Sep 26, 2026, 07:00 PM UTC

European nations are on high alert following thwarted hybrid attacks and intelligence warnings regarding potential Russian sabotage. German authorities identified two suspects associated with an explosive drone incident at Leipzig Airport: a Russian national holding a Latvian passport and a Belarusian citizen carrying Russian documentation. Italian officials confirmed that while the Belarusian suspect possessed an Italian Schengen visa, he did not enter Europe through Italy.

Concurrently, Danish intelligence warned local industrial entities about heightened sabotage risks from Moscow, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to declare that "we will not tolerate attacks on EU soil."

Meanwhile, Russia launched fresh strikes against Ukrainian energy networks. In response, Ukrainian drone raids targeted Russian oil refineries, causing fuel shortages that forced Moscow to import petroleum.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz following recent military exchanges between the United States and Iran. U.S. Central Command reported sinking five Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels after neutralizing threats against American naval units. Tehran responded by launching 20 missiles directed at U.S. military bases in Jordan.

Additionally, Iranian state media claimed successful strikes against six maritime targets, including three commercial tankers and an aircraft carrier. Despite reported damage and fires aboard hit vessels, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the strategic shipping route remains open, describing Tehran as experiencing "great difficulty." However, American intelligence officials warned that Iranian forces may escalate operations further as regional confrontations persist.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica.

United States federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against five individuals linked to Russian intelligence, alleging a Kremlin-directed campaign of surveillance, sabotage, and targeted assassination plots against supporters of Ukraine across Europe and the US. According to the Department of Justice, the network financed operatives to monitor and target individuals aligned with Kyiv, including a June 2024 attack in Prague. All five suspects currently remain at large.

In a related development, a German regional court in Stuttgart convicted a Ukrainian national for participating in a Russian-backed parcel bomb scheme. Prosecutors said the plot involved mailing explosive devices equipped with GPS trackers to destabilize European infrastructure and security.

Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, France24, OCCRP, The Guardian.

Six months after military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets, the conflict continues to disrupt energy supplies and global maritime trade without a clear resolution. Although Tehran suffered significant damage to its defense capabilities, analysts note it maintains considerable influence over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign policy experts indicate that the conflict's next trajectory hinges on potential diplomatic efforts, the durability of Western economic sanctions, and broader rivalries involving the United States, China, and Russia. Meanwhile, regional security disputes in the Western Balkans, including controversies over the Ibër River water diversion, highlight how localized tensions intersect with shifting global power dynamics alongside ongoing warfare in Ukraine.

Sources: BalkanWeb, Gazeta Tema, Koha

Following the completion of exhumations in Zubin Potok, Kosovo, where mortal remains of at least 23 potential victims of the 1998–1999 war were recovered, international experts are initiating DNA analysis. Samira Krehić, head of the Western Balkans program at the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), emphasized that recovering the remains marks merely the start of a complex forensic identification procedure.

The ICMP will compare genetic profiles obtained from the bone samples against reference DNA provided by families of missing individuals. Kosovo's Governmental Commission on Missing Persons is coordinating the efforts alongside international partners to confirm the identities of the victims.

Sources: Gazeta Tema, Koha