INTERNACIONAL
Ukraine’s battlefield is transforming the future of NATO
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This is part three of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.
LVIV, Ukraine — Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, officials across NATO’s eastern flank increasingly believe the alliance’s future is already being rewritten on Ukraine’s battlefield.
From drone warfare and cyber defense to civilian resilience and large-scale military mobilization, Eastern European officials say Ukraine has become one of the world’s most battle-tested militaries, forcing NATO to rethink how future wars will be fought.
This week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been invited to attend the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara in July, underscoring how central Ukraine has become to NATO’s future despite not being a member of the alliance.
‘A NEW KIND OF WAR’: INSIDE UKRAINE’S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with the media as he arrives for a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023. (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)
«I think today the Ukrainian army is the number one army in Europe,» Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi told Fox News Digital during an interview in the western Ukrainian city.
«I think NATO needs the Ukrainian army,» he added.
The debate over NATO’s future intensified this week as alliance foreign ministers gathered in Sweden ahead of a major NATO summit in July, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the upcoming meeting «one of the more important leaders’ summits in the history of NATO.»
Rubio warned NATO allies this week that the alliance lacks sufficient munitions production for future conflicts, a concern echoed by Ret. Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, who said the Pentagon is studying Ukraine’s rapid wartime industrial adaptation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shake hands before a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
«A number of nations are taking a page out of Ukraine’s transformation of its defense industrial base, in terms of quality as well as the tremendous increase in quantity of arms to the frontlines as well,» Newton said, adding, «The Pentagon is taking note and working to encourage the transformation of our own industrial base so we can drastically improve and more rapidly provide capabilities to our forces in the field, not in a matter of years but in months and perhaps even in weeks.»
Rubio also referenced President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would maintain troop deployments in Poland after concerns earlier this week about possible reductions on NATO’s eastern flank.
AS TRUMP FORCES NATO TO PAY UP, ALLIANCE RACES TO CLOSE MILITARY GAP WITH US
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Romania’s President Nicusor Dan attend a joint press conference during a NATO summit with eastern and Nordic members in Vilnius, Lithuania, on June 2, 2025. (Petras Malukas/AFP)
Speaking before the NATO meeting, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski welcomed Trump’s announcement. «I want to thank President Trump for his announcement that the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels,» Sikorski said.
«I think this makes Putin very uncomfortable.»
Some note that the debate over NATO’s future comes with deep irony for Moscow.
One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s central grievances before the invasion was NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s growing ambitions to move closer to the alliance. Moscow repeatedly demanded NATO roll back its military footprint to pre-1997 levels and opposed any future Ukrainian membership.
Instead, the invasion accelerated NATO’s expansion.
Newly recruited soldiers of Ukraine’s 159th Separate Mechanized Brigade take part in military exercises at a training ground on May 14, 2026 in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Newly recruited soldiers of Ukraine’s 159th Separate Mechanized Brigade take part in integration and advanced training exercises in the northern Kharkiv region following the completion of their basic military training. (Yevhen Titov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Finland formally joined NATO in 2023, ending decades of military nonalignment, while Sweden joined in 2024 after Russia’s invasion dramatically reshaped security calculations across northern Europe. Finland alone added more than 800 miles of direct NATO border with Russia.
Now officials in Poland and Ukraine say the war is not only expanding NATO geographically, but fundamentally transforming the alliance itself.
«For decades, NATO focused largely on expeditionary wars and counterterrorism,» said Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski during an interview in Warsaw. «Modern warfare is mostly done by drones.»
«There is not a military in the world which is better than Ukraine» in understanding today’s battlefield realities, he added.
US SCRAMBLES AS DRONES SHAPE THE LANDSCAPE OF WAR: ‘THE FUTURE IS HERE’
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends the Victory Day military parade marking the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 9, 2022. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (AP)
Ret. Gen. Philip Breedlove, who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said the war has fundamentally transformed how militaries around the world understand modern warfare.
«The war in Ukraine has changed far more than just NATO’s understanding of modern warfare — it has changed the whole world’s understanding,» Breedlove told Fox News Digital.
Breedlove added that Ukraine’s military has evolved into «one of Europe’s most capable and formidable» forces after years of fighting Russia, despite having surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
UKRAINE MAKES FASTEST GAINS IN YEARS AS RUSSIA TALKS STALL, EXPLOITING CRACKS IN KREMLIN COMMAND
A soldier launches an RQ-35 Heidrun drone used for reconnaissance and artillery fire correction in the Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Feb. 22, 2026. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
«Today, most agree that Ukraine is not only fighting, but winning back land against one of the world’s most formidable forces,» he said.
That transformation is visible throughout Ukraine.
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine had one of Eastern Europe’s largest IT sectors. Sadovyi said the war forced much of that technological ecosystem to pivot toward defense production.
«Before the invasion, we had in Kyiv a huge IT cluster, 40,000 workers,» Lviv’s mayor said. «During the war, we rebuilt the IT cluster to defend cluster.»
NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US
Ukrainian-made drones are displayed at a military technology exhibition in western Ukraine. (Efrat Lachter/Fox News Digital)
Ukraine now operates a rapidly expanding wartime innovation ecosystem focused on drones, anti-drone systems, battlefield communications and decentralized weapons production. NATO officials and European militaries are increasingly studying those lessons closely.
Breedlove says the conflict exposed the limits of traditional air power and accelerated the rise of drone warfare.
«It’s critical to remember that the war in Ukraine is being fundamentally fought without the support of modern air warfare because of the failures of the Russian Air Force,» he said.
«It’s why drone warfare has grown so exponentially, because neither side was able to marshal true modern air capabilities.»
The changes are also reshaping NATO strategy.
The Polish defense official Zalewski told Fox News Digital the Pentagon is now promoting what Polish officials describe as «NATO 3.0,» a model in which Europe assumes greater responsibility for conventional defense as the United States shifts more attention toward China and the Indo-Pacific.
«The main assumption of this concept is that conventionally it would be Europe defending itself,» he said.
EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS
Service members of the strike UAV platoon of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade control an FPV drone with optical fibre guidance to deliver a parcel to frontline troops in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 17, 2026. (Iryna Rybakova/Press Service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Reuters)
That shift comes as Poland dramatically increases military spending and positions itself as one of NATO’s leading military powers on the alliance’s eastern flank. Warsaw spent nearly 5% of GDP on defense this year, the highest level in NATO.
Polish officials argue the war proved Eastern Europe was right to take Russia’s threat seriously long before many Western European countries did.
«The eastern flank is much more powerful than even five years ago,» Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki told Fox News Digital during reporting in Warsaw.
«We were right about the nature of Putin’s regime and Russia’s aggressive strategy.»
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Firefighters put out a fire in a multi-story apartment building following a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Andrii Marienko/AP)
Ukraine is not currently a NATO member, and the alliance has avoided offering Kyiv a concrete timeline for accession during the war out of concern it could trigger direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
But across Eastern Europe, officials increasingly argue the alliance’s future may depend on Ukraine regardless of formal membership.
nato, volodymyr zelenskyy, ukraine, vladimir putin, russia, conflicts
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The Israel Defense Forces announced the elimination of a senior Hezbollah commander who was accused of orchestrating the 2007 kidnapping and murder of five American soldiers.
The IDF said they killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Musa Daqduq was killed Friday in a precise strike in southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River.
«ELIMINATED: Ali Musa Daqduq, a senior Hezbollah commander who held a series of 5 senior positions within Hezbollah,» the IDF hailed on X. «Daqduq played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and IDF soldiers. In 2007, he orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of 5 American soldiers.»
Israeli officials targeted the veteran Hezbollah operative who held multiple senior roles in the terror organization.
ISRAEL KILLS 2 HEZBOLLAH COMMANDERS RESPONSIBLE FOR 400 STRIKES AGAINST THEM IN OCTOBER: IDF
«His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers,» the IDF wrote in a statement.
«The IDF will continue to operate against commanders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.»
ISRAEL ELIMINATES HEZBOLLAH’S TOP MILITARY COMMANDER HAYTHAM ALI TABATABAI IN TARGETED BEIRUT STRIKE
The Israeli Defense Forces announced the elimination of terrorist Ali Musa Daqduq, a senior Hezbollah commander who held a series of five senior positions, having advanced terrorist attacks and combat operations against Israel and IDF soldiers. In 2007, he orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of five American soldiers. (Israel Defense Forces/X)
Daqduq’s roles included commander of the security unit for eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, commander in the Radwan Force, commander in the Operations Department of the Nasser Unit, head of Hezbollah’s Infantry Unit and commander of Hezbollah’s «Golan Terrorist Network,» according to the IDF.
The Golan network was responsible for Hezbollah’s entrenchment in Syria and the establishment of military infrastructure near Israel’s border. The unit’s activities were exposed by Israel in 2019.
«In recent years, he played a central role in advancing terrorist attacks and combat operations against the State of Israel and IDF soldiers,» the IDF said.
IDF FINDS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS CACHE IN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL: VIDEO
Daqduq also led much of Hezbollah’s operational planning against Israeli troops along the Lebanon border over the past several years, the IDF added.
Daqduq was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq in 2007, but was transferred to Iraqi custody during the U.S. withdrawal in 2011 under former President Barack Obama. Iraqi courts later dismissed charges against him, and Baghdad released him in 2012.
«His elimination constitutes another significant blow to Hezbollah’s senior chain of command by eliminating one of the most prominent operatives responsible for terrorist activity against Israeli civilians, IDF soldiers, and American servicemembers,» the IDF said.
ISRAEL STRIKES BEIRUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A CEASEFIRE ENDED THE LATEST ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
The announcement came as Israel also carried out strikes Sunday in the Dahieh district of Beirut, targeting what the IDF described as Hezbollah infrastructure.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the Beirut strikes were ordered in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.
«Israel will not tolerate fire into its territory,» they said.
The latest strikes come at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as U.S.-backed efforts continue to finalize a broader regional deal with Iran and President Donald Trump.
ISRAELI OFFICIAL REJECTS TRUMP’S CALL FOR IRAN DEAL: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ TO NEGOTIATE WITH ‘EVIL, JIHADIST REGIME’
Ali Musa Daqduq, a longtime Hezbollah commander, was killed after years of involvement in the group’s military and terrorist operations, according to Israeli officials. (Israeli Defense Forces; Photo by Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Bibi should not have done what he did,» Trump told Fox News’ Middle East correspondent Trey Yingst.
He said to Netanyahu: «What the f–k are you doing?»
Trump told Yingst he hopes the deal with Iran will be signed before the night. He will remove the blockade of Iranian ports immediately once it is signed.
TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘CRAZY’ NETANYAHU CLASH AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER PUSH TO HOLD FIRE ON HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS
Trump will ask Iran not to respond with missiles toward Israel.
A diplomat involved in the talks told Fox News the Beirut strikes were complicating those efforts.
«The strikes today in Beirut are creating issues with finalizing the deal,» the diplomat said. «This is a clear attempt by Israel to sabotage the president’s deal and drag the United States back into war.»
A senior Israeli official rejected that characterization, telling Fox News that Israel was responding to Hezbollah attacks.
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«We reject the notion that Israel is to blame for the exchange of fire,» the official said. «Hezbollah attacks have targeted Israeli civilians the past three days.»
Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
terrorism, donald trump, israel, benjamin netanyahu, iraq, lebanon
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INTERNACIONAL
Gabbard says declassified biolab records validate concerns previously dismissed as misinformation
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of declassified records detailing U.S. funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, arguing the documents validate concerns that were previously dismissed as misinformation.
The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Critics accused her of echoing Russian narratives, while supporters argued legitimate questions about the labs’ activities and oversight were being unfairly dismissed.
The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s laboratory network.
DNI TULSI GABBARD PROBES U.S. FUNDING TO MORE THAN 120 BIOLABS AROUND THE WORLD
A bio safety lab where SARS-CoV-2 infectious samples are inactivated is shown at the Penn Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., on Dec. 16, 2021.
One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era. The records also show Ukrainian scientists received U.S.-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases.
The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS.
Additional records detail U.S.-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show U.S. taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects.
LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER SUSPECTED BIOLAB DISCOVERED IN CHINESE NATIONAL’S LAS VEGAS HOME
Newly declassified records released by DNI Tulsi Gabbard reveal details about U.S.-funded biological laboratories around the world, reigniting debate over overseas bioresearch programs. (iStock)
One declassified assessment focuses on a veterinary research laboratory in Kharkiv that received Pentagon funding through the Defense Department’s Biological Threat Reduction Program.
According to the assessment, the facility housed hundreds of samples of dangerous pathogens, including Brucella bacteria, which can cause a disease known as brucellosis. The document warned the lab could become a target of Russian propaganda efforts or be damaged, captured or otherwise compromised during the war.
Another ODNI slide outlines what it describes as a «web of connections» linking Ukrainian laboratories with U.S. government agencies, universities, research organizations and private contractors. The document says U.S. funding supported research on bird flu and other highly infectious viruses in high-security laboratories.
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard appeared during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats on March 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of U.S.-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs.
The declassification is likely to reignite debate over government transparency, gain-of-function research and the scope of U.S.-funded biological research overseas.
tulsi gabbard, medical research, ukraine, cia, viruses
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