North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of an “upgraded” version of the country’s 600mm multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) on Tuesday in order to present a “grave threat” to enemies, according to state media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim on Wednesday saying that unspecified enemies, likely referring to the U.S. and South Korea, will “clearly” be convinced of new technological advancements demonstrated during the test.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a “long-range strategic cruise missile” test on Sunday, according to state media, calling it an “exercise of war deterrence in the current situation where we are facing various security threats.”
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that the DPRK military launched two cruise missiles on the west coast, each flying around 170 minutes before striking a target building. NK News analysis shows the target is on an island near Nampho which has been used numerous times during missile tests in recent years.
Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming year, aiming to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region.The draft budget for fiscal 2026, beginning April, is up 9.4% from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year program to double annual arms spending to 2% of gross domestic product.“It is the minimum needed as Japan faces the severest and most complex security environment in the postwar era,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said, stressing his country’s determination to pursue military buildup and protect its people.“It does not change our path as a peace-loving nation,” he said.The increase comes as Japan faces elevated tension from China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that her country’s military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule.Takaichi’s government, under U.S. pressure for a military increase, pledged to achieve the 2% target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise its ongoing security and defense policy by December 2026 to further strengthen its military.Missiles and drones will add to southwestern island defenseJapan has been bolstering its offensive capability with long-range missiles to attack enemy targets from a distance, a major break from its post-World War II principle limiting the use of force to its own self-defense.The current security strategy, adopted in 2022, names China as the country’s biggest strategic challenge and calls for a more offensive role for Japan’s Self-Defense Force under its security alliance with the U.S.The new budget plan allocates more than 970 billion yen ($6.2 billion) to bolster Japan’s “standoff” missile capability. It includes a 177 billion yen ($1.13 billion) purchase of domestically developed and upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles with a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).The first batch of the Type-12 missiles will be deployed in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture by March, a year earlier than planned, as Japan accelerates its missile buildup in the region.The government believes unmanned weapons are essential, in part due to Japan’s aging and declining population and its struggles with an understaffed military.To defend the coasts, Japan will spend 100 billion yen ($640 million) to deploy “massive” unmanned air, sea-surface and underwater drones for surveillance and defense under a system called SHIELD planned for March 2028, defense ministry officials said.For speedier deployment, Japan initially plans to rely mainly on imports, possibly from Turkey or Israel.Tension with China growsThe budget announcement comes as Japan’s row with China escalates following Takaichi’s remark in November that the Japanese military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.The disagreement escalated this month when Chinese aircraft carrier drills near southwestern Japan prompted Tokyo to protest when Chinese aircraft locked their radar on Japanese aircraft, which is considered possible preparation for firing missiles.The Defense Ministry, already alarmed by China’s rapid expansion of operations in the Pacific, will open a new office dedicated to studying operations, equipment and other necessities for Japan to deal with China’s Pacific activity.Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted in June, almost simultaneously operating near the southern Japanese island of Iwo Jima for the first time, fueling Tokyo’s concern about Beijing’s rapidly expanding military activity far beyond its borders and areas around the disputed East China Sea islands.In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Takaichi government has “noticeably accelerated its pace of military buildup and expansion” since taking office.”Japan is deviating from the path of peaceful development it has long claimed to uphold and is moving further and further in a dangerous direction,” Lin said.Japan plans joint development of frigates and jetsJapan is pushing to strengthen its largely domestic defense industry by participating in joint development with friendly nations and promoting foreign sales after drastically easing arms export restrictions in recent years.For 2026, Japan plans to spend more than 160 billion yen ($1 billion) to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet with Britain and Italy for deployment in 2035. There are also plans for research and development of artificial intelligence-operated drones designed to fly with the jet.In a major boost to the country’s defense industry, Australia selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in August to upgrade the Mogami-class frigate to replace its fleet of 11 ANZAC-class ships.Japan’s budget allocates nearly 10 billion yen ($64 million) to support industry base and arms sales.Meeting targets but future funding uncertainThe budget plan requires parliamentary approval by March to be implemented as part of a 122.3 trillion yen ($784 billion) national budget bill.The five-year defense buildup program would bring Japan’s annual spending to around 10 trillion yen ($64 billion), making it the world’s third-largest spender after the U.S. and China. Japan will clear the 2% target by March as promised, the Finance Ministry said.Takaichi’s government plans to fund its growing military spending by raising corporate and tobacco taxes and recently adopted a plan for an income tax increase beginning in 2027. Prospects for future growth at a higher percentage of GDP are unclear.
Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming year, aiming to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region.
The draft budget for fiscal 2026, beginning April, is up 9.4% from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year program to double annual arms spending to 2% of gross domestic product.
“It is the minimum needed as Japan faces the severest and most complex security environment in the postwar era,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said, stressing his country’s determination to pursue military buildup and protect its people.
“It does not change our path as a peace-loving nation,” he said.
The increase comes as Japan faces elevated tension from China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that her country’s military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule.
Takaichi’s government, under U.S. pressure for a military increase, pledged to achieve the 2% target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise its ongoing security and defense policy by December 2026 to further strengthen its military.
Japan has been bolstering its offensive capability with long-range missiles to attack enemy targets from a distance, a major break from its post-World War II principle limiting the use of force to its own self-defense.
The current security strategy, adopted in 2022, names China as the country’s biggest strategic challenge and calls for a more offensive role for Japan’s Self-Defense Force under its security alliance with the U.S.
The new budget plan allocates more than 970 billion yen ($6.2 billion) to bolster Japan’s “standoff” missile capability. It includes a 177 billion yen ($1.13 billion) purchase of domestically developed and upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles with a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
The first batch of the Type-12 missiles will be deployed in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture by March, a year earlier than planned, as Japan accelerates its missile buildup in the region.
The government believes unmanned weapons are essential, in part due to Japan’s aging and declining population and its struggles with an understaffed military.
To defend the coasts, Japan will spend 100 billion yen ($640 million) to deploy “massive” unmanned air, sea-surface and underwater drones for surveillance and defense under a system called SHIELD planned for March 2028, defense ministry officials said.
For speedier deployment, Japan initially plans to rely mainly on imports, possibly from Turkey or Israel.
The budget announcement comes as Japan’s row with China escalates following Takaichi’s remark in November that the Japanese military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.
The disagreement escalated this month when Chinese aircraft carrier drills near southwestern Japan prompted Tokyo to protest when Chinese aircraft locked their radar on Japanese aircraft, which is considered possible preparation for firing missiles.
The Defense Ministry, already alarmed by China’s rapid expansion of operations in the Pacific, will open a new office dedicated to studying operations, equipment and other necessities for Japan to deal with China’s Pacific activity.
Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted in June, almost simultaneously operating near the southern Japanese island of Iwo Jima for the first time, fueling Tokyo’s concern about Beijing’s rapidly expanding military activity far beyond its borders and areas around the disputed East China Sea islands.
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Takaichi government has “noticeably accelerated its pace of military buildup and expansion” since taking office.
“Japan is deviating from the path of peaceful development it has long claimed to uphold and is moving further and further in a dangerous direction,” Lin said.
Japan is pushing to strengthen its largely domestic defense industry by participating in joint development with friendly nations and promoting foreign sales after drastically easing arms export restrictions in recent years.
For 2026, Japan plans to spend more than 160 billion yen ($1 billion) to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet with Britain and Italy for deployment in 2035. There are also plans for research and development of artificial intelligence-operated drones designed to fly with the jet.
In a major boost to the country’s defense industry, Australia selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in August to upgrade the Mogami-class frigate to replace its fleet of 11 ANZAC-class ships.
Japan’s budget allocates nearly 10 billion yen ($64 million) to support industry base and arms sales.
The budget plan requires parliamentary approval by March to be implemented as part of a 122.3 trillion yen ($784 billion) national budget bill.
The five-year defense buildup program would bring Japan’s annual spending to around 10 trillion yen ($64 billion), making it the world’s third-largest spender after the U.S. and China. Japan will clear the 2% target by March as promised, the Finance Ministry said.
Takaichi’s government plans to fund its growing military spending by raising corporate and tobacco taxes and recently adopted a plan for an income tax increase beginning in 2027. Prospects for future growth at a higher percentage of GDP are unclear.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited two major missile factories in the east coast city of Hamhung in recent days where he called for increasing missile production and building more arms plants, according to state media on Friday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was satisfied with short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and artillery rocket production in 2025, and that he “ratified” draft documents for modernizing weapons factories to be reviewed at the Ninth Party Congress scheduled for sometime in the coming months.
North Korea fired around 10 “artillery rockets” on Tuesday afternoon, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), as part of an apparent test.
The test came on the same day as leader Kim Jong Un kicked off the ruling party’s year-end plenum. State media had yet to report on the rocket launch as of midday Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt on the chances of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his trip to the Korean Peninsula this week, but said he will “come back” to the area for a meeting soon.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to South Korea on Wednesday morning, Trump said he didn’t know whether he’ll meet Kim on his current trip and that his focus is on planned talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Gyeongju on Thursday.
On September 19, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement made a $61,218 payment for “guided missile warheads and explosive components,” according to the Product and Service Code (PSC) included in the payment record on a federal contracting database.
“This award provides multiple distraction devices to support law enforcement operations and ICE- Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs,” the record’s description section reads.
The Substack Popular Information mentioned this payment in a Monday article, which focused on the fact that ICE spending in the “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing” product category increased by 700 percent between 2024 and 2025. (Spending increased by about 636 percent, per WIRED’s analysis of the same category and time periods Popular Information measured.) Word of the payment also circulated on Tuesday after a post on BlueSky by Democratic Wisconsin state senator Chris Larson went viral.
It turns out, concern over ICE agents planning to use warheads is likely based on a mistake. Quantico Tactical, the company listed as the supplier of said warheads in the federal payment records, does not sell any explosive devices. (It sells a variety of firearms, switchblades, and weapon accessories.) David Hensley, founder and CEO of Quantico Tactical, told WIRED in an email that the PSC “appears to be an error.”
“Quantico Tactical does not sell, and I suspect that CBP ICE does not purchase, ‘Guided Missile Warheads,’” Hensley said, referencing Customs and Border Protection. He added that the rest of the payment record appears to be correct.
PSCs are assigned by a government agency’s contracting office, not the private contractor. Hensley declined to speculate on what the correct PSC for the payment may be. He also declined to clarify which “distraction devices” ICE purchased. However, ICE made two other payments to Quantico Tactical for “distraction devices” in September 2024 and August 2025.
The descriptions for both payment records claim that they are for training programs run by ICE’s Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs (OFTP). Both payments records use the PSC for “chemical weapons and equipment,” which includes items like “flame throwers” and “smoke generators.”
An ICE “Firearms and Use of Force” handbook from 2021 does not mention any approved use of flame throwers, but it does mention the use of “chemical munitions” such as smoke, pepper spray, and tear gas. (It notes that their use must be approved by the agency’s associate director and the OFTP.) Quantico Tactical does not list smoke bombs, pepper spray, or tear gas for sale on its website, though it does list accessories like smoke-resistant goggles and holders for mace, flash grenades, and smoke bombs. It’s unclear what ICE may have purchased.
Caroline Haskins
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The Pentagon has told suppliers of missiles to the U.S. that their production of the weapons needs to as much as quadruple, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
This urgency to increase missile production, as the U.S. looks with concern at its stockpiles over the potential for a future war with China, was laid out at meetings between top Pentagon officials and representatives from U.S. weapons manufacturers, the Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
The depletion of missiles has been a focus of concern in recent years, particularly as the U.S. supplied Ukraine during Russia’s ongoing invasion. U.S. President Donald Trump is now weighing whether to give Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected “new” ballistic missile production capabilities on Sunday, according to state media, a few days before he is scheduled to attend a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday and meet the Chinese and Russian leaders.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that Kim visited a “newly-inaugurated combined missile production line of a major munitions enterprise” and approved three new “long-term” plans for missile production and increased spending on weapons development, signaling that he will head into diplomatic talks with no intention of discussing a reduction in arms production.
COCOA, Fla., July 9, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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Vaya Space, a space and defense company, today announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC) to investigate the use of Vaya Space’s vortex hybrid propulsion technology in a representative size for a surface-to-surface missile. The agreement will also allow Vaya to further prove out the engine’s capabilities for use in an operational environment, either as a replacement engine for existing missile systems or as the propulsion system for a new long-range surface-to-surface missile.
The CRADA is a follow-on action to Vaya Space’s demonstration of successful deep throttling, shutdown, and restart of an 8 kN test engine based on the design specifications of a Hellfire tactical missile. Vaya began designing the demonstration engine just after initial discussions with Army Futures Command in April of 2023. Vaya designed and built the test engine by that September at their own expense, with an initial test fire in October 2023. In January 2024, Vaya demonstrated the engine’s ability to throttle from 8 kN to 4 kN and back up to 8 kN, and the ability to shut down the engine while firing, pause for a period of time, and then restart the engine to senior representatives of Army Futures Command, DEVCOM AvMC, and several defense primes. This demonstration of the rapidly designed and built engine with operationally relevant capabilities was the impetus for the CRADA.
Robert Fabian, Vaya Space COO, said, “With our recent tests proving that Vaya’s proprietary technologies can provide a flexibility and control not normally seen in tactical missiles, it’s time to move the concept forward. This CRADA will start the design work, in cooperation with the Army’s missile experts, for a larger test missile, as well as begin to flesh out the operational and logistical requirements to potentially field it. Taking a new rocket engine from a clean sheet to first fire in less than six months is unheard of. We are planning to keep that pace going as we further explore defense applications for our unique vortex hybrid rocket engines.”
Utilizing its patented vortex hybrid rocket technology, Vaya Space is set to advance its engine testing to match the rigorous operational conditions of missile systems. Having conducted over 120 successful hot-fire tests across various sizes and configurations, Vaya is confident in its ability to perform future tests that meet the requirements and stringent standards of surface-to-surface missile systems.
Vaya Space envisions broader applications for its vortex hybrid propulsion technology in various missile systems used by the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy, including as propulsion for hypersonic weapons. The engine’s capability to be custom-tailored to specific form factors and thrust profiles, along with its in-flight throttling, is also enabling for missile defense targets. This adaptability allows targets to mimic adversary capabilities, providing more realistic training and testing scenarios for missile defense systems.
About Vaya Space
Vaya Space is a privately owned company based on the Space Coast and leveraging patented Vortex Hybrid engine technology to disrupt the Space and Defense Markets. For media inquiries, please contact media@vayaspace.com.
Source: Vaya Space
Defense technology expected to dramatically increase range, performance, and survivability
COCOA, Fla., May 22, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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Vaya Space, a space and defense company, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract focused on strengthening A2/AD penetration with hybrid rocket ejector-ramjet (HRER) hypersonic propulsion to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on May 15th, 2024, Vaya Space will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Vaya Space CEO, Kevin Lowdermilk, stated “We believe that hybrid engine technology can play a critical role in hypersonic missile development, and we are excited to begin Phase 1 of this journey with the Air Force.”
“Airbreathing hybrids are a natural progression of our unique technology. Current solid ramjets, like hybrids, experience the same challenges related to reliability, consistency, and predictability we have set out to solve. Our physics-based combustion modeling techniques used in tandem with our extensive use of additive manufacturing and composites enables us to produce a whole new category of long range and high speed propulsion technologies,” stated Lead Propulsion Engineer, Kineo Wallace.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
About Vaya Space
Vaya Space is a privately owned company based on the Space Coast and leveraging patented Vortex Hybrid engine technology to disrupt the Space and Defense Markets. For media inquiries, please contact media@vayaspace.com
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
Company Press Contact:
Mary Baldino
Director of Sales and Marketing
mary.baldino@vayaspace.com
Source: Vaya Space
On Saturday, Iran launched more than 200 drones and cruise missiles at Israel, a response to an strike earlier this month against Iran’s embassy in Syria. As the drones made their way across the Middle East en route to their target, Israel has invoked a number of defense systems to impede their progress. None will be more important than the Iron Dome.
The Iron Dome, operational for well over a decade, comprises at least 10 missile-defense batteries strategically distributed around the country. When radar detects incoming objects, it sends that information back to a command-and-control center, which will track the threat to assess whether it’s a false alarm, and where it might hit if it’s not. The system then fires interceptor missiles at the incoming rockets that seem most likely to hit an inhabited area.
“All of that process was designed for defense against low-flying, fast-moving missiles,” says Iain Boyd, director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado. Which also makes it extremely well-prepared for an onslaught of drones. “A drone is going to be flying probably slower than these rockets,” Boyd says, “so in some ways it’s an easier threat to address.”
Things get more complicated if the drones are flying so low that the radar can’t detect them. The biggest challenge, though, may be sheer quantity. Israel has hundreds of interceptor missiles at its disposal, but it’s still possible for the Iron Dome to get overwhelmed, as it did on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel with a barrage of thousands of missiles.
US officials have said that so far Iran has launched a total of 150 missiles at Israel. The Iron Dome has already been active in deflecting them, although a 10-year-old boy was reportedly injured by shrapnel from an interceptor missile.
While the Iron Dome is Israel’s last and arguably best line of defense, it’s not the only factor here. The UAVs in question are likely Iran-made Shahed-136 drones, which have played a prominent role in Russia’s war against Ukraine. These so-called suicide drones—it has a built-in warhead and is designed to crash into targets—are relatively cheap to produce.
“At one level they’re not difficult to take down. They’re not stealthy, they don’t fly very fast, and they don’t maneuver,” says David Ochmanek, senior defense analyst at the nonprofit RAND Corporation. “In some way, they’re like airborne targets.”
That slowness and fixed flight path in particular mean the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have to travel for several hours before they reach their intended destination, leaving ample opportunities to intercept them.
“Because there’s so much indication of warning in advance of the UAS, presumably there’s going to be a lot of fixed-wing, manned aircraft that are looking at these things, tracking these things, and presumably trying to engage these things,” says Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a policy think tank.
Brian Barrett
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On the anniversary of Putin’s aggression, however, uncertainty and irritation were undisguised in Kyiv. Ukrainians wanted to know why Western sanctions on Russia are not working, and why Moscow keeps getting components for its missiles from Western companies. Why Ukrainians have to keep asking for weapons; and why the U.S. is not pushing through the crucial new aid package for Ukraine.
“We are very grateful for the support of the United States, but unfortunately, when I turn to the Democrats for support, they tell me to go to the Republicans. And the Republicans say to go to the Democrats,” Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova said at a separate Kyiv conference on Saturday. “We are grateful for the European support, but we cannot win without the USA. We need the supply of anti-aircraft defenses and continued assistance.”
“Why don’t you give us what we ask for? Our priorities are air defense and missiles. We need long-range missiles,” Ustinova added.
U.S. Congressman Jim Costa explained to the conference that Americans, and even members of Congress, still need to be educated on how the war in Ukraine affects them and why a Ukrainian victory is in America’s best interests.
“I believe that we must, and that is why we will decide on an additional aid package for Ukraine. It is difficult and unattractive. But I believe that over the next few weeks, the US response will be a beacon to protect our security and democratic values,” Costa said.
The West is afraid of Russia, Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s security and defense council secretary, told the Saturday conference.
“The West does not know what to do with Russia and therefore it does not allow us to win. Russians constantly blackmail and intimidate the West. However, if you are afraid of a dog, it will bite you,” he said.
“And now you are losing not only to autocratic Russia but also to the rest of the autocracies in the world,” Danilov added.
Veronika Melkozerova
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This year will be one of “recovery and preparation on both sides, like 1916 and 1941-42 in the last world wars,” said Marc Thys, who retired as Belgium’s deputy defense chief last year with the rank of lieutenant general.
To assess prospects for the year ahead, POLITICO asked analysts, serving officers and military experts to give their view on the course of the war.
Nobody could provide a precise roadmap for 2024, but all agreed that three fundamentals will determine the trajectory of the coming months. First, this spring is about managing expectations as Ukraine won’t have the gear or the personnel to launch a significant counteroffensive; second, Russia, with the help of its allies, has secured artillery superiority and, together with relentless ground attacks, is pounding Ukrainian positions; and third, without Western air defense and long-range missiles as well as artillery shells, Kyiv will struggle to mount a credible, sustained defense.
“The year will be difficult, no one can predict from which direction Russia will go or whether we will advance this year,” said Taras Chmut, a Ukrainian military analyst and sergeant with the Naval Forces Marine Corps Reserve.
It’s clear, however, that Ukraine is on the back foot.
After many weeks of bloody fighting, Russia finally took the fortress city of Avdiivka this month. Without pausing for a breather, its military proceeded to launch attacks on other key Ukrainian strongpoints and logistical hubs: Robotyne in the region of Zaporizhzia, Kupiansk in Kharkiv, and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region.
Joshua Posaner, Veronika Melkozerova, Stuart Lau, Paul McLeary and Henry Donovan
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U.S. President Joe Biden said “Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.” Biden called on lawmakers to approve $60 billion in aid to Ukraine that has been held up in the U.S. Congress.
The fall of Avdiivka is Russia’s biggest gain since capturing the city of Bakhmut in May 2023, and comes almost two years to the day since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s newly appointed military chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, said in a statement that he decided to withdraw forces from the embattled city to “avoid encirclement [by Russian troops] and preserve the lives and health of servicemen.”
Moscow said that some Ukrainian troops were still holed up in an industrial plant in the Avdiivka area, according to media reports. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Kremlin that Russian forces were working to clear final pockets of resistance at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, officials said in a statement.
Outnumbered Ukrainian defenders had battled a Russian assault around Avdiivka for four months in one of the most intense battles of the war. Zelenskyy said Russian forces had been suffering seven casualties for every Ukrainian death in Avdiivka, but even that death rate wasn’t stopping the attacks.
“Russia has only one specific advantage, complete devaluation of human life,” Zelenskyy said.
Jones Hayden
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“This is Russia’s war against any rules at all,” Zelenskyy said, to applause from the auditorium, adding:” If you do not manage to act now, Putin will make the next years catastrophic for other countries as well.”
Zelenskyy’s appearance in Munich is part on an ongoing campaign to strengthen Kyiv’s ties with its Western allies. Before coming to Munich, he was in Berlin and Paris to sign security agreements, adding to a similar pact with the United Kingdom.
Although Russia has more ammunition, the war is also causing problems, forcing it to plead for help from ramshackle dictatorships. “For the first time in Russian history, Russia bowed to Iran and North Korea for help,” said Zelenskyy.
Despite problems like ammunition shortages and retreats from cities like Avdiivka, Zelenskyy insisted that Ukraine can prevail in the war against Russia, especially if its allies give it more arms and ammunition.
“We can get our land back, and Putin can lose,” he said, adding: “We should not be afraid of Putin‘s defeat and the destruction of his regime. It is his fate to lose — not the fate of the rules-based order to vanish.”
Antoaneta Roussi contributed reporting.
Joshua Posaner
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Iran on Sunday denounced U.S. and British air strikes on Yemen as “fueling chaos and disorder” and risking an escalation of the war in the Middle East.
Washington and London, with support from partner nations, on Saturday launched a fresh round of air and missile strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in retaliation for the group’s continued attacks on international shipping. A day earlier, U.S. long-range aircraft bombarded Iranian military and proxy targets in Iraq and Syria.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanani, claimed that the strikes contradict U.S. and U.K. policy of wanting to avoid an escalation in the conflict.
These attacks are “in clear contradiction with the repeated claims of Washington and London that they do not want the expansion of war and conflict in the region,” Kanani said, according to AFP. He added that further attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen would constitute a “threat to international peace and security.”
Hans von der Burchard
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“We have been saying this a long time,” he said on a visit to Brussels. “I have been here three times before and always we said if we didn’t do this … the Houthis will never stop. The Houthis have an ideology, have a project. Iran has a project in the region and unfortunately, the others do not respond.”
He expressed frustration that the EU and U.S. spent years pouring their diplomatic energies into wooing Tehran for a nuclear deal, rather than exerting more pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop supporting their Houthi allies, fellow Shi’ite Muslims who were seeking to impose what he labeled a “theocratic, totalitarian” police state.
The idea behind the nuclear talks was that Tehran should limit its nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief, but an accord proved out of reach.
Bin Mubarak noted international momentum for action — which has included U.S. and British strikes on Houthi targets — did not finally come about “because of what [the Houthis] did to the Yemenis. They killed thousands of Yemenis. Not because of the atrocities they committed, raping women … jailing women … Just look at what Houthis did. No one is paying attention.”
He explained Western diplomacy toward Iran was supposed to have focused on three elements: the nuclear program, Tehran’s support for regional proxies, and its ballistic missile program. The fixation on the first, to the detriment of the other two, means the West is now facing an adversary in Yemen that has been very well armed by Iran, bin Mubarak complained.
“[Iran’s] Shahed drones, the first time we started hearing the European Union talking about it, they were being used in Ukraine. But before that, for years, we were saying Iran is supplying Houthis and drones are attacking Yemeni people. No one was believing [it],” he continued, adding that Houthi drone strikes stopped Yemeni oil exports in October 2022.
Christian Oliver
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While the scale and target of Biden’s promised response is not yet clear, any unilateral move is likely to draw blowback from key allies in the Middle East who worry about sparking a regional war.
Saudi Arabia has pushed for restraint in dealings with Tehran and fears the economic cost of regional instability.
Turkey, a key NATO ally, has denounced Israel’s campaign in Gaza, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused the U.K. and the U.S. of trying to turn the Red Sea into a “sea of blood.”
“Turkey does not want to be drawn into this conflict because it shares a border with Iran,” said Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics. “If the U.S. as its main ally in NATO gets involved in this military conflict directly then Turkey has to choose a side, and that will mean it’s harder to maintain a balanced approach — like it has done with the war in Ukraine.”
The challenge for Biden is how to retaliate without risking escalation by Iran and its partners in the region. Conversely, doing nothing — especially after having said he would avenge the deaths of the three U.S. soldiers — would leave him vulnerable to a charge of weakness from Trump.
“Iran’s leadership probably calculates that the United States will be reticent to fulsomely respond in any manner that would risk escalation of tensions in the Middle East and spark the region-wide [conflict] the Biden administration has admirably tried to prevent the past three months,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. deputy national intelligence officer.
But the U.S. may have “to undertake a more fulsome response to restore deterrence,” he added.
Jamie Dettmer, Jeremy Van der Haegen and Laura Kayali contributed reporting.
Gabriel Gavin
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Though unsuccessful, the attack marks an intensification in the battle between the Houthis, which control large parts of Yemen, and a U.S.-led naval operation aimed at protecting commercial shipping in one of the most important global trade routes.
In recent weeks, Western navies have repeatedly responded to Houthi attacks against cargo ships traveling along the coast of Yemen that began soon after the October 7 attack by the Hamas militant group against Israel.
The Yemen-based group said it was conducting its attacks in solidarity with the Palestinian group. In response, Western militaries are now increasingly targeting Houthi weapons sites in Yemen.
On Friday, the Houthi rebels also struck an oil tanker with a missile, according to the ship’s operator Trafigura. The company said on Saturday that it was assessing the security risks of further Red Sea voyages after firefighters put out a blaze on the tanker, the Marlin Luanda.
Mark Scott
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