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Claims made this week by the head of Russia’s technology development for its Defense Ministry suggesting that Moscow is "ahead" when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) development, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, are being disputed by one top expert.Speaking from a Military-Technical Forum held in Moscow this week, Gen. Vasily Elistratov, head of the Kremlin’s AI development, asserted that Russia is "ahead of our foreign partners" despite "attempts to isolate us at the technical level."Russia’s more than two-year-long invasion of Ukraine has spurred an international race among nations to advance their AI capabilities for wartime applications. While the war has accelerated AI development, especially in the area of autonomous weapons systems, Russian President Vladimir Putin has long made developing AI a top priority.In 2017, five years prior to the largest war Europe has seen since World War II, Putin declared, "Whoever leads in AI will rule the world," and by 2022, Russia had grown its AI market by 18 percent in that year alone, according to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.Moscow doubled down on its AI efforts last year and allocated a significant portion of its federal 2024 budget for AI investment – though that is just a fraction of the $1.8 billion that the U.S. has allocated for AI in its defense budget.Despite Moscow's efforts, former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," Rebekah Koffler, told Breaking Defense Digital, "It is highly unlikely that Russia is ahead of the U.S. in AI development."Koffler explained that from the beginning, the U.S. and Russia have taken different approaches when it comes to AI, and while Washington focused its efforts of technological advancement, Moscow also focused on how it could use AI for psychological warfare. "When you have a cyberattack, not only can it disrupt your computer, it can also have a psychological impact on the user," she explained. "In wartime, you can disorganize forces by attacking computer [systems]."Koffler pointed to the clear psychological impact that Russia has made on entire populations following its use of disinformation campaigns, propaganda, digital fakes and election interference – a strategy the U.S. and the West typically do not pursue. "The U.S. just doesn’t do that sort of thing," she said. "That’s just not how we operate. "In regard to Russia, it’s always been a thing – not just for foreign audiences but for domestic," Koffler continued. "With the power of AI, you can spread disinformation a lot faster."This could mean that Moscow may be ahead when it comes to decision-making technologies, Koffler said, though she reiterated her doubt that Russia was beating the U.S. in any aspect of AI development. The U.S. began incorporating AI in warfare at the tail end of its War on Terror in Afghanistan in a move to alleviate the burden that U.S. and coalition forces were under as they attempted to maintain human intelligence networks on the Taliban amid the drawdown. From the beginning, human oversight has played a major role in how the U.S. uses AI in wartime, and it remains unclear how this specific factor could play a role in adversarial strategizing when it comes to AI on the battlefield. But it wasn’t just the U.S. that Elistratov was likely referring to when he propped up Moscow’s AI developments compared to its "partners."China, a top ally of Russia, has been making great strides when it comes to AI development and is frequently considered the U.S.'s chief competitor in the race to develop all aspects of the burgeoning technology. Koffler said that while Moscow is almost certainly beating allies like Iran and North Korea in the AI race, it is more likely that Russia is "close" to China when it comes to AI development.

The United States and its key allies have taken a major step towards easing defense trade restrictions, aiming to facilitate rapid technology and equipment sharing in response to escalating Chinese threats in the Indo-Pacific region.This "historic breakthrough" signifies that the United Kingdom and Australia will no longer be subject to stringent export license controls under the U.S. International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR) for a majority of American defense technology."Our intention is for the U.K. to be the U.S.'s foremost ally, and Australia similarly aspires to be the U.S.'s top ally in the Pacific," a U.K. official privy to the agreement told Digital. "AUKUS reflects our recognition of the threat posed by China and our commitment, as America's allies, to actively compete with China in this arena."A select number of sensitive items will remain under strict U.S. control, which the U.K. official indicated presents another avenue for strengthening trust and partnership within the alliance in the face of growing adversarial actions."We are seeking deep collaboration with the U.S. in the coming period," the official stated. "Certain restrictions on the excluded lists will pertain to cutting-edge technologies where the U.S. maintains justifiable caution in controlling access and safeguarding the technology."Our objective with this new status quo is to demonstrate that our industry is equally adept at managing these secrets and protecting the technology, thereby fostering even greater trust with the U.S. and enabling further expansion of technology sharing," the U.K. official added.While unable to specify the percentage of U.S. defense weapons and technology that will remain exempt under this new trade-sharing agreement, the official emphasized that these exemptions are confined to the "far reaches of technology" on systems involving , autonomous weaponry, and hypersonic weaponry.This reform is projected to encompass up to £500 million in annual U.K. defense exports, along with billions of dollars in trade across all three nations, which will in turn "boost our shared economic growth," Digital was informed.The AUKUS deal comes as the U.S. and the U.K. strive to provide support to as the alliance seeks to bolster its defense posture to counter Chinese aggression in the region and beyond."I believe it's exceedingly difficult to overstate the importance of the submarines, particularly in the context of the Indo-Pacific and containing China," the official told Digital. "Despite their seemingly traditional appearance, they remain critically important to that theater."The alliance, established in 2021 specifically to counter Beijing, was who feared that the U.S. and the U.K. were distancing themselves from Europe at a time when security threats on the continent had reached a level not seen since World War II.However, Washington and London have refuted these concerns, and in discussions with Digital, the British official underscored that strengthening ties with the U.S. can only serve to deepen security across global theaters."The U.K., as a very close ally of the U.S., contributes to solidifying the U.K.-U.S. bond within NATO," the official argued. "I don't perceive this as creating any distance from that. "If anything, it equips both of us with enhanced capabilities and interoperability for collaborative action in the Euro-Atlantic region, should the need arise militarily," the official added.

The Pentagon has stated that the partnership between Russia and Iran is reportedly deepening.During a press conference on Thursday, press secretary Sabrina Singh addressed a journalist's question about a recent meeting between leaders of the two nations."While I can't speculate on that visit, I would say that we have observed a deepening cooperation and relationship between Russia and Iran as Russia continues to engage in its unlawful actions," Singh said. "We have seen that deepening partnership.""We have seen Russia continue to seek weapons from Iran. While I can speculate on what this visit entails, we have seen these visits of leaders occur over the last two years," Singh added.Following a visit by a defense minister to Iran, Russia has recently promised missile support to the Middle Eastern nation.Singh clarified, "in terms of how this plays out in the Middle East. Look, Iran has a choice. We have been very clear in our messaging when it comes to the [presumably Israel]. We are going to stand in the defense of Israel just as we did on April 13th."The United States has recently expanded its presence in the [presumably Middle East], sending the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the region.According to the Pentagon, it is unclear exactly where these additional American defense resources will be located.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to [Digital's request for comment].

Newly elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi asserted his country's right to retaliate against Israel during a rare phone call with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Starmer made it clear to Raisi during the 30-minute call that "war is not in anyone’s interest" and urged Tehran to "refrain from attacking Israel." The call followed a joint statement from the heads of the United States, the United Kingdom and three other European countries. The Iranian president, however, insisted that a strong response to an attack "is a right of nations and a solution for stopping crimes and aggression," . "The support of some Western countries for the Zionist regime is irresponsible and contrary to international standards since it endangers regional security by encouraging the Zionist regime to continue its crimes," Raisi reportedly told Starmer.Tensions remain high after Israel’s alleged assassination of Hamas commander Ismail Haniyeh, who was in Tehran at the time of his death. Iran denounced Haniyeh’s murder and blamed Israel, even though Haniyeh died in what was later deemed a localized explosion that killed no Iranian citizens.International pressure from European and Arab nations alike did not seem to dent Iran’s desire to avenge the commander of one of its most prominent proxy groups. Regional sources this week told foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Monday that they are concerned Iran and its proxies within the next 24 hours in retaliation for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month. No attack materialized in that time, but it did not dampen concerns.Hamas representatives on Sunday declared they would not participate in in Gaza unless mediators presented a plan based on previous talks. The representatives insisted that the group had shown "flexibility" throughout the negotiation process but that Israel – through actions such as the alleged assassination of Haniyeh – indicated it was not serious about a cease-fire agreement.Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered his forces to "harshly punish" Israel for the killing of Haniyeh, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander Ali Fadavi told Iranian media last week that the orders would be "implemented in the best possible way," . Israel this week conveyed to the United States and several European allies that any attack from Iran – even if it does not kill any Israelis – will lead to another retaliatory strike on Iranian territory, .The statement aimed to preempt another round of international pressure that would try to stop Israel from responding forcefully.Tensions continue to slowly ratchet up across the week, with Iranian banks on Wednesday suffering a major cyberattack that all but crippled the institutions, . Hackers stole information belonging to account holders and hit several other banks.Iran has not yet blamed Israel, and no other nation or party has claimed credit, but Iran blamed the U.S. and Israel for the last major cyberattack to hit the country. Digital's Greg Norman and Bradford Betz and

The United Arab Emirates has taken a stance against Russia's efforts to circumvent Western sanctions by refusing entry to its ports for any vessels from Eswatini, a country Russia is using to create a "shadow fleet" of ships. "Using a ‘shadow fleet’ to smuggle oil while concealing its origin, in order to circumvent Western economic sanctions has been part of Putin’s playbook of sanction-proofing Russia’s economy," Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," told Digital. "Moscow anticipated U.S. sanctions prior to ," Koffler said. "So, Putin has been sanction-proofing the Russian economy with several measures since 2014, when the Russian forces took over Crimea.""The vessels comprising this dark fleet are typically aging, lack proper safety standards, lack insurance, hence they present a threat to maritime security as they can create a hazardous situation at any time," she added. A list of ships published by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure names Eswatini as the latest country to which no services from any UAE ship agents or maritime company should be provided as they "are not complying with this circular to avoid legal accountability." "…this Administration has decided to include the vessels registered under the flag state of Eswatini (Swaziland) to the existing list of restricted flag State vessels calling UAE waters and ports, unless they are classified by a member of IACS Class or by the Emirates Classification Society," the notice read. The flags of Eswatini started showing up this year, with ship broker Clarkson Research Services Ltd. reporting zero ships in 2023 registered under the Eswatini flag even as 26 such ships now sail the seas. Eswatini is a landlocked country in Southern Africa and has increasingly worked with Russia to transport oil as part of dodging sanctions. of 18 Eswatini-flagged ships in ship-tracking data, finding that 16 had "unclear" ownership, but that several tankers transported oil produced in Russia and Iran. The United States sanctioned three Eswatini ships for supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and later helping export grain from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine during the briefly brokered grain corridor, . A spokesman for the Eswatini ship registry told the outlet that the country delisted two of the ships for breaking the country’s administration guidelines of compliance, but one month later two of the ships continued to fly the Eswatini flag. The spokesman argued that once the country delists a ship, they stop following them, and any use of the flag is "illegal and invalid." The Atlantic Council think tank in January on the growing Russian "dark fleet," estimating that 1,400 ships make up the fleet and operate in a "gray zone" that makes it hard for countries to punish. The great concern, as both Koffler and the Atlantic Council noted, focuses on the poor condition of these ships since they operate illegally and do not want to raise suspicion from officials. The think tank called such ships "aging and poorly maintained," which has given rise to incidents that legitimate vessels end up having to pay for, since the shadow fleet lacks proper insurance.That puts the burden on coastal nations, which are obligated under search-and-rescue convention to put in time and resources to help distressed illegal vessels without recourse. "The potential harm to coastal states is tangible, but since the aggression doesn’t involve military, it means it’s virtually impossible for a country to avenge harm caused to it by a shadow vessel, even if it can prove the ship is transporting Russian cargo," Atlantic Council senior fellow Elisabeth Braw wrote.

Japan, a nation frequently experiencing earthquakes, issued its inaugural "megaquake advisory" last week in response to a powerful earthquake that struck off the southeastern coast of Kyushu.The magnitude 7.1 quake resulted in no fatalities or severe damage, but the advisory has sparked widespread confusion and anxiety among the population, accustomed to regular seismic activity, concerning the timing of the next major quake.The Associated Press explains the implications of the advisory, the recommended actions for the public, and the potential consequences of a massive earthquake in Japan.Following the August 8th magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred on the western edge of the Nankai Trough, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued the advisory, concluding that it heightened the probability of another significant earthquake.There exists a 70-80% chance of a major earthquake associated with the Nankai Trough within the next three decades, and the JMA asserts that the probability is now "elevated" subsequent to the recent quake.However, Naoshi Hirata, a seismologist at the University of Tokyo and head of the JMA's expert panel, emphasizes that this advisory does not predict a megaquake at any specific time or location. He encourages vigilance and preparedness among the populace.The Nankai Trough, an undersea trench extending from Hyuganada off the southeastern coast of Kyushu to Suruga Bay in central Japan, spans approximately 500 miles along the Pacific coast.The JMA explains that the Philippine Sea Plate's gradual downward movement on the Eurasian Plate occasionally causes a rebound effect, which could trigger a megaquake and tsunami.The last Nankai Trough earthquake, which occurred off Shikoku in 1946, registered an initial magnitude of 8.0, causing the loss of over 1,300 lives.In 2013, a government disaster prevention team projected that a magnitude 9.1 Nankai Trough quake could generate a tsunami exceeding 33 feet within minutes, resulting in the deaths of as many as 323,000 individuals, the destruction of over 2 million buildings, and economic damage exceeding $1.5 trillion to vast stretches of Japan's Pacific coast.In response to the "megaquake advisory," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cancelled his planned August 9-12 trip to Central Asia and declared his commitment to leading the government's response, ensuring preventive measures, and facilitating public communication.The Fire and Disaster Management Agency directed 707 municipalities identified as being at risk from a Nankai Trough quake to reassess their response measures and evacuation plans.Experts and officials have urged the public to maintain composure and continue their daily social and economic activities while concurrently securing emergency food and water supplies and discussing evacuation plans with family members.In a reassuring statement on Monday, JMA experts affirmed that they have not detected any abnormal seismic or tectonic activity indicative of an impending megaquake.The "megaquake advisory," filled with scientific terminology, has instilled anxiety and confusion among the populace nationwide. Some towns have closed beaches and cancelled annual events, creating challenges for travelers during Japan's Obon holiday week, traditionally a time for festivals and fireworks across the nation.Many individuals have postponed planned trips and rushed to stock up on rice, dried noodles, canned food, bottled water, portable toilets, and other emergency goods, emptying shelves at numerous supermarkets in Tokyo, even though the capital is outside the at-risk area.The Summit supermarket chain reported a shortage of microwavable rice and has imposed a limit of one pack per customer.Yoshiko Kudo and her husband Shinya expressed difficulty in comprehending the exact implications of the advisory, the level of concern warranted, and the appropriate actions to take."We are trying not to go overboard. Excessive worry is not beneficial," Yoshiko Kudo remarked."We are unsure how to prepare while maintaining a normal lifestyle as advised by the experts," said Shinya Kudo, a caregiver in his 60s.Yoneko Oshima, walking near a major train station in Tokyo, expressed her apprehension: "It's frightening... They say there's a (70-80%) chance in the next 30 years, but it could happen tomorrow." Her recent purchase was a portable toilet. She emphasizes the importance of water for her diabetic husband, who requires medication after every meal."I intend to seize this opportunity to create a list and ensure we have everything readily available," Oshima stated. While she has not altered her holiday plans for this week, her daughter cancelled a planned trip to Mount Fuji.In Matsuyama city on the island of Shikoku, renowned for its hot springs, hotels, and resorts, have reviewed their evacuation procedures and emergency equipment, and have implemented a radio communication system for emergency use. They have received numerous cancellations since the advisory was issued, according to Hideki Ochi, director of the Dogo Onsen Ryokan Association.Rail companies serving the region have reduced train speeds slightly as a precautionary measure.A crisis management task force in the coastal town of Kuroshio in Kochi prefecture, where a major earthquake was predicted in the government risk analysis, initially established 30 shelters across the town. However, only two remain open following Monday's JMA statement that there has been no indication of an imminent megaquake.Higashi Osaka urged residents on the town's website to refrain from "unnecessary and non-urgent" travel in the event of a major earthquake.The popular seaside town of Shirahama in Wakayama prefecture announced that its four outdoor hot springs, parks, and other facilities would be closed for a week. Saturday's annual fireworks festival was also cancelled.