SOFREP Evening Brief: Russia Launches Deadliest Strike on Kyiv in Months, India’s Modi Vows Retaliation After Kashmir Massacre

Good evening! Welcome to SOFREP’s evening brief. Here’s a quick roundup of defense and global affairs for Thursday, April 24, 2025. The Palestine Liberation Organization created a vice presidency, likely setting up a successor for Abbas. Israeli airstrikes killed 44 in Gaza, hitting a school, police station, and hospital. A judge blocked Trump’s voter ID order. Gangs killed eight in Haiti as the UN warned of collapse. Russia’s missile strike on Kyiv killed 12 and injured 90. India blamed Pakistan for a Kashmir attack that killed 26, downgraded ties, and promised retaliation. China launched three astronauts to its space station, advancing its moon mission plans.

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Palestinians Establish Vice Presidency as Abbas Seeks Post-War Role in Gaza

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced the creation of a vice presidency on Thursday, a move that could signal the beginning of a succession process for 89-year-old leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has ruled without a named successor since 2005.

The PLO Central Council approved the new position—Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, also referred to as Vice President of the State of Palestine—by a vote of 170-1, with one abstention.

Abbas, who will appoint the vice president from the 15-member Executive Committee, retains the authority to dismiss the appointee. The role is widely viewed as a possible stepping stone to succeed him.

The announcement comes as Abbas aims to secure a role for the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in any postwar governance of Gaza. He and his institutions have been largely sidelined during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a deadly assault on southern Israel. Israel responded with a broad military campaign in Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

Abbas, who leads both the PLO and the PA, remains the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people, despite his mandate expiring in 2009. His leadership has faced increasing criticism for authoritarianism, lack of reforms, and corruption. Polls consistently show low support for Abbas and his Fatah party.

Western and Arab states have called for reforms in the Palestinian Authority as a condition for its involvement in postwar Gaza governance. The creation of a vice presidency may be viewed as a response to those demands, though critics question whether the move—crafted by a body dominated by Abbas loyalists—will have real impact.

Hamas, which is not part of the PLO, won the last Palestinian national election in 2006 and took control of Gaza in 2007 following a violent split with Abbas’ forces. Multiple reconciliation attempts between the factions have failed.

As the war in Gaza continues, the future of Palestinian leadership remains a key issue in any regional political settlement. Abbas’ move may be aimed at positioning the PLO for relevance, but uncertainty over his successor and continued internal divisions cloud the path forward.

Israeli Airstrike Hits Gaza Police Station, Dozens Killed in Ongoing Offensive

An Israeli airstrike struck a police station in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more, according to Gaza health authorities.

The facility, located near a market, was reportedly hit by two missiles.

The Israeli military acknowledged the strike, stating it targeted a joint Hamas and Islamic Jihad command center used to coordinate attacks against Israeli forces. The military accused the militant groups of using civilian infrastructure for combat purposes—an allegation denied by Hamas and its allies.

Separately, at least 34 additional people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, bringing the daily death toll to 44. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the Durra Children’s Hospital in Gaza City was rendered non-operational after a strike damaged its intensive care unit and destroyed its solar power system.

No casualties were reported in the hospital incident, and Israel has not commented on it.

Israel also confirmed one soldier killed and two others seriously wounded during combat operations in northern Gaza on Thursday.

The offensive is part of Israel’s broader 18-month campaign launched in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages.

Since the breakdown of a January ceasefire on March 18, more than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Israel has continued to expand a buffer zone within the enclave, displacing hundreds of thousands.

The conflict has crippled Gaza’s healthcare system, with repeated strikes on medical facilities and widespread shortages of essential supplies. Over 51,300 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli campaign to date, according to local health authorities.

Mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt, supported by the United States, have so far failed to produce a new ceasefire or political resolution between Israel and Hamas.

Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Voter Citizenship Rule

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing key provisions of a recent executive order that sought to overhaul federal election procedures.

US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction Thursday, halting a proposed requirement for proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form.

The injunction comes in response to lawsuits filed by voting rights groups and national Democrats, who argue that President Trump’s March executive order oversteps constitutional limits. The plaintiffs contend the order infringes on state authority to regulate elections and unlawfully asserts presidential control over the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an independent federal agency.

The judge also blocked enforcement of a provision that would have required citizenship checks for individuals receiving public assistance before being granted access to the federal voter registration form. However, she denied other requests, including attempts to stop the administration’s efforts to shorten mail ballot deadlines and to prevent cross-checking voter rolls with immigration databases.

The Trump administration claims the proposed changes are necessary to bolster public confidence in the election system. Voting in federal elections by noncitizens is already illegal under existing law.

Plaintiff attorneys argued that the executive order would complicate voter registration drives and force costly reallocations of resources. The court’s ruling allows their legal challenge to proceed while pausing the implementation of controversial provisions.

The decision follows an April 17 hearing and comes as election officials nationwide evaluate the implications of the executive order. Meanwhile, multiple lawsuits challenging the order remain pending, including actions led by Democratic attorneys general from 19 states and mail-voting states like Washington and Oregon.

The EAC’s bipartisan Standards Board met in North Carolina on Thursday as legal and logistical questions surrounding federal election oversight continue to grow.

The ruling marks a temporary but significant setback for the Trump administration’s effort to reshape US voting procedures at the federal level.

Haitian Gangs Kill Soldiers and Armed Civilians Amid Escalating Battle for Capital

Gangs battling for control of Port-au-Prince killed at least four Haitian soldiers and four armed civilians this week, according to authorities.

The violence marks another deadly escalation in Haiti’s ongoing security crisis.

Haitian National Police spokesman Lionel Lazarre confirmed the killings during a Thursday radio interview. He said two soldiers and four civilians died in Kenscoff, a suburb once considered peaceful.

Two additional soldiers were killed in the Pacot neighborhood inside the capital. An unspecified number of civilians also died in both locations.

A separate attack Wednesday night in Canapé-Vert, one of the last gang-free neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, resulted in the deaths of four police officers and armed community members, according to a government statement.

Social media videos showed gang members mutilating corpses and carrying severed heads, boasting of their kills.

Ergens St. Pierre, a police officer and local defense leader in Canapé-Vert, mourned the losses and said the fallen died defending their community from takeover.

“The people of Canapé-Vert are crying a lot,” he told local media.

Haiti’s transitional presidential council and prime minister’s office condemned the attacks, reaffirming that fighting insecurity remains the government’s top priority. However, armed gangs now control at least 85% of Port-au-Prince and continue to push into previously stable areas.

Earlier this year, more than 260 people were killed in similar gang assaults on the communities of Kenscoff and Carrefour, according to the United Nations.

Haitian authorities are working with a UN-authorized international mission led by Kenyan police to counter the gangs, but the deployment is under-resourced. Only about 1,000 personnel have been deployed—less than half of the 2,500 initially planned.

UN officials warned this week that Haiti is nearing collapse. María Isabel Salvador, the top UN representative in the country, told the Security Council that the country risks reaching “a point of no return” if violence continues unchecked and the international mission lacks adequate support.

#Haiti is on the verge of “total chaos,” the UN’s top envoy warns, as escalating gang violence aimed at expanding territorial control threatens State authority and paralyzes Port-au-Princehttps://t.co/LK1Gs2aFJV pic.twitter.com/ZXIPuFbMrG

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) April 21, 2025

Over 5,600 people were killed in Haiti in 2023 due to gang-related violence.

In just the first two months of 2024, more than 1,000 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured, while over one million Haitians remain displaced due to the violence.

Russia Launches Deadliest Strike on Kyiv in Months; Trump and West Condemn Attack

Russia unleashed an 11-hour barrage of missiles and drones on Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least 12 civilians and wounding around 90 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July.

The overnight bombardment damaged residential neighborhoods across at least five districts, prompting residents to take shelter in basements and underground stations.

Ukrainian authorities said the assault involved 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones launched at Kyiv and four other regions. Fires broke out in multiple residential buildings, and emergency crews spent hours rescuing trapped civilians from rubble.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack one of Russia’s “most outrageous” and announced he would cut short his official visit to South Africa to return to Kyiv.

The strike occurred amid stalled peace negotiations and increasing international pressure on Moscow to end hostilities.

US President Donald Trump condemned the assault, saying he was “not happy” with it and urging President Vladimir Putin to halt the attacks.

Trump also reignited criticism of Zelenskyy, suggesting Ukraine should have surrendered Crimea to secure peace, and claimed Russia’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014 happened “without a fight” under the Obama administration.

Western leaders strongly rebuked Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron demanded an unconditional ceasefire and accused Putin of lying about his intentions. European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia’s actions made a “mockery” of peace talks.

When he speaks to the Americans, President Putin says: I want peace. Yet he continues to bomb Ukraine and kill civilians.

He must stop lying and give a clear answer: does he agree to a ceasefire? pic.twitter.com/huTklOQSTt

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 24, 2025

Ukrainian officials said Thursday’s bombardment underscores Putin’s intent to press his military advantage rather than negotiate in good faith. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha argued that only force and pressure can deter continued Russian aggression, not diplomatic concessions.

In Kyiv, scenes of devastation were widespread. A two-story residential building was flattened, and dozens of multistory homes were heavily damaged. Families sheltered in underground stations, schools operated as relief centers, and rescue teams worked through the night pulling survivors from rubble. Among the dead were a 21-year-old man and his 19-year-old sister.

Зараз у Києві ще триває розбір завалів після російського ракетного удару. Рідні й близькі людей, які можуть бути під завалами будинку, там – на місці рятувальної операції. Рятувальники, екстрені служби, усі, хто допомагає, працюватимуть, поки не з’ясують долю кожної людини, яка… pic.twitter.com/xr1IfzxzlW

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 24, 2025

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, approximately 13,000 Ukrainian civilians—including over 600 children—have been killed, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The latest escalation follows recent deadly strikes on Sumy, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia, further straining efforts to bring the war to an end.

India’s Modi Vows Retaliation After Kashmir Massacre

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed severe retribution for the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Kashmir—the deadliest such attack in the region in 25 years.

In a national address on Thursday, Modi accused Pakistan of backing the assault and promised to track and punish all those involved.

India said the gunmen, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), targeted civilians indiscriminately at the popular tourist site.

Police issued wanted notices for three suspects—two Pakistanis and one Indian—with a bounty of $23,500 for each.

Modi, speaking during a visit to Bihar, declared: “India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backer. They will certainly pay.” He led a moment of silence for the victims, all but one of whom were Indian nationals.

India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers.

We will pursue them to the ends of the earth.

India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. pic.twitter.com/sV3zk8gM94

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2025

In response, the Indian government ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country by April 29, suspended a long-standing water-sharing treaty, downgraded diplomatic ties, and closed the Attari-Wagah land border. While largely symbolic, these actions raise fears of further escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Pakistan, denying any role in the attack, convened a rare national security meeting. Meanwhile, anti-India protests erupted in Lahore, with demonstrators vowing retaliation for the suspended treaty.

Indian security forces launched a large-scale manhunt for the attackers, detaining dozens across the Kashmir region. Clashes with suspected militants continued, and a soldier was killed Thursday in Basantgarh.

#WATCH | J&K | Encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Dudu Basantgarh area of Udhampur underway.

One of the jawans has lost his life during the operations.

(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/TkEj4bRn7q

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2025

The attack has shaken residents in Kashmir’s capital Srinagar and hit the region’s vital tourism sector. Survivors said the attackers spared those able to recite the Islamic declaration of faith.

Modi closed his remarks with a warning in English: “Terrorism will not go unpunished.”

The violence also triggered nationwide backlash, with reports of harassment against Kashmiri students in several Indian cities.

Advocacy groups have condemned what they describe as a campaign of vilification targeting people from the region.

China Launches Shenzhou 20 Crew to Tiangong Space Station Amid Lunar, Mars Ambitions

China successfully launched its Shenzhou 20 spacecraft on Thursday, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station in the country’s latest crew rotation and a key step in its broader ambitions to reach the moon and explore Mars.

The crewed mission lifted off at 5:17 p.m. local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert aboard a Long March 2F rocket. It docked with Tiangong approximately 6.5 hours later, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Commanded by veteran astronaut Chen Dong—on his third spaceflight—the mission includes fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie, both first-time astronauts.

The all-male crew will spend about six months aboard Tiangong, replacing a previous three-person crew that launched in October and is scheduled to return to Earth on April 29 after 175 days in orbit.

Breathtaking footage captures China’s successful Shenzhou-20 spacecraft launch — marking the country’s 15th crewed space mission https://t.co/SfSmpY3dyC pic.twitter.com/WlrBFRLFd1

— RT (@RT_com) April 24, 2025

The Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” is China’s independently constructed orbital station, completed in 2022 after the country was barred from participating in the US-led International Space Station due to national security concerns.

The station is capable of supporting up to six astronauts during crew changeovers and is equipped with mechanical arms that have raised concerns about potential military applications, such as disabling satellites during conflict.

While onboard, the new crew will conduct experiments in medical science and technology, perform spacewalks, and install new equipment.

China’s space program, run by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), continues to progress rapidly. Since sending its first astronaut into space in 2003, China has deployed a rover on the far side of the moon and landed an explorer on Mars.

Beijing aims to place astronauts on the moon by 2030, positioning itself as a major competitor in space exploration and expanding its strategic footprint beyond Earth.

Sources: News Agencies