Ukraine's power grid took another hit, a Hamburg courtroom opened old wounds over who sabotaged Nord Stream, and defense analysts traced one thread running from Brussels to orbit: deterrence losing its edge.

Ukraine's grid under fire

  • Russian missile and drone strikes overnight hit energy facilities, including in Kyiv, killing at least six and cutting power to 600,000 people (more).
  • President Volodymyr Zelensky said allies received no advance warning of the attack (more).
  • Russia's defence ministry said it downed 902 drones over its own territory overnight (more).
  • The strikes continue Moscow's recurring campaign against Ukraine's grid ahead of winter (more).

Nord Stream sabotage on trial

  • Germany's Oberlandesgericht Hamburg opened a war crimes trial against Serhij K., accused of leading the team that blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 (more).
  • Federal prosecutors state in the indictment that he acted for Ukrainian state bodies (more).
  • Kyiv has told him to stay silent, while Ukrainian children reportedly see him as a hero (more).
  • A senior German lawmaker says the case may surface uncomfortable facts but Germany must not abandon Ukraine over it (more).

Deterrence fraying, region by region

  • This week's defense analyses trace one thread through five separate regional stories: deterrence losing credibility everywhere (more).
  • Europe rearms while Gulf states such as Kuwait quietly reduce reliance on US protection (more).
  • Pakistan rethinks its posture toward India as China probes cyber gaps the West cannot close (more).
  • Space and sea lanes are becoming new strategic chokepoints, though the connecting thread remains interpretation, not an established fact (more).