Russia
- Ukraine’s CIA-backed military intelligence has taken credit for a car bombing that killed a politician in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine on Wednesday. AWC
- Officials from the State Department and USAID pressed Congress to pass a $105 billion spending package that will provide weapons to Ukraine and Israel. One Biden administration official said it was crucial to provide aid to Kiev because “The besieged people of Ukraine are …fighting for basic needs, such as food, water, medicine, and electricity.” The Institute
- Russian official says Moscow will continue to abide by Nuclear test ban agreement. TASS X
- Senator Rand Paul slams the State Department over Ukraine policy. RS X
China
- The Philippine government has said it’s working on a pact to strengthen military ties with Japan amid rising tensions in the region, Defense Post reported on Wednesday. AWC
Israel
- Blinken says the US supports a Palestinian-led government in Gaza after military operation. FT AWC
- Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder expalined Washington’s four objective in the Middle East. The Institute
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres says there is clearly something wrong with Israeli military tactics. Politico
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said late Tuesday that Israeli forces were fighting in the “heart” of Gaza City as Hamas is claiming its fighters are inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). AWC
- Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, tells Congress the death toll in Gaza is likely higher than reported. The Hill X AWC
- Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded Tel Aviv impose security zones around illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank on Monday. The Institute
Middle East
- The Pentagon said on Wednesday night that the US launched more airstrikes in eastern Syria that targeted a facility used by “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.” AWC
- Yemen’s Houthis said Wednesday that their military successfully downed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying off the coast of Yemen. AWC
