The Evening: Ukraine Attacks NK Troops, Russian Plot, Finding Out, and More

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Good Evening,

It's Monday, November 4th.

Note: The Evening will be “Gone Fishin’” until Tuesday, November 12. Until then, Smile!

Ukraine Says it has Attacked North Korean Troops

Ukrainian officials said on Monday that their forces had fired at North Korean soldiers in combat for the first time since their deployment by Russia to its western Kursk region, as the FT reports.

Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes

Western security officials say they believe that two incendiary devices, shipped via DHL, were part of a covert Russian operation that ultimately aimed to start fires aboard cargo or passenger aircraft flying to the U.S. and Canada, as the WSJ reports.

Pro-EU Candidate Wins Moldova Runoff

Moldova’s pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, secured a second term in office in Sunday’s election, a major boost to her mission to make her tiny country a European Union member and break away from Moscow’s influence, as The Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

Step into the unfolding story of superpower strategy as U.S.-China relations continue to redefine the global order. Flashpoints and Future of the U.S.-China Relationship explores the complex dynamics driving this critical relationship through expert insights and simulated futures. Register by November 12.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest critical questions by CSIS's Victor Cha, "Crossing the Rubicon: DPRK Sends Troops to Russia."

In That Number

3,000

The war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, the country’s Health Ministry said on Monday.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front.”

—Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

iDeas Lab

China continues to normalize the use of military exercises and law enforcement operations to respond to what it views as provocative non-military political activities by Taiwan. This marks the second time China has held large-scale, high-profile military exercises and coast guard patrols near Taiwan during Lai’s administration, and the fourth such occurrence since China began the practice in August 2022. Read the full CSIS analysis here.

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

Optics

(Photo credit: Manaure Quintero/AFP/Getty Images.) King Felipe VI of Spain is heckled by angry residents who throw mud and other objects during his visit to Paiporta, Spain, one of the towns most affected by recent deadly floods, on November 3, 2024.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program welcomes the Honorable Tanya Bradsher to discuss her journey in the military as a combat veteran and how she became the first Black woman to serve as Deputy Secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Also tomorrow, at 4:00 p.m., the RAND Corporation holds a conversation on racial and socioeconomic divides in algebra teaching and learning.

On Thursday, at 1:00 p.m., the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group hosts a discussion on the recent work and common mission of the NATO DIANA Initiative, MIT, and U.S. Department of Defense, advancing dual-use deep tech for the warfighter.

Video

Last week, experts working in Kenya, Uganda, and across the sub-Saharan Africa region shared their perspectives on the importance of equity in health care, the incorporation of community perspectives, and global commitments to funding and ensuring access to maintain progress in addressing HIV challenges. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Aspen Strategy Group executive director Anja Manuel joins the podcast to discuss issues surrounding AI and national security, and a new series of original papers and op-eds called “Intelligent Defense: Navigating National Security in the Age of AI.”

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Since all anyone cares about is finding out who will win the presidential election tomorrow, I thought it was cool that just a couple of days ago Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers released an archival video of one of my favorite Petty tunes, “Finding Out.” Happy Election Day, all!

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

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed by Lauren Adler, Ava Rose, and the External Relations team.