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The Big Story

Ukraine plays surprise card in Trump’s ceasefire push

Ukraine’s audacious drone attacks on Russian air bases this weekend gave Kyiv a much-needed morale boost amid growing frustration in the country over President Trump’s approach to the war.

Ukraine claimed it destroyed dozens of Russia’s long-distance and nuclear-capable bombers with explosive drones smuggled across the border, although open-source reporting has not confirmed all of Ukraine’s claims.

The stunning military maneuver counters Trump’s narrative that Ukraine is on the brink of defeat, but it “doesn’t change everything,” said Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament in the opposition European Solidarity party.

“I hope maybe after such operation Russians will also realize that they also need a ceasefire. Maybe from this point of view it will help. For the moment, it’s a great operation, but I don’t feel it immediately changes a lot,” he told The Hill.

Volodymyr Dubovyk, professor of international relations at Odesa Mechnikov National University, said that while Ukrainians are worn down from three years of war, they are not prepared to swallow Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire — such as recognizing Russian sovereignty over occupied territories and restrictions on their military.

“Exhaustion in Ukraine is very real,” he said. “But at the same time, people are not having any appetite for capitulation and surrender, because, after all, so much being lost already, so many lives lost — what for? Then to give to Russia what it wanted from the very beginning? That doesn’t make sense for a lot of Ukrainians.”

Trump has neither criticized nor endorsed Ukraine’s cross-border operation, but he said it was discussed during his call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said promised a Russian response to the attacks.

On Tuesday, Ukraine’s internal security service also announced it had carried out a special operation bombing Kerch Bridge, the main artery connecting Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula and a Putin pet project.

The symbolism of these attacks has boosted spirits across Ukraine but doesn’t address wider concerns about the future of the war.

There’s also the looming challenge of dwindling U.S. support to Ukraine.

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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Essential Reads

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
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Haley on Trump call with Putin: ‘A backhanded slap to all of our allies’

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley (R) sharply criticized President Trump on Wednesday for suggesting Russia could play a mediating role in nuclear negotiations with Iran. “Russia has been receiving drones and ballistic missiles from Iran to use in its kidnapping of Ukraine,” Haley wrote in a post on the social platform X. “Iran and Russia are partners,” Haley continued. “It is ludicrous to think we would allow Putin …

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Sean Penn dubs Hegseth ‘Chief Petty Officer’ for effort to strip Harvey Milk’s name from Navy ship

Sean Penn, who played Harvey Milk on the big screen, is ripping Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for reportedly ordering the Navy to strip an oil ship of its name honoring the gay rights activist. “I’ve never before seen a Secretary of Defense so aggressively demote himself to the rank of Chief PETTY Officer,” Penn said in a Wednesday statement to The Hollywood Reporter. According to Military.com, a memorandum from the …

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Army secretary: Ukraine’s drone attack points to US vulnerability

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll on Wednesday warned that Ukraine’s recent drone strikes deep inside Russia reveal the United States has its own vulnerabilities in the face of similar attacks. Using relatively inexpensive drones, Ukraine on Sunday launched unprecedented attacks on Russian airfields as far away as Siberia, dealing a heavy blow to the Kremlin’s strategic bomber fleet, with reportedly 40 aircraft damaged or destroyed. …

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Condoleezza Rice: Putin getting more ‘desperate’

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a Wednesday interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s behavior is growing increasingly “desperate” as his war against Ukraine continues three years after Russia’s attempted takeover of its eastern European neighbor. “He seems to be more out of control than he used to be,” she told “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade. …

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On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped a meeting today of an international group coordinating military aid to Ukraine, the first time a U.S. Pentagon chief didn’t attend since Washington created the group three years ago.
Hegseth will instead deliver a speech at a NATO defense ministerial tomorrow in Brussels.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the service’s FY-2026 budget request at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman will appear before the House Armed Services Committee tomorrow at 10 a.m.

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In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

DHS orders officers to focus on overstayed visas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered the staff of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to focus on overstayed visas, according to a Wednesday press release from USCIS. Over the weekend, …

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On Tap Tomorrow

Events in and around the defense world:

Atlantic Council will have a virtual discussion on “Poland’s Strategic Partnerships in a Changing World – New Roads and Old Ties,” at 9 a.m.
The Center for American Progress will host a talk on “America’s Role in the World,” with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), at 2 p.m.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies will have a conversation on “Strategic Landpower Dialogue,” with Andrew Poppas, commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command, at 2 p.m.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies will also hold a discussion on “Emerging Technologies and Strategic Competition,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), at 2:30 p.m.
Atlantic Council will hear from Air Force Global Strike Command head Gen. Thomas Bussiere on “Global Strike Command’s Role in Strategic Deterrence,” at 3 p.m.

What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets:

Trump’s pick for VA watchdog role promises independence, impartiality (Military Times)
Trump names nominees to take over commands in the Middle East and Africa (The Associated Press)
2 veterans tied to ‘Nazi White Nationalist efforts’ allegedly stole gear from Army base, beat soldier with hammer (Military.com)

Trending Today

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Trump calls for scrapping debt limit

President Trump doubled down Wednesday on calls to scrap the nation’s debt ceiling, pressing for bipartisan action to abolish it and finding common … Read more

Judge Boasberg rules migrants at Salvadoran megaprison can contest gang accusations

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled a group of Venezuelans deported to a Salvadoran megaprison under the Alien Enemies Act must be provided a legal … Read more

Opinions in The Hill

Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill:

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Defense &National Security

Ukraine plays surprise card in Trump’s ceasefire push

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