Institute for the Study of War
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ISW is a policy research organization focused on U.S. national security. Email: [email protected]. For more: https://linktr.ee/understandingwar
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NEW: Russian President Vladimir Putin remains committed to his theory of victory, which holds that Russia can outlast the West and Ukraine in a war of attrition, and his demand for Ukraine’s full capitulation. (1/

Read the full update: isw.pub/UkrWar100825
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
5/ UA’s European partners continue to allocate aid to UA and deepen cooperation w/ the UA defense industrial base.

RU forces advanced near Pokrovsk and Velykomykhailivka and in the Dobropillya tactical area.

Read the Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 11, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar101125
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
4/ Russia may be able to pose a significant threat to NATO on a timeline much sooner than 2036 and without necessarily reconstituting its tank fleet.

European authorities continue to report increased unidentified drone sightings in European airspace near military facilities.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
3/ Russian forces are still using tanks to advance on the battlefield during infrequent mechanized assaults when Ukraine’s drone defenses are degraded, indicating that tanks remain and will remain a relevant weapon on the battlefield under proper tactical conditions.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
2/ Recent open-source data indicates that Russia is also increasing its refurbishment of T-72 tanks, possibly for use on the battlefield in Ukraine in the short term or to reestablish its tank reserve to threaten NATO in the medium term.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
The RU defense industry is implementing long term efforts to increase T-90 tank production and recreate RU’s pre-war tank reserves, indicating that RU intends to present a long term military threat to NATO. (1/5)

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 11, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar101125
thestudyofwar.bsky.social

2/ This year’s internship offerings consist of geospatial intelligence, intelligence analysis, cognitive warfare, and communications. Don’t wait, apply ASAP to be fully considered!
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
ISW reviews internship applications on a rolling basis. Spring 2026 internships applications close November 14, 2025. To learn more about our four internship opportunities across all ISW teams, click here: understandingwar.org... (1/2)
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
5/ Ukrainian forces advanced near Siversk and Novopavlivka. Russian forces advanced in eastern Zaporizhia Oblast; the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka and Dobropillya tactical areas; and near Borova, Lyman, and Velykomykhailivka.

Read more: isw.pub/UkrWar101025
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4/ US First Lady Melania Trump announced that she assisted efforts to return seven Ukrainian children that Russia abducted.

Ukraine’s European partners continue to allocate aid to Ukraine and deepen cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industrial base (DIB).
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
3/ Putin also continued to threaten the West as part of his reflexive control campaign aimed at preventing the US from selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and portraying Russia’s continued adherence to the New START treaty as a meaningful concession in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
2/ The Kremlin continues parallel efforts to curry favor with the United States while deflecting blame onto Ukraine and Europe for stalling negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: Russian forces launched a large, combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine on the night of October 9 to 10, primarily targeting energy infrastructure and civilian targets.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 10, 2025: isw.pub/UkrWar101025 (1/5)
thestudyofwar.bsky.social

3/ The US Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Oct. 10, which included a bipartisan amendment to repeal two laws authorizing the use of military force (AUMF) in Iraq in 1991 & 2002. The House has already passed it and now President Trump must sign the bill before it becomes law.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
2/ The United States sanctioned two Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)-owned commercial entities, three Iraqi bank executives, and three Kataib Hezbollah officials on October 9. Iran has long used partners in Iraq to circumvent US and international sanctions.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: Israel & Hamas implemented a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 10. The ceasefire agreement does not address outstanding issues that were initially included in President Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip.

Iran Update, Oct. 10, 2025 : isw.pub/IranUpdate10...

More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/3)
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
2/ The PLA has expanded one of its “mock Taipei” training grounds in Inner Mongolia. The expansion of that site reflects PLA efforts to make military exercises increasingly realistic and better prepare the force for combat around Taipei in particular.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: The PRC may have provided targeting intelligence via satellite to support a recent, large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine. This support could provide the PLA with some critical operational experience that it currently lacks. (🧵1/2) 

Read more: isw.pub/ChinaTaiwanU...

Reposted by Institute for the Study of War
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: EU and NATO states continue to take steps to increase European defenses against covert and overt Russian attacks. FT reported on October 9 that four NATO officials stated that NATO states are discussing more forceful responses to Russia’s increasingly provocative actions. isw.pub/UkrWar100925
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
3/ Kremlin officials continue to indicate that US-Russian relations are deteriorating to levels similar to those during the Biden admin.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Valerii Zaluzhnyi highlighted a Russian cognitive warfare effort to spread false information about future Ukrainian elections.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
2/ The Kremlin continued its reflexive control campaign aimed at deterring the US from selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, including by threatening to deploy missiles to Cuba. The Kremlin is trying to invoke memories of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis to threaten the United States.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: EU and NATO states continue to take steps to increase European defenses against covert and overt Russian attacks. FT reported on October 9 that four NATO officials stated that NATO states are discussing more forceful responses to Russia’s increasingly provocative actions. isw.pub/UkrWar100925
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
3/ A coalition of anti-government Druze militias in Suwayda Province aims to regain control over government-held territory in Suwayda Province, possibly through diplomatic engagement with the international community rather than through military action.

Read the full update: isw.pub/IranUpdate10...
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2/ Hamas and Israeli officials have not yet discussed key outstanding aspects of the US plan, including governance over the Gaza Strip and Hamas’ disarmament. It remains unclear if the Hamas-Israel ceasefire will impact how Hamas’ partners in the Axis of Resistance engage with Israel.
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
NEW: Hamas and Israel agreed on October 8 to the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-Israel ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a framework ceasefire agreement and not a comprehensive agreement to end the war. (1/3)

Full update: isw.pub/IranUpdate10...
thestudyofwar.bsky.social
6/ Russian developers are fielding new countermeasures against Ukrainian drone interceptors, chiefly via newly integrated radio detectors.