Russia has been stepping up attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, and specifically the “Fortress Belt” cities of Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

According to CNBC, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said this week that Russia had “advanced to a position just four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the eastern outskirts of Sloviansk.” Gerasimov also said that Russia has “overcome the first defensive line of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk fortified region.”

T-90 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Russian T-90 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

This video describes the military situation in

The Pentagon is searching for interim software-only cryptographic solutions that require zero hardware changes to protect military systems during its transition to post-quantum cryptography.
A request for information released on Thursday sets clear, operational baselines for vendors and signals that the Defense Department is executing on its nascent campaign to prepare for existential quantum threats.

The Welsh Guards prepare for Cyprus – fro

The war with Iran reached its six-month mark on Friday, August 28. And after all that time, and despite the White House insisting this would not be a protracted conflict, Tehran is still calling the shots.

After beginning with massive U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials, and additional strikes targeting military and nuclear facilities across the country, the conflict with Iran has dragged on far longer than President Donald Trump had hoped.

A U.S.

The United States claims to have heavily countered Iran’s influence in the Strait of Hormuz after months of fighting.

“That sucker is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to go back at them. That’s the whole ball game,” U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 participates in an air power demonstration near the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) April 24, 2013, in the Pacific Ocean. The John C.

Illustration of a light water small modular nuclear reactor. Photo: U.S. Government Accountability Office / Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

The U.S. Army plans to spend up to $2.2 billion to power five military bases with nuclear microreactors, a move the service hopes will help it develop a way to keep critical operations running without depending on commercial power for extended periods.
These five companies, listed in the Army announcement in no particular order, will compete for funding over a five-year period to achieve the required milestones.

Marines can now wear their college or academy class rings with their uniforms, the service announced today. The new uniform regulation change is “effective immediately.”
The single uniform adjustment, announced in a Marine administrative notice released Aug. 28, allows Marines to wear their college or commissioning-source class rings in conjunction with wedding rings. 
According to the wider regulations under MCO 1020.34H, released in 2018, this means class rings can be worn with all issued uniforms, from everyday cammies to service and dress uniforms.

The military task force assigned to the U.S.-Mexico border zapped three “cartel-linked” drones using a high-energy laser developed by AeroVironment, according to industry and military officials.
Over two days this week, Joint Task Force-Southern Border used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) system to “engage and defeat three hostile” unmanned aerial systems the unit determined were being used by cartels, according to a Thursday press release, citing the drones’ “use in direct support of activities posing a physical threat to” troops and border agents.

On Friday, Iran signaled that talks with the United States could still be revived. Long-term peace prospects are currently on ice, with Polymarket traders now estimating a mere 1% chance of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz returning to pre-war levels by September 15.

“Putting diplomacy back on track isn’t impossible,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, following talks with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister in Tehran.

The French Marine Nationale aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91), and the aircraft carrier USS John C.

A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber has been struck by Ukraine, Kyiv claimed on Friday.

Russian Bomber Hit
The so-called “Bear” aircraft was hit at the Engels Air Base in Saratov Oblast, some 370 miles into Russian territory. The base is also home to vast stocks of ammunition and fuel, as well as aircraft maintenance facilities.

Tu-95. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tu-95 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tu-95s are used by Russia to launch long-range cruise missiles. “These are the aircraft that are carrying out strikes against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign against Russia grows ever more devastating for Moscow, with a Tu-95MS strategic bomber being hit in one of the worst overnight strikes beginning on Thursday night.

The strikes also targeted one of the country’s largest oil refineries, once again hitting Russia’s domestic fuel market and complicating ongoing efforts to stabilize domestic supplies.

Yaryna Chornohuz joined Ukraine’s military as

Until six months ago, few people had heard of the Strait of Hormuz.

The key shipping route — through which 20% of the world’s oil once passed — was merely a body of water in the Middle East to many across the world.

(Dec. 01, 2020) – The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) launches a Block V Tomahawk, the weapon’s newest variant, during a missile exercise. This event marked the first time a Block V Tomahawk missile was operationally tested, marking the Navy’s transition to a more advanced capability for the fleet.

Indra has developed a new AR system for military vehicles, designed to provide crews with 360-degree coverage from inside the hull.

John Ratcliffe’s Moscow Visit Has Left Europe Wondering: Will Russia Really Attack NATO? – CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow sent shockwaves this week, leaving many Western leaders wondering what might happen next.

Ratcliffe’s unannounced visit, which saw him speak directly with Russian intelligence counterparts, came as a major surprise amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A B-52H Stratofortress sits on the flightline before a munitions load operation at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Sept 5, 2025.

UGV-mounted CORVUS-RAVEN sensors track threat approaches and extend battlefield awareness, keeping operators safely at a distance.

Russia launched another overnight barrage against Ukraine last night, testing its air defenses and leaving devastation in the wake of the assault.

A series of critical sites, including logistics facilities, energy infrastructure, and some civilian buildings, were hit overnight as Moscow apparently intensified its campaign to overwhelm Ukraine’s strained air defenses.

Holding back tears, Veterans & People Minister

The Defense Information Systems Agency issued another sources-sought notice Thursday as it prepares to initiate a massive transition of combatant commands from legacy common-use IT services and assets they have been independently operating and maintaining to a single service provider.

Russia successfully launched “waves of drones” at Kyiv and the areas around the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday and Thursday, striking homes as well as warehouses, Reuters reported. One person was reported killed.

The attacks also destroyed “sorting centers” owned by Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s top private courier. Another Russian drone struck the home-improvement store Epicenter in Zaporizhzhia.

Tu-22M Backfire Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tu-22M3 Russian Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Another attack struck and destroyed a major book retailer.

This video describes the military situation in

After four and a half years of war in Ukraine, has Russia hit a money crunch? That seems to be the case, according to a Bloomberg News story on Friday.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, the story said, warned Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin that Russia might not have enough money to meet its payment obligations on time.

Moscow Warehouse Fire X Screenshot

Russia: Economic Crisis Thanks to Ukraine War? 
Per the report, as cited by Defense News, the balance on Russia’s treasury account “fell to roughly minus 5.5 trillion rubles, or about $65.

Finland has placed a $126m order for the RBS 70 NG short-range air defence upgrade with Swedish defence prime Saab.

The US publication The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday, 27 August, that some of the senior-most White House aides to US President Donald Trump were kept in the dark about this Tuesday’s diplomatic mission to Moscow by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe.

This interaction with the Russians was considered so sensitive that most White House officials had received no advance notice.

President Donald J.

A sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln who was rescued after jumping overboard may face nonjudicial punishment, a common disciplinary proceeding in the military for misconduct on or off duty, a source with knowledge of the matter told Task & Purpose.
A nonjudicial punishment, or NJP, falls under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, not a criminal conviction or court-martial, said Phillip Stackhouse, a civilian attorney who often represents service members.

A massive drone attack was launched by Ukraine on Friday, with targets hundreds of miles into Russian territory being hit overnight.

Russia Says it Downed Over 500 Ukrainian Drones

Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Industry Handout.

The Russian Defense Ministry alleges its forces downed some 512 Ukrainian drones.

Yaroslavl’s Slavneft-YANOS refinery, the country’s fifth-biggest refinery, was among those targeted. The facility can process about 300,000 barrels of crude per day, or 15 million metric tons annually.

The exact purpose of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe’s 25 August trip to Moscow has become clearer in the days since his return.

The main objective was to deter Putin from attacking NATO. At least, that is what is being widely reported.

Putin At a Conference Creative Commons Photo

Putin In September of 2022 Creative Commons Photo

His visit was so short – at least 4 hours but no more than 8 hours in length- that it falls somewhere between the categories of a drive-by and a cameo appearance.

Russia’s armed forces have bombarded at least nine cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones. Locals describe it as a relentless onslaught that continued through the night of Wednesday, 26 August, and into the daylight hours of Thursday, 27 August, with explosions echoing across the capital, Kyiv, for most of the morning.

Technology and the Ukraine War Merge

Tim Murry, a foreign threats compound contractor, drives a T-72 battle tank into position to serve as adversary targets for a joint service exercise, Emerald Flag, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 30.

YOU WON’T SEE THEM COMING | Military Motivati

Air Force special operations crews appear to be using a major exercise in Iceland to test and train with cargo gliders to resupply ground teams in tough-to-reach locations.
At the Northern Viking 2026 exercise held this month near the northern city of Akureyri, an official with the 352d Special Operations Wing said the unit would be simulating the supply of ground troops with gliders dropped from the unit’s MC-130 cargo planes.

On July 15, 2005, thieves broke into several cars in the parking lot of a hotel in Indianapolis. The media normally might have given the robbery a brief mention, if that. But in this case, they paid more attention.
News crews and reporters followed this crime, because one of the vehicles that the robbers broke into belonged to retired Army Sgt. Sammy Lee Davis. They took a briefcase that contained his Medal of Honor from his car’s trunk.
Davis earned the U.S. military’s highest award for valor during the Vietnam War when he rescued three wounded soldiers along the Mekong Delta.

After six months of bombing failed to yield results in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump’s new strategy is to make it as difficult as possible for Tehran to trade with the rest of the world.

But the success of that new campaign will ultimately depend on whether the White House is willing to pick another fight it probably can’t win: an economic war with China.

China’s Xi Jinping. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Xi Jinping President of the People’s Republic of China speak’s at a United Nations Office at Geneva. 18 january 2017.

When President Donald Trump assumed office less than two years ago, he promised the country that it would soon enter a “Golden Age.” But now, after six months of war with Iran, gasoline prices are increasing, inflation is increasing again, and Republicans are fearful that they will lose control of Congress in November.

Valerie Insinna, Breaking Defense
From the Iran supplemental to the debate over a third reconciliation bill, Congress will have its hands full

Sinan Ciddi, RealClearDefense
Turkey’s Expanding Stake in America’s Munitions Base

Daniel Terrill, MC Times
The

A&SF
The Air Force awarded a sweeping—and potentially massive—F-15 contract to

Joseph Trevithick, WarZone
The U.S.

This video describes the military situation in

L Todd Wood talks at length with our source ‘Alex’ from Kyiv on the impending Ukrainian government collapse.
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Kyiv was once again forced to endure massive missile and drone attacks on Thursday, August 27, with Russian jet-powered drones repeatedly appearing over the Ukrainian capital long after the initial overnight barrage had come to an end.

The attack began as it usually does, with ballistic and cruise missiles launched at targets and drones sent in to overwhelm air defense systems.

Patriot Missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The PAC-3 MSE is a highly sought-after air defense munition due to its advanced capabilities and versatility.

In the Marine Corps’ vision for the next decade-and-a-half of conflict, its ground forces will have drone-busting air defenses at the squad level, specialized “precision strike” troops equipped with whizbang loitering munitions, autonomous robots, and tools to assess units’ own electromagnetic emissions, lest an adversary spot them first.

Russia is preparing to intensify attacks on Ukraine after the Kremlin concluded that negotiations to end the war have reached a dead end, according to people close to Moscow’s leadership.

Russia Might Rain More Ballistic Missiles on Kyiv

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, zero their M1 Abrams tank’s sighting system during gunnery training operations at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, May 30, 2026.

Russia has reportedly used a newly upgraded ballistic missile, provisionally known as the Iskander-1000, for the first time in combat, with Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence reporting that it struck a target in the capital Kiev on August 27. The 9M723-2 ballistic missile used is reportedly an upgraded derivative of the 9M723-1 missile used by the older Iskander-M system, and can achieve a 1,000 kilometre range, where the Iskander-M system was previously limited to a 500 kilometre range.

Since Donald Trump arrived on the political scene, one of his political weaknesses has been that his coattails have never carried over when he’s not been on the ballot. Because of that, and because incumbent presidents’ parties nearly always lose seats in their first midterm elections — and because Trump is historically unpopular — all signs point to the Democrats winning in November’s midterm elections thanks to the Iran war and other issues, which will likely win them back the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate as well.

If Democrats win back one or both houses of Congress this November, thanks to the Iran war and many other issues Americans are upset about, they won’t just deal a blow to President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

They’ll also gain control of congressional committees and, with it, the ability to issue subpoenas and hold hearings.

President Donald J. Trump rings the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq during an event to launch Trump Accounts, Monday, July 6, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jonny Kim – perhaps the most qualified person on the planet should a future space shuttle ever require a door gunner – is leaving NASA after nearly a decade to return to active duty with naval aviation training, the space exploration program has announced.
Along with his record as an astronaut with an eight-month tour in space under his belt, Kim began his military career as a Navy SEAL before attending Harvard Medical School to become a doctor and Navy flight surgeon. He also qualified as a Naval Aviator while on duty with NASA. Thursday marked his last day at NASA.

In response to a deadly resurgence of malaria that’s afflicting populations across sub-Saharan Africa, the Navy is searching for a contractor to supply data collection and medical surveillance services in Yemen to inform its investigations before the disease potentially spreads elsewhere, or infects U.S. forces.
The escalating malaria epidemic there — triggered by a fusion of humanitarian crises, environmental shifts, and changing mosquito dynamics — marks one of the most severe modern global health emergencies.

From Buckingham butchers to the Normandy beache