The October 18 summary of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated that Russian forces had launched a limited ground offensive in the north of Kharkiv Oblast, indicating that the Russian Armed Forces can maintain territorial gains in Kherson Oblast despite heavy losses during the latest Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Current and former US officials have confirmed that members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps are training the Russian military in the Russian-annexed Crimea to use Iranian drones.
Belarus continues to provide its land and airspace to support Russian offensives in Ukraine. Still, analysts say the likelihood that Minsk will enter the war on Russia's side is minimal.
