ISSUE #358📅Friday, 5 June 2026⏱6 min read📑5 stories · 1 deep dive
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The Briefing
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Here’s what’s happening in geopolitics today. From Washington to the Middle East, today’s headlines are once again defined by hard security and geopolitical friction, as the US pushes ahead with major new funding for immigration enforcement while also stepping up maritime action against sanctioned oil shipments.
In Asia, diplomatic and strategic ties are back in focus with Xi Jinping preparing a rare visit to North Korea, even as prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia remain one of the few functioning channels between the two sides of the war.
Meanwhile, the Israel–Lebanon conflict continues to stall at the negotiating table, with Hezbollah rejecting a US-backed ceasefire proposal, underscoring how difficult de-escalation remains in the region.
In today’s conflict tracker, we take a look at two major attacks on strategic towns in two different conflicts — Ukraine and Sudan.
— The Basedment Editorial Team· 05 Jun 2026
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The Last 24 Hours in Geopolitics
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US Senate passes $70B in new funds for ICE, Border Patrol
The U.S. Senate has passed legislation providing roughly $70 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol, approving the measure in a 52–47 vote largely along party lines. The funding would support the agencies through the remainder of President Donald Trump's term and represents a major victory for the administration's immigration enforcement agenda. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers will consider the measure amid ongoing debate over enforcement policies and oversight provisions.
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China’s Xi to visit North Korea next week for first time in six years
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea on June 8–9 for his first visit to Pyongyang since 2019, where he is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The visit comes as Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with its long-time ally amid shifting regional dynamics, including North Korea's deepening relationship with Russia and ongoing tensions with the United States. Xi's trip will be his first overseas visit of 2026 and is expected to focus on bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
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Ukraine and Russia exchange 185 prisoners of war each in swap
Ukraine and Russia each exchanged 185 prisoners of war on Friday in the latest swap between the two sides, with officials in Kyiv and Moscow confirming the exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that most of the returned Ukrainian service members had been held in Russian captivity since 2022, while Russia stated its released personnel would receive medical and psychological support upon their return. The exchange was reportedly facilitated by the United Arab Emirates and highlights one of the few areas of ongoing cooperation between the two countries despite continued fighting.
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US forces seize sanctioned supertanker in high-seas operation
The Pentagon said U.S. forces boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Davina in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel as part of Washington's efforts to enforce sanctions on Iranian-linked oil shipments. According to U.S. officials, the tanker had previously been sanctioned for transporting Iranian crude, and the boarding was conducted without incident under maritime interdiction procedures.
Hezbollah has rejected a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal aimed at de-escalating the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon, according to multiple officials and regional reports. The group’s leadership described the plan as unacceptable, insisting that any agreement must include a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and broader conditions tied to its military posture in the region.
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Daily Deep Dive
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Analysis · Dispatch
Russia Takes Key Town of Huliaipilske, Sudanese Army Begns Counterattack
In today’s conflict tracker, we take a look at two major attacks on strategic towns in two different conflicts — Ukraine and Sudan.
Basedment Analysis
Conflict Tracker
Russia-Ukraine
After more than a month of grinding combat, Russia's 114th Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division has captured the majority of Huliaipilske, a village sitting roughly halfway between Huliaipole and Omelnyk. Ukrainian forces from the 154th Mechanized Brigade still hold a narrow strip in the north, on the right bank of the Zherebets River, but the rest of the brigade has pulled back behind a tributary to the south, using belts of forest as cover near Novosilivka.
The fall of most of Huliaipilske is not just a battlefield loss. The village sits astride a key road leading north toward Omelnyk, a critical logistics node roughly 10 kilometers away, and the main north-south supply route T0408 that feeds Orikhiv from the north. Orikhiv has limited road access, and Omelnyk covers one of the two main arteries into the city. Pressure here is pressure on the whole southern axis.
On Ukraine's right flank, the 61st Mechanized Brigade is in a difficult spot. Its fortifications were built to repel attacks from the south, but Russia's 38th Motorized Rifle Brigade is coming from the east, near Charyvne, effectively rolling them up from the wrong direction.
At the operational level, the Russian "East" grouping has cracked or is close to cracking a defensive line Ukraine built around three fortified villages west of Huliaipole. Two of the three are now either contested or taken. With Huliaipilske largely in Russian hands, the next push will likely follow the southern bank of the Zherebets toward Chervona Krynytsia, while a simultaneous river crossing attempts to dislodge Ukraine's remaining blocking position at Zaliznychne.
There is still significant distance and difficult terrain before any of this threatens Orikhiv directly. But the direction of travel is clear.
After a month of preparations, on May 23, the SAF launched an operation to capture Kurmuk, seizing a series of positions from the joint SPLM/RSF force north of the town (including Kayli), and advancing to within a few kilometers of it.
Situation on Blue Nile front: After two weeks of fighting, the SAF prevailed over the joint SPLM/RSF forces in the Berka area, located 25 kilometres northwest of Kurmuk.
Suriyak source for information and map
For Context The Blue Nile front has become increasingly significant following the capture of Kurmuk by the SPLM-N and RSF coalition. After securing the town, allied forces reportedly advanced westward and seized Kayli, potentially setting the conditions for future operations toward Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile State.
Unlike the urban fighting in Khartoum and Darfur, the Blue Nile campaign is shaped by border security, supply routes, and the mountainous terrain along the Ethiopian frontier. Control of Kurmuk provides strategic depth and access to key logistical corridors.
The SAF has responded by reinforcing defensive positions and conducting operations in nearby border areas, creating a fluid battlefield where both sides are attempting to consolidate gains… up until the last few days where they have launched the said counterattack that we are seeing heading toward the local administrative capital of Kurmuk.
And don’t forget the fighting also carries regional implications. Operating near the Ethiopian border gives the RSF-SPLM-N alliance access to potential cross-border support networks, which is essentially showcasing how wider Gulf and Horn of Africa rivalries are increasingly influencing the conflict. But I would say the likely reason for this offensive is to pull away resources from the main frontline further north.
THIS WEEK ON PATREON
This week's 3,500-word exclusive analysis examines one of the most important yet least understood developments of the war: Ukraine's evolving drone doctrine.
We break down how Robert Brovdi's "Kill Zone" strategy is transforming the battlefield, the growing role of FPV, mothership and AI-assisted drones, and why Ukraine is increasingly shifting from targeting frontline troops to striking Russian logistics, air defences and operational infrastructure deep behind the front.
The report also explores the emerging mid-range drone war around Mariupol, Ukraine's campaign against Russia's air defence network, and whether drones are beginning to turn Russia's vast geography from a strategic advantage into a growing vulnerability.
For readers who want to understand where modern warfare is heading, this may be one of the most important pieces we have published this year. Try Before You Buy! Sources Available upon request
TODAY IN HISTORY (June 5, 1968): Robert F. Kennedy's assassination
On this day in 1968, just moments after his victory speech for the California presidential primary, U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot by Sirhan Sirhan. His death came five years after the assassination of his brother Pres. John F. Kennedy and contributed to the idea of a Kennedy curse.
