State of The Nation

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 25, 2024 | Institute for the Study of War understandingwar.org Institute for the Study of War RUSSIA ADVANCES IN EASTERN UKRAINE AS MILITARY PRESSURE MOUNTS ON MULTIPLE FRONTS Russian forces achieved significant tactical gains in western Donetsk Oblast this weekend, threatening key Ukrainian supply lines and marking what military analysts say could be an important shift in the battlefield dynamics. The advances include pushes into central Kurakhove and the eastern outskirts of Velyka Novosilka, potentially compromising crucial Ukrainian ground lines of communication into Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia oblasts. The Institute for the Study of War reports that elements of Russia's 5th Tank Brigade have reached the eastern approaches to Velyka Novosilka, while other units have secured positions along Pobiedy Street in central Kurakhove. These gains, while tact...

The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35C jets made their dramatic combat debut, striking Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen. Led by the "Black Knights" squadron from the USS Abraham Lincoln, the operation showcased the unmatched power of the F-35C, assisted by F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers.  Bab al Mandab - Gateway to Red Sea from Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Djibouti Central Command forces executed a series of precise air strikes November 9 through 10 on multiple Houthi weapon storage facilities situated within Houthi controlled territories in Yemen. These facilities housed a variety of advanced conventional weapons used by the Iran-backed Houthis to target US and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aiden. The operation involved US Air Force and US Navy assets including F-35C fighter aircraft. This targeted operation was conducted in response to the Houthi repeated and unlawful attacks on Int...