SOFREP Daily: Foreign Spies Target Australia’s Submarine Secrets, Zelenskyy Calls Out Trump for Pushing Russian Disinformation

Thursday’s intel drop. It’s February 20, 2025, and we’ve got the latest updates in defense and global affairs to keep you informed. Let’s get started.

Foreign Spies Target Australia’s Submarine Secrets

Australia’s intelligence chief, Mike Burgess, has warned that foreign spies are targeting the country’s nuclear-powered submarine program and plotting to harm or kill political opponents living in Australia.

In a speech revealing declassified insights into national security threats, Burgess described an increasingly “degraded” security environment.

Hostile foreign intelligence agencies are actively trying to gather intelligence on Australia’s AUKUS submarine plans, which could escalate to sabotage by 2030.

Australian defense personnel are being targeted, with some receiving gifts embedded with surveillance devices.

Australia’s spy chief Mike Burgess has revealed that almost all foiled terrorist attacks over the past year involved the radicalization of children, while adding that the range of threats to national security is increasing exponentially https://t.co/49he1dWO8I

— Bloomberg (@business) February 19, 2025

Meanwhile, at least three foreign countries have plotted physical harm against individuals in Australia, including attempts to lure activists abroad under false pretenses to eliminate them.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) successfully thwarted these plots.

Burgess also warned of persistent terrorism threats, with modern perpetrators skewing younger, often acting alone, and driven by mixed ideological motives.

Minors as young as 15 are being radicalized online, a trend that artificial intelligence (AI)-driven algorithms could worsen.

Australia’s terrorism threat level remains “probable” with no signs of de-escalation in the near future.

Pentagon Slashes Budget to Fund Trump’s Defense Priorities

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the Pentagon’s 2026 budget to reallocate $50 billion in funds, shifting resources from Biden-era programs to align with Donald Trump’s defense priorities.

Reports suggest this effort could lead to deep cuts of around 8 percent annually, totaling $290 billion over five years.

Hegseth’s memo, reportedly sent on Tuesday, directs Pentagon leaders to finalize a plan by February 24, outlining cuts while exempting 17 categories, including border security and nuclear modernization.

Notably, funding for European Command—which has played a key role in the Ukraine conflict—is not prioritized, while Indo-Pacific and Space Command are.

Let’s get to work.

DOGE the waste; Double-Down on warriors. https://t.co/sZr6wubj54

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 19, 2025

The initiative aims to “revive the warrior ethos” and streamline military spending by eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies.

If fully implemented, the cuts could reduce the annual defense budget from $850 billion to around $560 billion over five years.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is reportedly involved in the effort, with Hegseth voicing support for its mission to curb wasteful spending.

Hamas Returns Hostage Bodies Amid Ceasefire Talks

Hamas is set to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, including members of the Bibas family, who have become symbols of Israel’s hostage crisis since the Gaza war began.

This marks the first time Hamas has handed over remains since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The transfer will take place in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement.

Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were abducted from their home near the Gaza border, while her husband, Yarden, was taken separately but was later released in a hostage-prisoner exchange on February 1.

The fourth hostage, Oded Lifshitz, is also among those being returned.

Hamas claims the Bibas family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed this.

The repatriation is part of a broader agreement in which Hamas has released 19 Israeli hostages in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.

Under the next phase, Israel expects to receive the remains of eight more hostages while six living captives are set to be freed on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Thursday as a “heartbreaking day” for Israel, while forensic teams in Tel Aviv are preparing to confirm the identities of the returned remains.

Meanwhile, Hamas has proposed a single-swap deal to release all remaining hostages, though the exact number still held is unclear.

The conflict has resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, with over 1,211 Israelis and 48,297 Gazans killed.

Zelenskyy Calls Out Trump for Pushing Russian Disinformation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing him of being influenced by Russian disinformation after Trump claimed Zelenskyy’s approval rating was just 4 percent.

Zelenskyy dismissed the claim as false, citing a recent poll showing that 57 percent of Ukrainians trust him.

He emphasized the need to convey the truth to Trump’s team.

💬 Zelenskyy: “With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader (…) he is living in this disinformation space.”pic.twitter.com/6rctiagNF9

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) February 19, 2025

Zelenskyy also accused Washington of helping Russian President Vladimir Putin break out of international isolation after US and Russian foreign ministers met in Saudi Arabia.

He warned that this rapprochement does not benefit Ukraine, despite the US being its key military and financial ally.

While expressing concerns about shifting geopolitical dynamics, Zelenskyy reiterated his push for solid security guarantees from Kyiv’s allies.

He stated that such assurances could help facilitate a ceasefire in 2025, emphasizing his goal of ending the war this year.

Trump Shifts US Policy, Echoes Putin’s NATO Concerns

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday praised US President Donald Trump for blaming the Ukraine war on efforts to bring Kyiv into NATO.

Lavrov highlighted Trump as the only Western leader to publicly call out NATO expansion as a root cause of the conflict.

Trump has consistently argued that the war would not have started if he had been president in 2022, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden’s push for Ukraine’s NATO membership. His stance has raised concerns in Ukraine, where officials fear that Trump’s approach could lead to peace negotiations favoring Russia and requiring major concessions from Kyiv.

Since taking office last month, Trump has reshaped US foreign policy, making support for Ukraine conditional on access to its rare minerals while echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s views on the war. His rhetoric, particularly a January statement suggesting he understands Russia’s opposition to NATO’s presence in Ukraine, has reinforced Moscow’s narrative.

Trump’s position comes amid renewed US-Russia diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia—the first high-level discussions between the two nations in over three years.

UK Summons Rwanda’s Envoy Over Congo Conflict

Britain’s foreign ministry summoned Rwanda’s envoy on Tuesday to condemn the recent advances of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The fighters, along with Rwandan troops, captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, following their takeover of Goma in North Kivu last month.

The UK called these territorial gains an “unacceptable violation” of the DRC’s sovereignty and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan forces.

Britain urged Rwanda to cease hostilities and return to African-led peace talks.

The M23 has seized large portions of eastern DRC, facing little resistance from Congolese forces.

BREAKING: The UK has summoned the Rwandan High Commissioner following advances of Rwandan defence forces and rebel group M23 in the Democratic Republic of Congohttps://t.co/NzGlOQ8aaF

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/zUZY84gTE3

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 18, 2025

UN experts claim Rwanda effectively controls the M23, with at least 4,000 troops fighting alongside them. While the DRC accuses Rwanda of expansionism and mineral exploitation, Rwanda denies military involvement and instead accuses the DRC of harboring FDLR fighters linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The UK has warned of the risk of a wider regional conflict and insists that a military solution is not viable.

Sources: CNN, News Agencies, The New York Times