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Evening Brief: US SOUTHCOM Chief Retires Early, Germany Probes Laser Incidents, Kremlin Signals Postwar Security Grip on Donbas

BY Guy D. McCardle

US SOUTHCOM shifts leadership as Russia tightens its grip on Donbas. Here’s what’s making headlines this Friday evening.

US Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey during a visit to the joint operations center at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, February 5, 2025. Image Credit: DVIDS.

Wrapping the week with the latest brief – here’s what happened Friday, December 12, 2025.

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US SOUTHCOM Chief Retires Early as US Steps Up Operations in Caribbean

US Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey retired on Friday as head of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), stepping down two years before the end of his term during a period of heightened US military activity in the Caribbean.

Holsey formally transferred command at a ceremony in Florida to US Air Force Lieutenant General  Evan Pettus, who will serve as acting commander until President Donald Trump nominates a permanent replacement.

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Holsey said his decision was personal and not tied to ongoing operations, which include expanded maritime patrols, strikes against alleged drug traffickers, and rising tensions with Venezuela.

In his farewell remarks, he emphasized the importance of regional partnerships and adherence to democratic values.

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The leadership change comes as the Pentagon concentrates significant naval and air forces in the region and intensifies actions against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations.

 

Wrapping the week with the latest brief – here’s what happened Friday, December 12, 2025.

 

US SOUTHCOM Chief Retires Early as US Steps Up Operations in Caribbean

US Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey retired on Friday as head of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), stepping down two years before the end of his term during a period of heightened US military activity in the Caribbean.

Holsey formally transferred command at a ceremony in Florida to US Air Force Lieutenant General  Evan Pettus, who will serve as acting commander until President Donald Trump nominates a permanent replacement.

Holsey said his decision was personal and not tied to ongoing operations, which include expanded maritime patrols, strikes against alleged drug traffickers, and rising tensions with Venezuela.

In his farewell remarks, he emphasized the importance of regional partnerships and adherence to democratic values.

The leadership change comes as the Pentagon concentrates significant naval and air forces in the region and intensifies actions against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations.

 

House Republicans Seek Legal Briefing on Fatal Venezuela Boat Strike

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee plans to summon the senior military lawyer involved in a controversial US strike that killed survivors of an alleged drug smuggling boat off Venezuela.

Representative Mike Rogers said he wants the lawyer to appear alongside Navy Admiral Frank Bradley, who oversaw the September 2 operation, to brief the full committee on the legal reasoning behind a follow-on strike ordered after survivors were spotted.

The operation killed 11 people and has triggered congressional and legal scrutiny over possible violations of the law of armed conflict. Lawmakers are seeking clarity on whether the survivors were lawful targets and what legal advice informed the decision to strike again.

Both House and Senate committees continue investigations, while Democrats and some Republicans press for the public release of video footage and related orders authorizing the operation.

 

Maintenance Delays Cut Years From Navy Destroyers’ Operational Time, Report Finds

US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are spending far more time in maintenance than planned, sharply reducing their availability and effective service lives, according to a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis.

The report found the ships spend about nine years in overhauls and other maintenance, roughly 27 percent of their intended lifespan, more than double earlier Navy estimates.

The delays have strained fleet readiness, with availability at times dropping to about one-third of the destroyer force.

Maintenance costs have also surged, averaging $28 million per ship in 2024, a 300 percent increase since 2009.

The CBO cited aging ships, labor shortages, parts delays, and contracting practices as key drivers, warning that prolonged overhauls disrupt deployments and effectively shrink the operational fleet.

 

USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group Makes Early Guam Port Call

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and its strike group arrived at Guam’s Apra Harbor this week, marking the carrier’s first visit to the island since 2024 and less than three weeks into its current deployment.

The carrier was joined by the guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance (DDG-111), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), and USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG-121).

The visit follows the recent stop by the USS George Washington (CVN-73) and underscores Guam’s role as a key US military hub in the Indo-Pacific.

US Navy officials said the port call supports readiness, regional partnerships, and US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, as the strike group begins its latest deployment after departing San Diego in late November.

 

Germany Probes Laser Incidents Targeting US F-16 Pilots Near Air Base

German authorities have opened a criminal investigation into multiple incidents in which US Air Force pilots reported being targeted by laser beams while approaching Spangdahlem Air Base earlier this month.

Three pilots flying F-16s reported encounters with blue laser beams on December 2 and December 9 while only a few miles from the base, according to regional police.

All aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.

German police and the US Air Force are jointly investigating the incidents, and the source of the lasers remains unknown.

Officials warned that laser strikes pose serious risks to pilots, including temporary blindness and disorientation, and urged witnesses to come forward as the investigation continues.

 

Kremlin Signals Postwar Security Grip on Donbas as Ukraine Claims Gains Near Kupiansk

A senior Kremlin adviser said Russia intends to keep police and National Guard forces in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region even if a peace settlement ends the war, underscoring Moscow’s aim to maintain control over territory it claims as its own.

Yuriy Ushakov said Russian security forces would oversee the region in a postwar scenario, a position Ukraine is expected to reject as US-led peace efforts continue.

As negotiations stall over territorial control, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have retaken several settlements and neighborhoods near the contested city of Kupiansk, dealing a setback to recent Russian advances.

Fighting continues across the front line, with both sides reporting drone attacks and strikes overnight.

Ukrainian officials also said Kyiv is expanding its long-range strike capabilities to disrupt Russian logistics, while Russia reported intercepting dozens of Ukrainian drones.

 

EU Freezes Russian Assets Indefinitely to Secure Funding for Ukraine

The European Union (EU) has indefinitely frozen Russian state assets held in Europe to prevent member states from blocking their use to support Ukraine.

Using emergency economic procedures, the EU moved to keep roughly 210 billion euros ($247 billion) in Russian Central Bank assets immobilized until Russia ends its war and compensates Ukraine for damage caused since 2022.

The decision allows EU leaders to plan the use of the assets to back major financial assistance for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027 and blocks their release in any peace negotiations without EU approval.

Hungary and Slovakia criticized the move, arguing it undermines EU law and peace efforts, while Russia’s central bank filed a lawsuit against the Belgian clearing house holding most of the funds.

EU officials said the measure is legally sound and necessary to sustain support for Ukraine.

 

Video Shows Israeli Hostages Marking Hanukkah in Gaza Months Before Their Deaths

Newly released video and photos show six Israeli hostages celebrating Hanukkah while being held captive in a Gaza tunnel months before they were killed by Hamas, Israeli authorities said.

The footage, published on Thursday by the forum representing hostage families, depicts the captives lighting candles, praying, and spending time together under apparent coercion during their captivity in late 2023.

Israel says Hamas killed all six hostages last August shortly before Israeli troops reached the area, with autopsies showing they were shot at close range.

The release of the footage has renewed criticism over failed ceasefire negotiations and the inability to secure their release while they were still alive.

Families said the videos highlight both the hostages’ resilience and the missed opportunities to bring them home, as talks now move toward a more complex next phase of a fragile ceasefire.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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