Σάββατο 25 Ιουλίου 2026
5 άρθρα
Romania shoots down first drone in its airspace
A Romanian F-16 destroyed a Russian Shahed-type drone near Buzău after the target tracked inland from the Black Sea coast. The engagement involved both national and Italian jets under NATO command, marking the first time Bucharest has publicly confirmed the use of lethal force against an airspace violation. This shift from policing to active defense forces a rethink of engagement rules across the alliance's eastern flank.
Beijing restricts exports to 14 EU firms
China’s commerce ministry blocked 14 European entities from accessing critical dual-use materials hours after the EU adopted its latest Russia sanctions package. The list targets major defense contractors like Rheinmetall and Tatra Trucks, striking at the raw inputs—including gallium and rare earths—required for Europe’s military buildup. Large firms currently rely on multi-year stockpiles, but the move forces a new procurement risk into the center of EU sanctions policy.
Sofia’s 5.7% deficit defies euro rules
Parliament approved €10.1 billion in new borrowing alongside a deficit nearly double the European Union's 3% ceiling. This fiscal path puts the newest euro area member on a collision course with Brussels, which has already launched an Excessive Deficit Procedure. Sofia has until 15 October to present concrete spending cuts or tax increases to satisfy the European Commission.
Wildfire surge tests 27-aircraft EU fleet
France and Spain triggered emergency EU assistance this week as wildfires forced evacuations across Gironde and near Madrid. The response successfully deployed aircraft from Portugal and Czechia, but the current pooled fleet is facing double the long-term average for fires. With a dozen new planes not expected until 2028, the system relies on a delicate balance where countries like Greece lend aircraft only because foreign ground crews are already on their soil.
Europol flags 4,340 links but lacks removal power
A nine-country operation against the nihilistic The Com network identified thousands of URLs promoting child abuse and violent extremism. Because Europol can only flag content rather than issue binding deletion orders, the public record lacks confirmation on how many links were actually removed by platforms. This enforcement gap contrasts with a separate Dutch investigation where police physically seized servers to take a site offline.