Morning Brief: Syria Schedules Parliamentary Elections, Russia Scales Down Navy Day Celebrations, Kim Yo Jong Rejects South Korea’s Outreach

· Guy D. McCardle

The week opens with major shifts across global hotspots. Syria prepares for its first elections since Assad’s ouster, while deadly violence erupts in Congo and intensifies along the Thai-Cambodian border. Russia’s Navy Day is overshadowed by Ukrainian drone strikes, and a high-stakes UN summit aims to revive the two-state solution. Here’s your Monday Morning Brief from SOFREP for July 28, 2025.

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Syria Schedules Parliamentary Elections Amid Fragile Post-Assad Transition

Syria will hold parliamentary elections between September 15–20, marking the first vote since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a December rebel offensive.

Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, confirmed the schedule to state media on Sunday.

Under the interim political framework, one-third of the 210 parliamentary seats will be appointed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while the remaining two-thirds will be filled through provincial electoral colleges.

The elections follow a temporary constitution signed in March, which established a People’s Committee to function as a transitional legislature until a permanent constitution and full general elections are implemented — a process expected to take years.

The announcement comes amid rising internal instability.

Earlier this month, sectarian violence erupted in Sweida province following a series of kidnappings between Bedouin clans and Druze fighters. Syrian government forces intervened but reportedly sided with the Bedouin, with reports of summary executions and looting targeting Druze civilians.

In response, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian government forces and the Defense Ministry, citing the protection of the Druze minority as justification.

 

Ugandan Islamist Rebels Kill At Least 35 in Church Massacre in Northeastern DR Congo

At least 35 people were killed Sunday night when Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked a Catholic church in Komanda, a key town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The raid ended several months of relative calm in Ituri province, according to local officials and residents.

ADF fighters opened fire on parishioners gathered for evening prayer around 9 p.m. local time. Most of the victims were members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with several others seriously wounded and an unknown number of youths abducted.

The attack brings the provisional death toll to at least 38, with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) confirming the figures.

The ADF, a jihadist group originally formed by Ugandan rebels and aligned with the Islamic State since 2019, has long terrorized eastern Congo. Sunday’s massacre marks the group’s deadliest strike since a February attack that killed 23 people in nearby Mambasa.

The Congolese army confirmed the incident and identified the ADF as the likely perpetrator. Komanda, located in Irumu territory, is a strategic commercial hub linking Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema provinces.

Despite a joint Congolese-Ugandan military campaign known as Operation Shujaa launched in 2021, the ADF continues to carry out mass killings and destabilize the region.

The group has killed thousands of civilians in northeastern DRC through coordinated ambushes, looting, and executions.

 

Russia Scales Down Navy Day Celebrations Amid Escalating Ukrainian Drone Threats

Russia significantly reduced its annual Navy Day celebrations on Sunday due to ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks.

Authorities canceled naval parades in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, and Vladivostok, citing security concerns. Despite President Vladimir Putin’s visit to St. Petersburg, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the cancellations were due to safety priorities.

Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted 99 Ukrainian drones overnight and 51 more near St. Petersburg later that day. One person died and three were injured by drone debris in the surrounding region. Pulkovo Airport temporarily suspended flights in response to the threat.

Putin used the occasion to visit the Admiral Grigorovich frigate and praised its crew for repelling a drone attack. He also received reports on the four-day “July Storm” naval drills involving 150 warships.

Pledging to expand Russia’s naval power, Putin said the navy’s combat capabilities would reach “a qualitatively new level.”

The scaling down of the Navy Day observances underscores growing Kremlin concern over Ukraine’s expanding drone campaign.

Recent Ukrainian strikes have sunk Russian warships in the Black Sea and forced Moscow to relocate key naval assets from occupied Crimea to Novorossiysk. On June 1, Ukraine launched the “Spiderweb” operation, using drones to strike long-range bomber bases deep in Russian territory, including in the Arctic and Siberia — a move seen as a major intelligence and morale victory for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Russia continued missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. In Sumy, drone strikes damaged infrastructure and wounded several civilians, while mine explosions elsewhere in the region killed two people and injured another.

French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed support for Ukraine in a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing to pressure Moscow into a ceasefire and future peace talks.

 

France and Saudi Arabia Lead UN Push to Revive Two-State Solution

France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair a high-level United Nations conference in New York from July 28–30 aimed at reviving the long-stalled two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

The meeting comes amid continued war in Gaza and mounting international concern over the viability of a future Palestinian state.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced France will formally recognize the State of Palestine in September, a move expected to energize the conference and prompt other countries to follow. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that additional European nations will declare similar intentions during the summit.

The UK has resisted immediate recognition, insisting it must be part of a broader strategy.

More than 140 UN member states already recognize Palestine. The upcoming conference, which will include Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and dozens of foreign ministers, aims to accelerate this momentum.

Key goals include preparing for the recognition of a Palestinian state, reforming the Palestinian Authority, disarming Hamas and removing it from political life, and normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states.

This marks the first time Arab nations are expected to officially condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament. However, no new normalization deals with Israel are expected to be announced.

Neither Israel nor the United States will attend the conference. With over 21 months of war in Gaza, Israeli settlement expansion, and threats of annexation, international frustration is rising.

French diplomats expect strong criticism of Israel, and humanitarian concerns in Gaza are likely to dominate the three-day summit. The conference is positioned as a rare opportunity to turn decades of international consensus into concrete action toward ending the conflict.

 

Kim Yo Jong Rejects South Korea’s Outreach, Signals No Return to Talks

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed diplomatic overtures from South Korea’s new liberal government on Monday, stating there is “no interest” in engagement and “no issue to be discussed.”

Her remarks underscore Pyongyang’s hardened stance and its focus on expanding ties with Russia rather than resuming stalled diplomacy with Seoul or Washington.

In her first official response to President Lee Jae Myung’s administration, Kim acknowledged Seoul’s conciliatory steps such as halting loudspeaker broadcasts and curbing leaflet campaigns but criticized its continued alliance with the US and upcoming joint military drills, which North Korea deems a threat.

Kim’s statement reinforces Pyongyang’s long-standing rejection of diplomacy since the collapse of nuclear talks with US President Donald Trump in 2019. North Korea has since escalated its weapons development and declared a “two-state” policy to end ties with the South.

Analysts say Kim aims to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington while securing deeper military and economic cooperation with Moscow. North Korea has reportedly supplied weapons and personnel to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for technical and financial aid.

Despite the rhetoric, experts note Pyongyang may reassess its strategy at the upcoming Workers’ Party meeting in January, hinting at possible backup plans for future engagement if conditions change.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry reiterated its intent to pursue peaceful coexistence despite North Korea’s current stance.

 

Thai-Cambodian Leaders Meet Amid Escalating Border Clashes

Thai and Cambodian leaders are holding emergency talks in Kuala Lumpur to halt deadly border clashes that have entered a fifth day, leaving at least 35 dead and over 260,000 displaced.

The meeting, hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim under ASEAN’s auspices, brings together Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

Fighting erupted last Thursday after a landmine wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides exchanged blame and escalated the conflict, prompting Thailand to recall its ambassador, shut border crossings, and accuse Cambodia of lacking sincerity in resolving the crisis. Gunfire continued Monday along the border, particularly in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.

The talks follow direct warnings from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to suspend trade negotiations with both nations if violence persists. China and the US have sent observers to the negotiations, which focus on an immediate ceasefire.

ASEAN, which traditionally promotes non-aggression and dialogue, expressed alarm at the rare inter-member hostilities and urged peaceful resolution. The border conflict stems from long-standing territorial disputes, recently inflamed by a May incident that killed a Cambodian soldier and escalated diplomatic tensions.

Monday’s outcome will be critical for regional stability and ASEAN’s credibility as a peacekeeping bloc.

 

Sources: News Agencies