NATO chief says US not planning ‘at the moment’ to withdraw troops from Europe
“What we do know is that the US is completely committed to NATO,” said Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, ahead of an alliance defense ministers meeting in Brussels.
NATO
UK SSN AUKUS grand plan hinges on ‘significant’ shipbuilding investment: Analysts
In 2023, BAE, along with industry partners Rolls Royce and Babcock, received five-year Detailed Design and Long Leads (D2L2) AUKUS contracts, valued at $4.9 billion, but production of a 12-strong fleet will likely run upward of $40 billion, said one ex…
Nato to force UK to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP to appease Trump, say sources
Starmer bound to accept Mark Rutte’s higher target after announcing ‘Nato-first’ defence strategy, insiders sayDefence sources believe that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target of lifting defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 at this month’s…
More AUKUS subs, drones and munitions: UK strategic review aims for ‘warfighting readiness’
The review reportedly outlines a new way forward for British Army warfighting based around a drone-centric 20-40-40 strategy where uncrewed systems are deployed for first wave attacks before tanks, attack helicopters and other crewed platforms arrive o…
Nato must be ready for war with Russia by 2029 – Putin is ALREADY planning attack, Germany warns as Starmer pledges subs
NATO must be ready for war in the next four years, Germany’s defence chief warned, as he claimed Russia is gearing up to attack more European nations.
Keir Starmer meanwhile announced 12 new nuclear submarines to combat the “immediate and pressing threat” from Putin.
A huge crater blown into the ground by a Russian ballistic missile on Monday[/caption]
Russian Belaya Air Base in Irkutsk region, Siberia, was ablaze after a major Ukrainian drone strike over the weekend[/caption]
General Carsten Breuer said Nato is facing a “very serious threat” from Russia – the most severe he has seen in his 40 years of service.
Breuer explained that Russia is producing weaponry at a rapid pace – with around 1,500 battle tanks and four million rounds of artillery each year.
Crucially, not all of this is being directed to Ukraine – possibly indicating munitions are being stockpiled for use against Nato countries.
He said: “There’s an intent and there’s a build up of the stocks.”
Breuer doubled down on his warning that “analysts are assessing 2029” as Russia‘s potential timeframe for an assault, concluding: “We have to be ready by 2029”.
“If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that’s not earlier than 2029? I would say no, it’s not. So we must be able to fight tonight,” he said.
In April, the general warned that Putin will have amassed a 3million-strong army by next year, and that he wants to “weaken and destroy Nato as an alliance and discredit our Western form of society”.
The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are particularly vulnerable, according to the defence expert.
Breuer said: “The Baltic States are really exposed to the Russians, right?
“And once you are there, you really feel this […] in the talks we are having over there.”
The Estonians use the analogy of being close to a wildfire and being able to “feel the heat, see the flames and smell the smoke”.
Germany and other European nations “probably see a little bit of smoke over the horizon and not more,” Breuer said.
The general added a call to action, urging fellow Nato nations to rebuild their militaries.
He said: “What we have to do now is really to lean in an to tell everybody: ‘Hey, ramp up […] get more into it because we need it.
“We need it to be able to defend ourselves and therefore also to build up deterrence.”
Recognising this need, the British government announced that the UK will build a dozen new nuclear submarines armed with Tomohawk missiles.
The UK’s nuclear warhead programme will also be bolstered, with Defence Secretary John Healey saying the deterrent is “what Putin fears most”.
The government is in talks with US officials over the move, which would be the UK’s biggest deterrent development since the Cold War.
The news came as part of the strategic defence review, designed to get Britain moving “to war-fighting readiness”.
General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s Chief of Defence, said Europe must be ready to defend against Russia by 2029[/caption]
Pictures show a huge stockpile of FPV drones hidden inside a secret compartment in a container[/caption]
Russian Tu-95 bombers burning ‘en masse’ during Ukraine’s drone sting[/caption]
Starmer will say during a trip to Scotland: “From the supply lines to the front lines, this government is four-square behind the men and women upholding our freedom and security.”
Up to 12 nuclear-powered subs will be built under the AUKUS security partnership with the US and Australia.
They are conventionally-armed with Tomahawk missiles and are mainly used as intelligence gatherers, lurking off hostile coastlines to intercept communications.
They can also deploy special forces and drones.
Russia’s weapon stocks took a hit over the weekend when a daring Ukrainian drone plot blitzed 34 percent of Putin’s cruise missile carriers, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
And a raging Putin is now said to be preparing for a terrifying revenge attack.
What was ‘Operation Spiderweb’?
OVER the weekend, Ukraine launched a highly-sophisticated, meticulously-planned drone attack inside Russia.
It marks Kyiv’s longest-range operation of the conflict so far.
The plot involved 117 drones which had been smuggled into Russia inside trucks.
President Zelensky revealed it took over 18 months to pull off the masterful attack and hailed it as one for the “history books”.
Over 100 drones were involved, each with their own pilot.
Zelesnsky also revealed the headquarters of the operation were “right next to the FSB”, Russia’s security service.
At least 40 aircraft were attacked, and Zelensky claimed that 34 percent of Putin’s cruise missile carriers at the targeted airfields were blasted.
A £260million AWACS aircraft and bombers capable of dropping nuclear weapons were also struck.
Kyiv is claiming to have inflicted around $7billion worth of damage against the Russian air force.
With Macron in town, Indonesia and France inch closer on potential deals for fighter jets, subs
In all cases, firm contracts would be required before any new orders are made official but French industry were quick to lend their support to the potential new lines of business.
Russian Government Hackers Caught Buying Passwords from Cybercriminals
Microsoft flags a new Kremlin hacking team buying stolen usernames and passwords from infostealer markets for use in cyberespionage attacks.
The post Russian Government Hackers Caught Buying Passwords from Cybercriminals appeared first on SecurityWeek.
Microsoft, Dutch security agencies lift veil on Laundry Bear cyber espionage group
The Dutch intelligence and security services have identified a new Russia-affiliated threat group that has been breaching government organizations and commercial entities in Europe and North America, and they dubbed it Laundry Bear. “Compared to …
As U.S. Commitment Wanes, Europe Faces Questions About its Own Defense
EXPERT INTERVIEW – In the early weeks of the second Trump administration, questions were raised about Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, as the White House […] More
The post As U.S. Commitment Wanes, Europe Faces Questions About its Own Defense appeared first on The Cipher Brief.
As U.S. Commitment Wanes, Europe Faces Questions About its Own Defense
EXPERT INTERVIEW – In the early weeks of the second Trump administration, questions were raised about Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, as the White House appeared increasingly opposed to aid for Ukraine and took a more sympathetic approach to Mosco…