We view with concern the attacks carried out yesterday (28 November) against the Gambian-flagged commercial tankers “KAIROS” and “VIRAT” in the Black Sea.

These incidents, which occurred within Türkiye’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea, have posed serious risks to the safety of navigation, life, property, and the environment in the region.

We are maintaining our contacts with the relevant parties to prevent the spread and further escalation of the war across the Black Sea, and to avoid any negative impact on Türkiye’s economic interests and activities in the region.

For the first time ever, an unmanned combat aircraft has shot down a jet-powered target using a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

During the test in Sinop, KIZILELMA detected the target with ASELSAN’s MURAD AESA radar and fired a TÜBİTAK SAGE GÖKDOĞAN missile from under its wing.

GÖKDOĞAN scored a direct hit, marking a milestone in the history of aviation.

Five F-16s and an AKINCI accompanied KIZILELMA during the mission, successfully demonstrating manned–unmanned joint flight operations.

With this test, KIZILELMA’s air-to-air combat capability has been proven in a historic way.

Even before entering the inventory, it has shown the world what it means to “see without being seen, strike without being struck.”

In a reflection on the course of the war, Zaluzhnyi says Ukraine entered the 2022 invasion underfunded and ill-equipped, while Russia had been steadily expanding its military capabilities.

He credits the “heroism” of Ukrainian troops and citizens for blocking Moscow’s plan for a swift takeover of Kyiv.

After that failure, he argues, Russia shifted to a long-term strategy of attrition, fortifying its economy, propaganda apparatus and military reserves while drawing Ukraine into a grinding conflict.

The limited gains seen in 2024–25, he says, show how effective this approach has been for Moscow.

Zaluzhnyi warns that Russia aims not only for battlefield victories but for a simultaneous breakdown of Ukraine’s military, political and economic stability — and that without a coherent Western security plan, the conflict could widen into Eastern Europe.

He insists Ukraine still seeks full victory but must also consider a durable peace that would allow reforms, reconstruction and anti-corruption efforts.

Such progress, however, is impossible without serious security guarantees: NATO membership, the deployment of allied forces, or even nuclear deterrence on Ukrainian soil.

With none of these options currently offered, Zaluzhnyi concludes that the war is likely to continue, and Ukraine’s central objective must be to prevent Russia from having the capability to attack again in the future.

Source: The Telegraph