There has undoubtedly been a lull in shadow fleet (and ex-shadow fleet, now Russian) tankers entering the Baltic. But that’s going to end soon and I think INA #IMO9308443is is going to be the first big test of resolve following the recent announcement by the Coastal States of the North Sea.
Officials staying at a hotel near NATO's central support hub for Ukraine in Wiesbaden, Germany reported suspicious individuals surveilling the hotel, leading to a guidance that the site is a likely target for Kremlin spying.
🚨NEW: A Russian spy alert has been issued to British NATO staff working at a key military site for the alliance's support for Ukraine.
Russian spies are becoming increasingly active around military bases, key ports and other hotels used by the alliance across Europe.
inews.co.uk/news/nato-wa...
From @richardholmes.bsky.social
“The British government fear a US operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker 200 miles off British waters could spark retaliation from Vladimir Putin… It is due to pass into European waters within hours, according to data provided by @starboardintelligence.com ”
Reports of four "military-style" drones following Volodymyr Zelensky’s plane before it landed at Dublin airport are incredibly concerning, but not surprising.
Before we give credit to the aggressor we're all thinking about, lets wait for details. Details I will certainly be hunting for.
The call came in at the same time as an individual, linked to Russian intelligence, travelled to the UK on a cargo ship.
They visited areas around Lulworth Firing Range.
It is unknown if the suspected spy is the same man that locals reported to the police.
One local believed the man was monitoring Lulworth Firing Range, and contacted the local counter-terror policing unit.
“He was up to something suspicious,” the local claimed, adding that the police “took all the facts and were professional about it. They followed up and went to the shepherd’s hut.”
The mysterious traveller was reported to have an Eastern European accent, ate boil-in-the-bag ration packs.
Locals witness him flying a drone during the late hours and fixing a small metal device “resembled a transmitter” to a tree.
🚨SPIES, DAY TWO: Counter-Terror Police were reported to a suspicious man spying on Lulworth Firing Range - flying drones and fixing metal devices in trees.
The call was made during the same time that a suspected Russian spy was near to the military base.
inews.co.uk/news/suspect...
The story features on the front page of today’s @theipaper.com
Maritime data shows both cargo ships used sourced their crew through firms known for hiring Russian seafarers.
One of the ship’s owners recruits crew members through a management office in Kherson, and was staffed by five Russian officers when it entered the UK.
A high-ranking NATO official, who was briefed on the information, said they had been tracking similar movements by Russian spies on commercial vessels.
The official said Russian nationals “dominate” the industry, making it an “ideal” cover for Moscow’s spies.
A second individual who was also observed at highly secretive Russian unit developing radar and satellite technologies travelled The Port of Middlesbrough and Grangemouth, where major fuel refineries are based.
One suspected spy who had been observed inside several highly secure military bases across Russia, travelled to the perimeter of Lulworth Firing range – where British forces have been preparing Ukrainian soldiers for combat against Russia.
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Two suspected Russian spies slipped into the UK this year aboard commercial cargo ships, before moving near military bases & critical infrastructure.
An @theipaper.com investigation reveals how The Kremlin is using European shipping lanes as covert infiltration routes.
Whatever peace looks like in Ukraine, Europe's fight with Russia will drum on.
Senior military, diplomatic and intelligence figures say that a peace deal, any peace deal, will only intensify the continent’s confrontation with Vladimir Putin.
inews.co.uk/news/whateve...
Labour MP Sarah Champion said: “Very clear arguments have been made why the embassy would be a security and psychological threat to the UK. I’m not reassured they have been fully considered.”
Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s the site hosted major institutions, including Barclays, Deloitte, and BlackRock.
An assessment by UK intelligence agencies warned that the site’s proximity to cabling feeding the City’s financial hub was a national security risk.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel said the claims were “extremely concerning” as she accused the Government of “showing total contempt for our national security”.
“Approving a spy hub in return for a cheap refurb would be simply ludicrous,” she said.
The offer was only on condition of the UK approving China’s plans at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London.
It came after the Chinese had been cutting off electricity, and turning off the heating at Britain’s own diplomatic post in Beijing.
NEW: The UK signed off China’s new London embassy after Chinese officials offered a ‘cut-price’ rebuild of Britain’s crumbling embassy in Beijing.
The Foreign Office “pressured” No 10 into the decision despite security risks, according to sources.
inews.co.uk/news/astonis...
I've seen claims that Darren Grimes used a faked photograph in this blogpost, so I've decided to take a closer look, see if an elected official would be low enough to use a fake image to promote anti-immigrant sentiment (the answer will shock you!)
www.darrengrimes.com/p/exclusive-...
BREAKING: Two people accused of targeting MPs on LinkedIn for Chinese intelligence connected with senior officials at the Home Office and Foreign Office, high-ranking NATO staff, and individuals at the UK’s embassy in Beijing.
inews.co.uk/news/chinas-...
Qiu and Shen used the professional social networking site to obtain “non-public and insider insights”, MI5 said, also targeting economists, think tank staff and civil servants due to their access to politicians.
In one approach from Shen to an official at the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the fake Chinese recruiter claimed to be offering a consultant role with a “global famous research center” and wanted to chat further about the opportunity.
Other connections to the pair include leading voices from UK think tanks as well as key policy makers among UK government departments on China, leading to serious concern among intelligence officials.
BREAKING: Two people accused of targeting MPs on LinkedIn for Chinese intelligence connected with senior officials at the Home Office and Foreign Office, high-ranking NATO staff, and individuals at the UK’s embassy in Beijing.
inews.co.uk/news/chinas-...
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has circulated guidance from MI5 warning MPs they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state.
Sir Lindsay said Chinese state actors were "relentless" in trying to "interfere" and "influence" Parliament - not an enemy though.
Today, the UK announced new cyber laws to strengthen defences for essential public services like healthcare, transport and energy.
The annual bill from hacks is almost £15 billion. The new laws hope to lower that figure.
But will they make any difference?
NEW: Russia is believed to be behind recent drone incursions into Belgium from Kremlin-linked cargo ships in the North Sea.
Drones overflying military bases have become a regular feature of Putin’s aggression in the West - the shadow fleet is helping.
inews.co.uk/news/inside-...
