5 February 2026
China
The Chinese government expressed its regret that the START nuclear arms treaty had expired. China, which is expanding and modernizing its nuclear weapons, was not part of the bilateral treaty between Russia and the United States. Chinese officials have also stated that they would not join a new START.
Afghanistan
The Afghan Taliban claim that ISIS-K does not have bases within Afghanistan and that the group has bases in neighbouring countries. The ISIS chapter in Afghanistan originally was comprised of a splinter group of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and sought refuge in Afghanistan as a base of operations.
Ukraine
President Zelensky, in an interview with France 2 TV, claimed that only 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been confirmed killed in action, with many more deemed Missing in Action. The BBC claims it can confirm the names of 160,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far in the four-year war. It has been 1,442 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, which, by simple math, would be approximately 38 Ukrainian soldiers killed per day and 111 Russian soldiers killed on average per day. That is ‘confirmed dead’, so the actual number is a lot higher.
Today marks the second day of talks between Ukraine and Russia.
SpaceX has initiated another move to shut down Russia’s illicit use of Starlink by requiring users in Ukraine to register their devices. This will be a catastrophe for Russian communications and for smaller UAVs operating at the front lines.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The leader of the AFC/M23 rebel movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kisangani airport, claiming that it is a warning to the government. Fighting between the government and rebel groups continues despite several peace attempts.
Pakistan
Pakistani security forces have concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan, which was an operation to counter the Balochistan Liberation Army’s attack last weekend. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations claims that the BLA fighters were backed by India, as they always claim, and that 216 terrorists were killed in the operation.
Social media wires
Iran seizes two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, claiming that they are smuggling fuel
Ukrainian helicopter turned into drone killer
Featured Photo: “Destroyed Russian tanks outside of Mariupol” – Wikimedia Commons, 2026
The Wires Brief is a daily breaking news report incorporating wire service news and social media updates. DefRep cannot verify the authenticity of social media reporters nor the accuracy of social media updates. Feature photos are altered with grayscale.