The Ukraine War Comes Closer to Putin: Russia’s capital city was once again under bombardment by Ukrainian drones in the latest round of strikes to hit Russia’s largest city and the seat of power in the world’s largest country.

Posting to his Telegram channel, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote that more than 60 explosive-laden drones had been successfully shot down by Russian air defenses, but it was not immediately clear how many Ukrainian drones had managed to evade being shot down.

Tu-160 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Russia Tu-160 Bomber on Tarmac.

At the beginning of this year, world events seemed to be leaning in Russia’s favor. Distracted by military action in Venezuela and Iran, with the potential for conflict in Cuba and other parts of the world, the Trump Administration’s attention and interest in resolving the war in Ukraine through a peace deal seemed to be on life support. Perhaps waning interest in Washington would provide a window of opportunity, thought the Kremlin.

It’s one of the most important days in Gu

Annual “religious liberty training” may soon be required for troops and commanders if the Pentagon adopts recommendations from a White House-directed commission of faith leaders and military advocates. 
The recommendations, which Pentagon leaders said Tuesday they “welcome,” come from the Religious Liberty Commission, a 12-person committee established by President Donald Trump in May 2025 to develop policies across the federal government to “secure domestic religious liberty.

Image by Simon Dawson/10 Downing Street

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — expected to leave office next month after losing Labour MPs’ support — unveiled a long-delayed Defence Investment Plan on Tuesday, pledging almost £300 billion over four years to “transform” Britain’s armed forces. Headline items: over £5 billion for drones and autonomous systems, a promise to make the Army “10 times more lethal” through drones, missiles and AI, and roughly 60,000 new jobs by decade’s end.

Ukraine’s top general says Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian General Staff to draw up plans for a new offensive that includes capturing Kyiv. Speaking on the TSN telethon on June 30, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Putin tasked his General Staff with calculating several options for a renewed assault, one of them launched from Belarusian territory and aimed at the Ukrainian capital.

The claim is real and alarming on its face.

Archibald MacLeish didn’t have much downtime to enjoy the holidays in 1941.
As the United States’ ninth Librarian of Congress, MacLeish was too preoccupied with work. A few weeks after Japan’s surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, MacLeish was among those tasked with making the final arrangements to safeguard the nation’s most important documents from enemy attack or sabotage.
Related: 6 things you didn’t know about the Declaration of Independence
This initiative was on such a need-to-know basis that MacLeish did the packing himself, according to a 2016 article on History.com.

After months of increased drone attacks, multiple regions throughout Russia are starting to feel the economic ripple effects of the war. Originally contained to Crimea and other border regions along the border with Ukraine, regions throughout Siberia and even Moscow itself have been forced to implement fuel rationing as drone attacks against oil refineries and other fuel infrastructure sites have forced the government to take drastic measures to cope with the strained supply, much to the displeasure of ordinary Russians.

Iran has blocked nearly one-third of the world’s agricultural inputs via the Strait of Hormuz. Critical ingredients needed to grow food–from fertilizer feedstocks to industrial chemicals–have been prevented from moving through one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints at precisely the worst possible moment: the heart of the global planting season. The disruption has persisted for so long that even if the Strait fully reopened tomorrow, much of the damage has already occurred — it has not yet harmed Americans.

Warsaw, Poland – It could be that worsening conditions inside Russia are adversely affecting an increasing share of the population. It could also be a growing perception that the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin may end as soon as this year. All thanks to the Ukraine war.

It could also be that there is a realization across the board that Putin cares little for any of the disastrous effects of the war on his country as a whole, nor the unprecedented casualty figures on the battlefield.

Ukraine Artillery Strike. Ukraine Armed Forces Photo.

Bruce Allen Lubbering, RCDefense
The United States Navy is facing an acute crisis of capacity.

Naval T.
The destroyers finished Depot Modernization Periods under DDG Modernization 2.

Jay Rogers, RealClearDefense
Why the Military Has Always Said No to Those Who Can’t

This video describes the military situation in

In 1990, the idea that deployed commanders could access the latest intelligence from three-letter agencies in the middle of nowhere was radical. But the Army was starting to make this idea real through a program called Trojan Spirit, so they could address a major strategic barrier: There were too many systems and databases for intelligence collection and analysis, some centralized and some forward deployed, and little access to practical insights. During Operation Desert Storm, the early Trojan system transitioned out of development and into operational deployment.

What can leaders do about a transnational organization that is a militia, a political party, a social services network, and a smuggling operation at the same time — and one that has resisted various dialogues and survived repeated attacks?American, Lebanese, and other leaders should recognize Hizballah’s hybrid, transnational nature and grapple with the unique challenges the organization creates. Otherwise, they will fail to resolve the Hizballah predicament while creating conditions for ineffective agreements, new wars, and squandered opportunities in the Levant.

The amphibious invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, remains the largest and most complex amphibious operation in history. On the first day alone, Allied forces landed eight divisions, including five amphibious assault and three airborne, totaling roughly 160,000 personnel. That force more than doubled within days.Normandy was unprecedented in scale but not in kind. A Taiwan invasion would present the reverse problem: Taiwan’s size is not the unprecedented part — the operational challenges are.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has been confirmed to have brought the Z-8D helicopter into service, with the aircraft relied on primarily for anti-submarine warfare operations, but also to support amphibious assaults, search and rescue, and logistics missions. The first clear images of the aircraft emerged publicly in March 2025.

WSAV TV news (Savannah, GA) reported that Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 29, was given six consecutive life sentences for six offenses of attempted murder. He was found guilty on June 18.

The U.S. Air Force on June 29 deployed F-15EX long range fighters to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, which represented part of the service’s gradual preparation to permanently station the fighter type at the facility. While the decision to permanently station the new fighters on Okinawa was first announced in 2022, replacing F-15C/D fighters that were long since considered obsolete, the program has suffered from significant delays.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has deployed one of its two most capable destroyers, the recently commissioned Type 055 class destroyerDongguan, for itsfirst long-range voyage in active service. The Joint Staff Office of the Japanese Ministry of Defense reported that the ship sailed southeast in the waters between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island on June 30, heading towards the Pacific Ocean. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed a Mogami class frigate and a P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence on the destroyer’s transit.

Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told state television on Tuesday that Tehran is prioritizing diplomacy with the United States while remaining, in his words, “prepared for war and will respond accordingly.”

He framed it as a dual track, dialogue first and force if the talks collapse, and he delivered it as Iranian and American delegations arrived in Doha for the latest round aimed at salvaging the agreement that paused nearly four months of fighting.

The warning was not abstract.

Europe is rearming, and tanks are back on the t

Creating a hybrid navy with an untested system

The Marine Corps is creating a new primary military occupational specialty for scouts starting on Oct. 1, Corps officials announced on Tuesday.
The new scout field, which will have a military occupational speciality, or MOS, code of 0315, will make up a 26-Marine scout platoon within infantry battalions, with scout teams being added to light armored reconnaissance battalions, reads a Marine Corps news release. 
Scout platoons are equipped with advanced optics, communications equipment, and drones for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, the release says.

Vladimir Putin, despite reports extolling his certain demise, is down but not out. Yes, there are nightly drone and missile strikes from Ukraine that are harassing Moscow and St. Petersburg. This has created fuel shortages and electricity outages.

The Russian propaganda machine is running out of good news to trumpet about the war. Crimea is even in disarray.

Putin Back in 2023 Creative Common Image

But Putin is far from being deposed or incapacitated. The Russian people usually thrive when under pressure. They can suffer through frustrations and indignities and still wage war.

This video describes the military situation in

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose again this week after a slump caused by exchanges of fire between Iran and the U.S. over the weekend.

The news suggests that oil producers and tanker operators are testing the waters again in one of the world’s most important waterways.

Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Coming Home. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

While Iran continues to make threats to shipping companies and vessels considering using alternative routes through Omani waters, operators appear to be willing to keep moving vessels through the Strait as the U.S.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz sparked concern about renewed fighting with Iran on Monday, warning that Israel could resume military operations against Iran “within two days.”

Katz did not indicate that Israel was looking to initiate aggression, but warned that Iranian missiles or drones targeted at Israeli territory would be enough to reignite the war, regardless of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire.

U.S. Special Operations Command is conducting market research on industry’s ability to develop a long-range, air-launched loitering munition.
According to a request for information posted Friday, SOCOM is eyeing an Air Loitering Munition (ALM) that has an extended range and additional capabilities beyond its current stand-off precision guided munitions (SOPGM). The weapons would be launched from the command’s fixed-wing aircraft, such as the AC-130J Ghostrider, according to the RFI.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis formally announced

When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 without firing a shot, the world was impressed with Vladimir Putin and his use of hybrid warfare, which was seen as a revolutionary development in defense capabilities.

Putin was described as a 4D chess player who could easily outsmart the West. His favorite general, Valery Gerasimov, was considered a 21st-century military genius for developing his own doctrine, employing “Little Green Men” insurgents and a new brand of cognitive warfare to execute successful sneak attacks to great propaganda effect.

T-90M. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says Tehran will respond to any future US violations of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the recent regional war. The statement comes as indirect US-Iran technical negotiations continue in Qatar, with Tehran specifically citing alleged violations of Article 1 and warning that future breaches could jeopardize the entire diplomatic process. Baghaei’s comments illustrate the fragility of the US-Iran ceasefire framework.

Understanding Article 1

Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Capt.

The ongoing military conflict with Ukraine has resulted in severe fuel shortages in Russia and Crimea, with increasing drone strikes cutting the Russian supply line to the Crimean peninsula.

Intensifying Ukrainian drone strikes and the resulting state of emergency have made Crimea a severe strategic and symbolic liability for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S.

The Kurds’ fortunes have ebbed and flowed in recent years, but the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024, the 2025 decision by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to dissolve and engage in talks with the Turkish government, and the 2026 U.S.-Israeli war with Iran had enormous ripple effects on the lives of Kurds in the Middle East and Kurdish hopes for autonomy. We asked four experts to assess how recent regional events are presenting risks and opportunities for the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.Read more below.

The Ukraine War Comes from Moscow: Russia’s Vladimir Putin is scared. It seems like every night comes a frightening Ukrainian bombardment by one-way drones and ballistic missiles.

These strikes have sent the dictator and many of his citizens cowering in shelters while the projectiles punish Russian energy infrastructure to make gasoline more expensive. Ordinary Russians are reeling.

MiG-29 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

To better protect the Kremlin and civilian sites, Russia is now bolstering its aerial defenses.

In January of this year, Iran’s regime faced its biggest protests in years as anger spread over spiraling prices and a crumbling economy.

The regime murdered thousands in a vicious crackdown.

Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Now, despite its bellicose talk, the country’s military has been battered by war and suffocated by a U.S. naval blockade; the country is now in even worse shape economically as Washington and Tehran once again have an uneasy truce after fresh fighting last week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted on Tuesday, June 30, that Moscow is considering importing fuel to address domestic shortages. Peskov framed the problem as a matter of panic buying rather than a major supply shortage and distribution bottlenecks. Russia is facing growing pressure from Ukraine as its long-range strike campaign continues through the summer.

The government’s long-awaited Defence Inv

You know the horror film currently creeping the crap out of audiences? The one that was made by a twentysomething YouTuber and has gone on to make $371.1 million globally (so far)? You know the one I’m talking about (BECAUSE I WROTE ABOUT IT LAST WEEK). 
Also Read: ‘Widow’s Bay’ & ‘Obsession’—the horror genre is having a moment
“Obsession.” Yeah. That one. It’s an indie film. 
An indie—or independent—film is one created, produced, financed, and often distributed outside of the traditional Hollywood studio system.

The UK’s new Defence Investment Plan is u

Kyiv is following through on its promise of an intensified 40-day, long-range strike campaign against Russia, announcing on Tuesday, June 30, that a Moscow satellite communications center was struck overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes in a statement and on social media, accompanied by video footage of the attacks. Moscow also announced that hundreds of drones were shot down over its territory overnight.

The fight over the Strait of Hormuz has moved off the water and into the wording of diplomatic statements. Months after Iran’s blockade of the world’s most important oil chokepoint sent crude prices above $120 and stranded thousands of sailors, the question now is not whether ships can pass but whether they will have to pay Tehran for the privilege. Iran wants to charge them.

A geyser of water shot into the air when the decommissioned amphibious transport dock USS Juneau was struck by a torpedo fired by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force as part of a live-fire ship sinking exercise, photos recently posted by the U.S. military show.
The torpedo was the final salvo used to sink the Juneau earlier this month as part of Valiant Shield, a biennial exercise with U.S. and allied forces, said Lt. Cmdr. Katie Koenig, director of the Combined, Joint Information Bureau for the exercise.

Six time zones east of Moscow, in the Siberian region of Zabaikalye, the line of cars waiting to reach a working fuel pump stretched three kilometers. In some districts, garbage collection has stopped because the trucks have no diesel. In parts of the Pacific region of Khabarovsk, where the governor says about 40 percent of stations are dry, residents have reported fighting wildfires themselves because the fire trucks cannot be fueled.

The Pentagon and Office of Personnel Management announced a recruiting effort Tuesday that officials are calling “War Force.”
The initiative doesn’t seek to hire trigger-pullers but rather AI experts and other software engineers that could “embed down to the unit level across the department” to support operational needs and “ensure a more lethal United States military,” according to an OPM press release.

On Sept. 16, 1620 the Mayflower left Plymouth, England bound for the new world, bound for the northern Virginia colony. They never made it—not to Virginia, anyway. Trouble with the ships, stormy seas, and some unexpected course corrections delayed their arrival to America and when they finally saw their new continent, the most disturbing trouble of all happened: they were low on beer.
The ship’s commander, Capt. Christopher Jones, made an executive decision: the Pilgrims would be departing a little sooner than they expected so there would be more beer for the crew.

July marks the 110th anniversary of the start o

Oil is closing out its weakest quarter in five years on Tuesday, with Brent crude down roughly 30 percent over the three months and off about 20 percent in June alone, the steepest quarterly fall since the pandemic crash of 2020. The slide has carried both major benchmarks back to where they traded just before the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28. West Texas Intermediate sat near $70.75 a barrel and Brent near $73.22, a remarkable round trip for a market that watched prices climb above $120 at the height of the war.

This video describes the military situation in