Conflict & Defence

US President Joe Biden has reportedly assured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, of plans to provide Kyiv with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia. This decision, yet to be officially confirmed by the White House or the Pentagon, follows repeated requests from Ukraine for such weaponry, designed to disrupt supply lines, air bases, and rail networks in Russian-occupied territories. Details of the Reported Deal The decision to supply ATACMS to Ukraine came on the heels of a fresh military aid package announced by the White House, amounting to $325 million. However, there was no mention of these long-range missiles during Zelenskiy's visit to Washington for talks with Biden. Both the White House and the Pentagon have declined to comment on the matter. On a subsequent official visit to Canada, Zelenskiy indirectly acknowledged the report,...

Former Military Officer Charged in Paris A former military officer has been charged in Paris over suspicions of providing confidential information to a journalist. The charges are related to a series of articles highlighting French arms sales abroad, including a piece on the French intelligence mission "Sirli". The mission, which started in February 2016 to support Egypt against terrorism, was allegedly misused by the Egyptian government. The information collected was purportedly used to carry out airstrikes on suspected smugglers' vehicles at the Egyptian-Libyan border. The Journalist's Arrest and Release Ariane Lavrilleux, an investigative journalist, was taken into custody for almost 40 hours on charges of compromising national defense secrets. The articles in question not only included classified documents but also potentially identifiable information about intelligence agents. Lavrilleux was released wi...