Israel Foils Bombing, Russia’s Armored Assaults

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — OCT 10 2024

Good morning. Today’s update covers the Russian mechanized assaults and Israel’s continuing war against terror attacks.

Welcome to your daily international conflict briefing.

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Today’s updates:

• 🇮🇱 Israeli forces foil attempted bombing in Tel Aviv

• ⚔️ Russia’s biggest missile

• 🇺🇦 Russia uses more armored vehicles in dry season

1 - ISRAEL

1 thing to know

Israeli security forces foiled an ISIS plot to detonate a bomb at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall, arresting five Arab Israeli citizens from Taybeh.

The context 

The suspects, led by Mahmoud Azam and Ibrahim Sheik Yousef, planned a car bombing and had been in contact with ISIS agents abroad. The group studied attack footage from Syria and discussed explosive quantities. Officials praised the arrests for preventing a major attack.

More from the region

On October 9, undercover Israeli commandos killed five Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade members in the town of Nablus in the West Bank, including leader Issam al-Salaj, who had escaped a 2023 raid. This operation is part of Israel’s ongoing efforts against West Bank terror groups.

Amid rising violence, an Arab Israeli man carried out a stabbing spree in Hadera on October 9, killing one and wounding six. Days earlier, a shooting in Beersheba resulted in multiple casualties. These incidents contribute to a year of intensified terror attacks.

Since October 2023, the Israeli Defense Forces have arrested over 5,000 Palestinians, including 2,000 linked to Hamas, as part of heightened security measures in the West Bank to counter ongoing unrest.

In the news

• Undercover commandos kill terrorist operatives

• IDF reservist killed fighting in Lebanon

• Tel Aviv terror plan foiled

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: THE SS-28 SATAN ICBM

The biggest, most powerful nuclear missile in the world belongs to Russia. Russia’s biggest ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile), codenamed the SS-28 Satan, can hit anywhere in the world with at least ten 18-25 megaton nuclear warheads that separate from the missile, allowing it to hit multiple targets at once. 

The first version of the missile was created in 1966, and consecutive iterations increased the missile’s range and payload. The latest version carries enough nuclear payload to wipe out an area the size of Texas or France. During the Cold War, it wasn't until the U.S developed ballistic missile submarines that it was able to feel secure in its ability to retaliate against a Soviet first strike. 

The SS-28 also has built-in defenses that could make it almost invincible to missile defense systems. The first 1966 version had the ability to stay in Earth orbit until it was ready to be used, until the advent of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which theoretically prohibits weapons of mass destruction from remaining in earth orbit.

What it’s used for

As of March 2022, Russia still has at least 46 SS-18 missiles ready for use, with the desctrutive potential to wipe out entire countries.

Learn more details here.

2 - UKRAINE

1 thing to know

Russian forces have been increasing their use of armored vehicles in assaults, taking advantage of the dry road conditions before the onset of the rainy season.

The context 

Reports from Ukraine show that Russian forces in the Kharkiv and Pokrovsk regions have been leaning more heavily on the use of armored vehicles, trying to make as much progress as possible before the beginning of the seasonal rainy weather and the roads become difficult to use in the muddy conditions.

Since July, large scale mechanized assaults have been encountered as Russia tries to advance through open fields and terrain to gain footholds in frontline towns that can be used to launch further offensive operations.

More from the region

Viktor Bout, the Russian illegal arms dealer released in a 2022 prisoner swap with the U.S, reportedly brokered a deal with the Houthis, a designated terror group, to deliver shipments of AK-47 rifles, and in the future, potentially anti-tank and anti-air weapons.

The transfers have yet to take place, and the source of the weapons is still unclear. The deals come as Russia continues to work with and leverage Iranian proxies to influence the region and indirectly confront Western powers.

In the news

• Russian mechanized assaults

• 'Merchant of Death' sells weapons to the Houthis

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