3 February 2026
Iran-US
A US fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone that was aggressively approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier stationed in the Middle East. The dronewas shot down by an F-35.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran will pursue negotiations with the US after requests from “friendly governments in the region” to respond to a US proposal for talks. The talks will be held in Istanbul on Friday, according to US media reports.
Ukraine
Russia fired more than 70 ballistic and cruise missiles and 450 drones into Ukraine. Energy infrastructure was targeted, leaving more than 1,000 residential blocks without power as temperatures dipped below -20C. Only 38 of the missiles were shot down by Ukraine.
SpaceX has introduced measures to prevent unauthorized use of the Starlink satellite network by Russian drones. Since mid-January, Russia has been using cheap kamikaze Molniya-2 drones equipped with Starlink. It is believed that the countermeasure was to introduce a 75km/h speed limit on Starlink terminals.
Democratic Republic of Congo
The DRC government is calling for calm after a drone attack on the strategic airport in the city of Kisangani in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Eight drones were shot down before they reached the airport. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, but the DRC government blames the M23 rebel group.
Sudan
The Sudanese military says it has broken through to the South Kordofan capital of Kadugli. This ends a two-year-long siege on the city by the RSF. Since the RSF was driven out of Khartoum, the paramilitary group has been concentrating its efforts on Kordofan and the city of el-Fashir.
Turkey-Saudi Arabia
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Tuesday on an official visit. Erdogan is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and hold talks at the al-Yamamah Palace.
Social media wires
Experimental kamikaze UUV
Destruction of a TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower
Featured Photo: “USS Abraham Lincoln”, NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive, 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.