SOFREP Daily: Russia Bombards Ukraine as US Freezes Military Aid, France Boosts Ukraine with New Military Aid Package

Welcome to a new week! It’s Monday, March 10, 2025, and we’ve got your essential briefing on defense and global affairs. Here’s what you need to know.

Russia Bombards Ukraine as US Freezes Military Aid

Ukraine reported that Russia launched 119 drones overnight, targeting Kyiv and multiple regions amid a critical phase in the war, as US aid remains frozen.

Ukraine’s Air Force managed to shoot down 71 drones, while 37 others disappeared without causing damage. This wave of attacks follows deadly strikes on Friday and Saturday that killed at least 14 people in eastern and northeastern Ukraine.

NEW: Russian forces are collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast following several days of intensified Russian activity in the area.

The temporal correlation between the suspension of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine and the start of Russia’s… pic.twitter.com/kmvrBihrg9

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 10, 2025

Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to hold talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, March 11, with Washington pushing for a ceasefire framework while withholding military aid, intelligence, and satellite data from Kyiv.

In Donetsk, a Russian glide bomb attack hit residential buildings in Druzhkivka, injuring 12 people, including a 15-year-old girl. Damaged buildings and debris were seen throughout the town.

🔴 Russian forces shelled Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, on Saturday night.

12 people were injured as a result, including a child. pic.twitter.com/HCvxs8o8uN

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) March 9, 2025

Russia, in turn, claimed Ukraine launched 131 drones at its Belgorod region, with 101 intercepted. No casualties were reported.

France Boosts Ukraine with New Military Aid Package

France is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine, worth nearly 200 million euros ($217 million), funded by the interest accrued from frozen Russian assets.

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the US suspension of weapons deliveries to Ukraine as a “heavy blow” and emphasized the need for continued support.

The package will include 155mm shells and AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) air-to-surface weapons for Mirage 2000 fighter jets previously supplied to Ukraine.

Lecornu did not comment on whether France would consider directly using the frozen Russian assets themselves, a move supported by the UK, but Paris approached it cautiously.

He warned that beyond the battlefield, Russia is waging “a war on democracy and the economy,” raising concerns over election interference, particularly in France’s 2027 presidential elections.

France will provide Ukraine with $211 million in military aid using the interest from frozen Russian assets, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu says
🔗 https://t.co/3OBkhOZt63 pic.twitter.com/JSsvd8fXR5

— TRT World (@trtworld) March 9, 2025

Despite concerns over shifting US policy on Ukraine, Lecornu insisted that transatlantic relations remain intact, though unpredictable.

He noted that French intelligence sees no imminent Russian attack on a NATO member but warned of potential destabilization in Moldova’s breakaway region, Transnistria.

France is also prioritizing defense modernization, focusing on electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, space capabilities, and the increasing use of drones and robotics in combat.

US Pulls Staff as South Sudan Faces Renewed Violence

The United States has ordered all non-emergency staff to leave South Sudan due to escalating violence and rising tensions between political and ethnic groups.

Clashes between forces allied with President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar in Upper Nile State have threatened the fragile power-sharing agreement that ended the country’s five-year civil war.

The violence escalated on Friday when a United Nations helicopter came under attack during a rescue mission, killing a crew member and an army general.

US orders its non-emergency personnel to leave South Sudan https://t.co/eodPlmx9pJ pic.twitter.com/YmZd1Ky0Xf

— Reuters Africa (@ReutersAfrica) March 9, 2025

The State Department cited ongoing armed conflict and widespread availability of weapons as key risks.

President Kiir has urged calm, insisting there will be no return to war, but international observers warn otherwise.

The UN Human Rights Commission for South Sudan described the situation as an “alarming regression,” while the International Crisis Group cautioned that the country is “slipping rapidly toward full-blown war” and faces the risk of large-scale ethnic massacres if the violence continues unchecked.

Hamas Demands Gaza Withdrawal as Israel Plans More Talks

Israel is preparing to send a delegation to Doha for further talks on extending the Gaza truce, as Hamas pushes for immediate negotiations on a second phase, hoping it will lead to a permanent ceasefire.

Over the weekend, Hamas representatives met with mediators in Cairo, emphasizing the urgent need for unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza. Their key demands include a full Israeli withdrawal, an end to the blockade, reconstruction, and financial support.

Israel aims to extend the first phase of the truce until mid-April, after a six-week pause in fighting that allowed hostage exchanges and aid deliveries.

However, aid flow has since been cut off, leading UN experts to accuse Israel of “weaponizing starvation.”

Displaced Gazans continue to suffer, with many living in dire conditions.

As hostages’ families protested in Tel Aviv, urging a full ceasefire, the death toll remains staggering: 1,218 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas’s October 7 attack, and at least 48,453 were killed in Gaza by Israeli military operations, according to the UN-verified Hamas-run health ministry.

Iran, Russia, China Launch Joint Naval Drills

Iran, Russia, and China will conduct joint naval drills off the coast of Iran this week to strengthen military cooperation and counter US influence.

The exercises, set to begin Tuesday in Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, will include warships and support vessels from all three nations, including Iran’s Army and Revolutionary Guards.

The drills will take place in the northern Indian Ocean, aiming to enhance regional security and multilateral collaboration.

Several countries, including Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Sri Lanka, will observe the exercises.

Warships from China, Russia, and Iran will hold exercises in a key Middle Eastern waterway as the three partners highlight their deepening cooperation and showcase their growing capabilities, according to reports in state-run media.https://t.co/BlmOiP0D3D

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) March 9, 2025

China has confirmed the deployment of a destroyer and a supply ship for the drills.

This follows recent Iranian military exercises in the same region, emphasizing Tehran’s efforts to bolster its defense capabilities.

Similar joint exercises among Iran, Russia, and China have occurred in past years, reflecting their shared stance against Western military dominance.

China Increases Defense Budget, Continues to Threaten Taiwan

China’s military has vowed to tighten its grip on Taiwan if separatist efforts escalate, warning independence advocates to back down or face severe consequences.

Speaking at China’s annual “Two Sessions” political gathering, military spokesman Wu Qian stated that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is committed to countering separatism and promoting reunification, using strong rhetoric to emphasize Beijing’s stance.

This warning comes as China announces a 7.2 percent increase in its defense budget for 2025, aimed at modernizing its military amid intensifying strategic competition with the US.

Despite having the world’s second-largest military budget, China’s spending remains less than a third of that of the US.

11 sorties of PLA aircraft and 9 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 out of 11 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/1R19ZzeVWQ

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) March 10, 2025

Beijing insists its military stance is defensive, but its expanding military presence—especially in the South China Sea—has raised regional tensions.

Taiwan remains a potential flashpoint for conflict between China and the US, which supports the island militarily.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed that Taiwan’s return to Chinese control is an inevitable “righteous cause” and dismissed US involvement as futile.

Taiwan’s government, however, condemned China’s recent live-fire drills near its southern coast, viewing them as an intimidation tactic.

North Korea Condemns US-South Korea Drills, Warns of Retaliation

North Korea strongly condemned the joint US-South Korea military exercises, calling them a “provocative act” that risks igniting war through an “accidental single shot.”

The large-scale Freedom Shield 2025 drills, involving live and simulated training, are scheduled to last until March 21.

📰NEWS: @EighthArmyKorea begins annual exercise Freedom Shield 2025 #FS25 https://t.co/I9N0fef9gF pic.twitter.com/cVDwwtvloO

— U.S. Forces Korea (@USForcesKorea) March 10, 2025

Pyongyang sees such exercises as preparation for invasion and frequently responds with missile tests.

Tensions are already high following an accidental bombing incident on March 6, when South Korean Air Force fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight bombs on a village, injuring 15 people.

Relations between North and South Korea remain at a historic low, with Pyongyang launching numerous ballistic missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions.

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles, hours after condemning the South Korean and US militaries for launching drills that Pyongyang called a ‘dangerous provocative act’ that risked accidentally sparking a confrontation https://t.co/tibGWJkbxw pic.twitter.com/sVP18JTEqd

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 10, 2025

North Korea also recently criticized the US for “political and military provocations,” referencing the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to South Korea.

The US maintains a significant military presence in South Korea, which remains technically at war with the North since the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Sources: News Agencies