The American THAAD missile defense system intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward Israel from Yemen. This marks the first use of such a system by the Israeli military, according to Reuters and The Times of Israel.

The system was used in an attempt to intercept a missile from Yemen in the past 24 hours, and an analysis will determine its success. This marks the first use of the THAAD system, which was deployed in Israel in October of this year.

Footage shared on social media shows the system launching an interceptor during the attack by Houthi forces.

“18 years I’ve been waiting for this,” says an American soldier in the video.

מערכת ה- THAAD האמריקנית לקחה חלק ביירוט הטיל הבליסטי ששוגר אמש מתימן. אפשר לשמוע את אחד החיילים האמריקניים מתרגש “18 שנים חיכיתי לזה” pic.twitter.com/s4VoMfMhaF

— איתי בלומנטל Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) December 27, 2024

The Israeli Defense Forces stated that the Houthi missile was intercepted by air defense systems, without specifying whether it was the Israeli or American system.

THAAD missile defense system

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a mobile ground-based missile defense system designed to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles or enemy aircraft at high altitudes outside the atmosphere. It is produced by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.

The system does not have a dedicated warhead; instead, it uses a kinetic interception concept, where the target is destroyed by the kinetic energy of the interceptor. This makes the THAAD system far more effective against high-speed aerial targets than the Patriot missile systems (PAC-1 and PAC-2).

The THAAD interceptor has a launch mass of 900 kg and a length of 6.17 meters. It can intercept fast-moving targets above the stratosphere at altitudes of 150-200 kilometers, with a range of up to 200 kilometers.

The interceptor’s speed is between 2700-2800 meters per second, with a maximum speed of no less than 8 Mach. The speed of the target is estimated to be between 3.5 and 4.8 km/s.

Use of THAAD

The US military deployed the first THAAD battery in Israel following a massive missile attack from Iran on October 1.

Subsequently, the Israeli government requested a second THAAD battery due to growing threats from Iran.

Additionally, after a ballistic missile strike on Dnipro by Russian forces on November 21, the Ukrainian government also requested the THAAD system from the US for enhanced missile defense.

Donald Trump could become the first politician in modern history to receive two state visits hosted by the British royal family. This move is part of a new strategy by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to foster strong personal relationships between leaders, reports The Telegraph.

According to sources cited by the Telegraph, the British Prime Minister’s residence at Downing Street and the Foreign Office, with support from Buckingham Palace, are preparing an invitation for newly elected US President Donald Trump to visit London following his return to the White House.

Trump has often spoken fondly of his state visit in June 2019, when he was accompanied by Melania Trump, his wife, and his adult children during his first term as president.

The Telegraph suggests that a second state visit by Trump is unlikely to occur before 2026, due to the king’s scheduling commitments. Next year, King Charles III is expected to visit Italy and the Vatican, as well as undertake a second international trip yet to be announced. State visits are also being planned for 2025.

A source at the royal residence told The Telegraph that there is no formal precedent preventing a second state visit for an elected politician, and the palace has a positive impression of Trump’s first visit. The source emphasized that such invitations are issued on the advice of the Foreign Office.

Since 1954, official records of the British royal family show that no elected leader has ever had two state visits to the UK. Only two monarchs have been granted this honor during that period.

One was Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who visited the UK on state visits in 1974 and 2000. The other was King Olav V of Norway, who made state visits in 1963 and again in 1988.

A government source noted that the unusual circumstances of the gap between Donald Trump’s first and second presidential terms have allowed him to remain a prominent political figure longer than many other elected leaders.

“The fact there has been a change of both sovereign and government in that break [from power] means a second state visit is entirely appropriate.,” the source said.

The Telegraph noted that not all meetings between a foreign leader and the British monarch are classified as state visits. This is a special honor that involves more formalities and requires months of planning.

Communication problems

The Telegraph reminded that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces the challenge of establishing constructive relations with Donald Trump, who supported Brexit, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Most of Sir Keir’s cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, have previously voiced strong criticism and personal insults towards Trump, complicating these efforts. In September, the Prime Minister and Lammy met Trump for a private dinner, and Downing Street presented this conversation as evidence of improving relations.

Foreign Ministry officials hope to partly replicate this approach by arranging a meeting between the Prime Minister and Trump as soon as possible after his return to the White House on January 20, 2025.

An offer for a second state visit may be extended, although one source suggested that detailed discussions about when and where to make this proposal are still to come.

British officials involved in diplomacy were pleased with how well the recent meeting between Prince William and Donald Trump went during the opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Some in the Foreign Office view the Prince as a secret weapon who will help improve relations between the UK under Starmer’s leadership and the US under Trump in the coming years.

Later, Trump described his 30-minute conversation with Prince William in France as really great and joked that the future king was a very handsome man.

Commentators often attribute Trump’s admiration for the royal family to his Scottish mother, who also held the monarchy close to her heart.

Serious challenges

However, the Telegraph suggests that a second state visit will present both political challenges and potential benefits for Sir Keir. Polls continue to show that much of the British public is not particularly favorable towards Trump.

During Trump’s state visit to London in 2019, there was no parade along The Mall, reportedly due to concerns that it could be disrupted by protesters and disappoint him.

No announcements about a second state visit will be made until an official invitation is extended to Trump, which is unlikely to happen until he returns to the White House.

Trump has long expressed his admiration for the royal family, increasing the likelihood that they will be used to strengthen ties between the two governments.

Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, held secret talks with Trump’s team earlier this month, attempting to win over the newly elected president.

The Telegraph notes that Sir Keir has long prioritized building relations with Trump and was one of the few foreign leaders who called him after the July assassination attempt.

In September, Sir Keir dined with Trump, then still the Republican Party candidate, during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Prime Minister also appointed Lord Mandelson, a former Blair-era minister, as his new ambassador to the US to strengthen ties with the White House. This was a deliberate political appointment, as Downing Street saw Lord Mandelson as someone with the experience necessary to earn Trump’s respect.

Trump’s relations with Britain and Europe

At the beginning of November, immediately after being elected president, Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed cooperation between the two countries and the situation in the Middle East.

According to media reports, Donald Trump stated that European countries should increase military assistance to Ukraine.

For more insights on who in Europe can be considered Trump’s allies and who are his true adversaries, read our analytical article.

Ukrainian defenders continue to mount a successful defense against relentless Russian assaults, delivering a decisive blow to enemy forces near Pokrovsk, reports the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the General Staff, 158 combat engagements have occurred so far. The fiercest clashes were reported in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions, with enemy activity also observed in the Lyman and Vremivka directions and the Kursk region.

Throughout the day, Russian forces launched 37 airstrikes on Ukrainian territory, including 43 guided aerial bombs. Additionally, they deployed 808 kamikaze drones. In total, more than 4,300 shelling incidents targeting Ukrainian military positions and civilian settlements were recorded.

Frontline situation

In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces launched two attacks near Vovchansk. Preliminary estimates indicate that Ukrainian defenders eliminated or wounded 72 occupiers during the day in this area. They also destroyed a tank, two artillery systems, an anti-tank weapon, four vehicles, three communication systems, and 29 drones.

In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy made five attempts to advance toward Ukrainian positions near Petropavlivka and Lozova throughout the day. Four attacks were successfully repelled by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Intense fighting is ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian forces carried out 20 attacks, all of which were repelled by Ukrainian troops.

In the Siversk direction, the Russian army attempted to advance four times but were driven back.

In the Kramatorsk direction, five combat engagements were recorded, with assaults occurring near Chasiv Yar, Bila Hora, and Stupochky.

In the Toretsk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled ten enemy attacks, successfully halting all advances.

The Pokrovsk direction saw an intense effort by Russian forces, with 52 attempts to breach Ukrainian defenses. The Russian army faced a fierce response from Ukrainian defenders.

Preliminary reports indicate that in this area alone, Ukrainian troops neutralized 382 Russian soldiers, including 196 who were killed. Additionally, they destroyed four vehicles, an armored combat vehicle, a Murom-M observation system, an electronic warfare system, seven communication devices, a Lancet drone, and a motorcycle.

In the Kurakhove direction, Russian forces launched 18 attacks on Ukrainian positions, all of which were successfully repelled by Ukrainian defenders.

In the Vremivka direction, Ukrainian troops thwarted 17 enemy assaults.

In the Prydniprovskyi direction, the enemy continued efforts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their positions, conducting two unsuccessful offensives over the past day.

In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled 22 offensive actions by Russian forces. Meanwhile, Russian aviation carried out 15 airstrikes, deploying 18 guided bombs on their territory.

Notably, as reported by Bloomberg, Ukraine may withdraw its forces from the Kursk region by spring.

The next package of military aid from the United States for Ukraine, expected to be announced soon by Washington, will total $1.25 billion. It will include, among other things, ammunition, artillery shells, and missiles for air defense systems, according to the Associated Press.

US officials told Western media that the US is preparing to announce a military aid package worth $1.25 billion for Ukraine. This comes as part of the efforts of President Joe Biden’s administration to provide as much support as possible to Kyiv before he leaves office on January 20

The significant aid package reportedly includes a substantial amount of ammunition, including for surface-to-air missile systems (SAM) and the HAWK air defense system.

Additionally, officials told AP that the package will also include Stinger missiles and artillery shells of 155mm and 105mm calibers.

American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the announcement is expected to take place next Monday, December 30.

US assistance to Ukraine

Earlier today, on December 27, John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council, said that the US would announce a new military aid package for Ukraine in the coming days.

However, the White House spokesperson did not specify when exactly the United States plans to announce a new military aid package, nor what specific weapons it will include.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the Biden administration plans to use all the funds allocated to help Ukraine before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Earlier in December, senior US defense officials admitted that the Pentagon might not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion worth of weapons and equipment approved by Congress to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration.

On December 20, Reuters reported that in the coming days, the United States plans to announce a military aid package for Ukraine with weapons worth $1.2 billion.

Russian troops may have mistakenly identified the Azerbaijani Airlines plane as a drone and targeted it with air defense systems, according to NBC News.

The TV channel, citing two US officials, states that the US has intelligence suggesting that Russian forces may have misidentified the Azerbaijani passenger plane and shot it down.

According to the officials, intelligence suggests Russian soldiers mistook the aircraft for a drone, particularly due to its unusual flight pattern and altitude. However, they emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing.

Airplane crash in Kazakhstan

On December 25, a passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau. Almost 40 people died in the crash, and others were hospitalized.

The plane was flying from Baku to Grozny but was not allowed to land in the Chechen capital. When the plane was near Grozny, the city was attacked by drones, and the Russians did not close the airspace.

As a result, the plane was shot down by Russian air defense systems. The pilots were prohibited from landing in Russian territory.

According to the flight attendant, he heard three loud bangs. After that, the airplane lost pressure.

The Slovak Prosecutor General’s Office will investigate Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to Russia. During the trip, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Aktuality reports.

Representatives of the Peace for Ukraine public organization came up with the initiative to the Slovak Prosecutor General’s Office. This was their response to Fico’s trip to Moscow, where he met with Putin.

“The request for the review of the long-term actions of Prime Minister Robert Fico regarding his attitude toward Russia, submitted by the Peace for Ukraine public organization, will be considered by the Slovak Prosecutor General’s Office in accordance with the law,” assured Prosecutor General spokesperson Jana Tökölyová.

However, the official did not specify the timeline for reviewing Fico’s actions.

Fico’s visit to Moscow

Last Sunday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Moscow on an official trip, where he met with President Vladimir Putin.

During the meeting, the leaders discussed Ukraine’s refusal to continue the transit of Russian gas from January 1, 2025, as well as exchanged views on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Fico stated that this visit was a response to Ukraine’s unwillingness to extend the transit of Russian gas to the EU.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the main goal of the Slovak prime minister’s visit as an attempt to strengthen cooperation with Russia.

The Ukrainian president also mentioned that Kyiv had offered Slovakia compensation for the cessation of Russian gas transit, but Fico rejected this proposal.