5 December 2025
Russia
Despite the recent visit from the US delegation, President Putin went back to his original position and stated that Russia will forcibly take the Donbas unless Ukraine withdraws. Putin also threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea. President Trump had described the Witkoff/Kushner talk with Russia as “reasonably good” a few days ago.
Ukraine claims that it struck Russia’s Temryuk seaport in Krasnodar Krai and the Syzran Oil Refinery in Samara Oblast overnight. Temryuk port handles shipments of various cargo types, including liquefied natural gas, and the Syzran Oil Refinery has an annual processing capacity of 7 to 8.9 million tons of oil.
India-Russia
President Putin is in India and has pledged a steady supply of oil to the country. In 2024, Russia supplied 36% of India’s oil use. India has scaled that back due to tariff and sanctions pressures from the United States. India still maintains a close relationship with Russia, but its trade with the country is limited to oil imports and military equipment.
Ukraine
Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at Ukraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights, claims that at least two children have been sent to a North Korean camp. Rashevska was quoted as saying: “12-year-old Misha from the occupied Donetsk region and 16-year-old Liza from occupied Simferopol were sent to Songdowon camp in North Korea, 9,000 kilometres from home.”
Israel
Israel’s cabinet has approved the 2026 budget, which will include NIS 112 billion (USD 35 billion) for defence. Finance Minister Smotrich sought a budget of 90 billion, while the military initially sought 140 billion.
Democratic Republic of Congo & Rwanda
In a televised ceremony, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and the Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi signed a peace agreement in Washington, DC. Both leaders sounded hopeful that the conflict would end. However, the conflict has intensified in eastern Congo over the past few days, and there were clashes between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army as the peace agreement was signed.
Canada
The Canadian military established a joint command structure that will encompass land, sea, air, cyber, and space. The hope is that this will make the Canadian Armed Forces more nimble and able to adapt to new and shifting environments.
The US State Department has approved the sale of Air Strike Weapons and related equipment to Canada for an estimated cost of $2.68 billion. It includes practice bombs, general-purpose bombs, penetrator warheads and much more.
Social media wires
Footage of the Ukrainian drone attack in Crimea
Possible drone attack in Grozny
Featured Photo: “Canada in NATO Exercise SPRING STORM”, Caporal Sébastien Lauzier-Labarre, CombatCamera, 2025
The Wires Brief is a daily breaking news report incorporating wire service news and social media updates. DefRep cannot verify the authenticity of social media reporters nor the accuracy of social media updates. Feature photos are altered with grayscale.