Aug 4, 2026, 07:30 AM UTC

The United States Department of Defense has initiated a comprehensive review of its military posture in Europe, where approximately 80,000 American service members are stationed. U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby described the assessment as a "real review," designed to shift primary responsibility for regional defense onto European NATO allies. The process follows previous announcements by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding potential force readjustments.

Concurrently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The talks follow diplomatic meetings in London with British Prime Minister Keir Burnham, as Kyiv aims to sustain international support and security assistance. On the ground, Russian military strikes in southeastern Ukraine have left three people dead.

Sources: Der Standard, DW, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau

Conflicting figures continue to surround the recent surge of border crossings into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. Regional President Juan Jesús Vivas reaffirmed estimates that up to 80,000 people entered during the influx, adding that 3,000 to 5,000 migrants remain locally.

Conversely, Morocco’s Interior Ministry acknowledged 40,000 arrivals in Ceuta, 1,135 in Melilla, and 11 deaths on Moroccan territory. Rabat denied relaxing border controls, attributing the influx to a Spanish legal ruling and accusing European politicians of exploitation.

In Madrid, the Spanish government dismissed a communications official from the National Security Department for publishing an unverified report citing 49,000 entries. Meanwhile, military personnel in Ceuta have reportedly begun detaining migrants for deportation amid growing policy friction between Spain's Interior and Defense ministries.

Sources: Canarias7, Diário de Notícias, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia

Overnight cross-border strikes and frontline clashes have caused severe civilian casualties across Ukraine and Russia.

In Ukraine, an attack on Kyiv killed nine people and wounded at least 33, while Russian forces reported tactical advances in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted several Russian regions. In the Moscow area, a strike on a warehouse killed five people and injured 10. In Leningrad Oblast, falling debris damaged a Wildberries facility in Krasny Bor, injuring one person. Kyiv has recently targeted logistics hubs, asserting they supply Russian military operations.

In Krasnodar Krai, local officials reported that seven people, including three children, were killed and around 40 injured after a drone fell on a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka near Gelendzhik.

Sources: BBC News, Mediazona, Point, The Insider, Радіо Свобода

Russian drone strikes across Ukraine have killed at least eight people and injured over 60 in the Odesa, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to local officials. The bombardments also damaged two civilian vessels in the Mykolaiv district.

In Russia's Krasnodar region, local authorities reported that six people, including three children, died and about 40 were injured when Ukrainian drone debris crashed near a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka.

Despite heavy aerial activity, data from the Institute for the Study of War shows Russian front-line advances slowed sharply in July, capturing less than 40 square kilometers.

Separately, Romanian energy producer Nuclearelectrica began importing Ukrainian electricity via Moldova's Energocom to balance supply during maintenance at the Cernavodă nuclear plant.

Sources: Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Newsmaker, Ziarul de Gardă

A coalition of 25 Democratic-led US states has launched a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s administration over new import tariffs targeting 60 international trading partners, including the European Union.

The legal action, coordinated by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield's office, disputes the administration's justification that 10% to 12.5% duties imposed in July were required to fight forced labor in global supply chains. The plaintiff states assert that there is no logical connection between supply chain labor abuses and broad international levies, arguing the executive branch exceeded its statutory powers.

The lawsuit seeks a federal court ruling to declare the tariffs unlawful, block their immediate enforcement, and mandate full financial refunds for affected domestic importers.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Die Presse, DW, France24, ORF