Overview
- U.S. Central Command said more than 70 Islamic State targets in central Syria were struck in Operation Hawkeye Strike, launched after the Dec. 13 attack near Palmyra that killed two soldiers and a U.S. interpreter.
- Southcom reported a separate strike on a suspected smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific that killed four, drawing fresh criticism from UN rights experts who question the legality of the broader campaign.
- Ukraine’s security service said drones badly damaged the shadow‑fleet tanker Qendil in the Mediterranean; Reuters confirmed the vessel’s identity from imagery but could not verify the time or location, which Ukrainian sources said was off Libya.
- Kyiv also reported a drone attack on Lukoil’s Filanovsky platform in the Caspian Sea, extending its campaign against Russian oil infrastructure; the claim has not been independently verified.
- After Berlin talks with Ukraine and European partners, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff plans to confer in Miami with Putin adviser Kirill Dmitrijew, as EU leaders approve a two‑year €90 billion loan for Ukraine and Washington stresses it will not force a deal.