From intensifying drone warfare between Ukraine and Russia to mounting fears of a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, anti-immigration protests in South Africa and a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court, this week has been shaped by conflicts over power, identity and international law.
In Russia, long queues formed at petrol stations after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted oil refineries and fuel infrastructure. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the attacks were "creating problems", saying strategic reserves were being used and that restrictions on diesel exports were under consideration, while insisting the situation was "not critical". The disruption follows President Volodymyr Zelensky's launch of a 40-day campaign of deep strikes against Russian energy facilities, aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin. At the same time, Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Kyiv since the start of the war, firing 74 missiles and around 500 drones during an 11-hour bombardment that killed at least 30 people and struck residential buildings. Our panel examines the military balance, the diplomatic calculations on both sides and whether Russia risks entering what some analysts describe as a "drowning man syndrome" – escalating further as its strategic options narrow.
