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Morning Brief: Trump Announces Plan to Revive Battleships, Another Fatal Boat Strike in Eastern Pacific, Russian Barrage Knocks Out Power Across Ukraine

BY Guy D. McCardle

Battleship revival, Ukraine under attack, and a fatal Pacific boat strike. Here’s your Tuesday morning brief for December 23rd, 2025.

Artist’s rendering of the future USS Defiant, a Trump-class guided-missile battleship. Image Credit: US Navy

On this holiday-week Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the headlines lead with Trump’s nuclear battleship program, rising tensions as the Coast Guard hunts Venezuelan tankers, and another deadly strike on a suspected smuggling boat. Ukraine reels from a massive Russian attack, a Mexican medical flight crashes off Texas, and Israel prepares for critical Iran discussions in Washington.

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Trump Announces Plan to Revive Battleships With Nuclear and Hypersonic Arms

The Trump administration announced plans to build a new class of large US Navy surface combatants, reviving the battleship concept as part of a broader “Golden Fleet” overhaul.

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The Navy will initially buy two ships, starting with the USS Defiant, with plans to acquire 10 and potentially expand the class to 20 to 25 vessels, with construction slated to begin around 2030.

The more than 35,000-ton ships would replace the planned DDG(X) destroyer and field existing combat systems, hypersonic missiles, advanced radar, and space for future weapons such as directed energy and rail guns.

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Officials said the ships would be built in US shipyards, cost an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion each, and operate independently or as command platforms within larger naval strike groups.

 

Trump Warns Maduro as Coast Guard Hunts Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers

US President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of further escalation as the US Coast Guard intensified efforts to seize sanctioned oil tankers in the Caribbean.

US forces are pursuing vessels Washington describes as part of a Venezuelan “dark fleet” used to evade sanctions, following recent seizures of multiple tankers.

Trump reiterated threats of a blockade and said the campaign aims to pressure Maduro’s government, while US officials framed the actions as enforcement against illegal activity.

Russia began evacuating diplomats’ families from Venezuela, and Caracas condemned the US actions as violations of international law, even as Venezuela’s legislature moved to criminalize cooperation with tanker seizures.

 

US Military Reports Another Fatal Boat Strike in Eastern Pacific

The US military said it carried out another strike on a vessel it described as a drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said intelligence linked the boat to known trafficking routes but released no evidence to support the claim.

Video released by the command shows the vessel taking fire and burning while adrift.

The strike is part of a broader Trump administration campaign aimed at curbing drug trafficking and increasing pressure on Venezuela’s government, a campaign that has killed at least 105 people since early September and drawn criticism from lawmakers and human rights groups.

 

USO Opens First Brick-and-Mortar Center in Singapore

The United Service Organizations (USO) opened a new center at Sembawang Naval Installation in Singapore, marking its first permanent brick-and-mortar presence in the country.

The facility offers service members and their families access to Wi-Fi, computers, movies, games, books, American food, and volunteer opportunities.

USO leaders said the center grew out of expanded support efforts in the region following the 2017 USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collision, which killed 10 sailors.

US Navy officials said the center will provide a sense of community and help reduce isolation for personnel stationed or deployed in the Indo-Pacific.

 

US Halts Deportation of Chinese Activist Who Filmed Xinjiang Detention Sites

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has withdrawn its plan to deport Chinese national Guan Heng, clearing the way for his asylum case to move forward, rights advocates said.

Guan entered the United States illegally after secretly filming Uyghurs detention facilities in China’s Xinjiang region and releasing the footage publicly, actions that activists say put him at risk of persecution by Beijing. He has remained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since August, and his legal team is seeking his release on bond.

The decision followed growing public and congressional pressure urging US authorities to grant Guan protection due to his role in exposing alleged human rights abuses.

 

Mexican Navy Medical Flight Crashes Near Galveston, Killing at Least Five

A small Mexican Navy aircraft on a medical mission crashed in Galveston Bay near the Texas coast, killing at least five of the eight people aboard, US and Mexican officials said on Monday.

The flight was transporting a child patient and others, including Navy officers and civilians linked to a nonprofit that helps children with severe burns receive treatment in Galveston.

Emergency responders launched search and rescue operations as witnesses reported finding survivors trapped in the submerged wreckage.

US and Mexican authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with foggy conditions reported in the area at the time.

 

Russian Missile and Drone Barrage Kills Civilians, Knocks Out Power Across Ukraine

Russia launched overnight a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine, killing at least three people, including a child, and forcing emergency power cuts across much of the country, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday.

The strikes hit energy and critical infrastructure in multiple regions, with western areas suffering the heaviest damage.

Ukrainian officials said the barrage involved more than 30 missiles and 650 drones and came as the country prepared for Christmas.

Poland and allied aircraft were deployed to protect NATO airspace as the attacks reached areas near the Polish border, while Kyiv said Moscow is intensifying pressure amid renewed diplomatic efforts to explore a possible settlement.

 

Netanyahu Says Iran Nuclear Issue to Top Talks With Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will discuss Iran’s nuclear activities with US President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington next week, citing concerns over recent Iranian military exercises and uranium enrichment.

Speaking alongside Greek and Cypriot leaders, Netanyahu said Israel is not seeking confrontation with Iran but wants stability while maintaining pressure to limit Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. He said talks with Trump will also focus on Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and threats to international shipping from Iran-aligned groups.

Israel, Greece, and Cyprus agreed to deepen security and energy cooperation, including regional infrastructure and power interconnection projects.

 

Gunmen Kill Five Police Officers in Northwest Pakistan Ambush

Suspected militants attacked a police patrol in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing five officers in Karak district before setting their vehicle on fire and fleeing, officials said on Tuesday.

Police launched a search operation as national and provincial leaders condemned the attack and pledged accountability. No group claimed responsibility, though authorities suspect the Pakistani Taliban, which has been linked to a surge in militant violence along the Afghan border.

The attack comes amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy and recent clashes.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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