RUSSIA – Russia successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1a rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome of Russia’s Far East early Saturday, placing the Kondor-FKA No. 2 radar satellite into its designated orbit. Equipped with advanced radar technology, the Kondor-FKA satellites enable all-weather, round-the-clock Earth observation. “The second radar satellite Kondor-FKA has reached orbit! The launch systems worked as planned,” Russia’s space agency Roscosmos announced in a statement. Unlike optical satellites, the Kondor-FKA series can penetrate cloud cover and operate in darkness, making them indispensable for a variety of tasks, including mapping, environmental monitoring, natural resource exploration, and guiding vessels through ice-covered routes, such as the Northern Sea Route during polar nights.

The Kondor series, developed by the NPO Mashinostroyeniya design bureau, has seen steady advancements since its inception. The first two satellites were launched in 2013 and 2014, while Kondor-FKA No. 1 entered orbit in 2023. Two more satellites are currently under construction, with the third Kondor-FKA launch planned for 2026. Each Kondor-FKA satellite weighs approximately 1,050 kg and has a five-year operational lifespan. (Xinhua)

UKRAINE – EPA President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky holds a press conference after attending the European Council summit in Brussels in OctoberEPA

President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that the parts of Ukraine under his control should be taken “under the Nato umbrella” to try and stop the “hot phase” of the war. In a long, wide-ranging interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian president was asked whether he would accept Nato membership, but only on the territory that Kyiv currently holds. Zelensky said he would, but only if Nato membership was offered to the whole of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders, first. Ukraine could then attempt to negotiate the return of territory currently under Russian control “in a diplomatic way”, he said. But the suggestion is highly theoretical. As Zelensky pointed out, no-one has yet made such an offer. Whether Nato would ever consider such a move is highly doubtful. “Ukraine has never considered such a proposal, because no-one has officially offered it to us,” Zelensky said.

Nato would need to offer membership to the whole country, including those parts currently under Russian control, he said. “You can’t give [an] invitation to just one part of a country,” the president said, according to a translation provided by Sky News. “Why? Because thus, you would recognise that Ukraine is only that territory of Ukraine, and the other one is Russia.” Lots of people were proposing ceasefires, he said, but without a mechanism to prevent Russia from attacking again, ceasefires were simply too dangerous. Only NATO membership, he said, could offer that kind of guarantee. The Ukrainian president has already said that he thinks the war could end in the coming year if Ukraine’s allies show sufficient resolve. Reports suggest that discussion of the so-called West German model – Nato membership offered to a divided country – has been going on in Western circles for more than a year. But no formal proposals have yet been made. While on the campaign trail, US President-elect Trump vowed to end the war within “24 hours”.(BBC)