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…

By Sean Rayment The British government’s plans for a major expansion of nuclear power have been given a boost with a series of transatlantic deals for new modular reactors announced ahead of Donald Trump’s visit. The UK and US governments have promised to fast-track safety checks and announced several new private sector investment deals, with Labour emphasising the potential benefits for jobs and growth. In the biggest and most advanced commercial project, Britain’s largest energy supplier, Centrica, will partner with the US reactor firm X-energy to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, in an investment that could…

In his new book, The Mad and the Brave, journalist Colin Freeman explores the foreign volunteers who joined Ukraine’s International Legion – men and women driven by courage, madness, and a search for meaning. By Colin Freeman Coming up with a title for a new book is never easy. First, it has to say what it’s about – secondly, it has to do so in just a few catchy, zeitgeisty words. So I was rather chuffed when I thought up the original title for my book on Ukraine’s International Legion, which I was going to call It’s Not Like Call of Duty.…

By Staff Writer Stan Miller, chief executive of United Group and an independent non-executive director on the board of South Africa’s MTN Group, is facing scrutiny after reports alleged he discussed removing a senior media executive in Serbia whose outlets have been critical of the government of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and supportive of the opposition. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its Serbian partner KRIK published a leaked audio recording on 27 August of a meeting between Miller and Vladimir Lučić, head of state-owned Telekom Srbija, a close political ally of President Vučić. OCCRP reported: “Rumours that…

By Sean Rayment Nato jets shot down Russian drones that “repeatedly violated” Poland’s airspace during an overnight bombardment of Ukraine. Polish, Dutch and Italian fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept at least 19 drones as citizens were urged to stay at home. It marks the most serious clash between Russia and the alliance since the start of the war in Ukraine, dragging the conflict into uncharted territory. Politicians and analysts believe it was a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to test Nato’s response. Footage showed damage to a home struck by a drone in western Poland, its roof missing. No…

By the Editorial Board | National Security News General Sir Richard Barrons has issued the kind of warning that democratic societies too often ignore until it is too late. Writing recently in the Financial Times, the former head of UK Joint Forces Command argued that Britain has reached a critical juncture. The threats facing the country are existential, the margin for delay is evaporating, and only decisive action can secure the nation’s future. The message is direct: if Britain wishes to avoid war, it must prepare for it. A world growing more dangerous For decades after the Cold War, British policymakers…

By Isabella Egerton Russia and Belarus have launched the Zapad 2025 drills, with full-scale exercises scheduled for 12-16 September. Troops began arriving in Belarus last month, but this year’s drills are notably smaller than in previous editions. Zapad, which takes place every two years, is closely watched in the West for its proximity to NATO borders and its history of serving as a rehearsal for Russian military action. The 2021 drills preceded the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched partly from Belarusian territory. This year, Moscow’s limited capacity is on display. With forces tied up in Ukraine, Russia has sent only about 2,000…

By Sean Rayment Royal Marine recruits are increasingly turning to Christianity – and are even using their assault course’s water tank to perform baptisms, National Security News has learnt. Commando fledglings attempting to earn the coveted green beret are now regularly attending Sunday services at the training centre in Lympstone, Devon. In the past 18 months, church attendance at the base has risen rapidly and now often exceeds the chapel’s 150-person capacity. At least 26 recruits underwent full-immersion baptism earlier this year in the training centre’s Regain Tank – a 4ft-deep pool with ropes suspended above it, which candidates must traverse as…