Australia Progresses AUKUS Review as U.S. Affirms Strong Support 
China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
New Orleans Immigration Crackdown Sparks Fear as Federal Arrests Intensify 
U.S. Repatriation Flight Carrying 266 Venezuelan Migrants Lands in Caracas 
UN Chief Says Gaza Operation “Fundamentally Wrong” as Concerns Over War Crimes Grow 
U.S. Defense Chief Pete Hegseth Defends Controversial Second Strike on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
Trump’s Name Appears on U.S. Institute of Peace Ahead of Rwanda–Congo Deal Signing 
Pentagon Probe Finds Hegseth’s Use of Signal Risked Exposing Sensitive Yemen Strike Details 
Taiwan Signals Openness to Renew Ties with Honduras as Election Unfolds 
Honduras Election Turmoil Intensifies as Nasralla Blames Trump for Shift in Results 
Michael Dell Pledges $6.25 Billion to Boost Children’s Investment Accounts Under Trump Initiative 
U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries 
Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race 
The war Russia is waging on Ukraine is close to its 11th month, with heavy fighting taking place in the Donetsk region. The leader of the Russian Wagner mercenary group said capturing Bakhmut is significant for the city’s underground.
Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday that capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is important. The Wagner group is currently on the frontlines in the city where fighting has been taking place. Prigozhin, who is currently sanctioned by the West, cited the underground complexes in Bakhmut that can store weapons and tanks as the reason why capturing Bakhmut is important.
“The cherry on the cake is the system of Soledar and Bakhmut mines, which is actually a network of underground cities. It not only (has the ability to hold) a big group of people at a depth of 80 to 100 meters, but tanks and infantry fighting vehicles can also move about,” said Prigozhin in comments on the Wagner group’s Telegram messaging platform.
Prigozhin added that stockpiles of weapons were stored in the underground complexes in Bakhmut since World War One. Prigozhin also said he wanted Bakhmut as it served as “a serious logistics center” with defensive fortifications.
Thursday last week, a White House official said Washington believed Prigozhin wanted to capture Bakhmut in order to take control of its salt and gypsum mines for commercial gain but did not mention its military use.
On Sunday, the British defense ministry said Russian forces had reinforced their defenses in the occupied Zaporizhzhia area in southern Ukraine. In its intelligence bulletin, the ministry said the defenses were specially reinforced in between the towns of Vasilyvka and Orikhiv, in which Russia maintains a large unit.
“The way Russia has worked on improving defenses suggests commanders are highly likely pre-occupied with the potential for major Ukrainian offensive action in two sectors: either in northern Luhansk Oblast or in Zaporizhzhia,” said the ministry.
The ministry added that should Ukraine make a significant advance in Zaporizhzhia, this would challenge “the viability of Russia’s ‘land bridge’” that connects Russia’s Rostov region to the annexed Crimean peninsula. The ministry also said that should Ukraine succeed in Luhansk, it would also further undermine Moscow’s so-called war aim of “liberating” the Donbas region.
