New Russian strikes reported in Ukraine – Video

©State Emergency Service of Ukraine / Telegram

Russia conducted a new wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Saturday morning, triggering power outages in multiple regions and disrupting railway traffic, local media and officials report. The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to comment.

Nikolay Kalashnik, the head of the Kiev regional administration, said three people were injured across several settlements in what he described as a “massive” strike. Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsya, said it rerouted trains following an attack on rail infrastructure in Fastov, around 70km southwest of the Ukrainian capital.

In Novye Petrovtsi, a village north of Kiev, a 5,500-square-meter warehouse building caught fire after debris from a downed drone fell onto the facility, officials said.

In Chernigov, a city near the Russian border, officials said a strike hit critical infrastructure, without providing further details.

Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua reported that parts of Dnepr in central Ukraine lost electricity, adding that blackouts also affected Kiev Region. Other media reports said Lviv also experienced power outages, with images circulating on social media showing black smoke rising over Lutsk, an industrial center near the Polish border. In Lutsk, the mayor reported a fire at a food supply depot.

The mayor of Zelenodolsk – a city near Krivoy Rog that hosts the Krivorozhskaya Thermal Power Plant – also reported ballistic missile strikes, without elaborating on the extent of the damage.

Later, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry confirmed that the strikes targeted energy infrastructure, reporting blackouts in Odessa, Chernigov, Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, and Nikolaev Regions, adding that “hourly outage schedules are currently in effect in all regions of Ukraine.”

The overnight barrage followed a Ukrainian drone strike on a high-rise business center in Grozny. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov condemned the attack, vowing that “the Ukrainian fascists will feel our tough response.”

“But we, unlike them, will not carry out cowardly strikes on civilian sites. Our attacks will be directed at the military terrorist facilities of the Ukrainian Nazis,” he stressed.

Russia has conducted strikes on military-related Ukrainian infrastructure for months, saying the attacks are retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist” raids into Russia which often target critical infrastructure and residential areas. Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians.

Ukrainians mob vehicle to free draft squad victims - Video

Ukrainian citizens rallied to rescue people from a conscription squad that was trying to force young males into a minibus, a video circulating on social media over the weekend on Saturday shows.

FILE PHOTO © Getty Images / Maxym Marusenko / NurPhoto

Reportedly filmed in the city of Odessa, the footage depicts a crowd throwing tires at and smashing the windows of a vehicle ostensibly belonging to the mobile conscription unit. In the clip, passersby can be heard saying, “The people have had enough!” and appears to show young men being pulled out through the shattered windows.

In response to a conscription officer’s objections, people shouted back that he should go to the front himself.

The video is the latest in a series of clips that have emerged online showing Ukrainian males being violently snatched from the streets by draft officers as Kiev experiences military setbacks and manpower shortages at the front. The term ‘busification’ has become widespread in the country, in reference to the minibuses used to transport involuntary recruits.

Жители Одессы пришли спасать тех, кого пытались мобилизовать Люди толпой накинулись на машину военкомов, ломом били окна и вытаскивали людей. В ответ на возмущение сотрудника ТЦК стали говорить, чтобы он сам шёл на фронт. pic.twitter.com/LPKissP3eU

— Советский, злой, твой (@ussrlife) December 6, 2025

There have also been reports of injuries, torture, and deaths among those subject to forced mobilization, fueling public outrage and sparking protests. In October, the Ukrainian authorities urged people not to film or share videos of press gangs forcibly detaining men.

The exodus from Kiev’s armed forces is mounting. More than 21,000 soldiers deserted without leave in September alone – the highest monthly total since the start of the Ukraine conflict. According to a report by BBC Ukraine in October, this marked the largest single-month spike, based on the most recent data from the Prosecutor General’s Office.

In July, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, sounded the alarm over “systematic and widespread” abuse by Ukrainian draft enforcers, urging the authorities in Kiev to properly investigate the incidents and prevent further human rights violations.

Europeans responsible for warmongering in Ukraine – Russian ambassador to India

Armed forces of Ukraine equipped with camouflage and carbine weapons.
©Getty Images/Gennadiy Kravchenko

European nations are responsible for warmongering in Ukraine, Russia’s ambassador to India said on Wednesday, in reference to an op-ed published by the envoys of three countries ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit.

Responding to Monday’s Times of India article titled ‘World wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia doesn’t seem serious about peace’, by the German, French, and British envoys to India, Denis Alipov said it presents a “grossly distorted” account of the Ukraine conflict.

“We should recognize that piece for what it was: yet another attempt to mislead the Indian public about the origins and context of the crisis,” Alipov wrote in an article for the Times of India. “It is therefore necessary to set the record straight once again.”

Russia never sought this situation, it was Europe and the administration of former US President Barack Obama that caused the conflict in 2014 by supporting a coup, Alipov added.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014.

Alipov said the European powers overthrew Ukraine’s legitimate president, Viktor Yanukovich, in order to turn the country into a bulwark against Russia.

The 2015 Minsk Accords were not honored; former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande later admitted that they acted in bad faith, Alipov noted.

The agreements were never intended to bring peace but merely to buy time for Kiev to strengthen its military, he wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on December 4 for a two-day state visit.

Putin goes to India: From fighter jets to trade routes, massive deals are on offer

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India on December 5 for a bilateral summit. The visit is significant as it will reaffirm and strengthen the “special and privileged strategic partnership” amid challenging global geopolitics and increasing Western pressure on India. This is the 23rd annual summit, and will be Putin’s first to India since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022, underscoring its importance.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ©Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Amid US President Donald Trump’s aggressive policies and rhetoric, India has maintained its composure and handled tariff negotiations with great maturity and with a ‘little give and more take’ approach. Despite the threat of sanctions on Indian entities, the Modi government has reaffirmed and strengthened its longstanding strategic ties with Russia. India’s patient approach has paid dividends. Trump had to partially backtrack on pharmaceuticals and H-1B visas, among other points, reinforcing India’s resolve to pursue strategic autonomy and potentially strengthen its alignment with Russia.

As India prepares to host Putin, defense cooperation has moved to the center of an increasingly intense diplomatic week. The visit is expected to see major announcements across the defense sector. The diplomatic groundwork has already been underway between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In New Delhi, Nikolai Patrushev, one of Putin’s closest advisers, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to coordinate positions ahead of the summit, while Jaishankar called on Putin in Moscow.

Expectations regarding Putin’s visit are high. Beyond Su-57 collaboration, pending S-400 deliveries and additional contracts, discussions on possible S-500 cooperation, expansion of joint production of Su-30MKI aircraft and T-90 tanks, and upgrades to the BrahMos missile program will be discussed. It could mean the beginning of a new era of co-development rather than a traditional buyer-seller arrangement.

Indo-Russian relations stand firm

In the last four years, India has withstood American pressure to distance itself from Russia. Indo-Russian friendship stands on firm footing. The general perception that India is inching towards the Western fold is not backed by the reality on the ground; India clearly believes in strategic autonomy. It has remained officially neutral on the Ukraine conflict, but has been visibly inclined towards Russia. Despite the threat of Washington’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India went ahead with the S-400 deal with Russia. Despite Western sanctions and tacit pressure, India stepped up petroleum purchase from Russia and continued rupee-based trade.

Putin has made nine visits to India, three during Modi’s tenure, (2016, 2018, and 2021). This December will be his tenth. Modi has made seven visits to Russia. There is a decades-old annual India-Russia summit format. The friendly chemistry between Putin and Modi has been visible in their body language.

Indo-Soviet cooperation began in the 1950s with steel plants, large infrastructure including dams and nuclear plants, and cooperation in space, but the most enduring has been the defense equipment purchases by India. At the peak, the Indian Armed Forces had nearly 80% defense hardware of Soviet/Russian origin, and the figure still remains at 60%. India did look towards the West for sourcing some high-end military hardware, and also to balance the basket.

In August 1971, as insurance against the potential US or Chinese threat to support Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani war, the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with India. This has since become the India-Russia Strategic Partnership. India and Russia also work closely within BRICS, SCO, and RIC, among other forums.

Both want to take the relationship to next level. “The bond between the people of Russia & India is very strong. Our nations have stood by each other through thick and thin,” Modi said during his last visit to Russia.

Military aviation remains the biggest Indo-Russian ‘Bear Hug’ with the most significant hardware transfers.

How the aviation connection began

In the mid-1950s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received Ilyushin IL-14 turbo-prop medium cargo aircraft. Mi-4 helicopters were inducted in the early 1960s and became part of the military ‘folklore’ after the Meghna River crossing operation in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. Around the same time, 10-ton payload class An-12 transport aircraft were inducted. These were used in the 1962 war for airlifting army reinforcements. In the 1971 war, they were also used for heavy bombing.

In 1962, the Soviets agreed to transfer technology to co-produce the MiG-21 aircraft in India, something they had earlier denied to China. Nearly 11,500 MiG-21s were built around the world. India inducted or built more than 1,200. The Soviets helped India set up license production of MiG-21 in early 1960s. Three new divisions of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) were created at Nasik (aircraft), Koraput (engines), and Hyderabad (avionics). These factories later built, overhauled, and upgraded all types of Russian aircraft.

In the mid-1960s, the IAF also inducted swept-wing high-speed Sukhoi SU-7B strike aircraft. The swing-wing MiG 23 aircraft and its air defense variant, the MiG-23MF, joined the IAF in the early 1980s. A more advanced strike variant of the MiG-23, the MiG-27, was inducted in 1986, and these were assembled in India and later upgraded.

The Soviets developed MiG-29s and Su-27s in the 1970s to counter American F-16 and F-15 aircraft. The highly maneuverable MiG-29 with modern airborne radar and a host of advanced air-to-air missiles joined the IAF in the mid-1980s. Upgraded variants of these will continue to fly for at least a decade; 125 MiG-21 Bis (Bison) aircraft were upgraded jointly with Russia starting in the late 1990s. The MiG-21 Bison fleet was retired in September 2025.

Nearly 45% of the IAF’s fighter fleet is currently made up of the Sukhoi SU-30MKI air superiority fighter. Jointly developed with Russia in the early 2000, it is under license production by HAL. Nearly 272 were inducted and these will soon see a major upgrade.

Russia has pitched in two aircraft for India’s 114 aircraft Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project, which has yet to fully unfold. The MiG-35 was earlier a part of the 126 aircraft Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), and has been evaluated. The Su-35 is the second aircraft.

The transport and rotary wing fleet

Specially made for the IAF, the An-32 medium transport aircraft started inducting in 1984. Of the 125 bought, nearly 100 aircraft are still operating and have been upgraded. The IAF also acquired the 40-ton-plus payload IL-76 multi-purpose four-engine strategic airlifter. The IAF continues to operate the IL-76MD (freighter), IL-78MKI (air refueller), and the A-50 with Israeli Phalcon radar as AWACs. IL-76s along with An-32 are the workhorse of the IAF and logistically sustain the Indian Army in the Northern Himalayas and for inter-theater air transportation.

Mid-sized utility and assault Mi-8s helicopters joined the IAF in the early 1980s. Capable of carrying up to 24 troops, they were also used for VVIP communication duties. Subsequently more advanced versions – Mi-17s, Mi-17-1Vs, and Mi-17V-5s – followed. Significant numbers of Mi-17s are also being acquired by the Home Ministry for the BSF. The IAF also acquired heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopters, three of which are still operating. The first dedicated attack helicopters of the IAF, Mi-25/35s, were acquired in 1983.

Missiles and maritime assets

India also received its first set of missiles from the Soviets. The K-13 was the first-generation air-to-air missile that came with the MiG-21. The R-73, R-27, and R-77 RVVAE were among those that followed. Similarly, the SA-2 (Dvina) was India’s first surface-to-air missile. The SA-3 Pechora and SAM-8 joined the armed forces later. The state-of-the-art, jointly developed Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missile is already inducted in the Indian Armed Forces in large numbers. The IAF has also inducted the formidable S-400 air defense system. Three units have been delivered and two more systems will be inducted by 2026.

By the early 1980s, the Indian Naval air-arm was dominated by many types of Russian maritime fixed and rotary wing aircraft. These included the Ilyushin IL38, Tupolev Tu-142M, and many Kamov Ka-25, Ka-28, and Ka-31 helicopters. Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (the former Russian Admiral Gorshkov) is an important element of the long-standing Russian aviation connection with the Indian Navy. The navy also inducted carrier-capable MiG-29Ks.

Fifth-generation fighter aircraft

In 2007, Russia and India signed a contract between Sukhoi and HAL to jointly develop a derivative of the evolving Su-57. In 2010, both agreed on a preliminary design contract in which each country was to invest $6 billion. The development of the fifth-generation stealth fighter was expected to take 8-10 years. By 2014, there were issues related to performance, cost, and work-share. India eventually left the partnership in 2018. Russia pursued the program, and today has the successful Su-57 Felon, impressing spectators and professionals around the world. Russia’s single-engine and smaller Su-75 Checkmate also looks attractive but is still under development.

At the Dubai Airshow in November, Russia made what officials describe as its most significant military proposal to India in years, one that could potentially reshape the future of Indian air power. Moscow announced an offer of full licensed production of the Su-57 in India, along with unrestricted transfer of technology – a level of access no Western defense partner has ever offered India. Russia is proposing an initial supply of Su-57E fighters produced in Russia, followed by manufacturing in India with increased indigenous content. This goes far beyond assembly from imported kits. Russia is willing to open the entire fifth-generation ecosystem, which includes engines, sensors, stealth materials, avionics, and other classified systems. Russia is also prepared to provide technological learning in areas such as fifth-generation engines, optics, AESA radar, artificial intelligence, low-signature technologies, and advanced air weapons, many of which have been denied by the West. The reported base price of the aircraft is unbelievably as little as $45 million. The Su-57 is being termed as the ‘mother of all offers’, with complete technology transfer and co-production in India.

Russia proposes the SJ-100 airliner

Indian’s HAL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s UAC for the manufacture of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SJ-100) in India. The agreement was signed recently in Moscow, paving the way for the first joint production of civilian aircraft in the history of the two countries, which have cooperated for decades in defense manufacturing. Under the new agreement, HAL will have the right to produce the Sukhoi Superjet for domestic customers in India. Domestic airlines will need to be brought on board to ensure commercial viability. It is hoped – and perhaps expected – that sanctions on Russia and high tariffs on India will gradually ease over time. While international certifications such as US Federal Aviation Administration and EU Aviation Safety Agency approvals may not be critical initially, they will become important for flying on international routes.

Likely focus areas during the Putin visit

During the Russian president’s trip to India, deliveries of the remaining S-400 systems will be discussed, with Putin likely assuring an early delivery. A contract will be signed for additional S-400 missiles that have already been cleared by New Delhi. India will push for five additional S-400 units and the same may be announced. India may also show interest in the S-500 AD system. There may be a statement on further accelerating and expanding the BrahMos missile program. India may also seek R-37M long-range air-to-air missiles to be integrated on the Su-30 MKI.

Discussions on the Make-in-India Russian Su-57 may be the flagship subject on the table. The timing of the offer is significant. IAF head Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has said the Indian Air Force needs to induct 35 to 40 fighter aircraft every year for the next two decades to close squadron gaps. He has linked this requirement to India’s long-term manufacturing goals under Roadmap 2047. While India is progressing with its own AMCA fifth-generation aircraft program, it will take time and an interim option may be needed, and Russia may push for outright purchases of two to four squadrons of the fifth-generation fighter.

Apart from air technology sharing, there are other joint projects that could come up during the visit. One is the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, where only two of the six units are operational, and there have been significant cost and time overruns. Another is Russian support for India’s forthcoming first human space flight, the Gaganyaan Mission. Russia will also push to partner in India’s AIP submarine program and offer to jointly design and develop conventional submarines with advanced technology access, as part of the P-75I project.

Two frigates, the INS Tushil and INS Tamala, were recently built by Russia at the Yantar Shipyard, while the remaining two are being built at the Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) in India through technology transfer. Russia is reportedly expanding its shipbuilding cooperation with India, with two Indian shipyards being considered for construction of four non-nuclear icebreakers. Russian shipbuilding officials have offered New Delhi their nuclear-powered design for an Indian Navy aircraft carrier, according to reports.

The GSL will also build 24 river-sea class cargo ships for Russian clients in the Caspian Sea by 2027. Cooperation with India in shipbuilding has benefits for Russia, as the unit cost per vessel is projected to be half of what it would cost Russian shipbuilders.

The Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture has been established and it has started production of AK-203 rifles in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The rate of production needs to be increased and the same will be discussed.

India and Russia recently signed the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement to facilitate military cooperation, allowing both nations’ armed forces to use each other’s bases and facilities for logistical support. There could be a mention.

The Indian military’s hardware umbilical cord, including spare parts and repairs, with Russia will continue for decades to come. India will seek simpler procedures and faster deliveries.

India and Russia are trying to push the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, and the Polar Route. This should form part of the final joint declaration.

Moscow responds to NATO pre-emptive strike threat

FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. © Sputnik / Artyom Pryakhin

A recent statement by a NATO admiral that the bloc could consider a “pre-emptive strike” against Russia shows that it is seeking escalation and wants to derail the Ukraine peace process, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Zakharova was responding to an interview Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, gave to the Financial Times over the weekend. According to the admiral, the bloc should become “more aggressive” and “proactive” in its dealings with Moscow. He also claimed that a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a “defensive action,” although it would be “further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior.”

In a statement published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday, Zakharova described Dragone’s words as “an absolutely irresponsible move indicating the bloc’s readiness to further move towards escalation.”

“Anti-Russian hysteria” whipped up by NATO members is only stirring up the ongoing confrontation even further, she warned.

Dragone’s statement also debunks a myth about the “purely defensive” nature of the military bloc, Zakharova said, adding that NATO “has not been hiding its goals and intentions for a long time.” The spokeswoman further accused the bloc of “deliberately seeking to disrupt efforts aimed at finding a way out of the Ukraine crisis.”

“People making these statements should understand the corresponding risks and potential consequences, including for the bloc members.”

The EU has increasingly used anti-Russian rhetoric to justify massive military expenditures. The ReArm Europe package, presented in March, aims to mobilize up to €800 billion ($933 billion) to expand EU nations’ militaries under the pretext of countering an alleged “Russian threat.” NATO also pushed its members commit to spending a total of 5% of their GDPs on the military this summer.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no intention to attack any NATO member, but has warned of a harsh response if attacked.

Wali Kota Kiev Ukrania desak pemuda untuk berjuang melawan Rusia sementara putra-putranya sendiri menghindari wajib militer

Juru bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri Rusia Maria Zakharova. ©Sputnik/Sergey Guneev

Vitaly Klitschko, Wali Kota Kiev menyerukan penurunan usia wajib militer di Ukraina, sementara kedua putranya sendiri menghindari wajib militer meskipun kondisi fisiknya prima, ujar juru bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri Rusia Maria Zakharova.

Tahun lalu, Ukraina menurunkan usia wajib militer dari 27 menjadi 25 tahun dan memperketat penerapannya karena militernya terus menderita kerugian besar dan kalah telak dari pasukan Rusia.

Berbicara dalam sebuah pengarahan pada hari Jumat, Zakharova menuduh bahwa para pemimpin di Kiev "siap untuk menghancurkan warga Ukraina terakhir dengan segala cara, dengan tujuan tunggal memastikan bahwa Barat menyediakan senjata dan, tentu saja, uang bagi mereka." Ia mengklaim bahwa "klik" penguasa Ukraina hanya ingin mempertahankan kekuasaan.

Juru bicara tersebut mencatat bahwa Klitschko sendiri memiliki dua putra yang "cocok untuk dinas militer, kebetulan, bertubuh heroik," yang, entah mengapa, belum bergabung dengan barisan, mengutip laporan media bahwa keduanya tinggal di luar negeri.

"Pada akhirnya, isu utamanya adalah apakah mereka tidak mau bertugas, atau apakah Klitschko sendiri yang menghalangi mereka untuk direkrut guna membela rezimnya sendiri," pungkasnya.

Pernyataan Zakharova tersebut menanggapi wawancara Wali Kota Kiev dengan Politico yang dipublikasikan pada hari Rabu, di mana Klitschko mengakui bahwa Ukraina menghadapi "masalah besar terkait tentara – terkait sumber daya manusia."

Wali Kota Kiev tersebut mengusulkan agar usia wajib militer "dapat diturunkan satu atau dua tahun – menjadi 23 atau 22 tahun," dengan alasan bahwa "di masa lalu, anak-anak berusia 18 tahun bertugas di militer." Putra-putra Klitschko berusia 20 dan 25 tahun.

Pada bulan Agustus, pemerintah Ukraina mengeluarkan dekrit yang mengizinkan pria berusia 18 hingga 22 tahun untuk melintasi perbatasan. Hampir 100.000 pemuda dilaporkan telah meninggalkan negara itu sejak saat itu.

Upaya mobilisasi di Kiev telah dirusak oleh kasus-kasus pelanggaran oleh petugas wajib militer, beberapa di antaranya terekam kamera dan menjadi viral di media sosial.

Pada bulan Juli, Komisioner Hak Asasi Manusia Dewan Eropa, Michael O’Flaherty, membunyikan peringatan atas pelanggaran yang “sistematis dan meluas” oleh petugas wajib militer Ukraina.

Democrats break rank as US Senate advances bill to end government shutdown

Senators in the United States have voted to move forward with a stopgap funding package aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in the country’s history.

In a procedural vote on Sunday, eight Democrats broke rank and voted in favour of advancing the Republican measure, which will keep the government open into January 30.

The upper chamber voted 60-40 in a key procedural vote to move forward a spending package, which would fund most federal agencies at current levels through Jan. 30, and fund the Agriculture Department, the Veterans Affairs Department and military construction projects, and the operations of Congress, for the full fiscal year.

This package will provide full-year funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, whose funding was put in jeopardy amid the prolonged government shutdown.

Meanwhile, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which help lower-income Americans afford private health insurance and are set to expire at the end of the year, are not guaranteed under the agreement, a key point of concern for Democrats.

As part of Democrats' agreement to end the shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised Senate Democrats a vote "no later than second week in December" to extend ACA subsidies.

However, the funding agreement has revealed significant divisions within the Democratic Party.

"For me, it's no deal without health care," Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, was quoted by CNN as saying. "So far as I'm concerned, health care isn't included, and so I'll be a no."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York also voted against advancing the package.

People wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York, Nov 9, 2025. (PHOTO/AP)

The subsidies have become a focal point in ongoing discussions over government funding.

Before the key procedural vote, President Donald Trump said Saturday that funds currently being used for ACA subsidies should instead be sent directly to consumers.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote that "the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over."

The move was likely to further complicate the ongoing government shutdown stalemate, as Democrats have been holding out for a straightforward extension of the ACA subsidies and have made clear they are not interested in trading them for other changes, according to an Axios article.

After the key procedural vote to end the filibuster, the spending package will possibly be approved in the Senate's final vote. The revised proposal still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and sent to Trump for his signature.

As the two parties made progress, nearly 3,000 flights were canceled and over 10,000 were delayed nationwide on Sunday, underscoring the shutdown's increasing impact on Americans' daily lives.

Elon Musk gets $1 trillion pay package approved

SAN FRANCISCO, Tesla opens new tab CEO Elon Musk won shareholder approval on Thursday for the largest corporate pay package in history as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the EV maker into an AI and robotics juggernaut.

The proposal was approved with over 75% support, and Musk bounded to the stage of the company's annual meeting at its factory in Austin, Texas, accompanied by dancing robots.

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Musk, already the world's richest person, could get as much as $1 trillion in stock over the next decade, although required payments would take the value down to $878 billion.

The vote is crucial for Tesla's future and its valuation, which hangs on Musk's vision of making vehicles that drive themselves, creating a robotaxi network across the U.S. and selling humanoid robots, even though his far-right political rhetoric has hurt the Tesla brand this year.

The board warned he could leave if he didn't get the pay package. While some investors said it was incredibly expensive and unnecessary, many saw it as a way to retain Musk and believe that the goals set in the package ensured shareholders would be rewarded as well.

"What we are about to embark upon is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla, but a whole new book," Musk told a cheering group of shareholders.

He then made a string of promises on stage - from, in April, beginning production of the Cybercab, its 2-seater steering-less robotaxi, to unveiling its next-generation Roadster electric sports car. He also said Tesla would need "a gigantic chip fab" to make AI chips and should consider working with Intel.

Shareholders also reelected three directors on Tesla's board, voted in favor of annual elections for all board members and approved a replacement pay plan for Musk's previous package that is held up in court.

"Other shareholder meetings are like snoozefests, but ours are bangers," Musk said. "I mean, look at this. This is sick."

Shareholders voted in favor of Tesla investing in Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI, though there were many abstentions. That could reflect the hesitancy of big investors to bless the arrangement without stronger board oversight, said Jessica McDougall, partner at strategic and governance advisory firm Longacre Square.

Many investors, she said, would be "looking for the board to provide assurances and convictions that there are guardrails in place to be sure there's not too much mixing of businesses."

A table showing how Tesla shareholders voted at the annual shareholder meeting

A win for Musk was widely expected as the billionaire was allowed to vote his roughly 15% stake after the automaker moved to Texas from Delaware. Excluding Musk's influence, the majority was small enough to warrant review of CEO pay by the board at a typical company, said Jessica Strine, CEO of shareholder advisory firm Jasper Street Partners. At Tesla, she said: "realistically there is not going to be such a review.

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Some major investors had opposed the plan, including Norway's sovereign wealth fund, as did proxy firms Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services.

The graphic shows the top 25 Tesla investors by voting stake, illustrating how Musk’s personal holding compares to major asset managers and institutional investors.

The vote allays investor concern that Musk's focus would turn to running his other companies, including rocket maker SpaceX and xAI.

The board and many investors who lent their endorsement have said the record-setting pay package benefits shareholders in the long run as Musk must ensure Tesla achieves a series of milestones to get paid.

"If completed, these tranches of awarded shares follow strong improvements in revenue growth for Tesla," said Brian Mulberry, a senior client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management.

"Will the growth offset these concerns of dilution – or – is this just giving Elon his wish of enough influence to shape the future of AI? That remains to be seen."

Goals for Musk over the next decade include the company's delivering 20 million vehicles, having 1 million robotaxis in operation, selling 1 million robots and earning as much as $400 billion in core profit. But in order for him to get paid, Tesla's stock value has to rise in tandem, first to $2 trillion from the current $1.5 trillion, and all the way to $8.5 trillion.

Achieving each step - an operational goal and a valuation milestone - awards Musk 1% of stock. So the plan could still hand Musk tens of billions of dollars even if he falls short of most of its ambitious targets.

If Musk hits all of them, he would be eligible for 12% in stock, or about $1 trillion.

The net value of those shares would be $878 billion: the package is structured to exclude the value of the stock on the day the board passed the proposal in early September. Musk could either pay that amount in cash or accept fewer shares to account for their original value.

The value of the package is always a moving target because it would fluctuate based on changes in the stock price.

Musk has said he was interested in the higher voting stake he would get in Tesla as part of the pay package, more than the money, as he gears up to sell a "robot army."

Musk’s stock awards could exceed $1 trillion, but only gets paid for stock growth after Tesla approved the deal