'We face war in Europe' — UK announces major defense spending boost amid Russian threat
The U.K. will boost its defense spending amid the increased threat Russia poses to European security, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 2.
"Every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play because we have to recognize that things have changed in the world of today... The front line, if you like, is here," Starmer said.
"We face war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyberattacks, growing Russian aggression in our waters, menacing our skies," he added.
The media reported on June 1 that a defense review would recommend increasing the U.K.'s military spending and introducing new equipment, including jets capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons. Russia has increasingly threatened Ukraine's allies as it continues to wage its war.
Members of NATO's eastern flank, including Finland and Poland, have raised concerns that Russia could intensify military buildup on their borders if Ukraine and Moscow reach a ceasefire.
The British military has a substantial nuclear arsenal, but can only launch such weapons from its submarines after decommissioning a number of platforms at the end of the Cold War.
Starmer announced a wide range of new defense spending commitments amid the increased threat Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security.
12 new nuclear submarines are set to be built within the framework of the Aukus partnership with the U.K, U.S., and Australia.
The U.K. plans to boost weapons production and increase stockpiles, including plans to produce 7,000 long-range weapons and six new munitions factories.
Weapons spending is set to increase by 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) to a total of 6 billion pounds ($8.1 billion). Another 15 billion pounds ($20 billion) will be invested in the U.K's nuclear warhead program.
"The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War," Starmer said.
NATO officials have increasingly warned that Russia could attack the alliance's eastern flank in the coming years amid Russia's war against Ukraine.
Finland expects an increased Russian military buildup on its border once the war against Ukraine is over, Major General Sami Nurmi, the head of strategy of the Finnish defense forces, told the Guardian in an interview published on May 21.
Ukraine and Russia held peace talks in Turkey on May 16 and June 2. The negotiations were largely inconclusive, with Russia reiterating maximalist demands. The talks mainly yielded agreements toward prisoner exchanges.
Read also: Russian propagandists split between downplaying devastating Ukrainian attacks and issuing threats
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Premier League opts not to change rules that helped Chelsea comply with PSR
Premier League teams have chosen not to change controversial rules that allow the sale of fixed assets to companies related to a club's ownership. Despite discontent among some clubs over the rules, which have helped Chelsea to meet profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) by selling two Stamford Bridge hotels to businesses linked to their owners, no vote was taken on changing them at the league's annual general meeting in Harrogate on Wednesday. Advertisement Related: Premier League players who need a move to revitalise their careers Under current rules clubs can sell assets to related companies and include the revenue in PSR calculations the following season as long as the deals are seen to have been conducted at fair market value. Chelsea's hotel sales were ultimately cleared by the Premier League after a lengthy assessment which concluded earlier this year. The process led to the value of the deal being restated, however, at £70.5m in Chelsea's latest accounts, down from an original £76.5m The west London side have also sold their women's team to a related company at a value of almost £200m last year, helping the club record a net profit of £129.6m for the year ended 30 June 2024. The Guardian understands that the league was asked by some clubs to table an amendment that would prevent such deals from being included in PSR calculations in future. That proposal was ultimately removed from a series of votes on rule changes, however, after it became clear there was insufficient support amongst the totality of clubs to pass it. All clubs attended the AGM on Wednesday knowing there would be no vote. This is not the first occasion that clubs have stepped back from changing the rules. Alterations were discussed first in 2021, when the EFL had brought in tougher rules, and then last summer, but no vote was taken on either occasion. The sale of fixed assets cannot be included in revenue under Uefa's financial sustainability rules, however and the Blues are expected to have agree a potential financial settlement with European football's governing body as a result.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Confirmed Losses Of Russian Aircraft Mount After Ukrainian Drone Assault
New satellite imagery and an official video have revealed more about the scale of destruction and damage inflicted on Russian airfields in Ukraine's unprecedented drone attacks last weekend. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, published previously unreleased drone footage showing the raid underway. At the same time as the SBU video was released, Ukraine also announced more details of the drone attacks, which were carried out under Operation Spiderweb. You can catch up with our previous reporting about the operation and its aftermath here. СБУ показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «Павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф — СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 4, 2025 The SBU claims that its drones used artificial intelligence (AI) during at least some aspects of the operation. 'During the operation, modern UAV control technology was used, which combines autonomous artificial intelligence algorithms and manual operator intervention,' the SBU said. 'In particular, some UAVs, due to signal loss, switched to performing the mission using artificial intelligence along a pre-planned route. After approaching and contacting a specifically designated target, the warhead was automatically triggered.' While we cannot confirm this, TWZ has, in the past, detailed exactly how AI can be harnessed for lower-end drones. Ukraine's SBU says its drones used AI during Operation Spiderweb: "During the operation, modern UAV control technology was used, which combines autonomous artificial intelligence algorithms and manual operator intervention."In particular, some UAVs, due to signal loss, switched… — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 4, 2025 Initially, Ukrainian authorities claimed to have hit 41 aircraft, in total, including Tu-95MS Bear-H and Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bombers, as well as A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft. However, these were clearly not all destroyed or even damaged. Subsequently, Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.' Among those aircraft, the new video confirms that several of the Tu-95MS bombers were already loaded with Kh-101 conventionally armed cruise missiles, ready for launch against Ukraine, as seen in the image below. This fact underlines how big a threat these aircraft are to Ukraine and reinforces the fact that they are legitimate targets. Now, with the new satellite imagery, verification of at least some of these previous claims is becoming somewhat easier. Here's what we know so far for each of the airfields targeted: Soon after the drone strikes, ground-level videos of Belaya, which is situated in Russia's eastern Irkutsk region, began to appear online, showing smoke rising from the base, confirming that at least something was hit. Footage of a Ukrainian FPV strike drone flying towards Russia's Belaya Airbase, already heavily base, home to a number of bombers, was hit this afternoon. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Thereafter, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery obtained by TWZ from the U.S.-based ICEYE US pointed to at least four Tu-95MS bombers having been destroyed or at least damaged at Belaya. However, the resolution and the nature of SAR, which does not show the same kinds of details that would be available in visual spectrum imagery, made it difficult to definitively determine the state of any of the aircraft. That has since changed. Now, with new satellite imagery from Maxar, we can clearly see the remains of three destroyed Tu-95MS and four destroyed Tu-22M3 bombers at Belaya. While we cannot be certain of the operational status of the aircraft that were destroyed, most were arranged along the flight line or in blast pens among active aircraft, so there's a high possibility that these were frontline assets. Additional satellite images of the Russian Belaya Air Base by Planet Labs. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 4, 2025 Belaya: — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 4, 2025 5/ Additional high-resolution images from @AirbusDefence taken on 4 June over the Belaya airbase show an even clearer picture of destroyed Tu-95 and Tu-22 aircraft. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 4, 2025 On June 1, video footage emerged showing Olenya, located in far northwestern Russia near the Barents Sea, from the perspective of cameras on first-person-view (FPV) type drones. This earlier footage suggested that Olenya was among the hardest-hit bases, with the drone videos showing that Tu-95MS bombers and an An-12 Cub cargo aircraft had been targeted. A satellite image of Olenya taken on June 3 from Planet Labs appeared to show three Tu-95MS and one An-12 damaged and/or destroyed, but was too low-resolution to be conclusive. Now, additional satellite imagery from Airbus Defense and Space, Maxar, and Planet Labs provides a better understanding of the destruction at Olenya, with telltale burn marks on the tarmac consistent with the destruction of five aircraft, at least three of which can be confirmed as Tu-95MS bombers. At opposite ends of the same flight line are further scorch marks, as seen in the oblique image in the embedded tweet below. Here, the nearest aircraft destroyed was likely the An-12, supported by a comparison with previous satellite imagery showing the transport intact in this location. It's not clear what aircraft might have been targeted at the other end of the flight line from the An-12 (the area seen at the very top of the frame in the oblique image). The most likely candidate is another Tu-95MS, which would appear to be consistent with some of the original video footage from the attack. 4/ Imagery taken on 23 May by @Satellogic of the Olenya airbase shows that two Tu-95 were at this location. A possible transport aircraft An-12 also appears to have been destroyed and another unidentified aircraft – both visible on the 3 June @AirbusDefence image posted above. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 4, 2025 New raw footage of Russia's Olenya airbase burning today, filmed by a Ukrainian FPV strike Tu-95 bombers and an An-22 transport plane can be seen ablaze. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Clear satellite imagery that might definitely show damage to aircraft at Ivanovo has yet to emerge, although a video released today by the SBU shows two A-50 being targeted. The location was presumably Ivanovo, where these radar planes are home-based. Based on lower-resolution satellite imagery, there have been claims that two A-50s were at least hit at Ivanovo, although it's by no means certain that this is the case. If the aircraft were hit, there is currently no evidence that they were destroyed outright. From new satellite imagesfrom Ivanovo's Severny air base, one A-50 AEW is confirmed to be destroyed and second one is hit, not sure if one was propably not in operational condition and was only parked in the airfield. — Tomi (@TallbarFIN) June 3, 2025 At the same time, it's worth bearing in mind that Russia's fleet of A-50s — two examples of which have already been destroyed in the air by Ukraine — normally conducts its wartime operations from forward bases closer to Ukraine. While A-50s rotate in and out of Ivanovo periodically, examples that might have been hit there could also be inactive aircraft, which are known to be stored at the base. the question is what ac they actually are a lot of inoperable A-50 at Ivanovo AB…we need evidence and no guessing — ben-reuter (@benreuter_IMINT) June 3, 2025 Indeed, the aircraft seen in the SBU video may well have been non-operational, with highly weathered radomes, while at least one aircraft doesn't have a full set of engines fitted. Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s, including a number of modernized A-50Us, in active service. As well as the two combat losses since then, one of these aircraft was damaged in a drone attack while on the ground at a base in Belarus, and its current status is unknown. Any further losses to the A-50 fleet will be very keenly felt. A high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo from Planet Labs, taken on June 2 and reviewed by TWZ, showed no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there. Still, some aircraft may have been damaged by shrapnel, against which relatively thin-skinned aircraft are notably vulnerable, and this would not necessarily be visible even in higher-resolution imagery. Satellite images of Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTCThe airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025 Clear satellite imagery showing potential damage to aircraft at Ukrainka is yet to emerge. What little visual evidence we have of this airfield after the drone strikes is inconclusive, although there are claims, at least, of a single Tu-95MS having been hit. For now, these claims need to be treated with caution. #UkraineRussiaWar #Pokrovsk #Kupyansk #ChasovYar #Toretsk #Kursk #Belgorod #DniproA Tu-95MS was hit at the Ukrainka air is more than 6,000 kilometers away from the Russian border — Koba (@Roberto05246129) June 3, 2025 It's also worth noting that the tires, frequently scattered over the wings and upper fuselages of Russian bombers and other combat aircraft, and which are employed in this manner to confuse image-matching seekers on incoming munitions, appear to have been misidentified by some observers as evidence of damage or scorch marks. While cloud cover has hindered the opportunity for more rapid and verifiable analysis of the results of Operation Spiderweb, we can now say, with certainty, that at least six (and more likely seven) Tu-95MS and four Tu-22M3 bombers were destroyed. While far short of some of the earlier Ukrainian claims, this still represents a significant loss to Russia, not least because it's impossible to replace the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3, both of which have been out of production for decades, as you can read more about here. While the new SBU video shows multiple drones landing on their targets before presumably exploding, it is possible that some made it to their final destinations and failed to detonate. Additional satellite imagery could well reveal more aircraft destroyed or damaged, although, with each passing day, Russia is better able to conceal the results of the raid, disposing of wreckage and moving aircraft around to make it that much harder to create an accurate tally. Russians quickly replaced some of the destroyed aircraft with undamaged aircraft/decoys on their airfields, placing them in the exact same spots. — MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) June 4, 2025 At the same time, Russian aircrews are already making clear their reaction to the drone strikes, referencing the destroyed aircraft in the form of slogans on glide bombs launched by tactical combat aircraft, as seen below: This is what Russian servicemen are now writing on FAB-500 UMPK guided aerial bombs installed under the wings of a Sukhoi Su-34 bomber:"For Tu-22M3""For Tu-95MS""For Long-Range Aviation""For the train" — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 4, 2025 Whatever the final losses to the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Ukrainian drone strike will also have sent a shockwave all the way to the top of the Russian leadership, as well as military planners around the globe. The carefully planned operation visibly exposed the vulnerability of some of Russia's prime strategic assets. For now, at least, there appears to be no quick-fix solution to protecting these high-value aircraft. This may well force Russia toward an even more highly dispersed positioning model, which will severely limit the bombers' effectiveness for Ukraine operations. Contact the author: thomas@
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump offers bleak prospects for peace between Russia and Ukraine after call with Putin
Trump offers bleak prospects for peace between Russia and Ukraine after call with Putin President Trump said he discussed Ukraine's recent attacks on Russian bombers with Putin, adding that he's not optimistic about "immediate peace." Show Caption Hide Caption Donald Trump 'disappointed' with Vladimir Putin President Donald Trump told reporters he was 'disappointed' with Russian President Vladimir Putin, referencing latest attacks on Ukraine. WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump delivered bleak prospects for imminent peace between Russia and Ukraine after speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday for the first time since he warned Putin he's "playing with fire" by attacking Ukraine during peace talks. Trump, in a June 4 post on Truth Social, described the one hour and 15 minute phone call as a "good conversation" but added that it was "not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace." "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine," Trump said, referring to Ukraine's surprise drone attack that destroyed dozens of Russian bombers, "and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides." "President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," Trump said. More: Russia's 'Pearl Harbor': What to know about Ukraine's audacious drone strike The Ukraine attack was the most damaging Ukrainian attack on Russia in the three years since Moscow invaded. It came after Russian forces launched a deadly barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities on May 25, prompting Trump to say Putin "gone absolutely crazy." Later, Trump warned that Putin is "playing with fire" by refusing to engage in ceasefire talks. More: Russia demands harsh terms at Ukraine peace talks Trump, who has struggled to mediate meaningful peace negotiations between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy, has recently taken more of a backseat. After Trump held a two-hour phone call with Putin on May 15, Trump said conditions for the next round of peace talks would be "negotiated between the two parties." Recounting his June 4 call with Putin, Trump also said they discussed Iran, which has just dismissed a proposal from the Trump administration for a deal that would prevent it from developing potential nuclear weapons technology. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a central U.S. demand that Iran abandon uranium enrichment, calling it "100%" against the country's interests. "I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement," Trump said, adding that Putin suggested during that call that he participate in the discussions with Iran. "It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!" Trump said. Contributing: Reuters Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
