A senior European Union official said on 12 June 2026 that the EU had confirmed that China had trained Russian soldiers, some of whom had subsequently been directly involved in the war against Ukraine. According to the official, the training had involved hundreds of people, had taken place at several locations in China, and amounted to direct preparation of military personnel rather than indirect support of Russia.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said on 15 June 2026 that Beijing remained a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and that the EU had verified reports of the Chinese military training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine.
Efforts Category: China’s Military and Economic Support of Russia
The Financial Times reported on 2 July 2026 that, according to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia had mapped NATO’s air defence gaps by conducting nearly 150 drone sorties into European airspace over 19 months, covering more than a dozen alliance member states as well as Ireland. The study found that Russia had likely used shadow-fleet tankers as launch platforms, recovery locations, or communication relays for the drones, and that the campaign had exploited weaknesses in Europe’s air defence systems, legal frameworks, and rules of engagement.
The study identified four likely objectives behind the campaign: surveillance of NATO’s nuclear deterrent and dual-capable military infrastructure; testing of allied response times; mapping of military logistics and supply routes; and imposition of economic costs while generating psychological pressure. Drones had been sighted near sensitive installations, including France’s Île Longue nuclear submarine base and air bases in the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Efforts Category: Russia’s Covert Subversion vs the Western states
Modern Great Game Watch 