SOFREP Daily: Russian Missile Hits Ukrainian Training Ground, Myanmar’s Junta Chief Seeks Putin’s Support in Russia

It’s Tuesday, March 4, 2025—stay ahead with the latest updates on defense and global affairs. Here’s what you need to know.

Russian Missile Hits Ukrainian Training Ground, Killing Dozens

A Russian missile strike hit a Ukrainian military training ground near Cherkaske, close to Dnipro, resulting in an unspecified number of fatalities.

Unofficial reports suggest between 30 and 40 soldiers were killed and 90 wounded.

The attack, carried out with an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with cluster munitions, spread destruction over a wide area.

The strike has sparked internal criticism, with a Ukrainian lawmaker blaming military commanders for failing to adapt, while officials deny that troops were gathered in formation at the time.

Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile strike on the Novomoskovsky training ground near the settlement of Cherkaske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/xhXS2gELIK

— AMK Mapping 🇺🇦🇳🇿 (@AMK_Mapping_) March 1, 2025

Ukraine’s land forces commander, Major General Mykhailo Drapaty, acknowledged “unlearned lessons” and vowed an investigation, condemning negligence within the military.

The incident is the latest in a series of similar strikes, including a deadly attack on a military institute in Poltava last year.

Ukraine Prepares Peace Terms as Europe Steps Up Defense

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to work with European allies to draft terms for a potential peace deal before presenting them to the US.

This comes after 18 allied nations met in London, pledging increased defense spending and a coalition to enforce any future truce in Ukraine.

The summit followed a tense Oval Office meeting where US President Donald Trump criticized Zelenskyy and signaled a shift in American policy, raising concerns that Washington may pressure Kyiv into an unfavorable peace deal.

European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasized that Europe must take the lead, with Macron proposing a one-month truce focused on air, sea, and energy infrastructure.

Trump’s Republican allies have increasingly pushed for a peace settlement, with some suggesting Zelenskyy should step down.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned against yielding to Russian aggression.

Amid uncertainty over US support, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to cooperate with Washington, including signing a mineral deal sought by Trump, while reaffirming his commitment to Ukraine’s NATO ambitions.

We continue our work with partners. We have already had talks and other steps to come soon.

It is very important that we try to make our diplomacy really substantive to end this war the soonest possible.

We need real peace and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 3, 2025

Trump Freezes Ukraine Aid, Pressures Zelenskyy for Peace Talks

President Donald Trump has ordered a pause on US military aid to Ukraine, aiming to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into negotiations with Russia.

The decision follows a tense Oval Office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for what they saw as a lack of gratitude for the $180 billion in aid the US has provided since the war began.

The White House stated that aid will remain frozen until Ukraine demonstrates a commitment to peace talks, marking a significant shift in US policy.

The move has sparked bipartisan controversy, with Democrats calling it reckless, while some Republicans suggest Zelenskyy should compromise or step down.

Trump, who has long expressed confidence in Vladimir Putin, appears determined to broker a deal while simultaneously pursuing a lucrative mineral rights agreement with Ukraine.

Some GOP lawmakers believe relations can be repaired if Zelenskyy agrees to the deal and a path toward peace. Meanwhile, Putin is in no rush to negotiate, betting on fractures between the US and Europe.

Myanmar’s Junta Chief Seeks Putin’s Support in Russia

Myanmar’s junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, has traveled to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as Moscow remains a key ally and arms supplier to Myanmar’s embattled military regime.

The junta, facing mounting opposition from ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces, has relied heavily on Russian support, particularly for maintaining its air force.

With Myanmar suffering territorial losses in a 2023 rebel offensive, Russian technicians have reportedly played a crucial role in sustaining the junta’s air operations.

The meeting marks the first between Min Aung Hlaing and Putin in over two years and is expected to focus on deepening military and economic cooperation.

Myanmar Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Moscow on an official visit. pic.twitter.com/DmKpkUGqwa

— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) March 3, 2025

Both nations, facing heavy Western sanctions, seek stronger ties to counter economic and political isolation.

Beyond military and trade relations, the two countries have also engaged in symbolic exchanges, including Myanmar’s recent gift of six elephants to a Russian circus as a gesture of friendship.

Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Hits UN Hunger Relief Efforts

The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) is closing its southern Africa office, consolidating operations with East Africa due to funding cuts, particularly from the Trump administration.

The US, WFP’s largest donor, provided $4.4 billion last year, but recent Trump-ordered aid cuts have slashed 90 percent of USAID’s foreign aid contracts, halting $60 billion in humanitarian funding.

The closure comes amid a severe drought in southern Africa, which has put 27 million people at risk of hunger.

UN World Food Program closes its southern Africa bureau after Trump administration’s aid cuts

Agency cites low funding as region struggles to withstand effects of severe drought https://t.co/zzOuW154vp pic.twitter.com/gtyBzgQH5n

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) March 4, 2025

Despite the office closure, WFP insists food programs will continue, though the future of many global aid projects remains uncertain.

Beyond WFP, other UN agencies are also facing cuts, with the International Organization for Migration laying off 3,000 workers and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warning that family planning programs will be affected.

The full scope of the funding freeze remains unclear, as UN agencies await possible waivers for select programs.

Paramilitary Strikes Refugee Camp, Worsening Darfur Crisis

A paramilitary shelling attack on a crowded market and a displaced people’s camp in Sudan’s Darfur region killed six civilians over the weekend, according to local health volunteers.

The attack, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), struck Abu Shouk camp near El-Fasher, the North Darfur state capital, where civilians were shopping for Ramadan necessities.

El-Fasher remains one of the last areas in Darfur not fully under RSF control, as Sudan’s army and allied forces continue to resist their advances.

The ongoing war, now nearly two years old, has left tens of thousands dead and displaced over 12 million people, with famine gripping multiple camps, including Abu Shouk.

As hunger worsens, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) recently halted food aid to another camp due to escalating violence.

#Sudan: Thousands of displaced families in north Darfur’s Zamzam camp could starve without immediate assistance.

Intense fighting has prevented the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Watch as WFP’s @LKinzli explains the situation ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/UDEEPx9VLe

— World Food Programme (@WFP) March 2, 2025

Germany Plans Massive Military and Infrastructure Overhaul

Germany’s potential next ruling coalition—the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD)—is planning to invest hundreds of billions of euros into defense and infrastructure, according to a report from Bild.

The proposal comes as Germany faces economic struggles and growing security concerns amid shifting US foreign policy.

Negotiators have discussed creating two large emergency investment funds—one for the German military, estimated at 400 billion euros ($416 billion), and another for infrastructure, expected to require at least 500 billion euros ($520 billion).

Germany’s leading political parties are reportedly ready to invest hundreds of billions of euros in the country’s defense and infrastructure during coalition talks.https://t.co/9HuhUDnVeH

— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) March 3, 2025

These funds would bypass Germany’s strict “debt brake” rule, though a broader reform to loosen borrowing limits would require parliamentary approval.

The push for massive spending highlights Germany’s urgent need to modernize its military and public infrastructure while navigating political and economic constraints. However, securing the necessary legislative support remains a major hurdle for the prospective coalition.

Israel Unveils New Ceasefire Plan, Pressures Hamas with Siege

Israel has introduced a new ceasefire proposal, known as the “Witkoff plan,” which it claims originated from US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.

The plan demands Hamas release half of its remaining hostages in exchange for an extended ceasefire and negotiations on a permanent truce—but without promising the release of Palestinian prisoners, a key element of the previous deal.

Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement, which was supposed to lead to an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza, halting food, fuel, and medicine to pressure Hamas into accepting the deal.

The US has not publicly confirmed its role in the new proposal, and Trump has sent mixed signals about his stance.

🔴 🇵🇸 🇮🇱 #Israel announced Sunday that it was suspending the entry of all #aid into #Gaza, and threatened “additional consequences” if #Hamas did not accept a proposal for a temporary #extension of the first phase of the #ceasefire.@shinjennie has the details ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/pfAapoWcVR

— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) March 3, 2025

Arab leaders are preparing a counterproposal for postwar Gaza, rejecting Trump’s idea of relocating Palestinians and instead suggesting a transitional government and city rebuilding efforts. However, Israel has opposed any role for the Palestinian Authority, making an agreement uncertain.

With Netanyahu’s political survival also tied to how the negotiations unfold, the fate of Gaza remains in limbo.

Sources: News Agencies