Chinese Nationals Fighting in Ukraine Not Operating Under Beijing’s Orders, Report Says
The Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine are believed to be mercenaries acting on their own and not under orders from Beijing, according to U.S. officials cited by Reuters. The U.S. officials told the news outlet that the Chinese fighters are poorly trained and have had little impact on the battlefield. (Read More)
Israel Strikes Gaza Hospital Allegedly Used as Hamas Command Center
An Israeli airstrike targeted the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, which the Israeli military claims was being used as a Hamas command center. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency said the strike, carried out early Sunday, targeted Hamas operatives allegedly using the hospital to plan attacks. (Read More)
Russian Missiles Kill 34 in Palm Sunday Attack in Ukraine
Two Russian ballistic missiles hit the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine, on Palm Sunday, killing 34 people and injuring 117, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said among the dead were two children. At least 15 children were injured. (Read More)
Ukraine is testing fiber optic cables on uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), also known as ground drones. The trials, conducted by Brave1, a Ukrainian government-backed defense technology cluster, mark the country’s first known attempt to operate ground drones using hard-wired fiber optic cables instead of traditional radio signals. (Read More)
US Moves Patriot Air Defense Battalion from South Korea to Middle East as Tensions with Iran, Houthis Grow
The U.S. military has relocated an entire Patriot air defense battalion from South Korea to the Middle East, completing the operation with 73 C-17 cargo flights. Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, confirmed the move during a congressional hearing this week. (Read More)
US Navy Cancels HALO Hypersonic Missile Program Due to Budget Limits
The U.S. Navy has officially cancelled its Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (HALO) missile program. Capt. Ron Flanders, a Navy spokesperson said the program, also known as Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 2 (OASuW Inc 2), was cancelled in late 2024 due to budgetary constraints. (Read More)
Navy Veteran Among Six Killed in Hudson River Helicopter Crash
A Navy veteran who had recently moved to New York City to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot was among six people killed Thursday when a sightseeing flight crashed into the Hudson River near Jersey City. Sean Johnson, 36, was flying a Bell 206 helicopter operated by New York Helicopter when the aircraft’s main rotor detached midair, causing it to fall upside down into the river. All six people on board died. (Read More)
US and Iran Hold First Direct Talks in Years Over Nuclear Program
The United States and Iran held direct talks Saturday in Oman to discuss Tehran’s expanding nuclear program. This marked the first meeting between the two sides since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. According to a statement released by the White House, U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met on the outskirts of Muscat. (Read More)
China No Longer Welcome in UK Steel Sector, Minister Says | Reuters
The UK government has taken over British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant after its Chinese owner, Jingye Group, refused a £500 million rescue deal. The move prevents the shutdown of the country’s last blast furnaces that make steel from raw materials. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday that China is no longer welcome in the UK’s steel industry. “I wouldn’t personally bring a Chinese company into our steel sector,” he told Sky News. “Steel is a very sensitive area.” (Read More)
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building after a missile strike. (Vitaliy Holovin / Shutterstock.com) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Trump Urges Putin to Halt Strikes After Deadly Attack on Kyiv, Reportedly Involving North Korean Missile U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukraine, following a deadly missile strike on Kyiv...
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Screenshot of footage from a soldier of the Donetsk police rifle battalion in the Toretsk region. (Telegram / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Video Shows Ukrainian Soldiers Eliminating Russian Soldiers at Close Range in Donetsk Region Footage circulating on social media shows a Ukrainian battalion ambushing and killing three Russian soldiers in...
Alert Line NSTR. Sam Havelock CEO, SOFX Are you a first time reader? Subscribe. Indian Security forces in the Kashmir region (Tawseef Nazir / Shutterstock.com) Armed Conflict Open-Source Reporting on Global Conflict Explosions Rock Major Russian Ammunition Depot in the Vladimir Region A series of explosions occurred at a major Russian military ammunition depot in the Vladimir region, northeast of Moscow on Tuesday. The facility, known as the 51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery...