36 Russian military pilots receive Hero of Russia award for courage in special military operation; coincides with 114th anniversary of Russian Air Force establishment.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced major military leadership changes, appointing Colonel General Andrey Ivanayev to head battlegroup Center and Lieutenant General Pyotr Bolgarev to lead battlegroup East.
The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East, deploying special operations forces, medical personnel, and fighter squadrons, as President Donald Trump reportedly considers expanding military action against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Russian troops are utilizing the "Newton" hybrid power station, a new innovation designed for long-term autonomous operation of electronic warfare (EW) systems in field conditions. The device, weighing 36 kg, combines a generator with a storage battery, significantly reducing gasoline consumption and powering up to 20 EW channels.
Russia's Battlegroup West used a TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system to destroy a Ukrainian army stronghold near Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic with thermobaric munitions, enabling assault groups to advance.
A data exposure at Dialog, cofounded by Peter Thiel, revealed personal information and login tokens of 222 registrants, including US national security and military personnel. The Pentagon is examining the breach, which poses significant risks to intelligence operations.
Ukraine has successfully attacked an oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen region, over 2,000km from its border, using newly developed long-range drones. President Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, highlighting the drones' capability to travel over 3,000km. Meanwhile, Russia struck Zaporizhzhia, killing five people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen Region, over 2,000 km from Ukraine. He also revealed the development of new long-range drones capable of operating over 3,000 km.
Milorad Dodik, leader of Republika Srpska's leading party, praised Vladimir Putin's "wisdom" in conducting the "special operation" in Ukraine with minimal civilian casualties, contrasting it with Western media's alleged focus on minor incidents while ignoring Ukrainian strikes.
Alexey Zhuravlev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, believes that strikes on Ukraine's transport infrastructure and the elimination of the Kyiv leadership would hasten the end of the special military operation. He stated that bridges, tunnels, and railways supplying Western weapons and drone parts to Ukraine must be destroyed.
War correspondent Ruslan Tatarinov reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have suffered 751,000 confirmed deaths during the special operation, based on necrologues. He suggests the actual number of fatalities may exceed one million.
Taipei police have launched a special operation to combat drug driving and drug trafficking, which will continue until the end of August. On the first day of the operation, 500 officers apprehended 19 drug-related cases, including 7 instances of drug driving.
US President Trump is under pressure regarding the Iran conflict, with the Pentagon drafting plans for renewed military action if diplomacy fails. Options include intensified bombing and Special Operations deployment, while Iran signals readiness for hostilities. The Strait of Hormuz remains a key concern.
The multinational special forces exercise Trojan Footprint 2026 (TFP26) has commenced in Georgia, involving special operations units from Georgia, Spain, Poland, Romania, the US, and the UK.
US Senator Jack Reed suggests the US may increase airstrikes against Iran rather than launching a ground operation due to public unpopularity and concerns over ground losses.
Sebastian Sawe became the first man to run an official marathon in under two hours, clocking 1h 59m 30s at the London Marathon last Sunday, breaking the world record by 65 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan runner returned to his home village in western Kenya on Thursday, receiving a hero's welcome at Eldoret airport where he was embraced by family, locals and officials. President William Ruto, who shares Sawe's Kalenjin ethnic background, presented him with 8m shillings (£46,000) at a presidential residence event. Sawe's victory is being celebrated as a defining moment in human endurance, with the runner dedicating his win to his community.
Google quietly withdrew from a Pentagon competition to build voice-controlled autonomous drone swarms—after initially being selected as a successful submission. The $100 million contest, run by Special Operations Command and the Defense Innovation Unit, seeks technology to direct drone swarms in real-time battlefield scenarios. Google cited "resourcing" issues, but the exit is said to be followed by an internal ethics review. OpenAI, Palantir, and xAI remain in the running.
Google submitted a proposal for a Pentagon prize challenge to build voice-controlled autonomous drone swarms but withdrew weeks after being selected, notifying the Defense Department on February 11. The company cited lack of resourcing, though an internal ethics review preceded the exit. Over 600 Google employees, many from DeepMind, signed an open letter this week urging CEO Sundar Pichai to reject classified military contracts. OpenAI, Palantir, and xAI remain in the competition for the $100 million prize.
Google has withdrawn from a Pentagon drone swarm competition after an internal ethics review, despite being initially selected. The move follows employee protests against military AI contracts and highlights ongoing friction between Google's workforce and its defense partnerships.
Russia's Africa Corps in Mali has rescued one Russian and one Ukrainian national who were abducted by terrorists in Niger in July 2024. The hostages, employees of a Russian geological exploration company, were captured by Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (affiliated with Al-Qaeda). The operation took one hour. Both men suffer from multiple illnesses and severe physical exhaustion and will be transported to Moscow for treatment.
