Finland has been long planning to store some of its military equipment and defense capabilities out of Russia’s reach, according to Finnish officials. Jarmo Lindberg, a member of the parliament and formerly chief of defense, told Breaking Defense on Monday that the decision to store war materials in Norway and Sweden was prompted by Moscow’s...
Tag: Russia
US Condemns Russia-Backed 2023 Cyberattack Targeting German Political Party
The United States has condemned the malicious cyber operations launched by Russia’s General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate against Germany and other European targets. “We join Germany in attributing specific malign activity carried out by APT28 that targeted a German political party,” the Department of State said in a statement Friday. “We call on Russia to...
Lithuania Defense Minister Invites US Defense Contractors to Invest in the Country
Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas has invited American defense companies to invest in his country. During a recent meeting with William LaPlante, U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, Kasciunas mentioned Rheinmetall’s plan to build an ammunition factory in Lithuania and added that he hopes other defense companies will follow suit. “We...
US, UK, Canada Issue Warning Against Pro-Russian Hacktivist Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Cybersecurity agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have issued a joint warning about Russian hacktivists’ threat to operational technology systems. A new report titled “Defending OT Operations Against Ongoing Pro-Russia Hacktivist Activity” revealed that pro-Russia threat actors have compromised small-scale OT systems across North America and Europe. “This year we have...
US Treasury Sanctions Iran-Affiliated Company Supplying Drones to Russia
Sahara Thunder, a company identified as a front for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, faces sanctions in the United States for facilitating the design, development, manufacture and sale of drones in support of Russia’s war in Europe. According to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Russian government...
US Expands Export Controls of Technologies to Russia, Iran Following Air Attack on Israel
The United States is expanding its list of items that require a license to be exported to Iran and Russia. On Monday, the Bureau of Industry and Security amended the Export Administration Regulations and added new items to the foreign direct product rules governing the two adversarial nations. FDP rules control the export of materials...
UK Government Pledges $311M to Boost Ukraine’s Artillery Reserves
The United Kingdom has pledged about $310.6 million to strengthen its artillery supply chains in support of Ukraine. The U.K. Ministry of Defence said the new funding will be spent over the coming months to boost Kyiv’s artillery ammunition reserves. The funding package was announced to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine...
US Designates Two Companies Over Links to Russia’s Wagner Group
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Russian company Broker Expert and Central African Republic-based Wood International Group for supporting the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company. According to the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Wagner Group has launched actions threatening the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of...
UK Commits $416M Investment to Produce More Drones for Ukraine’s Armed Forces
The United Kingdom is sending thousands of drones to Ukraine to aid in the fight against Russia. On Thursday, Grant Shapps, the U.K.’s defense secretary, unveiled a $160 million funding package during his visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. The funding is in addition to the $256...
DOD Working on New Arctic Strategy Amid Increasing Competition
The United States is updating its strategy for the Arctic in response to Russia and China’s efforts to increase their influence in the region. Esther McClure, director of Arctic and oceans policy at the Department of Defense, said Monday that the agency expects to release a new strategy version in the coming months. She noted...