ULTRA

Russia
Wagner taps into Saint Petersburg State University talent pool

Some of the institution's teaching staff are covertly headhunting on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin's paramilitary organisation, on the lookout for highly specialised recruits.

The Agencies' Gazette
Canada's CSIS criticised, Zvinchuk hiring, NATO approaches Ukraine intelligence, CCP's candidate for Taiwan, Lahur Talabani spoils the party

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community, from Erbil to Ottawa via Saint Petersburg, Kyiv and Taipei.

Canada/ChinaCSIS at heart of tensions between Ottawa and Beijing

RussiaTelegram channel close to military intelligence is hiring

Ukraine/EuropeNATO boosts cooperation with security teams

TaiwanCCP sees ex-police officer Hou Yu-ih as best shot at presidency

IraqLahur Talabani throws spanner in election plans

United States
Former conservative undercover operative Tarah Price re-emerges in the far-right ecosphere

Price disappeared from public view after her role in an aborted 2018 sting against National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was exposed. Now she works for Steven Crowder, a leading media figure in MAGA World. Price is a relentless defender of her currently embattled boss, and has built a growing following of her own.

Russia, Vatican
Ultra-nationalists take swipe at Pope's Russian relays

With the tacit approval of their chaperons in the Russian Orthodox Church and intelligence services, nationalist and religious activists have been waging a coordinated campaign against Pope Francis and his Muscovite networks over the past few weeks.

The Tech Telegraph
Tehtris shielded Macron, US cyber reserve plans, Ofer Kotler at Awz Ventures

From SIGINT to GEOINT and OSINT and a dose of cyber, each week we report on events both big and small that matter in the community of technical intelligence providers.

ParisTehtris put cyber shield around Emmanuel Macron's campaign

WashingtonCyber reserve returns to Congress

TorontoOfer Kotler joins Canadian-based fund Awz Ventures

Russia
Kiriyenko clan close to Kremlin expands reach in business and politics

With Rostelecom's probable acquisition of oligarch Alisher Usmanov's Megafon, the powerful presidential adviser Sergey Kiriyenko and his son will further expand their hold on a market shaken up by sanctions. This also spells top roles for members of their close entourage.

Italy, UAE
Memento Labs tries to get back into UAE market through local distributor SAT

The Italian cyber intelligence company, which was damaged by a hacking and leaking operation (HALO) carried out against it in 2015, is trying to get back into the United Arab Emirates market through fast-expanding local distributor Scientific Analytical Tools (SAT).

Spotlight | France, Ukraine
French intelligence service kiboshes naturalisation of Ukrainian potential asset

Despite Paris's support for Kyiv, France's domestic intelligence service remains concerned about counter-espionage. France's refusal to grant citizenship to a Ukrainian professor, based on a note from the DGSI, shines a spotlight on the service's interests in Ukraine's State representations in the French capital.

Spotlight | United Kingdom
Strategic electronic warfare firm Ultra Electronics reorganises under new shareholder Advent

US investor Advent is substantially remodelling its new subsidiary, the British military and intelligence supplier Ultra Electronics, in response to UK government sovereignty concerns in the wake of the firm's sale last August.

United Kingdom
New ISR-oriented consulting firm Pinnacle Atlas launches in Middle East

ISR technology firm Seven Technologies' insolvency last month has been swiftly followed by the creation of other firms, including Pinnacle Atlas, which is well-connected in Saudi Arabia.

The Tech Telegraph
DGA-MI automates electronic warfare; Jean-Matthieu Tilquin joins ChapsVision; DARPA explores quantic computing; Advent International beefs up intelligence portfolio

Whether in SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT or cyber, we report each week on developments great and small in the world of the technical intelligence providers.

Bruz France's DGA-MI takes interest in AI for electronic warfare

Washington DARPA launches prospection for quantic computing

Paris Jean-Matthieu Tilquin leaves Bloom for ChapsVision

Boston Advent International pursues its intelligence acquisitions, buying Maxar

European Union, Georgia, UAE
EU supplying Georgia with cyber tools via UN and distributor SAT

The European Union (EU) has decided to supply cyber arms to EU membership applicant Georgia. It is supplying systems from Emirati forensics and cyber intelligence systems distributor Scientific Analytical Tools (SAT) via the United Nations Office for Project Services.

Israel, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, United States
Name of dark PR specialist Ronen Tzur surfaces in huge inheritance case of tycoon Israel Perry

To support their legal dispute with Swiss trustee Dieter Neupert over the inheritance of their late husband and father, Lilly Perry and Tamar Greenspoon are suspected of hiring Israeli influence communications specialist Ronen Tzur, who also advised defence minister Benny Gantz.

Israel, Ukraine
Israel's Cyberglobes is SBU's new OSINT supplier

Israeli open source intelligence firm Cyberglobes has scooped up a contract, previously held by Rayzone and Ultra, to supply Ukraine's internal intelligence service, the SBU.