By Isabella Egerton Russia has launched an extensive information campaign to disguise its economic vulnerabilities, following US President Donald Trump’s description of the country as a “paper tiger” and his suggestion that Ukraine could reclaim occupied territory with Western backing. A report released by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said the Kremlin’s messaging has coalesced around three themes: restating its original war aims as necessary for Russian security, portraying Russian victory as inevitable, and highlighting the supposed benefits of renewed US–Russia economic ties. ISW assessed that Moscow is also dangling trade incentives to coax Washington toward normalising ties…

By Isabella Egerton Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have taken their defence partnership, which spans over fifty years, to a new level. Last week in Riyadh, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement. According to Islamabad’s official statement, the accord “demonstrates the shared commitment of both nations to bolster security in the region. It is intended to expand areas of defence cooperation between the two countries and to strengthen their joint deterrence against any aggression.” The agreement further states that “an attack on either country will be regarded as an attack…

By Sean Rayment US President Donald Trump said Russian planes intruding into Nato airspace should be shot down, in a marked hardening of tone towards Moscow amid frustration over his stalled attempt to end the Ukraine war. In remarks after a fiery speech to the United Nations in which he ridiculed Russia’s failure to defeat Ukraine, Trump said that direct US involvement in attacking Russian incursions would “depend on the circumstances.” Before his meeting with President Zelensky, Trump was asked by a reporter: “Mr President, do you think that they should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?”Trump replied: “Yes,…

By Sean Rayment Thousands of Cuban mercenaries are being recruited to fight for the Russian army in Ukraine, Kyiv’s military intelligence agency has revealed. Andriy Yusov, an official within Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, said that at least 20,000 Cuban citizens had travelled to Russia to join the war against Ukraine. The agency said it had uncovered evidence of both men and women signing contracts with the Russian military, adding that Cuba is “at the very top” of the list of countries supplying foreign mercenaries to Russia. The use of Cuban fighters follows reports that Russia has also recruited troops…

By Staff Writer South Africa is facing a wave of escalating cyber threats that mirror global trends but expose uniquely local vulnerabilities. From record-breaking distributed denial of service (DDoS) campaigns to surging ransomware and banking trojan infections, the country’s digital infrastructure and economy are increasingly at risk. Yet law enforcement and regulatory capacity remain dangerously out of step with the scale of the challenge. A global storm hitting local shores According to security researchers at Netscout Systems, over eight million DDoS attacks were recorded globally in the first half of 2025. The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region bore…

By Sean Rayment MI5 will issue guidance to MPs for the first time to help protect them against espionage and foreign interference. The disclosure comes just days after charges were dropped against a Westminster researcher accused of spying for China. The security service will advise all parliamentarians and political staff — described as “high-risk individuals” — about the growing threat they face from hostile states and will suggest various safeguarding measures. The guidance is expected to warn MPs and peers to be cautious about the motives of the people they hire and meet, and to think carefully before making connections…

By André Pienaar The United States and the United Kingdom have always shared a special bond—one forged in history, tested by war, and renewed through shared democratic values. Unlike their authoritarian adversaries, Western democracies build their security on long-term, enduring alliances. The late 6th Duke of Westminster once remarked that every generation faces the challenge of renewing the commitment and strength of those alliances which matter most for national security. Last week, that bond was not only reaffirmed but given fresh vitality during President Donald Trump’s historic second state visit to the United Kingdom. At the heart of this diplomatic…

By Isabella Egerton South Korea’s military is investigating reports that Russia has delivered nuclear submarine reactor modules to North Korea — a transfer that, if confirmed, would represent one of the most serious acts of nuclear proliferation in recent decades. According to South Korean officials cited by the Korea JoongAng Daily, Moscow shipped two to three nuclear propulsion modules to Pyongyang earlier this year. The modules — reportedly removed from decommissioned Russian submarines — include a reactor, turbine, and cooling system, the critical elements needed to power a nuclear submarine. The alleged transfer coincided with North Korean state media photographs released…

By Sean Rayment British forces could be deployed within 200km of Taiwan to help defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion, the British government has signalled. The UK is reportedly keen to strike a deal with the Philippines that would allow British forces to be hosted there, in a sign of Britain’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific. The announcement from Manila comes amid China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea, where it claims virtually every feature as its own, despite staunch opposition from several countries, including the Philippines. Gilberto Teodoro Jr, the Philippines’ defence secretary, said:…

By Sean Rayment Two Iranian financiers and more than a dozen individuals and firms across Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have been sanctioned by the US for allegedly coordinating $100 million worth of cryptocurrency transfers from the sale of Iranian oil, benefiting Iran’s government and military. The US Treasury Department alleges that Iranian nationals Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand facilitated the purchase of over $100 million in cryptocurrency tied to oil sales on behalf of the Iranian government. According to the Treasury, both men then used a network of front companies across several countries to transfer the cryptocurrency. So-called shadow banking networks like…

By Sean Rayment Kidnapped children have been taken to at least 210 facilities in Russia and areas of Ukraine under Moscow’s control, as part of a Kremlin effort to secure their loyalty to President Putin, a report has said. The facilities span 3,500 miles, from the Black Sea to Siberia and the Pacific coast, according to research by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL). Researchers accused Moscow of operating a “potentially unprecedented” system of “re-education” and forced military training for Ukrainian children. The report also said that children are being made to produce drones and other military equipment for Russia’s…

By Isabella Egerton India has sent a 65-strong contingent, including troops from the Kumaon Regiment, to Russia’s Zapad-2025 military exercises, a move sources told National Security News is being interpreted within NATO as a provocative step amid rising tensions with Moscow. The drills involve around 30,000 Russian and Belarusian soldiers and include missile launches, large-scale manoeuvres, and simulated airstrikes from the Arctic to western Belarus near NATO’s eastern frontier. The Indian Ministry of Defence said the troops are stationed at the Mulino training ground, roughly 40 miles west of Nizhny Novgorod, well away from NATO borders. Delhi described the deployment as a…