Overview
- Trump said a facility used to load drugs onto boats in a Venezuelan port was hit with a “large explosion,” but he gave no location, casualty figures, or clarification on whether the military or CIA carried out the operation, and the UN Security Council plans an urgent session.
- Nigeria’s government confirmed a U.S. Reaper-drone strike in the northwest, saying 16 GPS-guided munitions were fired and Islamic State fighters were neutralized.
- Russia alleged Ukraine attempted a drone attack on Putin’s Valdai residence and claimed 91 long‑range drones were shot down, a charge Ukraine denied and which remains unverified by independent sources.
- The Kremlin signaled it may reconsider its negotiating stance and warned of strikes on Kyiv, while Trump said Putin phoned him about the alleged attack, criticized hitting a leader’s home, noted he had withheld Tomahawks for Ukraine in October, and faced pushback from Republican Rep. Don Bacon to verify facts.
- The Venezuela announcement follows a broader U.S. campaign against suspected drug‑smuggling vessels, with reporting of at least 29 maritime strikes and about 105 deaths, and Trump and hardline allies publicly framing recent actions, including the Nigeria strike’s timing, for political effect.