On Thursday, Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, released a watershed statement. They smartly tracked down a hit squad of Russian agents thought to be responsible for the assassination of Colonel Ivan Voronich, deep behind enemy lines in Kyiv. The unusual operation began at dawn. It came on the heels of an exhaustive, year-long investigation that traced the agents’ whereabouts and daily routines.
As the SBU disclosed soon after, the assassination brigade featured a male and female assassin. They tracked Voronich’s daily routine for several months before executing their plan. As she began the operation, her performing the procedure caused a confrontation. Ukrainian forces moved to immediately neutralize members of the Russian FSB agent group that had not surrendered or complied with arrest orders.
In the backdrop of these developments, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would send Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine, emphasizing their urgent need for the ongoing conflict. Trump described the situation as dire, asserting, “Vladimir Putin talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.” He didn’t indicate how many new missile systems would be provided. He did say that the European Union would pay the United States back for their expenses.
The news comes amidst an unusual period of public discord between Trump and Putin. Yet, only two weeks ago, Washington did the same by temporarily stopping arms deliveries to Ukraine. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, U.S. senators have rallied around a bipartisan bill aimed at equipping Trump with “sledgehammer” sanctions to impose on Russia, particularly targeting its economy and those nations supporting its military operations.
U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg is scheduled to visit Ukraine in the coming days. Behind-the-scenes talk is fast moving toward more investment in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu took in the marathon, made the recognition by European officials. They are directly lobbying the Trump administration for air defense support to be included in future aid packages. In his speech, Lecornu stressed that France is currently experiencing a “capacity hole.” This effectively pushes any new ground-to-air missile provisions into next year.
Trump stated, “They are going to pay us 100% for that, and that’s the way we want it,” clarifying his administration’s stance on financing military support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Sunday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and broader relations with the United States. This convening further highlights the conflict’s international contours and the striking differences over the need, nature, and goal of military assistance and geopolitical strategy.