SOFREP Morning Brief: US Military Spent Over $6 Billion to Tackle Recruiting Crisis, North Korea Arrests Four Officials Over Failed Destroyer Launch

Good morning! Start your week with SOFREP’s morning brief, bringing you the latest updates on defense and global affairs for Monday, May 26, 2025. Here are your morning headlines at a glance: Gang attacks killed nearly 30 in Nigeria. Israeli airstrikes killed 22 in Gaza as fighting intensifies. The US is shifting its Africa strategy to push allies to handle more security, while its military at home spent $6B to fix recruiting, with most branches hitting their targets. Russia launched its biggest air assault on Ukraine while swapping 1,000+ prisoners. North Korea arrested officials over a failed warship launch.

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Suspected Gang Attacks Kill Nearly 30 in Northeast Nigeria

Armed gangs killed nearly 30 people in two suspected attacks on villages in Nigeria’s Taraba state early Saturday, according to local officials and residents.

Governor Agbu Kefas confirmed the violence in Karim Lamido district, stating “scores” were killed and property destroyed, though he did not provide an exact toll.

Residents of Magani and Munga villages reported at least 29 deaths, with bodies found scattered across both communities following the midnight assaults. Witnesses described hearing gunfire before discovering the aftermath.

Army Troops foil another bandit attack in Karim Lamido, Taraba

By: Zagazola Makama

The Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have foiled a bandit attack in Jen village, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the… pic.twitter.com/I7OGxHOyx9

— Zagazola (@ZagazOlaMakama) May 25, 2025

The attacks are part of a surge in violence across northeast Nigeria, where armed gangs—locally called bandits—routinely kill, abduct, and loot rural populations. The region also faces renewed jihadist activity, compounding the security crisis.

Governor Kefas condemned the killings as “horrendous and unacceptable.”

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 22 in Gaza as Military Intensifies Offensive

Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.

Spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported seven deaths in Jabalia, with more civilians trapped under rubble amid a lack of rescue equipment. In central Gaza’s Nuseirat, strikes killed two people, including a pregnant woman whose unborn child could not be saved, and also claimed the lives of the civil defense director of operations and his wife.

Additional fatalities occurred in Deir el-Balah, Beit Lahia, and Khan Yunis. Civil defense teams recovered bodies of several children and reported ongoing efforts to locate missing persons.

An Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced Palestinians killed at least 25 people, including women and children, with medics reporting dozens wounded and some bodies burned

Live updates👇https://t.co/uYVsLByjw6 pic.twitter.com/pCBa2UOxap

— TRT World (@trtworld) May 26, 2025

The Israeli military, which did not immediately comment, said Saturday it had struck over 100 targets in a renewed campaign to destroy Hamas.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 3,785 deaths since the March 18 ceasefire collapse, bringing the total death toll in the war to 53,939—mostly civilians.

The conflict began after Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,218 people and resulted in 251 hostages taken, with 57 still held in Gaza.

US Shifts Strategy in Africa, Urges Allies to Shoulder More Security Burden

The US military is shifting its strategy in Africa away from promoting governance and addressing root causes of insurgency, instead urging fragile allied nations to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

At the African Lion exercise, Gen. Michael Langley emphasized the need for partner nations to achieve independent operational capability and share the security burden. The joint training, involving troops from over 40 countries, included air, land, and sea operations but notably lacked the past emphasis on diplomacy and development.

Langley said in a recent interview with The Associated Press the new focus aligns with the Trump administration’s defense priorities of homeland protection and strategic burden-sharing.

The change comes as the Pentagon eyes a leaner force and reevaluates command structures in Africa amid rising influence from China and Russia, both of which are expanding military ties across the continent.

U.S. Africa Command’s African Lion is the premier annual military exercise on the continent. At the core of our bold and enduring partnership, it brings together the U.S., Morocco, and regional partners to strengthen cooperation and readiness. #AfricanLionExercise2025 pic.twitter.com/bAHBUNZ4AT

— U.S. Embassy Morocco (@USEmbMorocco) May 24, 2025

Despite the strategic pivot, US defense officials acknowledge worsening instability. Al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates are expanding, and Africa is now the epicenter of global terrorism. The Sahel region accounted for over half of the world’s terrorism deaths in 2024, with Somalia also seeing significant violence.

Langley admitted local forces, like Somalia’s army, remain underprepared despite increased US airstrikes and support.

Security analysts warn that many African militaries lack the air power, mobility, and infrastructure to combat insurgents effectively. Western powers have scaled back involvement in areas such as the Sahel, either voluntarily or due to hostile regimes, further weakening local counterinsurgency efforts.

As Washington steps back, experts caution that violence could expand beyond current hotspots, creating broader regional instability.

US Military Spent Over $6 Billion to Tackle Recruiting Crisis

The US military spent more than $6 billion between 2022 and 2024 to counter enlistment shortfalls through expanded recruiting and retention bonuses.

The US Navy led all branches in overall spending, including reenlistment bonuses for roughly 70,000 sailors annually—more than twice the US Army’s total, despite being a smaller force.

The Army, historically the branch with the greatest recruiting struggles, invested heavily in new programs like the Future Soldier Prep Course, helping thousands of lower-performing recruits meet standards. The Navy, facing a sharp shortfall in 2023, ramped up bonuses and broadened eligibility criteria to boost numbers.

All branches but the Navy met recruiting targets in 2023, and all are expected to do so in 2024.

The US military has spent more than six billion dollars in the past three years to recruit and attract young people to join the armed forces , writes ABC News.

▪️As the military struggles with a personnel shortage, financial incentives for those who want to join the Army, Navy,… pic.twitter.com/TnTlNCuZlC

— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) May 25, 2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump attributed the rebound to Trump’s leadership, but military officials credit the gains to structural reforms and expanded incentives.

The US Air Force also boosted bonuses in 2023 for roles in aircraft maintenance and munitions but reduced spending in 2024. The US Marine Corps hit targets consistently, despite dipping into delayed entry pools in 2022, and increased reenlistment bonuses after allowing early reenlistments in 2024.

Recruiting funds have targeted hard-to-fill roles in cyber, intel, special operations, and critical combat jobs. While retention for enlisted ranks remains strong, the Navy acknowledged persistent challenges retaining officers in key specialties like aviation and naval special warfare.

Russia Launches Largest Aerial Assault of War as Prisoner Swap Marks Rare Cooperation

Russia launched its most extensive aerial attack on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, firing 367 drones and missiles across over 30 cities and regions, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens.

The assault struck Kyiv during its national holiday, as well as Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and others.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister called it a “sleepless night,” while fires and destruction were reported in multiple districts of the capital. In Zhytomyr, three children were among the dead, and a drone strike killed a pregnant woman in Kyiv.

Despite the violence, Russia and Ukraine completed a three-day prisoner exchange, trading over 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Sunday’s final swap returned 303 Ukrainian service members from various branches, confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The exchange followed earlier talks in Istanbul and marked the only tangible progress in diplomacy so far.

MORE: Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Russia will occupy most of Ukraine if the West continues to aid Ukraine.

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1/ Medvedev called for Russian control over a buffer zone encompassing nearly all of Ukraine, apart from a… https://t.co/KpTwrDIr3t pic.twitter.com/zrKLC8hB8E

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) May 26, 2025

US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Vladimir Putin for the attacks, calling him “crazy,” while also expressing frustration with Zelenskyy’s rhetoric. Washington’s special envoy Keith Kellogg condemned the strikes as violations of the Geneva Protocols and urged an immediate ceasefire.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces were advancing in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, asserting control over border villages and repelling Ukrainian drone attacks near the Kursk region—where Putin’s helicopter was reportedly caught in crossfire.

The continued fighting along the 1,000-kilometer front highlights the enduring deadlock and intensifying brutality of the war, now in its third year.

North Korea Arrests Four Officials Over Failed Destroyer Launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the detention of four officials following the failed launch of a 5,000-ton-class naval destroyer, labeling the incident a result of “criminal negligence,” according to state media.

The mishap occurred during a launch ceremony at the Chongjin port, where the ship’s transport cradle detached prematurely, causing the destroyer to tip and partially submerge in front of the North Korean supreme leader.

Ri Hyong Son, vice director of the munitions industry department, and three Chongjin Shipyard officials — the chief engineer, hull workshop head, and administrative deputy manager — were arrested over the failure. Shipyard manager Hong Kil Ho was also summoned for questioning.

North Korea’s Central Military Commission called the event a crime that warranted full accountability.

The destroyer is critical to Kim’s naval modernization plan and the second of its class, following the high-profile launch of the first destroyer last month. Despite official denials of severe damage, satellite imagery and expert assessments suggest substantial setbacks.

New imagery collected today by @planet shows that North Korea has continued to cover the stricken destroyer with blue tarpaulin, potentially in an attempt to disguise damage to the vessel. Analysis by @stoa1984 indicates the vessel may have suffered significant structural damage. pic.twitter.com/JwMxHO23J6

— Open Source Centre (@osc_london) May 23, 2025

This marks a rare public disciplinary move by Pyongyang, highlighting Kim’s push to tighten discipline amid his aggressive five-year military build-up plan.

While Kim previously rewarded weapons developers with housing and praise—even after failed missile or satellite tests—this crackdown signals his high expectations for military modernization as tensions with South Korea and the US escalate.

Sources: News Agencies