Houthis strike Tel Aviv; Russian advances in Donetsk

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — DEC 23 2024

Today’s email brings you news from Israel and Ukraine.

1 - YEMEN

1 thing to know

The Houthi terrorist group fired a missile which struck Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city.

The context 

A Houthi missile struck Tel Aviv early Saturday morning, wounding 16 people and forcing residents to evacuate their homes. This marks the second missile strike on central Israel in two days, following Thursday's attack that damaged a school in Ramat Gan.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel since October 2023, when they began attacks in solidarity with Palestinians following Hamas's October 7 massacre on Israel. 

The Houthis have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, forcing many vessels to avoid the area. Israel responded to Thursday's school attack with extensive airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including their first strike on the capital Sanaa.

More from the region

• Hours after the Tel Aviv strike, US forces also conducted retaliatory strikes against Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen. They struck a missile storage facility and a command center in Sanaa. During operations, US forces also shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

• A US Navy F/A-18 fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea in what the military describes as a "friendly fire" incident. The USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser, mistakenly fired on the aircraft. Both pilots ejected safely, with one suffering minor injuries. The aircraft had just taken off from the USS Harry S. Truman when the incident occurred.

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: VIKTOR MR-2

The Viktor MR-2 is a Czech-made antiaircraft system. It consists of a pair of powerful Soviet-era 14.5mm machine guns mounted on a Toyota Land Cruiser.

What makes it special is that it comes with modern day/night sights and can engage targets up to 2 kilometers away. Each gun setup carries 300 rounds ready to fire, with another 300 in spare magazines, plus extra barrels in case of overheating.

The whole system is designed to be simple but effective - no electronics that can break down, just reliable, basic hardware that gets the job done.

What it’s used for

The Viktor MR-2 has found its niche fighting against modern drone threats. In Ukraine it's proving highly effective against Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russian forces, in large part thanks to its mobility.

2 - UKRAINE

1 thing to know

Russia captured two more Ukrainian villages as they continue to try to take the entire Donetsk region.

The context

Russia captured two Ukrainian villages—one in the Kharkiv region and one in the Donetsk region, Lozova and Sontsivka, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming they had been "liberated." Russia has also almost completely encircled Kurakhove, the capture of which would be key to taking control of Donetsk.

Fighting has intensified around Pokrovsk as Russian troops attempt to breach its defenses. Over the past few months, Russian forces have made significant gains along the front lines in Donetsk, rapidly advancing their goal of controlling the entire region.

More from the region

• Ukraine launched a drone attack on a major Russian fuel facility for the second time in a week. The attack targeted the Oryol region, but no significant damage was done.

• Russia's air defense systems downed at least 20 of the drones before they hit. Several fires reportedly broke out as a result of the attack.

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