INTELLIGENCE ONLINE

Europe, Russia
Russian Orthodox Church bounces back via Budapest posting

Russian Patriarch Kirill and his Hungary-based right-hand man Hilarion have taken stock of their faux pas at the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are manoeuvring on various fronts to try to emerge from their religious and diplomatic isolation.

North Korea, Russia
Moscow to back North Korea's upcoming missile tests at the UN

Based on their own observations and diplomatic contacts with Pyongyang, the Russian intelligence services expect North Korea to test an inter-continental ballistic missile before 20 September and possibly carry out a nuclear test subsequently in response to a recent South Korean-US military exercise.

The Agencies' Gazette
Charles III's spies, Iraqi Mukhabarat mobilised, Confucius Institutes under US pressure, research at GCHQ, German counter-espionage and France's CNRLT

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets from the global intelligence community and this week we're heading to Kerbala, Washington, London, Berlin and Paris.

United Kingdom Charles III, King of Spies

Iraq Intelligence services suit up ahead of Arba'een pilgrimage

United States/China Pressure mounts on Confucius institutes

United Kingdom GCHQ creates a behavioural science research centre to screen hires

Germany Doubts over counter-terrorism, now counter-espionage

France New candidate for the CNRLT

Spotlight | Europe, Russia
Baltic traders ensuring continued export of industrial equipment to Russia

While Lithuania's political class strongly condemns Moscow and is pushing for tough sanctions on the country, the Baltic state is still a hub for shipments of Western European machinery and electrical equipment to Russia. These exports are often camouflaged under a Kazakh flag.

Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey
Arms export ban leaves KazEngineering caught in the middle

The Kazakh government's decision to suspend its military exports, announced with no official explanation, has cast a shadow over the activities of the state-owned defence conglomerate Kazakhstan Engineering.

Europe
European Commission pieces together its OSINT platform

The European Commission wants to help its member counties lacking in open source intelligence tools ramp up their capacities in the field but its protocols around contracting parties is slowing down the process.

Spotlight | Greece, India, Israel
Interception specialists Intellexa and Cleartrail use their Signal capabilities as a sales argument

Although Whatsapp has long been the main target of the cyber-infiltration specialists, secure communications app Signal is now getting increasing attention from companies in the sector.

Russia, Vietnam
Rosoboronexport suffers setbacks in Kubinka and Hanoi

The Russian military equipment exporter, which has been hit by components shortages, has seen its global sales fall sharply. The latest blow has come from Vietnam, which has decided to freeze its dealings with the Russian group.

United States
K2 shaken by Tom Bock's departure

In a consolidating investigations marketplace, JS Held has recently poached a senior executive from the heart of K2's operations in its fief of New York.

Kazakhstan, United States
Kazakhstan justice ministry's New York advisers fail to swing case

Despite the best efforts of adviser Marcia Favale-Tarter to garner support in the US, a New York court recently ruled against the Kazakh government in one of an array of cases connected to its long-running legal wrangle with the Moldovan Stati brothers.

UAE
EDGE Group beefs up export apparatus

The part-publicly owned conglomerate has set up a new global division to handle exports, while building import channels for its cyber cluster.

Palestine, Russia, United Kingdom, United States
The Preventive Security's concerns in Palestine, US-Ukraine intelligence-sharing under threat, UK Joint Intelligence Organisation appoints new China analyst, pay rises planned for Russian investigators

Appointments, reforms and key issues: every Monday, Intelligence Online reports on developments great and small in the global intelligence community. This week, we bring news from Ramallah, Moscow, Washington and London.

France, Jordan
Amman entrusts its bug bounty programme to France's Yogosha

French computer vulnerabilities firm Yogosha has landed its second contract in the Middle East, with Jordan, following a similar deal with Abu Dhabi.

Russia
War in Ukraine: trouble at the top amongst Russian General Staff

Two officers are coordinating Russia's military offensive in Ukraine directly with Putin, further damaging the image of Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov. As the Northern Hemisphere's winter approaches, the so-called "special military operation" has had its strategy revised once again.

Germany, Syria
Germany's Gauff Engineering plays key role in reconstruction of Syria's water infrastructure

The authorities in Damascus, who are continuing to look for international groups able to play a role in the country's reconstruction, are intensifying their efforts in this direction in cooperation with the UN and the Red Cross.