Fdd's overnight brief

Russia & Ukraine

Police and military officers swooped down on a Moscow business center this past week unannounced. They were looking for men to fight in Ukraine — and they seized nearly every one they saw. Some musicians, rehearsing. A courier there to deliver a parcel. A man from a Moscow service agency, very drunk, in his mid-50s, with a walking disability. – Washington Post

Russian kamikaze drones struck central Kyiv on Monday morning, appearing to target a downtown power station, continuing a trend of striking Ukrainian critical infrastructure. – Washington Post

At least 11 people were killed and 15 injured in a shooting Saturday at a military training base in the Belgorod region of Russia, which serves as a staging ground for the war in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. – Washington Post

Tensions are rising between the United States and its Western allies over Ukraine’s deteriorating economy, as American officials increasingly prod the European Union to ramp up financial assistance to the war-torn country. – Washington Post

Russia’s efforts to counter Ukrainian advances by pounding Kyiv and other cities with missiles and mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reservists represent a significant escalation in the seven-month-old war but are unlikely to shift the dynamics of a conflict now clearly tilting in favor of Ukraine, Western intelligence assessments and military experts say. – Washington Post

The Russians occupied this northeastern Ukrainian city split by the Oskil River without firing a shot, marching in on a bitterly cold February morning. In a live-streamed address, the mayor said that he had let them in without resistance. – Washington Post

In a flurry of elections, some of the world’s major democracies have been leaning toward or outright embracing far-right authoritarian leaders, who have echoed one another by promising to crack down on loose morals, open borders and power-hungry elites. – Washington Post

Iran said on Monday that it had not provided Russia with drones to use in Ukraine. “The published news about Iran providing Russia with drones has political ambitions and it’s circulated by western sources. We have not provided weaponry to any side of the countries at war,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani during a weekly press conference. – Reuters

Logistical issues faced by Russian forces in southern Ukraine have become more acute following damage to a key bridge to Crimea on Oct. 8, a British intelligence update said on Monday. – Reuters

Nearly eight months into his war against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be striking a softer tone, saying he sees no need for continued massive air strikes and that a mobilization of troops to support his military operation will end in two weeks. – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

President Biden announced a new $725 million defense drawdown to support Ukraine on Friday as Russia conducts a series of missile strikes throughout the country. – The Hill

Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova on Sunday called for increasing the speed of weapon deliveries to her country after it faced a barrage of strikes from Russia in recent days, emphasizing the need for air defense systems in particular. – The Hill

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated in an address on Saturday that almost 65,000 Russians have died in their country’s war on Ukraine. – The Hill

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned at a briefing on Friday that humanitarian issues in Ukraine are likely to be exacerbated during the autumn and winter seasons. – The Hill

Rape and sexual assault attributed to Moscow’s forces in Ukraine are part of a Russian “military strategy” and a “deliberate tactic to dehumanise the victims”, UN envoy Pramila Patten told AFP in an interview. – Agence France-Presse

President Biden’s top envoy for the safe use of nuclear power is warning that any use of nuclear weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to have “devastating effects” and an “unpredictable cascade of outcomes.” – The Hill

Russian authorities on Friday said they would help civilians evacuate the southern city of Kherson, Ukraine, as Ukrainian troops continue to make gains in the area just north of Crimea. – The Hill

Russian troops shot and killed an orchestra conductor who refused to perform at a concert Russia allegedly staged in the occupied southern region of Kherson, according to Ukrainian officials. – The Hill

A Russian official said on Sunday that the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner isn’t a priority for the Kremlin despite President Biden repeatedly pushing for her release. – The Hill

The decision by Elon Musk to pull the plug on financing for a satellite communications system that has been vital for Kyiv’s defenses, in concert with cryptic reports of Vladimir Putin’s purported openness to peace talks, raises more questions than answers as the war in Ukraine lurches toward its eighth month. – New York Sun

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may have traveled to Russian-held territories in Ukraine in order to help train Russian troops, Fox News reported Sunday, citing a report by the Institute for the Study of War (IFSW), published last week. – Arutz Sheva

Tunku Varadarajan writes: He likens the present day to early 1945, when victory in World War II was approaching. “Did the democracies negotiate with Hitler? Did they look for compromises? Or offer him an exit ramp? No. They demanded his capitulation with no conditions. Well, it is the same with Putin.” The people of Ukraine don’t want to negotiate. They want justice, “not revenge.” And justice, Mr. Lévy says, “must be quick, must be fair, and must be severe.” – Wall Street Journal

Dara Massicot writes: Mr. Putin’s behavior, intended to show resolve, reveals his awareness that the war is going poorly and his options are shrinking. The months ahead are likely to be volatile, especially if — or when — Russia’s gambits fail. – New York Times

Mark R. Whittington writes: Russia’s partnership in the ISS exists in its own universe, divorced from the rest of the world, where the war in Ukraine and threats of nuclear blackmail have caused disgust and fear. Russian cosmonauts are working side by side with their Western counterparts on the ISS despite the fact that their country is committing daily war crimes in Ukraine. – The Hill

Dov S. Zakheim writes: With winter coming on, and operations likely to be far more difficult, the administration should not hesitate both to push allies such as the Germans to transfer heavy armor to Ukraine, and to accelerate its own efforts and do the same, so that, whatever the Kremlin’s desperate efforts to terrorize the Ukrainian people, the ongoing progress of their military will not be slowed. – The Hill

Zoe Strimpel writes: But those who preach de-escalation, who mock the seriousness with which Britain is treating Russia’s attack, are siding with the enemy not just of Ukraine but the whole West. You don’t need a PhD in international relations to see that, while diplomacy and dialogue have their place, they aren’t much good when what’s needed is to win. – The Telegraph

Srulik Einhorn writes: The leaders of the Western world are beginning to understand that they are in trouble. And their problem is, first of all, to get the public to follow their leadership. What was imaginary until a year ago, is real today. They need to formulate a strategy for what they are doing and, above all, explain it to the public before it is too late. – Jerusalem Post

Boris Bondarev writes: Russia could then create a new foreign policy, carried out by a class of truly professional diplomats. They could finally do what the current generation of diplomats has been unable to—make Russia a responsible and honest global partner. – Foreign Affairs

Frederick W. Kagan writes: The Crimean Peninsula, finally, is strategically important for NATO as well as Ukraine. Russian possession of the peninsula allows Russia to base anti-air and anti-shipping missiles 325 kilometers further west than it could using only the territory it legally controls. These differences matter greatly to the scale and scope of the air and missile threat Russia can pose to NATO’s southeastern flank as well as to Russia’s ability to prepare and support future invasions of Ukraine. – Institute for the Study of War

Heather Williams writes: But successfully deterring Putin will also require maintaining NATO unity. One of the greatest weapons against Russia’s invasion, aside from the Ukrainian people, has proven to be the alliance’s unity and continued support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked aggression. If U.S. efforts to deter Putin are seen as escalatory or dangerous by some NATO allies and undermines unity, that would work at cross-purposes and could embolden Putin. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Anna Nemtsova writes: Every day, his parish has been distributing several tons of food aid delivered by an international Christian mission for displaced families. He was too exhausted to think about what a worse escalation might mean. “We have a very slow reaction to this disaster … Our community has finally received iodine tablets,” he explained. “So far, this is the only preparation for nuclear disaster. Nobody knows what to do if the Russians use nuclear missiles.” – The Atlantic

Dimitri K. Simes writes: Diplomacy without peace rarely works when combat has already been unleashed. But in dealing with a major nuclear power, military force without diplomacy cannot deliver lasting results and can lead to an unparalleled catastrophe with consequences beyond comprehension. Extremism in the name of a liberal world order is extremism nonetheless. It requires courage and vision to create peace but failing to make the effort would be tantamount to a dereliction of duty. – The National Interest

Mark Episkopos writes: The G7 warned Belarus in a joint statement on Tuesday “to stop enabling the Russian war of aggression” against Ukraine, but Lukashenko, more isolated from the West than he has ever been over the course of his twenty-eight-year career as Belarusian president, remains defiant in his pro-Moscow stance. – The National Interest

Lasha Tchantouridze writes: It is difficult to say what those who implemented Putin’s military reforms in Russia had in mind but Russia’s army is clearly not ready for warfare on a continental scale. Instead, the reformers have created a military organization more suited for short-term conflicts against smaller, less well-equipped, and unprepared enemies. Given that Russia itself is a very large country, this is a surprising outcome. Instead of creating a military that was supposed to always be ready for war, Russia has ended up with ground forces that are unable to sustain operations for an extended period. – The National Interest

David T. Pyne writes: For the West, the danger of Russian nuclear escalation in Ukraine is if the United States and its allies reacted by engaging in direct military strikes against Russian forces that could quickly escalate to a full-scale nuclear exchange. To avert such an apocalyptic outcome, Biden must call for an immediate ceasefire (which I proposed recently).  The longer the Biden administration delays calling for a ceasefire, the worse off Ukraine will be. – The National Interest

Christopher David LaRoche writes: As the recent Russian mobilization shows, the war in Ukraine is fraught with unpredictability. Analysts continue to debate its fundamentals: Is it sui generis? Who is winning? What does Putin really want? What caused it, where is it going, and when will it end? If analogical reasoning is an unavoidable human compulsion, it is only natural that experts now look to the past to make sense of the present. Is Ukraine akin to another Munich and Putin to Hitler—and will it lead to another world war? And if not these, which cases should guide us? – Foreign Policy

Afghanistan

The United Nations’ new special representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbaeva has met with high-ranked officials of the Taliban-led government to discuss a “broad range of issues, including international assistance, drug abuse, and the importance of girls’ education,” the UN said on October 16. – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Blankets and luggage carts have become the makeshift homes to more than a hundred Afghan migrants in Sao Paulo’s international airport, serving as a temporary shelter for refugees after their year-long odyssey since the Taliban returned to power. – Reuters

A year after banning most teenage girls from attending school, the Taliban are imposing sweeping restrictions on which courses women can enrol in at public universities. – BBC

Turkey

Last week at a closed dinner in Prague, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece was addressing 44 European leaders when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey interrupted him and started a shouting match. – New York Times

Turkish officials on Sunday shot back at Greek allegations that Turkey forced 92 naked migrants into Greece, calling it “fake news” and accusing Greece of the mistreatment. – Associated Press

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey and Russia have instructed their respective energy authorities to immediately begin technical work on a Russian proposal that would turn Turkey into a gas hub for Europe. – Associated Press

Egypt

Shortages of medicine, clothing and food are gripping Egypt, as the country emerges as one of the most vulnerable to shocks felt across the world by the rising value of the U.S. dollar and disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. The main reason: Economists say the government is throwing up obstacles to imports in a bid to hoard its dwindling foreign-currency reserves. – Wall Street Journal

Egypt has missed out on an additional $75 million in American military aid after a senior Democratic U.S. senator blocked the funding over concerns about Cairo’s human rights record including holding political prisoners. – Reuters

Egypt has finalised a staff-level agreement with the international monetary fund (IMF) on the components of its programme, and will issue an announcement “very soon,” the country’s finance minister said on Sunday. – Reuters

Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone will offer new services to ships including fuelling and catering from the first quarter of 2023, state media quoted a Suez Canal official as saying on Friday. – Reuters

Middle East & North Africa

A shift in strategy by Abu Dhabi to invest across the region using sovereign wealth fund ADQ reflects an effort by the Gulf oil producer to use economic diplomacy to build regional alliances, from Turkey to Israel and Egypt, three sources said. – Reuters

Protestors clashed with police in the Tunisian capital of Tunis on Saturday, for the second night after a man died from injuries sustained during a police chase in August. Riot police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds in the poor Ettadamen and Intilka districts, with protesters chanting slogans against the police and throwing stones at them. – Reuters

Salem Alketbi writes: We must also ask about the relations between states hostile to Israel on religious or ideological grounds with their neighbors and other nationalities practicing their religion or other religions, and how they occupy the territory of other states and justify for themselves what they deny to others. The point here is not to legitimize one situation without the other, lest my words are misunderstood. – Jerusalem Post

Eric R. Mandel writes: Although technically unrelated, the success or failure of the Iran deal and the Abraham Accords is interconnected. The ascendency of one agreement may mean the withering of the other. The Biden administration has tried to have it both ways. – The Hill

China

Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged Sunday to turn China into a “great modern socialist country” that represents a “new choice” for humanity, as he opened a Chinese Communist Party meeting where he is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third term. – Washington Post

Xi Jinping became China’s most formidable leader in decades through a campaign of anticorruption purges that sidelined opponents and suppressed any potential challenge, real or perceived, to his power. Some political watchers thought the purges would ease once he settled into his role. Ten years into his tenure, his methods have only grown more sophisticated and pervasive. – Wall Street Journal

Mr. Xi has made clear that his overarching goal is to restore China to what he believes is its rightful place as a global player and a peer of the U.S. As a consequence, he has come to see the possibility of a showdown with the West as increasingly likely, according to people familiar with his thinking. – Wall Street Journal

​​Chinese censors are crippling access to the country’s do-everything app for some users as part of a campaign to kill discussion of a rare protest in Beijing, an escalation in the Communist Party’s drive to cleanse the country’s internet of even the whiff of dissent. – Wall Street Journal

American workers hold key positions throughout China’s domestic chip industry, helping manufacturers develop new chips to catch up with foreign rivals. Now, those workers are in limbo under new U.S. export control rules that prohibit U.S. citizens from supporting China’s advanced chip development. – Wall Street Journal

Since rising to power a decade ago, Xi Jinping has unleashed an array of campaigns to help ensure that China would prevail in, or at least withstand, a confrontation with the West. He has bolstered China’s military, reorganized the economy and remade society around a more ideologically committed Communist Party. – Wall Street Journal

President Biden and other American officials have invoked fears that the risk of nuclear “Armageddon” is at its highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Russian officials have warned of “Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0,” blaming the West for the escalation. – New York Times

They lounge in folding chairs, perch on traffic bollards or pace small circles to keep warm. They are stationed every 100 feet or so, keeping watch over their designated patch of Beijing street. Their bright red wind-breakers and matching armbands spell out their roles as “Neighborhood Security Volunteers.” – New York Times

Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled no change in direction for two main risk factors dragging down China’s economy — strict Covid rules and housing market policies — providing little lift to a worsening growth outlook. – Bloomberg

China has achieved comprehensive control over Hong Kong, turning it from chaos to governance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech on Sunday at the opening of the once-in-five-year Communist Party congress in Beijing. China has also waged a major struggle against Taiwan separatism and is determined and able to oppose territorial integrity, Xi said. – Reuters

China’s state banks stepped up their intervention to defend a weakening yuan on Monday, with banking sources telling Reuters these banks sold a high volume of U.S. dollars and used a combination of swaps and spot trades. – Reuters

President Xi Jinping has just made clear that he has bigger worries than the flagging economy. He opened the twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress on Sunday with a speech more focussed on national security and stability than in the past. That means state-led, inward-looking policies like self-sufficiency and zero-Covid will trump economic growth. – Reuters

A third term for Xi Jinping would risk a cold war, or even a hot one. But the prospect of China’s nationalistic leader staying in power, which the ruling Communist Party is almost certain to approve at its congress this week, isn’t all bad for the rest of the world. Xi’s policies are hurting the economy. That makes it harder for the People’s Republic to throw its weight around – and helps fight climate change. – Reuters

China’s president Xi Jinping has signalled his intention to steer the foreign policy of the world’s most populous country and rising military superpower away from reconciliation with the west as he warned of “grave international developments” not seen in the past 100 years. – Financial Times

China’s leader Xi Jinping has used his biggest agenda-setting speech in half a decade to warn the US against further support for Taiwan, chiding “external forces” for soaring tensions in the Taiwan Strait and suggesting they would be to blame if Beijing felt compelled to attack the country. – Financial Times

Xi has harnessed a masterful combination of strategic planning and an uncanny aptitude to lead allies and enemies alike to underestimate his ambition to pave a path to becoming the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. – Politico

Bonds issued by LGFVs, however, are at risk of defaulting and pose another threat to President Xi Jinping as he pursues an unprecedented third term at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which began on Sunday. – Business Insider

Editorial: When their economies stagnate and discontent increases, autocrats sometimes try to distract their people with adventures abroad. This is reason to worry that Mr. Xi might act on his ambition to seize Taiwan, sooner rather than later. So far, it is Mr. Xi’s success that has created risk for the United States and its allies. They must prepare for the possibility that his failures will create even more. – Washington Post

Editorial: The country’s demographics are daunting, as it will likely grow old before its average standard of living matches that of the West. With his desire at age 69 to remain in power for another five years, and maybe for life, Mr. Xi is also setting the country up for a succession dilemma that could become messy. – Wall Street Journal

Editorial: China’s own record would suggest that bet is likely to fail. The US and its friends should thus continue efforts to reduce their dependence on mainland supply chains. They should also embrace the strengths of their more open systems rather than trying to emulate China’s command economy. Any controls on high-tech exports or investments should be narrowly targeted at specific threats, as should immigration curbs. – Bloomberg

Seth G. Jones writes: During World War II, U.S. and allied defense industrial production was essential to defeating both Germany and Japan. But it didn’t happen overnight. If the U.S. is serious about competing with China, it needs to put its money where its mouth is. The defense industrial base is a critical place to start. – Wall Street Journal

Farah Stockman writes: The tale of an autocratic leader who hangs on to power while promising national greatness is a cautionary, if familiar, one for people everywhere, not just in China. – New York Times

Tom Mitchell writes: “This is the third year of fighting Covid and there are no real policies in place to help the economy recover,” he complained. “I cannot understand why local coffers are required to spend money year after year on quarantine hotels and mass testing. But we can only do what the centre says, right? Do we have any other choice?” China’s lone warrior has made it increasingly clear that they do not. – Financial Times

James Rogan writes: In turn, the U.S. is rushing to build domestic semiconductor facilities. TSMC is building a facility in Arizona. Intel is building a fabrication facility in Ohio, which would be the world’s largest. And Micron has announced that it will construct a large fabrication facility in upstate New York. Unfortunately, the three fabrication facilities won’t be operating before 2024 at the earliest.

China is very aware of America’s window of semiconductor fabrication vulnerability. The drumbeats of war are growing louder. – Washington Examiner

Jude Blanchette writes: he old ways of conceptualizing Chinese politics no longer prevail. Opposing factions won’t constrain Xi. The much-vaunted but rarely seen reformers aren’t coming to rescue economic policy. Coming to grips with Xi’s continued rule is the first step to navigating it. – Foreign Affairs

Asia

A video of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon complaining to Russian President Vladimir Putin about his lack of respect for the countries of Central Asia that were once part of the Soviet Union has struck a nerve on social media, where it has been viewed millions of times. – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

South Pacific defence ministers will meet in Tonga on Tuesday, with Australia seeking a closer military relationship with the three island nations that have defence forces to counter China’s security push in the region. – Reuters

Japan has not ruled out raising corporate and household income taxes to fund a planned increase to its defence budget in the next fiscal year, the head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) tax policy panel said on Monday. – Reuters

Taiwan will not back down on its sovereignty or compromise on freedom and democracy, and its people clearly oppose Beijing’s idea of “one country, two systems” management for Taiwan, the self-ruled island’s presidential office said on Sunday. – Reuters

Jacob Kamaras writes: Yet for Azerbaijan, it is only fitting to take a page from the Israeli playbook. The road to restoration and redemption in Karabakh has still just begun, and it is budding with hope for a prosperous future. – Jerusalem Post

Daniel McKivergan writes: The next Congress will have an opportunity to work constructively with the Biden administration to upgrade the current US-Vietnam partnership to a strategic one that expands our political, security, economic, and cultural ties. The opening to Vietnam 27 years ago required sustained political leadership and focus to turn an opportunity into a reality. Today is no different. – Hudson Institute

Africa

Diplomats are calling on Ethiopia ’s federal authorities and their rivals in the northern region of Tigray to agree to a cease-fire as heavy fighting raises growing humanitarian fears. African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed “grave concern” in a statement Sunday over the fighting and called for an “immediate, unconditional cease-fire and the resumption of humanitarian services.” – Associated Press

The International Rescue Committee said Saturday one of its workers was killed in an attack in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region. The worker was “delivering lifesaving humanitarian aid to women and children” at the time of the explosion in the town of Shire on Friday, the aid group said in a statement. Another worker was wounded in the attack, it said. – Associated Press

The acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alleged he was “mistreated” upon his arrival at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport on Saturday and had decided to return to Africa. – Associated Press

Fleeing beheadings, shootings, rapes and kidnappings, nearly 1 million people are displaced by the Islamic extremist insurgency in northern Mozambique. The 5-year wave of jihadi violence in Cabo Delgado province has killed more than 4,000 people and scuppered international investments worth billions of dollars. – Associated Press

A passenger bus struck an improvised explosive device in central Mali, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens of others, authorities said Friday, blaming Islamic extremists with links to al-Qaida. – Associated Press

Zambia’s finance minister said on Saturday it is still unclear who will be leading talks for renegotiating its nearly $6 billion debt with China, the largest bilateral creditor of the first African sovereign default in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. – Reuters

Burkina Faso’s military officials, political parties and civil society leaders on Friday officially designated army captain Ibrahim Traore as the country’s transitional president, two weeks after he seized power in Burkina Faso’s second coup this year. – Reuters

Editorial: Perhaps the South African government headed by President Cyril Ramaphosa should be reminded of the stance taken by Nelson Mandela, the leader credited with ending apartheid. Although Mandela opposed what he viewed as Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinian territories, he supported the Jewish state’s right to exist in secure borders, declaring during his visit to Jerusalem in 1999: “I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing [from territory] if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.” – Jerusalem Post

United States

Advocates say the reversal is part of a pattern from the government to evade scrutiny of the Terrorist Screening Database, a secret, FBI-maintained list of known or suspected terrorists subject to heightened security screening at borders, and of the smaller No Fly List of those barred from U.S. airspace. – Washington Post

President Biden’s efforts to bolster domestic manufacturing are coming under diplomatic fire from key allies, with European governments accusing his administration of undercutting the trans-Atlantic alliance with “Made in America” policies that threaten their economies. – New York Times

Hal Brands writes: To be sure, America’s rivals are ambivalent friends. Xi hasn’t rescued Putin from his quagmire in Ukraine; if China, Russia and Iran did push the US out of Eurasia, they might fall out among themselves. But none can accomplish its aims without successfully confronting a superpower, which gives them an overriding incentive to align. – Bloomberg

Bruce Stokes writes: But now the country’s success in overcoming these challenges has implications for the U.S. role in the world. Those who care about U.S. stature and influence in the world must engage in strengthening American democracy at home. To paraphrase former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill: “All foreign policy is now local.” – Foreign Affairs

Anthony H. Cordesman writes: As such, the new Biden National Security Strategy provides a well-crafted statement of U.S. goals, but like so many other U.S. strategy documents, it has little substance in either measuring the scale of the challenges the U.S. must address, or going beyond setting broad global goals to describing any tangible path towards a credible future. – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Defense

Military research groups at the leading edge of China’s hypersonics and missile programs — many on a U.S. export blacklist — are purchasing a range of specialized American technology, including products developed by firms that have received millions of dollars in grants and contracts from the Pentagon, a Washington Post investigation has found. – Washington Post

The Pentagon on Friday confirmed that the Biden administration was in talks with SpaceX over who will foot the bill for the critical internet service in Ukraine provided by the company’s Starlink. – The Hill

A 50-kilowatt laser weapon version of the Army’s Stryker-based Short-Range Air Defense system will remain a development program longer than planned to ensure it can be produced at a larger scale. – Defense News

The Marine Corps has halted some operations of its new amphibious combat vehicles after one of the armored vehicles rolled over in surf during training off California’s Camp Pendleton. – Military Times

The Biden administration will send Ukraine a new $725 million package of weapons and other military assistance, the White House said Friday, as the U.S. added to a flurry of aid announcements from European allies this week. – Military Times

Brent Sadler writes: Importantly, the Navy has maintained a near-constant and elevated presence in the Western Pacific throughout historically high and sustained Chinese military operations. The high point of tensions occurred following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August trip to Taipei. All the while, nearby the Navy maintained two carrier strike groups and two amphibious groups sending the clear message that while the U.S. sought a peaceful Asia, we were determined to protect American interests should they be challenged. Bottom line: Things stayed contained and nonviolent. – Heritage Foundation

Ethan Brown and Lt. Col. Jonathan Magill write: The lack of operational organization, dedicated resourcing, and tasking authorities at the strategic level have constrained the air advising mission at a time when it is more critical than ever to develop security partnerships. Without standing units dedicated, resourced, and aligned to this mission, the Air Force is lacking a critical capability to effectively integrate security partners into its global priorities. – War on the Rocks