Dulles Airport Rebuild Plan Could Transform Washington’s Main International Gateway 
UAE Allegedly Conducted Secret Military Strikes on Iran, WSJ Reports 
South Korea Reviews Phased Support for Strait of Hormuz Security Efforts 
GOP Lawmakers Probe Sam Altman and OpenAI Ahead of Potential IPO 
Kyrgyzstan Coup Plot Charges Shake Japarov Government Amid Political Tensions 
Trump Signals Possible U.S.-Cuba Talks Amid Rising Pressure on Havana 
Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Pressure as Labour MPs Demand Leadership Change 
Saudi Arabia’s Secret Strikes on Iran Reveal Escalating Middle East Conflict 
US, Japan Reaffirm Strong Currency Coordination Amid Yen Volatility 
Trump Nominates Cameron Hamilton to Lead FEMA After Previous Ouster 
Bahamas Election 2026: Prime Minister Philip Davis Secures Historic Second Term 
Florida to Close “Alligator Alcatraz” Migrant Detention Center Amid Criticism 
Trump Weighs Renewed Military Action Against Iran Amid Strait of Hormuz Crisis 
EU Approves New Sanctions on Israeli Settlers and Hamas Leaders 
Trump Says Ukraine War Could End Soon as Peace Talks Gain Momentum 
Russia Resumes Heavy Drone Attacks on Ukraine After Ceasefire Ends 
Tennessee Republicans Remove Democrats From Committees After Redistricting Protest 
The British defense ministry said that Russian forces are likely planning on surrounding the town of Bakhmut in the partially-occupied territory of Donetsk. The ministry noted that the move would mainly be a political objective for Moscow.
The British defense ministry said in its intelligence bulletin Saturday that Russia was looking to encircle the town of Bakhmut, located in the partially-occupied Ukrainian territory of Donetsk. The ministry said that Russian forces were investing a significant amount of military effort around the town, noting that Russia has made small advances on the southern side of the offensive.
“Russia has prioritized Bakhmut as its main offensive effort since August 2022,” the ministry said.
“The capture of the town would have limited operational value although it would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. However, the campaign has been disproportionately costly relative to these possible gains. There is a realistic possibility that Bakhmut’s capture has become primarily a symbolic, political objective for Russia,” said the ministry.
On Saturday, the ministry said that according to recent polling, there has been little public support in Russia for the war. The ministry cited an independent Russian media outlet that claimed to have access to data collected by the country’s Federal Protective Service. According to the data, 55 percent of Russians were in support of peace talks with Ukraine, with only 25 percent claiming to support the war.
The results are apparently in line with a separate survey conducted in October, where 57 percent of respondents were in favor of peace talks. Back in April, 80 percent of Russians claimed to support the war that Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
“With Russia unlikely to achieve major battlefield successes in the next several months, maintaining even tacit approval of the war amongst the population is likely to be increasingly difficult for the Kremlin,” said the ministry.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron came under fire from Ukraine and Baltic states for suggesting that there would be “security guarantees” for Moscow should it return to negotiations. Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said that the world needs security guarantees from Russia rather than the other way around.
