Overview
- An intelligence assessment reported by the New York Times warns that selling 48 F‑35s to Saudi Arabia could expose sensitive U.S. technology to China, complicating talks on a broader defense pact ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Nov. 18 visit to Washington.
- President Trump held repeated high‑level meetings on potential military action against Venezuela, with options presented by the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs, though no final order has been issued, according to the Washington Post.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 247 Ukrainian drones and four guided bombs in 24 hours, while Belgorod’s governor reported 104 drone attacks with two dead and seven injured and Rostov authorities said overnight strikes were repelled without casualties.
- A nationwide drive to recruit reservists in Russia has begun to guard critical infrastructure such as power plants and refineries, with officials promising no deployment outside Russia and reports indicating preparations started before the Nov. 4 legal changes took effect.
- A Ukrainian draft law would block foreign travel for people who failed to update military registration and received a 45‑day temporary mobilization exemption, and Russia’s embassy in Bucharest rejected Romania’s accusation of a Russian airspace violation as unproven.