Ukraine strikes deep into Russia; Syria pursues diplomatic reset amid Israeli tensions

Middle East 25 tracked events

• Syrian Foreign Minister and Israeli Mossad chief held Amman talks to establish US-supervised joint operations center, signaling renewed diplomatic engagement despite escalating regional tensions.
• Iran's Mohsen Rezaee threatened total oil export halt via Strait of Hormuz if economic pressures continue, while Turkey reaffirmed strategic commitment to Eastern Mediterranean maritime rights.
• Syria advanced reconstruction: Idlib completed Phase 1 rubble removal (1.3M cubic meters), mine-clearance operations continued in Rif Dimashq, and Saudi Arabia opened visa processing center in Damascus.
• Israel issued ultimatum to Hamas: ceasefire to drone/balloon/kite launches or IDF will escalate operations; Netanyahu emphasized technological superiority in countering unmanned systems.
• Egypt declared Libya partition unacceptable and warned against Ethiopian unilateral dam construction, reserving right to military self-defense on both strategic issues.

Ukraine 25 tracked events

• Ukrainian long-range drones struck Plesetsk Cosmodrome and Arkhangelsk Oblast (1,800–1,900 km range), expanding operational depth while Russia conducted 196 clashes with 7,032 kamikaze drones across Eastern Ukraine.
• Russia launched cruise missile strikes on Kyiv (Zhulyany, Obolon districts); Ukrainian forces destroyed Iskander launcher and struck Saky Airfield (one Su-24M destroyed), Anapa Airfield, and multiple Crimean targets.
• Ukraine's Special Operations Forces hit 11 military targets in Rostov/Krasnodar Krai including 3 aircraft; SBS drones conducted 27 strikes on Crimean energy infrastructure as part of 'Closing Crimea' operation.
• Finland's President reframed Western Ukraine support as strategic investment; Latvia's PM rejected Russia-Ukraine peace prospects, insisting Ukraine must win.
• Russia conducted mobilization readiness tests in Kaliningrad as Moscow evaluates nationwide conscription capacity; Ukraine faces manpower challenges with men reportedly hiding at home.