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Estonia open to UK nuclear-capable jets as NATO weighs response to Russian airspace breach
Estonia has signalled it is prepared to host British fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, as NATO members consider their rules of engagement following the breach of Estonian airspace by Russian aircraft last week. Defence minister Hanno Pevkur said…
Report: Russian-made small arms entering Italy via mafia channels and ‘shadow fleet’
Italian investigative outlet Linkiesta has reported that Russian-origin small arms and ammunition have been moved covertly into Italy through mafia structures, with consignments routed by sea and overland and then warehoused by clans for resale or contingency use. The report,…
Serco and Damen: A Risky Gamble with the Royal Navy
The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) decision to award a £200 million contract for 24 auxiliary vessels to Dutch shipbuilder Damen, under the wider £850 million Serco-managed support deal for Royal Navy bases, has drawn sharp criticism. While concerns about outsourcing…
Russia launches 619 drones and missiles at Ukraine; air defences neutralise 583
Russia conducted a large-scale combined strike across Ukraine overnight from 19 to 20 September, launching 619 aerial assets comprising attack drones and missiles. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 583 of these were destroyed or suppressed, with impacts and falling debris recorded in…
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MiG-31s over Estonia expose a NATO posture Moscow now expects
Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31s penetrated its airspace near Vaindloo Island on 19 September is the fourth such violation this year and the most serious to date: the jets reportedly remained inside for around 12 minutes, with transponders off,…
Estonia summons Russian envoy after MiG-31 incursion; Poland reports low passes over Petrobaltic Baltic platform
Estonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn on Friday, 19 September, after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for around 12 minutes. The Estonian Foreign Ministry issued a formal note of…
Europe Needs Its Drone Wall — Before It Is Too Late
For much of the past decade, Europe has sleepwalked into vulnerability. Our collective gaze has lingered on tanks, missiles and jets, while the quieter revolution in drone warfare has surged overhead. Drones — once the preserve of hobbyists — have…
Ukraine targets Russian energy sites in Bashkortostan and Volgograd
Ukrainian forces struck two major energy facilities deep inside Russia overnight on 17–18 September, hitting the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan and the Lukoil-operated Volgograd oil refinery. Regional authorities in Bashkortostan reported a fire at the Salavat site…
Poland signals interest in nuclear sharing after Russian drone incursions
Poland’s new president, Karol Nawrocki, has signalled that Warsaw wants to participate in NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements and to develop “its own nuclear capabilities — energy, civilian and military”. Speaking in a televised interview with France’s LCI on 16–17 September, Mr…
Polish media: F-16 missile likely damaged house during drone incursion
A house damaged during Russia’s mass drone incursion into Polish airspace on 10 September was likely struck by a malfunctioning air-to-air missile fired from a Polish F-16, rather than by a falling drone, according to a report by the daily…