Hungarian PM Orban calls on parliament to ratify Sweden's membership in NATO “at the earliest opportunity.”

Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first “alcohol store” in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats.

Ukrainian Army indirectly confirms responsibility for shooting down of the Russian Il-76 aircraft, signaling that it was carrying ammunition.

The statement doesn’t say anything about whether there were Ukrainian POWs on board.

#BREAKING U.S. is planning to withdraw its forces from Syria, Foreign Policy reports.

A full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria is being discussed.

While no definitive decision has been made to leave, four sources within the Defense and State departments said the White House is no longer invested in sustaining a mission that it perceives as unnecessary.

Iranian President Raisi in Türkiye:

Türkiye's security is our security. They want to sow discord among the countries in the region. The way against this is regional cooperation.

Russian "Afrika Corps" forces arrive in Burkina Faso.

It is reported that a Russian contingent of 100 forces will "ensure the safety of the country's leader Ibrahim Traore and the Burkinabe people from terrorist attacks."

In the near future, the first wave of Afrika Corps units will be replenished with another 200 military personnel from Russia.

Russian Wagner PMC operating in Libya, Mali, etc., has been rebranded as the “Africa Corps” in a clear reference to Nazi Germany's Afrika Korps.

UK Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris: (Transfer of Ukraine’s modernized Sandown-class minehunters to Ukraine)

Türkiye won’t let them in because of the Montreux Convention, which prohibits the passage of military vessels through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles during a war in the Black Sea.

The United Kingdom is a party to the Convention, and we support this [Türkiye’s] position.

This actually benefits Ukraine, because thanks to the Convention, Russia cannot restore its destroyed fleet.

Iran is now a “legitimate target” for Israeli missile strikes, Israeli minister Nir Barkat says.

Brother of a killed Israeli soldier reacts to War cabinet minister Benny Gantz.

The US and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks on the future of the US military presence in the country, CNN reports.

Part of the discussions will focus on whether and when it will be feasible to end the US military presence in Iraq.

#BREAKING Biden administration wrote to members of Congress urging approval of a $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Türkiye, Reuters reports.

#BREAKING Yemen's Houthis say a clash took place today with a number of American destroyers and warships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab.

Houthis claim a direct hit on an American warship.

In the clash, which lasted for more than two hours, the Houthis used a number of ballistic missiles.

The UK wants to buy Taurus missiles from Germany in order to transfer more similar Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, Handelsblatt writes, citing sources in Berlin

Such a proposal was received by the German side several weeks ago and Scholz is studying it.

Elon Musk:

Future wars will be drone wars.

The outcome of any battle is kill ratio times number of units.

A common mistake is focusing too much on the former, not enough on the latter.

Ukrainian strike targeted Rosneft oil refinery in Russia's Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai last night.

North Korea says it conducted its first test of a new-generation cruise missile, as it continues to expand its military capabilities.

Pulhwasal-3-31 missile is still in its development phase.

KCNA described the missile as “strategic”, implying an intent to arm it with nuclear weapons.

This is North Korea’s third known strategic cruise missile.

Caged & loaded. Russian 2S9 Nona-S 120mm self-propelled mortar system.