(WASHINGTON, D.C., USA) – Ukrainian forces are continuing to employ nightly long range strikes targeting Russia’s military industrial base and critical energy infrastructure, achieving a level of symmetrical warfare not previously possible in the conflict. Concurrently, a significant political scandal has erupted in Washington following the public release of a conversation revealing a close associate of Donald Trump advising a top Russian official on how to manipulate the president and undercut support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s intensified deep strike campaign marks the first winter of the conflict where Kyiv can match the tactics used by Russia against its own territory over the past four years. Ukrainian drones and missiles are routinely striking targets over 1,000 kilometres inside Russia, including oil refineries, thermal power plants, and electrical infrastructure.
Notably, a factory manufacturing radio electronic equipment for Russian missile systems, such as Kometa antennas for the Guran drones and satellite receivers for Kalibr and Iskander missiles, was successfully targeted far west of Kazan. Satellite imagery and leaked videos have confirmed significant structural damage at targeted facilities, such as an aircraft assembly factory in Taganrog, indicating that the strikes carry payloads of up to kilograms and require extensive, not swift, repairs. These strikes demonstrate Kyiv’s ability to degrade the Russian military industrial base, which is crucial for sustaining the Russian dictator’s war machine.
The Russian dictator is struggling to contain a slow moving, but pervasive, financial collapse exacerbated by the escalating costs of the war. More than half of Russia’s regions reported budget deficits in the first nine months of the year, with a combined shortfall of 169 billion roubles (approximately $1.72 billion as of November 2025). This deficit stems from a per cent rise in spending, largely on military bonuses and compensation, against a meagre per cent increase in revenue. This crisis extends to state owned corporations, with Russian Railways, which employs people, reportedly in debt by 51 billion roubles (approximately $520 million). The inability of the federal government to bail out every failing regional and corporate entity signals systemic economic fragility. Furthermore, Russian corporate losses surged by nearly per cent year on year, while rising housing prices outpace income growth, making a down payment on a mortgage unattainable for over per cent of working Russians.
Despite its internal financial woes, the Russian dictator continues his campaign of terror against Ukrainian civilians. Russia launched waves of missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, resulting in multiple civilian casualties. A distribution centre for a major supermarket chain was hit, suggesting a continued effort by Russia to disrupt basic civilian supplies.
On the front lines, particularly around towns like Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are engaging in a tactical manoeuvre of trading small amounts of territory for time, relying heavily on drone capabilities to compensate for manpower shortages. This strategy is critical as the front line defence in some areas is reportedly maintained by as few as four to seven infantrymen per kilometre. Weather conditions, such as fog and rain, create a tactical paradox. While poor visibility grounds drones for both sides, Russia, with its superior numerical infantry, benefits more, often allowing its infiltration groups to penetrate up to kilometres behind Ukrainian lines. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian leadership maintains that its army’s resilience and deep strikes prove its capability to defend national interests, countering the Russian narrative that Ukraine is on the verge of collapse.
The political spotlight in Washington has been dominated by revelations concerning Steve Witkoff, a close associate of Donald Trump, who allegedly worked with Russian officials to manipulate the US stance on the war. The scandal surrounds the previously reported 28 point “peace plan,” which was overwhelmingly rejected as a Russian “wish list” designed to force Ukrainian capitulation. Following the public and bipartisan backlash, Mr Trump subsequently attempted to walk back the plan, describing it as “just a map” and abandoning the deadline, suggesting the pressure successfully prevented the plan from triggering an immediate cut off of US military aid.
A leaked recording of a conversation between Mr Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, a top foreign policy aide to the Russian dictator, provides extraordinary insight into efforts to undermine the transatlantic alliance. The transcript reveals Mr Witkoff coaching the Russian official on how to appeal to Mr Trump’s ego by reiterating congratulations for his “achievement” and describing him as a “man of peace” to secure a “sweetheart deal” for Russia. Mr Witkoff explicitly advised on coordinating a call with the Russian dictator to precede a planned White House meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an apparent attempt to sabotage any potential aid announcements, such as the delivery of Tomahawk missiles.
Mr Witkoff is heard initiating the ideas for a peace proposal, suggesting a “20 point Trump plan” similar to one proposed for Gaza, while the Russian official appears merely to concur and take notes. The Russian official, Mr Ushakov, has not denied the authenticity of the conversation, which was reportedly conducted over an unsecure line. This action by a US government official, who has the ear of the president, in advising a geopolitical rival on how to trick US leadership and undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukraine, has been labelled as profoundly disloyal, raising serious questions about the integrity of the US foreign policy process.
