevich delivered a report on “Technologies and Standards of Russian Mining Companies.”
Anatoly Tkachuk, Board Member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) and Head of the Center for International Projects and Programs at the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE), spoke about the RSPP and ICIE mechanisms for developing joint projects in the mining sector.
Furthermore, the Russian side was represented by Daria Michurina (RSPP), Yury Malakhov (Association of Machinery Manufacturers of Kuzbass), Alexander Kotlyarsky (PROMTEK LLC, First Vice President of FBA EAC), Anton Vasilyev (SPARTA LLC, Member of FBA EAC), Alexandra Matveeva (IBEC), Viktor Lazutin (RF CCI), and Igor Khmelkov (NOBIS Company), among others.
The roundtable was moderated by Louis Gouend, founder and president of the African Business Club, chairman of the organizing committee for “Russia-Africa Expo-2025,” and president of the Cameroonian Diaspora in Russia, together with Anna Geroldovna Bezdudnaya, doctor of economics, professor, head of the Department of Management and Innovations at SPbSUE, executive director of the R&D Center for Arctic Environmental-Economic Research, and editor-in-chief of the “FBA EAC Herald” journal.
During the discussion, participants examined a wide range of issues: the formation of joint working groups and industrial clusters, the creation of joint ventures, specialist training, financial support mechanisms, the implementation of environmental standards, and the expansion of logistics chains.
Following the event, participants highlighted the need to coordinate efforts among business communities, research centers, and government structures to implement specific investment and educational projects in the mining industry.
Key conclusions and recommendations developed during the discussion included:
(i) The need to promptly establish expert working groups to prepare pilot project initiatives.
(ii) Intensifying the exchange of technologies and equipment with the direct involvement of industrial manufacturers and engineering companies.
(iii) Developing joint educational programs and academic exchanges for training qualified personnel.
(iv) Strengthening institutional project support through guarantee mechanisms and financial instruments.
(v) Implementing unified environmental standards and sustainable development practices.
Within the framework of the changing global economic architecture, Russian enterprises are highly prioritizing investments in Africa, demonstrating readiness to invest, particularly in energy, industrial technology, and infrastructure, and compete with global players.
Undoubtedly, Africa is fast becoming one of the most significant centers of power, attracting external players. One lingering question is how promptly the recommended measures designed would address historical investment gaps and ensure that agreements reached at the ‘Russia-Africa Expo-2025’ would lead to tangible outcomes.
France and Ukraine have signed a declaration of intent for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets and new-generation air defence systems. The agreement, signed by Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, would mark Ukraine’s first purchase of Rafale aircraft.
Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to acquire 100 Rafale warplanes over the next decade, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during his visit to Paris. This agreement aims to strengthen Ukraine’s military against the ongoing Russian invasion, particularly in light of increased Russian drone and missile attacks. Zelenskiy described the Rafale deal as potentially one of the greatest air defense improvements in the world.
The Elysee confirmed the Rafale figures, noting that the deal includes additional air defense systems, bombs, and drones, all as new equipment rather than transfers from current French stocks. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the significance of the deal for both Ukraine’s military regeneration and France’s defense industry.
The letter of intent signifies a political commitment rather than a finalized purchase, which is planned to be financed through EU programs and possibly using frozen Russian assets, although agreement on this funding has not yet been reached. Training for the advanced Rafale jets will take time due to the rigorous requirements.
In prior discussions, Macron mentioned plans to provide more military support, including additional Mirage jets and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles. France, alongside Britain, is also advocating for a coalition of countries ready to support Ukraine post-peace agreement with Russia. The goal is to ensure Ukraine receives the military and economic aid needed to deter future Russian aggression.
Here are the key events from day 1,362 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 17 Nov 202517 Nov 2025
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Here is how things stand on Monday, November 17:
Fighting
Russia said its forces had moved forward sharply in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhia region, taking the settlements of Rivnopillya and Mala Tokmachka as part of a major push aimed at taking control of the entire region. Currently, Russia says it controls 75 percent of the area.
Ukrainian forces have struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, Kyiv’s General Staff said. It said it had recorded explosions and a fire at the site of the strike, but was still assessing the extent of damage.
Ukrainian officials said on Sunday morning that Russian attacks on the country had killed at least four civilians and wounded 17 others over the last 24 hours.
The Russian TASS news agency reported that Ukrainian attacks on Russia wounded two civilians in the Belgorod region.
TASS added that Russia’s air defences destroyed more than 50 Ukrainian drones on Sunday evening. Earlier on Sunday, it said Russian air defences intercepted two Neptune guided missiles, four HIMARS rockets and 197 drones.
Energy
Russia’s Novorossiysk port resumed oil loadings after a two-day suspension triggered by a Ukrainian missile and drone attack, the Reuters news agency reported, citing two industry sources. The Ukrainian attack has been described as the most damaging to date on Russia’s main Black Sea crude export infrastructure.
Ukraine has secured imports of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece to cover its winter needs from December through to March next year, officials said during a visit to Athens by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a conversation with Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin last week during a visit by Kazakhstan’s president to Moscow, state media reported, as United States-led sanctions continue to take a financial toll on the company.
Environment
The Greenpeace environmental campaigning group has revealed that France was sending reprocessed uranium to Russia for treatment so it can be reused, despite the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. Greenpeace said that while it was legal, the trade was “immoral” as many nations seek to step up sanctions on the Russian government over its invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022.
Russia’s policy towards Southeast Asia is undergoing a remarkable adjustment period. From focusing on defense cooperation, which has been its traditional strength, Russia is gradually shifting its focus to more sustainable areas. This shift reflects Russia’s flexible efforts to maintain its presence in a region strongly affected by great power competition, while demonstrating its ambition to position itself as a reliable and independent partner, contributing to the balance of influence against the expanding US involvement in the Indo-Pacific.
From diplomatic presence to substantive cooperation
For many years, Russia’s Southeast Asia policy has been largely confined to diplomatic presence and participation in ASEAN-led multilateral forums. However, in the wake of Trump 2.0’s tariff adjustments, Moscow has increasingly recognized Southeast Asia as a potential market to fill the economic void left by sanctions. This realization has led to more proactive and substantive shifts in Russia’s regional policy.
Since the beginning of 2025, Russia has stepped up bilateral cooperation with key ASEAN economies such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, focusing on areas that the US and China have not yet focused on competing in, such as oil and gas exploitation, agriculture, and civil nuclear power. At the same time, Russia has also expanded its network of embassies, cultural centers, and trade promotion agencies in most ASEAN countries, thereby creating a multi-layered approach from politics to economics.
One of the most notable changes is the shift of Russia’s traditional trade to non-dollar payment mechanisms to minimize the risk of sanctions. According to statistics from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, in 2024, trade turnover between Russia and ASEAN reached a record for the second consecutive year, increasing by 5.8%. Over the past decade, trade turnover has increased by 70%, with most transactions being settled in local currencies or currency swaps. At the same time, Southeast Asia is also a potential area to promote exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), fertilizers, and military materials, helping to reposition Russia as a stable energy supplier.
Diversifying partners outside of China
The trend of diversifying partners beyond China has emerged as a new driving force in Russia’s Southeast Asia policy. After years of relying on the Chinese market as a “lifeline” for its wartime economy, Russia has increasingly recognized the asymmetry in its trade relations as China has gradually gained an overwhelming position. This has forced Russia to rebalance its dependence and expand its influence by seeking alternative partners.
The “multi-directional” policy that Russia is implementing is clearly demonstrated through the strengthening of bilateral economic relations with a number of countries in the region. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, the international situation is opening up many new opportunities for Russia to strengthen relations with the region of more than 650 million people. On the contrary, from the perspective of ASEAN, cooperation with Russia has its own appeal, because investment capital from Russia is considered less politically binding than the “debt trap” risks often associated with projects within the framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, limited financial resources have caused this direction of Russia to largely stop at the level of framework agreements or projects waiting to be launched.
In addition, Russia has also proposed establishing cooperation mechanisms focusing on less sensitive areas such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, and disaster relief. Although these initiatives have not yet reached the institutional level, they reflect Russia’s efforts in the regional innovation race with the US and China.
Connecting Southeast Asia to the Eurasian Axis and the Global South
Since launching the “Pivot to the East” policy in 2014, Russia’s strategic interests have gradually shifted from the European region to a vision of Eurasian integration. While in the early stages, this policy was mainly aimed at demonstrating efforts to “pivot” according to the trend of global power shifts; entering the 2020s, Russia has concretized its orientation with in-depth initiatives.
Following the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Vietnam in 2015, Russia continued negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand, aiming to form an economic network that is less dependent on the dollar system. Russia is also promoting initiatives for the construction of a connecting corridor between the Russian Far East and Central Asia with maritime routes in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Speaking at the International Conference on Eurasian Security in Minsk, Belarus, on October 28, 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia wants to build a common development structure for the entire region and does not exclude any country on this continent. Transcontinental connectivity projects such as the Vladivostok-Chennai transport corridor or the Asia-Europe maritime and air route are integrated by Russia into its vision of an expanded Asia-Europe economic space, reflecting its efforts to bring Southeast Asia into the Russia-led “Greater Eurasia” strategy.
At the same time, Russia has been actively promoting the “multipolarization” discourse through mechanisms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in collaboration with China and India, to strengthen the image of a post-Western order. Russia’s support for Indonesia’s entry into BRICS not only reflects the group’s efforts to expand its sphere of influence but also demonstrates Russia’s strategy of integrating Southeast Asia into the emerging South-South partnership network. Through this, Russia wants to demonstrate its flexible integration into the Asia-Pacific region while also being a voice to show that Russia is not isolated in the process of restructuring the global order.
Taking advantage of ASEAN principles
One of the factors that helps Russia maintain a stable position in Southeast Asia is its ability to effectively exploit ASEAN’s neutral space. Unlike the US or China, which often pursue a strategy of competing for influence by “choosing sides” under pressure, Moscow chooses a flexible approach based on the principle of non-interference in ASEAN’s internal affairs and consensus.
Thanks to these principles, Russia’s participation in ASEAN-led multilateral mechanisms is not interpreted as an attempt to form political alliances or challenge the existing order, but on the contrary, is seen as consistent with the spirit of openness and inclusiveness. It is ASEAN’s neutral space that provides Russia with access in a variety of roles, from observer to dialogue partner to direct participant, thereby legitimizing Russia’s presence in Southeast Asia.
In fact, Russia actively participates in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+), and the East Asia Summit (EAS) to promote cooperation in less sensitive areas, helping Russia both strengthen its image as a constructive contributor and avoid creating suspicion from the West.
Rebooting defense and energy diplomacy
Through the two pillars of defense and energy, Russia has put into its foreign policy to reaffirm its position. These are considered the spearheads by which Russia still maintains its most substantial competitive capacity compared to the US.
In the defense sector, Russia is restoring bilateral cooperation with traditional partners such as Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Previously, Russia accounted for about 25% of the arms market share in Southeast Asia, maintaining its position as the largest supplier in the region. However, instead of continuing to rely on sales contracts, Russia is now focusing on expanding the “after-sales” sector, such as training, maintenance, technology transfer, and joint research in the defense industry. At the multilateral level, Russia actively participates in high-level defense dialogue mechanisms such as ADMM+ and ARF to demonstrate the voice of a responsible partner, promoting peace and stability in the region.
Along with defense, Russia considers energy a common concern to expand its influence in Southeast Asia. Russia takes advantage of its deep-sea oil and gas exploitation techniques and develops nuclear power technology to strengthen cooperation with developing economies with large energy consumption needs. Leading energy corporations such as Zarubezhneft and Rosatom have been cooperating with Vietnam in gas exploitation projects on the continental shelf of the East Sea. Russia also boosts LNG exports to Thailand and the Philippines to expand its market share in the region while cooperating with Indonesia’s Pertamina Group in developing petrochemical refining and building civil nuclear energy infrastructure. These steps reflect Moscow’s efforts to establish an Asian energy supply chain to replace the disrupted European market.
Position on the East Sea dispute
Russia’s stance on the East Sea dispute is clearly cautious. Basically, Russia supports the settlement of disputes by peaceful means based on international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while emphasizing the central role of ASEAN in conflict management. Unlike the US, which always emphasizes the issue of freedom of navigation, Russia chooses the role of a “balancing third party,” maintaining cooperative relations with all parties. However, Russia also avoids making specific statements regarding China’s sovereignty claims in order not to harm the Russia-China relationship, which is currently the leading pillar of its foreign policy.
In addition, Russia also supports the early completion of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), considering it an important tool to maintain stability and calling on all parties to exercise restraint. Instead of directly engaging in disputes, Russia maintains its presence through limited oil and gas cooperation within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), demonstrating Russia’s commitment to the legitimate sovereignty of its partner countries. At the same time, participating in joint exercises with ASEAN countries also helps Russia affirm its image as a responsible power, promoting trust and the ability to coordinate security at sea.
However, Russia’s influence in the South China Sea is still limited. The war in Ukraine has significantly reduced the frequency of Russian military patrols in the region. In addition, the increasingly close relationship between Moscow and Beijing has also made some ASEAN countries cautious, worried that Russia’s “neutrality” could be broken.
The adjustments in Russia’s Southeast Asia policy clearly reflect Russia’s efforts to adapt to a situation where it has to allocate resources to multiple goals. It is easy to see that Russia has chosen to shift from an ideological orientation to a pragmatic strategy, focusing on areas that can generate specific benefits. Instead of directly confronting the US or competing for influence with China, Moscow seeks to exploit gaps to position itself as a balancing factor.
Russia’s current Southeast Asia policy is a survival adaptation, reflecting a strategic effort to maintain influence in a regional structure that is reshaping under the pressure of US-China competition. Under increasing pressure from the US, Russia is forced to pursue a more autonomous path in Southeast Asia to maintain its strategic space. However, Russia’s influence is still limited by its internal capacity and competition from other powers. Russia may not be able to shape the rules of the game or lead the order, but it is certainly a factor that cannot be left out of the Southeast Asian strategic chessboard.
The exchanges have been the only progress of any note in negotiations between the two countries as the war rages on in its fourth year.
Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia that could bring 1,200 Ukrainians home, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, a day after his national security chief announced progress in negotiations.
“We are … counting on the resumption of POW exchanges,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday. “Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.”
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Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said on Saturday that he held consultations mediated by Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates on resuming prisoner of war exchanges, which the two sides have carried out successfully multiple times.
He said the parties agreed to activate prisoner exchange agreements brokered in Istanbul to release 1,200 Ukrainians.
The Istanbul agreements refer to prisoner exchange protocols established with Turkish mediation in 2022 that set rules for large, coordinated swaps. Since then, Russia and Ukraine have traded thousands of prisoners although the exchanges have been sporadic.
But the swaps have been the only progress of any note in talks between the two sides as the war rages on and another punishing winter approaches with oil and energy sites being targeted by both Moscow and Kyiv.
Authorities in Moscow did not immediately comment on the issue.
Umerov said technical consultations would be held soon to finalise procedural and organisational details, expressing hope that returning Ukrainians could “celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home – at the family table and next to their relatives”.
Finland says ‘sisu’ needed
Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told The Associated Press news agency that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before the spring and European allies need to keep up support despite a corruption scandal that has engulfed Kyiv.
Europe, meanwhile, will require “sisu”, a Finnish word meaning endurance, resilience and grit, to get through the winter, he said, as Russia continues its hybrid attacks and information war across the continent.
“I’m not very optimistic about achieving a ceasefire or the beginning of peace negotiations, at least this year,” Stubb said, commenting that it would be good to “get something going” by March.
In other developments, energy infrastructure was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in Ukraine’s Odesa region, the State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites.
Ukraine is desperately trying to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter.
Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
Russia launched 176 drones and fired one missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralised 139 drones.
Ukrainian forces struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region along with a warehouse storing drones for the elite Rubicon drone unit in partially Russian-occupied Donetsk, Ukraine’s general staff said on Sunday. Russian officials did not immediately confirm the attacks.
Months of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries are aimed at depriving Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that its forces shot down 57 Ukrainian drones overnight.
It also said its troops had captured the settlements of Mala Tokmachka and Rivnopillya in eastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region.
Makhachev makes light of stepping up a weight class to beat Della Maddalena by unanimous decision.
Published On 16 Nov 202516 Nov 2025
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Islam Makhachev out-classed Jack Della Maddalena in a five-round beat-down to claim a unanimous decision victory and win the UFC welterweight championship at Madison Square Garden, with Valentina Shevchenko retaining her flyweight title in the co-main event.
Makhachev made light of stepping up a weight class after relinquishing the lightweight crown to chase a new challenge, utterly dominating his Australian opponent for 25 minutes with his smothering grappling to claim his 16th UFC victory in a row on Saturday night.
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The 34-year-old softened up his 29-year-old adversary with calf kicks before launching a relentless wrestling attack and Della Maddalena had no answer, getting stuck on the mat dealing with submission threats under tremendous pressure for long periods.
“This is my plan. It’s not a secret, all my opponents know this, and nobody can stop it,” Makhachev said before calling for his first title defence to be at the proposed event on the White House lawn in 2026.
All three judges scored the contest 50-45 as Makhachev became the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes.
Della Maddalena – who ended an 18-fight career win streak, that featured 14 finishes – walked out of the cage without conducting the traditional post-fight interview and lost his first title defence since he beat Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision in May to wrest away the welterweight championship.
In the co-headliner, Zhang Weili’s dream of joining the elite group of double-champions came up short as the wily Shevchenko out-pointed her in another dominant performance to retain the flyweight crown.
Shevchenko (26-4-1) won her 11th overall title fight once she swept the scorecards 50-45 against Zhang.
Shevchenko displayed her full array of skills, sniping at her Chinese opponent and hurting her with punishing kicks to the body, and taking her to the mat and controlling her whenever she felt in danger.
The fighter from Krygyzstan became the first female UFC fighter to record 60 career takedowns – and the fight indeed ended with Zhang on her back.
“I was preparing for this fight as the hardest challenge in my life,” Shevchenko said in the cage after her customary victory dance.
“This is what I call the art of martial arts. When they are here in front of me, they cannot do anything.”
Shevchenko, right, lands a big right hand on Zhang Weili during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden [Ishika Samant/Getty Images via AFP]
The show went on without an appearance from President Donald Trump, a close friend of UFC CEO Dana White, who normally has a cage side seat for the tri-state area’s biggest events.
UFC fans at the Garden, though, did get a big fight well ahead of the main event when a massive brawl broke out near one of the tunnels used for fight entrances and spilled through the stands and near press row.
The stir – which involved MMA fighter Dillon Danis – had the crowd howling and caused a short delay to the start of the pay-per-view card as police and security tried to bust up the melee.
Fists continued to fly at a furious pace once UFC 322 truly got under way.
Beneil Dariush (in 16 seconds of the first round), Carlos Prates (at 1:28 of the second round), and Michael Morales (at 3:27 of the first round) each won with devastating knockouts to open the card.
Here are the key events from day 1,361 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 16 Nov 202516 Nov 2025
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Here is how things stand on Sunday, November 16:
Fighting
The Ukrainian military said it struck Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery, located about 200km (125 miles) southeast of Moscow, as “part of efforts to reduce the enemy’s ability to launch missile and bomb strikes”.
The Ukrainian military said the strike caused multiple explosions and a large fire at the site.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces have taken control of the village of Yablukove in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region.
The Ukrainian military confirmed withdrawing from the village of Novovasylivske in Zaporizhia, saying the retreat was necessary in order to relocate to “more favourable defensive positions”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the widow of the first victim of the 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl power plant was among several people killed in a barrage of Russian strikes on the capital of Kyiv in recent days. He said Nataliia Khodemchuk’s death was the result of “a new tragedy caused once again by the Kremlin”.
Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported that conditions are stable at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine after an external power line was switched off as a precautionary measure on Friday.
The Russian state-run TASS news agency reported that Ukrainian forces have launched a drone attack on residential buildings in the Russian city of Volgograd, damaging “the facades and glazing of apartment buildings and the surrounding area”.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it shot down eight Ukrainian drones in the course of four hours over the regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk, as well as Russian-occupied Crimea, according to TASS.
Politics and diplomacy
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to move forward with a prisoner exchange that will see the release of about 1,200 Ukrainians, according to a Ukrainian official. The announcement came after several days of talks overseen by Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates, rejuvenating an exchange process laid out during previous negotiations in Istanbul.
President Zelenskyy promised a “reboot” of state-owned energy companies, including reforms to root out corruption, as his government continues to grapple with a major scandal in which investigators said $100m was embezzled from power firms.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a bill providing social assistance for Ukrainian refugees, but stated it was the “last time” he would do so until new solutions to the issue were found. The Polish leader has argued that the provision of assistance to Ukrainian refugees, about one million of whom are living in Poland, is “unfair to Poles”. The legal status of Ukrainian refugees in Poland is set to expire in March.
Serbian officials said that the United States will not ease sanctions on the Serbian oil firm NIS unless it changes the company’s majority-Russian ownership share, despite pleas for leniency from Belgrade. Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said that the US “clearly and unequivocally” demanded changes to Russian ownership, giving Serbia until February 13 to find a solution.
Military aid
Zelenskyy called for additional air defence resources, following a wave of Russian strikes on Kyiv that killed at least seven people and injured dozens more. The Ukrainian leader said that the attacks underscore the need for more assistance and “greater resolve” from allies following the strikes, which struck apartment buildings across the capital city on Friday.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is known around the world for its impressive length, but many don’t know that they can go further and enter one of the most dangerous countries on Earth
Rory Gannon Showbiz Journalist
04:34, 15 Nov 2025
Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railway serves as the track for the longest train journey in the world
The world’s longest direct train journey takes eight days to reach its destination – and crosses into one of the world’s most secretive countries. Since June, direct passenger trains have been running from the Russian capital of Moscow all the way to North Korea’s Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un’s hermit kingdom remains one of the most secretive – and feared – nations on Earth, with the tyrant’s iron fist seeing residents executed for the simple act of watching foreign TV.
That’s a staggering journey of 6,213 miles and makes it by far the longest train journey on Earth, according to the Guinness World Records.
A large portion of the trip uses the Trans-Siberian Railway, that runs across Russia from the capital Moscow in the west to Vladivostok in the east. Spanning a total of 9,288 kilometres (5,772 miles), that in itself is the longest single track in the entire world.
Passengers travelling from Russia to North Korea will travel in a specially-made carriage that is attached to the regular Trans-Siberian Railway service. Once arriving in Vladivostok, the carriage is then reattached to another train and carries on to Pyongyang.
These services were quite infrequent to begin with before being forced to grind to a total halt following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Since then, however, the hermit kingdom has been trying to patch up its relationship with Russia, going as far as to send North Korean soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
Very few Westerners have dared to travel the full way from Moscow to Pyongyang. One group documented their trip back in 2018 and shared what the conditions on board have been like. As they boarded the train in Moscow, they explained that the dedicated Korean carriage was clear to see.
They claimed it was clear to see the train has not been kept in the best condition. “It was cold inside our compartment — no heating, maybe 10 degrees,” the travellers explained, adding that heating would not be turned on for several hours. “If it’s cold outside this period, the cars are individually heated with a coal stove, which is located in every car.
“However, individual heating requires that coal is available – and this was not the case in our North Korean sleeping car, but no problem, we had warm clothes.
“However, the water-boiler was working, so preparing tea, coffee and instant-noodles was possible.”
North Korea’s feared reputation is not without reason. The government is known to monitor all forms of communication by residents, to ensure there is no contact with the outside world. Thousands have been detained in “political prison camps” for “crimes” such as trying to flee the country or practising their religion.
Food is often withheld from the wider population, instead prioritising the elite and military. According to the UN, 10.7million, ore more than 40% of the entire population, are undernourished.
![Prime Minister Donald Tusk visits site of the rail line Mika, that was damaged by sabotage [KPRM/AP]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AP25321350557950-1763474295.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
