Morning Briefing

Ukraine — Drone Attacks Kill Four in Russia’s Belgorod Region

Ukrainian drone attacks killed four people and injured 14 in Russia’s Belgorod region on 25 October, according to local authorities. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said three people died in an overnight attack on the regional capital, including a man who subsequently died in hospital, while regional Governor Alexander Shuvayev reported damage to 30 apartment buildings, four houses and other properties. Local authorities said a separate drone strike on a car in the village of Voznesenovka, near Shebekino, killed one person and injured another.

Sources: Reuters

Black Sea — Russia Claims Drone Strikes on Two Cargo Vessels Bound for Ukrainian Ports

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on 25 October that its drones had struck two cargo vessels, one bound for the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk overnight and another heading towards Odesa during the day. The ministry claimed that both vessels were being used to supply Ukraine’s armed forces and that Russian forces had also struck three logistics facilities in Kharkiv used to store and distribute dual-use cargo. Reuters said it could not independently verify the ministry’s claims.

Sources: Reuters

West Bank — Hebron Displacement Exceeds 2,600 as Israeli Military Operation Continues

Israeli forces continued military operations in Hebron in the occupied West Bank on 25 October following a shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three on Friday, with the Hebron municipality reporting that more than 2,600 Palestinians had been displaced. The Israeli military said it had operated at more than 400 locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it alleged were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The military also said most Palestinian workers with permits would not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements on Sunday and Monday and that crossings into Israel would remain closed until after Tuesday’s election, while declining to specify how long the Hebron operation would continue.

Sources: AP

Saudi Arabia and Yemen — Missile Interceptions Continue as Riyadh Airport Partly Reopens

Saudi Arabia announced the partial reopening of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 25 October, with Terminal 1 designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international services operated by Saudi carriers, although flight-tracking data showed little traffic. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting two drones and a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh, a cruise missile directed at Khamis Mushait and ten ballistic missiles targeting southern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Civil Defence said debris from the interception of two Houthi ballistic missiles over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged residential buildings and vehicles, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree renewed warnings against using Riyadh airport.

Sources: Reuters

Algeria and Niger — Algerian Parliament Authorises First Foreign Troop Deployment Since 1973

Algeria’s parliament unanimously approved a resolution on 25 October authorising the deployment of National Army units to Madama in northern Niger, near the Libyan border, according to a parliamentary statement. The deployment would be Algeria’s first overseas military operation since it sent troops to support Egypt during the 1973 war, but a Niger security source said no Algerian troops had yet been officially deployed. Niger’s presidential chief of staff, General Bacharou Ibro Amadou, had visited Madama for discussions with local military commanders as part of preparations concerning the former French military base.

Sources: Reuters