The Evening: 51 killed in Kharkiv, Drone Attack in Syria, The Joker, and More

Strike in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region Kills 51

In one of the war’s deadliest missile strikes to date, 51 people were killed in Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv region on Thursday, as The Washington Post reports.

Drone Attack at Military Graduation in Syria Kills at Least 80

At least 80 people were killed in central Syria on Thursday by drones carrying explosive ammunition targeting the graduation ceremony for cadets of a military academy. No group has taken responsibility, as the NYT reports.

U.S. Jet Shoots Down Turkish Drone Over Syria

A U.S. jet fighter shot down a Turkish drone Thursday after it was deemed a threat to U.S. forces in northeast Syria, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Beyond the Battlefield: Global Implications of Russia's War in Ukraine breaks down how the February 2022 invasion and concomitant sanctions have been altering national and regional security in Russia, on the European continent, and the United States.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.

Listen here: "In the Shadow of Ukraine" with CSIS's Seth G. Jones.

In That Number

$9.3 billion

Developed countries pledged $9.3 billion to help poor nations tackle climate change at a conference held in the German city of Bonn on Thursday, authorities said.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

iDeas Lab

A recent CSIS digital feature explores the need for a new U.S. technology strategy that reflects new realities, learns from the past, and is committed for the long term in order to secure the economic and geopolitical advantage in the twenty-first century.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso on October 5, 2023, in Granada, Spain.

Recommended Reading

“Managing Geopolitical Risk in Mexico’s ICT Sector” by CSIS’s Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program discusses the future of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.

On Monday, at 12:00 p.m., the CSIS Americas Program examines the evolution of Mexico's information communication technology sector. 

Also on Monday, at 3:00 p.m., the CSIS Aerospace Security Project hosts a conversation with high ranking officials from the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command to unpack how intelligence is fundamental to the Space Force theory of success.

Video

This morning, Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Ely Ratner delivered keynote remarks at the CSIS China Power Project's eighth annual conference. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

This week, CSIS's Max Bergmann and Maria Snegovaya unpack the emerging crisis around the future of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

If John Mayer isn’t one of the coolest musicians out there, I don’t know who is. Check out who he brought on stage the other night in New York at the Garden—big smiles!

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz