NATO's Eastern Edge on Alert as Russia Risk Grows

Germany's intelligence chief warned that Russian hybrid attacks are escalating and the risk of outright armed conflict with Europe is growing, a warning that landed as alarm spread along NATO's eastern edge. Poland alerted residents in its east over Russian strikes on Ukraine, Romanian jets scrambled near the Ukrainian border after an unidentified aerial object, and Estonia moved an army brigade closer to the Russian frontier. Overnight a Russian projectile struck a bus and a border checkpoint on the Ukraine-Moldova line, wounding a guard. Inside Ukraine, the command shake-up continued: new commander-in-chief Drapaty reversed predecessor Syrsky's order to send troops to Volyn, redirecting them to reinforce Zaporizhzhia instead. The General Staff logged 177 combat engagements over the past day, heaviest around Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka, while Kyiv claimed over 2,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded in a single day. Diplomats from Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden confirmed they are staying in Kyiv regardless. Elsewhere, Spain's Pedro Sanchez called snap elections after a legislative deadlock, seeking a fresh mandate. In Bosnia, Milorad Dodik's SNSD claimed victory in the Republika Srpska vote, which analysts say will deepen the country's crisis and complicate its EU path. In Pakistan, Imran Khan's supporters marched on the capital after talks with the government collapsed.