30 June 2026
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that Britain would spend almost £300 billion to modernize its armed forces over the next four years. Starmer, who is expected to leave office next month, was plagued by resignations and controversy over Britain’s planned defence spending. This will include at least six new air defence warships which will replace the Type-45.
Poland
Poland signed a deal with Sweden’s SAAB for three A26-type submarines. The final submarine will be delivered in 2038. The deal is worth approximately SEK 47 billion (4.83 billion USD) and includes weapons and training support packages. SAAB says that the A26 was designed to operate in the Baltic Sea’s challenging conditions. The deal is seen as bolstering Baltic Sea cooperation.
Ukraine Russia War
According to Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland has not transferred additional MiG-29 fighter jets because Ukraine has not delivered the promised drone technology. Poland approved the transfer of up to nine additional MiGs in January. There has been no comment from Kyiv.
Ukraine is in talks with the French over licensing to produce long-range weapons, including SCALP missiles, also known as Storm Shadow in the UK. SCALP cruise missiles have a range of up to 250km and are designed to destroy hardened, high-value, fixed targets like bunkers and infrastructure.
President Zelensky stated that Ukrainian drones have hit Russia’s Dubna space communications centre again. The Dubna communications centre supports Russian military communications, intelligence, and satellite operations. It was previously attacked on 22 June. Ukraine recently attacked four similar Russian satellite communication centres in the regions of Moscow and Vladimir.
Monaco
A bomb detonated in Monaco, apparently targeting a Ukrainian oligarch, Vadym Yermolaiev. Both Yermolaiev and a woman, probably his wife, are in life-threatening condition. A 13-year-old was also injured. Yermolaiev has been sanctioned by Ukraine since December 2023 over his alcohol business in Crimea. A manhunt continues for the bomber who was seen fleeing the scene.
China
China’s military and coast guard conducted patrols in the waters around the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by both China and the Philippines and is one of Asia’s most disputed maritime sites.
North Korea
Commercial activity has increased fivefold since 2019, suggesting an increase in illegal coal trading. The port of Nampho saw the greatest increase, with more than 3,000 cases of tracked vessels, up from 554 in 2019. Nampho is North Korea’s largest coal hub. North Korea’s coal exports were banned by the UN in 2017, but this has not stopped the country from exporting coal.
Canada
The CSE published their annual report on Monday and stated that it tracked 3,200 cyber incidents affecting both federal government organizations and infrastructure sectors such as energy, critical minerals and water. According to the Communications Security Establishment, Russian cybercriminals hacked into a Quebec municipality’s water treatment plant systems. It did not mention which municipality, but did say that the group NoName claimed it had access to the “ability to covertly control pumps, chlorine dosing, pressure settings and monitoring/alerts systems.”
Social Media Wires
Queue at the Kerch Bridge is over 12 hours long
Ukraine is also targeting radar assets near the bridge
Featured Photo: “HMS Dauntless” – 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.