Ukraine Fires Long-Range U.S. Missiles into Russian Territory
On Tuesday, Ukraine fired American-made long-range missiles into Russian territory for the first time, the latest development in Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against a full-scale invasion from Russia. Six Army Tactical Missile Systems struck targets in Russia’s Bryansk region. Ukraine continued attacks Wednesday by launching long-range cruise missiles manufactured in the U.K., striking Russia’s Kursk region.
President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory just days previously, a shift from previous policy. U.S. officials said the shift came in response to North Korea deploying soldiers to aid Russia’s war effort. Ukraine is authorized to use American long-range missiles only in Kursk, where North Korean forces are currently contributing to a Russian counteroffensive. This Russian counteroffensive aims at retaking parts of the Kursk region that were seized by Ukraine this August. Ukraine hopes to hold this territory so it can be leveraged in future peace negotiations with Russia, according to The New York Times.
Pakistan Announces Military Operation in Balochistan
The nation of Pakistan announced plans for a military operation against separatist militants in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. The province is part of the broader Balochistan region, which also encompasses parts of southern Afghanistan and the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. For decades, armed groups in the Balochistan region, such as the Balochistan Liberation Army, have waged an insurgency seeking to separate Balochistan from these countries. The BLA is considered a terrorist organization by Pakistan and the U.S.
Earlier this month, a BLA suicide bomber killed himself and 26 others at a train station in the Pakistani city of Quetta. Other recent attacks perpetrated by the BLA targeted Chinese nationals working in Balochistan as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project seeking to expand Chinese economic influence and access to foreign markets. Baloch separatists charge Pakistan and China with unfair exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources. It is not yet clear if China will work with Pakistan in conducting the newly-announced military operation.
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and former leader of Hamas’ military wing Mohammed Deif. ICC judges stated there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men were responsible for war crimes committed in the war between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of using starvation as a weapon of war, while Deif is charged with crimes that include hostage-taking, sexual violence, and murder. Israel has stated that Deif was killed in an airstrike this summer, but the ICC could not confirm this.
Member states of the ICC — which includes more than 120 countries around the world — are obliged to detain anybody with an outstanding arrest warrant who enters their territory, though member states have not always complied with this. Neither Israel nor the U.S. are ICC members.
U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for Gaza Ceasefire
The U.S. vetoed a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas War being waged in Gaza. The U.S. is one of five permanent members on the United Nations Security Council, along with the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. Another 10 positions on the council are held non-permanently, meaning they rotate between different U.N. member states. These 10 seats are currently held by the countries of Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The non-permanent members raised the motion calling for a ceasefire. The U.S. was the only security council member to vote against the ceasefire resolution. American representatives stated that the U.S. vetoed the resolution because it would not have made the ceasefire conditional on the release of hostages held by Hamas.
