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Sweden to Deploy Gripen Jets and Warships to Finland

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Sweden will deploy Gripen fighter jets and a corvette warship to help monitor and protect Finnish territory until at least the end of 2026, Finland’s Defence Forces said on Friday. The deployment comes as security concerns rise along NATO’s northern borders with Russia.

Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said Finland had requested stronger air-defence support because of the deteriorating security situation. Sweden may also provide vessels equipped with drone-fighting capabilities and ground-based anti-drone systems, while its forces could assist Finland in responding to violations of Finnish territory if necessary.

Sweden and Finland, which are both among NATO’s newest members, have close defence ties. Finland shares a 1,340-km border with Russia, while recent drone incidents across the Baltic region have increased concerns about the Ukraine war spilling over into neighbouring NATO countries. Separately, Swedish defence company Saab secured a 1.2 billion crown ($126 million) order from Finland for RBS 70 NG portable air-defence systems.

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Teacher Calls Oscar-Winning Russian Filmmaker a ‘Traitor’

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Pavel Talankin, the Russian filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, has been called a “traitor” by his former teacher. Nina Zabugornova, who taught Talankin as a child in the Chelyabinsk region, criticised his decision to leave Russia and make a documentary exposing how a Russian school promoted support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The film is based on two years of footage secretly recorded by Talankin while working at a school in the Chelyabinsk region. It documents changes at the school following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including history lessons and newly introduced patriotic activities that promoted pro-war messaging. Talankin fled Russia in 2024 and has said he wanted to show the world how children were being influenced by state propaganda.

Russia has banned the documentary and designated Talankin as a “foreign agent” in March. Speaking on Russian state television, Zabugornova said she had hoped to watch the film but viewed Talankin’s actions as a betrayal of his homeland. She also blamed herself, saying she wondered whether she had failed to provide him with the lessons that might have prevented what she described as his “betrayal.”

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Romania Destroys Marine Drone Near Major Black Sea Gas Project

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Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a marine drone spotted just a few hundred metres from the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday. The drone was later destroyed completely by a Romanian vessel after being hit by the fighter jets.

Miruta said the drone contained explosives and was destroyed to protect hundreds of workers and safeguard the country’s critical energy infrastructure. Ukraine confirmed that the drone did not belong to its forces, while Romania did not identify its origin.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for what he described as a growing series of irresponsible incidents. The development comes as security concerns increase around Black Sea energy and shipping routes, with Neptun Deep expected to help make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer when production begins in 2027.

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Norway Expands Arctic Brigade as NATO Strengthens Northern Defences

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Norway expanded its Finnmark Brigade on Thursday as the NATO member strengthens its military presence in the Arctic following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The brigade, established last year as Norway’s second military brigade and the first created since the end of the Cold War, is headquartered in the country’s northern Arctic region.

The expansion adds an artillery battalion, an air defence battery and a communications company to the brigade. These capabilities will allow Norwegian forces to strike targets on land at longer distances and coordinate operations with Norwegian and NATO aircraft and naval forces. The brigade has also been responsible for monitoring and patrolling Norway’s 198-km border with Russia.

Norway has significantly increased defence spending in recent years, with NATO estimating that military expenditure will reach 3.17% of GDP in 2026, compared with 1.5% in 2014. Norwegian officials say the strengthened Arctic presence is intended to improve the country’s ability to respond to threats against Norway and NATO, while Russia has previously rejected claims that it poses a threat to the alliance.

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Putin Visits Newly Unearthed Remains of Medieval Russian Prince

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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel on Thursday to inspect the recently uncovered remains of medieval warrior prince Dmitry Donskoy. The remains were discovered last month during restoration work in a crypt near the cathedral’s southern wall, surprising historians who had believed the prince was buried elsewhere.

The Russian Orthodox Church said the well-preserved remains were identified as those of Donskoy based on their physical characteristics and historical records. Experts said the remains belonged to a man just under 180 cm tall who died of natural causes between the ages of 35 and 45. Putin lit a candle inside the frescoed cathedral and stood beside the white-stone sarcophagus as experts explained the discovery.

Dmitry Donskoy died in 1389 at the age of 39 after ruling the principalities of Muscovy and Vladimir. He is remembered for expanding Muscovy’s territory, overseeing the construction of the first stone Kremlin fortress and defeating Mongol forces in the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, a major event in Russian history.

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Russia Protests Japan Over Takaichi’s Remarks on Disputed Islands

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Russia has summoned Japan’s ambassador to Moscow and issued a strong protest over comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the disputed Kuril Islands.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Ambassador Akira Muto that Moscow objected to what it described as “anti-Russian” remarks by Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Russia reiterated that its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands were “indisputable.”

The dispute concerns four islands seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War Two. Russia administers the islands, while Japan claims them as the Northern Territories. The unresolved territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty.

Tensions have further deteriorated since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow and supporting Ukraine. Russia told Muto that it reserves the right to take “appropriate countermeasures,” without specifying what those measures could be.

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Italian NATO Fighter Shoots Down Drone Over Latvia

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An Italian Eurofighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a drone after it entered Latvian airspace on Friday, according to NATO and Latvian authorities. The drone’s origin remains unknown, with Latvian National Guard troops searching a wooded area near Rugaji, about 35 km from the Russian border, for possible debris from the aircraft.

Two Italian Eurofighters scrambled from Lithuania, while two Turkish F-16s were also deployed from Estonia after the drone was detected. NATO said one of the Italian jets identified and destroyed the drone, adding that an investigation was underway and that it remained in close contact with Latvian authorities. The incident comes amid growing concerns over drone incursions into the airspace of NATO’s Baltic members, which border Russia and are close to the war in Ukraine.

A Romanian F-16 shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia in May, while a French Rafale destroyed another drone in Latvia in June. Finland also temporarily restricted some aviation and maritime activity in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution.

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Swiss Government Rejects Stricter Neutrality Ahead of Referendum

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Switzerland’s government has rejected a proposal to introduce a stricter definition of neutrality into the country’s constitution ahead of a nationwide referendum on September 27. The initiative seeks to make Swiss neutrality permanent and armed, while preventing the country from joining military alliances.

Supporters, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, argue that Switzerland’s neutrality has been weakened by its decision to impose sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and by closer cooperation with NATO on areas including military training. They also want Switzerland barred from taking part in conflicts between third countries or imposing sanctions on warring nations unless authorised by the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis defended the government’s position, saying Switzerland remains neutral and does not need a more restrictive definition. He warned that the proposed constitutional changes could limit the country’s ability to cooperate with foreign partners during emerging security threats. A June Tamedia poll showed 34% support for the initiative, compared with 54% opposed.

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Ukrainian Prisoners Report Torture and Abuse in Russian Detention

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Former Ukrainian prisoners and officials have accused Russian authorities of systematically torturing Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, alleging beatings, electric shocks, sexual abuse, starvation and inhumane detention conditions. Russia rejected the allegations at an informal U.N. Security Council meeting, calling them a “disinformation campaign” and making counter-allegations about the treatment of Russian prisoners in Ukraine.

Former detainee Khuan Alberto Levya Garsiya said he endured 1,183 days in captivity and experienced repeated physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, electrocution, forced exercises in freezing conditions and sexual abuse. He said two of his friends were beaten to death in detention, while overcrowding, illness and inadequate food were widespread among prisoners.

U.N. officials said their monitoring indicated that torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees remained widespread and systematic. The U.N. said more than 95% of Ukrainian POWs interviewed reported torture or mistreatment, while more than half reported sexual violence. Ukrainian authorities say thousands of people remain in Russian captivity, with Kyiv identifying more than 300 detention sites in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories.

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Poland and Baltics Tighten Infrastructure Security Amid Russian False-Flag Fears

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Poland and the Baltic states are strengthening security around critical infrastructure amid concerns that Russia could stage a false-flag attack using Ukrainian-made drones. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland have increased protection around power plants, gas facilities, dams and other strategic sites, as officials warn of potential sabotage aimed at testing NATO’s response.

Lithuania has deployed military personnel to help protect key energy facilities, including its liquefied natural gas terminal, oil products terminal, a major power link with Poland and the Kruonis pumped-storage plant. Latvia has also stepped up security around critical infrastructure, including a major dam near Riga and an underground gas storage facility. Poland is reviewing alternative gas supply routes and increasing protection around energy infrastructure and its planned first nuclear power plant.

Regional officials said intelligence assessments have raised concerns that a potential attack could create political confusion within NATO over how to respond. Russia has rejected the allegations, describing warnings of secret Russian attacks as “scare stories” and accusing Western countries of making claims without evidence. Officials across the region say they are maintaining heightened vigilance as tensions with Moscow remain high.