Russia

• The Crimean Bridge that links Crimea to the Russian mainland was again targeted by Ukrainian forces in a bombing early Monday morning that killed two civilians and injured a child. AWC
• Russia announced Monday that it was suspending its participation in a deal that was signed last year to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. AWC
• As Washington ships billions of dollars in arms to Kiev, a General is warning that American weapons stockpiles are becoming dangerously low. The Defense Department official called for the weapons industry to increase production. The Institute  
• A senior figure in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) was placed in pretrial detention. Cleric Metropolitan Pavlo is facing charges for voicing opinions deemed too pro-Russian. The Institute 
• The Washington Post reported Tuesday that US officials believe Ukraine should be launching large-scale assaults against Russia’s defensive lines despite the risk of major losses and are blaming Ukraine’s tactics for the struggling counteroffensive. AWC
• The Biden administration is expected to announce a new $1.3 billion weapons package for Ukraine in the coming days, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two unnamed US officials. AWC
• The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Russian forces launched “retaliatory” strikes in southern Ukraine in response to the bombing of the Crimean Bridge by Ukrainian forces. AWC
• USAID Head Samantha Power rolled out multiple aid packages totaling hundreds of millions of dollars during a multi-day trip to Ukraine. The Institute 
• The North Atlantic alliance is running so low on weapons it may be unable to keep supplying Kiev, according to CNN. A high-ranking British defense official said the predicament was created because NATO had no long-term plans for the war in Ukraine. The Institute 

China

• The Marshall Islands is seeking more compensation from the US for the health and environmental damages caused by US nuclear testing as part of negotiations to extend a deal that gives the US military access to the Pacific Island nation. AWC
• Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) agreed on Sunday that NATO expansion into Asia was “inevitable” as the Western military alliance increasingly has its eyes on China. AWC
• Terry Guo, a Taiwanese billionaire and politician, has called for dialogue between Taiwan and China and criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for not engaging with Beijing. AWC
• China sent a record number of warships around Taiwan in a single day last week, topping a previous high set when the Chinese military responded to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island in August 2022, The South China Morning Post reported. AWC
• Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited Beijing and met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday. The Institute 

Korea

• A US nuclear-armed submarine docked in South Korea on Tuesday in a major provocation aimed at North Korea as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to rise. AWC

Middle East

• President Joe Biden invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “meet soon” in the United States during a phone call on Monday. The Institute 
• Israeli airstrikes targeted Syria’s capital Damascus early Wednesday morning, wounding two Syrian soldiers, Syrian media has reported. AWC