Release documentation needs to contain configuration information to ensure that your installation aligns with any configuration requirements.
A new release may, for example, use a different database engine.
Knowing this enables confirmation of a correct local installation and supports identification of test needs.
Browser Compatibility
Similarly, a new release may be only advertised as compatible with certain browsers.
This may require more extensive testing if your local browsers can’t be aligned.
These are the basics that validation engineering needs in release information.
There should be no push-back from developers (whether internal or external) to provide this information and, as a validation engineer, you should insist on it.
Trace Changes
Ideally, the software processes used by the developers (whether internal or external) are robust and enable proper traceability of changes, ensure sound release testing, and follow state-of-the-art configuration management practices.