We encourage you to read our review of the past week in Central and Eastern European countries:
Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece to strengthen military mobility
The governments of Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece have signed a memorandum on strengthening transport links between the countries, which will include the construction of three new bridges over the Danube. The agreement is expected to bring not only economic benefits but also increase the capacity of transport infrastructure for military purposes.
Bulgarian Transport Minister Grozdan Karadzhov emphasized that the planned investments will not only strengthen mobility between the signatories to the memorandum, but will also allow for the development of a broader North-South regional corridor. The plan involves not only the construction of bridges, but also the modernization of road and rail infrastructure. This is a favorable development from the point of view of the eastern flank countries located in the north, including Poland and Slovakia.
Romania acquires Turkish corvette
Bucharest has become the first NATO customer of the Turkish shipyard ASFAT. On December 3, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense signed an agreement with the Turkish side on the purchase of a multi-purpose HISAR corvette. In accordance with local regulations, the acquisition of the platform underwent a multi-stage review process by the executive (Supreme Council of National Defense) and legislative (parliamentary committees) authorities.
The acquisition of the Turkish frigate is part of a broader modernization program for the Romanian Navy, which is intended to secure the country’s strategic interests in the Black Sea area (including the rapidly growing role of the port of Constanta). The choice of a Turkish supplier is not only another success for the local defense industry, but also an expression of Turkey’s growing role in the region and the strengthening of cooperation between Bucharest and Istanbul.
Moldova acquires Czech anti-drone systems
Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi announced the acquisition of Czech MR-2 Viktor anti-drone systems. The solution, supplied in an undisclosed number by Excalibur Army, is based on a double-coupled KVPT machine gun and thermal and night vision sights mounted on a Toyota Hilux pickup chassis. The systems are also used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Strengthening Moldova’s own defense capabilities against frequent incidents at the tactical level, e.g., involving unmanned aerial vehicles, is an effective means of reducing Russian pressure on Chisinau. At the same time, deliveries of MR-2 Viktor systems demonstrate the consistently high level of activity of the Czech arms industry in the regional market, especially entities from the CSG group.
115 cases of treason in Q1 2025 – a twofold increase compared to Q1 2024
According to statistics from the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, 115 cases of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code) were initiated in Q1 2025 – twice as many as in Q1 2024. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, courts have convicted 774 people for treason, espionage, and secret collaboration with foreigners. A new practice is to combine Article 275 (treason) and Article 205 (terrorism) in a single case – this did not happen before 2023. Examples from December 2025: a resident of Luhansk (20 years for espionage and passing on data from critical infrastructure to the SBU); physicist Artiom Choroshilov (21 years for money transfers to Ukrainian foundations supporting the SZU – 700,000 rubles); a Belgian and Russian citizen arrested for “financing representatives of a foreign state”; 17-year-old resident of Kurgan (treason case for street graffiti and photos of cars). The FSB is conducting mass prosecutions for contacts with “curators” on Telegram, money transfers, and photos of military facilities.
The twofold increase in treason cases in Q1 2025 is a consequence of “spy mania” – the FSB treats any contact with Ukraine (transfers, correspondence, donations) as grounds for initiating criminal proceedings.
November 27: A malfunction at Baikonur deprives the Russian Federation of the ability to conduct manned flights for the first time since 1961.
On November 27, during the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan, leased by the Russian Federation), there was a failure of launch pad 31/6 – the only one operational for manned flights since 2020 (the old complex No. 1 “Gagarin’s Start” was decommissioned due to lack of funds). At the moment of separation, the rocket fell and damaged the 20-ton service cabin, which was supposed to enter the niche. Roskosmos confirmed “damage to a number of elements of the complex” but assured that “quick repairs” would be made. Thus, Russia has lost its ability to send people into space – something that has not happened since 1961. The launch of the Progress cargo ship, planned for December 19-20, will almost certainly be postponed. The failure reveals the Russian Federation’s critical dependence on a single launch complex (no backup platform) and chronic underfunding of space infrastructure. Russia has no alternative — modernizing a backup platform would take years of work.
The failure at Baikonur is a symbolic blow to the prestige of the Russian space program – for the first time since Gagarin, Russia is unable to send a man into space, exposing decades of infrastructure neglect.
Russia and China conducted their third joint air and missile defense exercises on Russian territory
In early December 2025, Russia and China conducted the third round of joint anti-missile exercises on Russian territory. The PRC Ministry of Defense stated: “The exercises are defensive in nature, are not directed against any third party, and are not related to the current international or regional situation.” Earlier in November, the two sides held consultations on air defense and strategic stability; in August, they conducted artillery and anti-submarine maneuvers in the Sea of Japan. Military cooperation between Russia and China has been intensifying since February 2022 (agreement on a “strategic partnership without borders” just before the invasion of Ukraine). Both sides express concern about US plans to build the “Golden Dome” missile defense system and the intention to resume nuclear tests. These exercises signal a strengthening of the military alliance between Russia and China in the context of growing tensions with NATO and the US.
The third round of FR-PRC PRO exercises is a demonstration of the strategic rapprochement between the two countries and a signal to the West about the construction of an “axis of resistance” against American defense systems.
FR Black Sea Fleet: 28 units lost, 10 under repair, 70% of Russian ships repaired abroad
Since the beginning of the invasion, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have destroyed or damaged 28 ships and vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF), including: the cruiser “Moskva” (sunk in April 2022 by Neptune missiles), the landing ships “Novocherkassk” (destroyed on December 26, 2023 in Feodosia – 74 killed), the Caesar Kunikov (sunk in January 2024), the corvette Ivanets (sunk in January 2024), a submarine (damaged), and the frigates Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov (damaged). In addition, more than 10 vessels are undergoing repairs. According to industry sources, despite sanctions, as many as 70% of Russian civilian ships are still being repaired abroad (due to a lack of repair capacity within the Russian Federation). In November, Putin instructed the government to develop a “roadmap” for the development of the fishing and industrial fleet repair base until 2036, but the military repair base remains in crisis. The loss of 1/3 of the FCz and repair problems are leading to a drastic reduction in the operational capabilities of the Russian Navy.
The loss of 28 ships and a weak repair base are long-term strategic problems – the Russian Federation will not be able to quickly rebuild the combat capabilities of the FCz, which weakens its position in the Black Sea region.
Cyber defense exercises in Estonia
At the turn of November and December 2025, cyber defense exercises called “Cyber Coalition 2025” were held in Tallinn, with the participation of 29 NATO countries and 7 partner countries. More than 1,300 participants were tasked with defending civilian and military systems threatened by cyber attacks. The exercise scenario included disruptions and breakdowns in critical infrastructure, such as power grids, attacks on military communications systems, and satellite services. As part of the exercise, classified communications systems responsible for military logistics were also infected.
The exercises were the largest of their kind in NATO’s history. Estonia was chosen as the main location, as it became an ally specializing in cybersecurity after attacks by Russian hackers in 2007. In crisis situations, ensuring the continuity of satellite services is crucial. Based on the experience of Ukraine, it is worth recalling the cyberattack on the Ka-SAT satellite network of the American company Viasat on February 24, 2022, which cut off thousands of users from the Internet. Hackers took control of the modems used to connect to the satellite. Attempts to counter attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are also becoming a regular feature of NATO exercises. A specific example of such an incident was the cyberattack on the Bremanger dam in Norway on April 7, 2025. As a result of the attack, huge amounts of water poured out uncontrollably for several hours, causing chaos and a serious regional crisis. A video showing the breach of the security system was posted on Telegram.
Two Russian fishing companies blocked from accessing the Faroe Islands archipelago, part of the Kingdom of Denmark
The Faroe Islands Parliament has passed a law that allows two key Russian fishing companies to be blocked from accessing the archipelago’s territorial waters and ports. The Russian processing and trading holding company Norebo and Murman Seafood have been on the European Union and Norwegian government sanctions lists since May 2025. The Russian side has announced retaliatory measures, citing alleged violations of international agreements regulating cooperation dating back to the Soviet era.
These actions are related to suspicions that ships belonging to the Russian companies were part of a so-called “shadow fleet,” conducting reconnaissance activities against key elements of critical maritime infrastructure. In addition to being banned from ports in the Faroe Islands and Denmark, ships belonging to both companies are also prohibited from accessing ports in Norway and obtaining fishing licenses in the Norwegian economic zone.
British citizen detained in Ukraine on suspicion of espionage
Ross David Cutmore, a Scottish native and former British soldier, was detained and charged with spying for Russia. The charges relate to planning attacks and providing the Federal Security Service with information on the location of key Ukrainian facilities during the ongoing war. The Briton arrived in Ukraine in 2024, offering training in tactics and the use of firearms.
The arrest of Ross David Cutmore and the charges of spying for the FSB have been widely commented on. The decision to detain him, taken by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), was justified by evidence indicating that he had cooperated with the Russian intelligence service in exchange for financial compensation. The SBU also reported that these activities were carried out in cooperation with British intelligence services. The type and nature of the information gathered suggest that the described cooperation with the FSB did indeed take place.
News from the Eastern Flank Institute (IWF):
- Michał Dworczyk, Chairman of the EFI Council, gave an interview to the Defence24 portal (in Polish) on the EU military mobility package currently being processed.
- EFI Council member Bartosz Cichocki published an article on the “Wszystko Co Najważniejsze” website on the conditions for doing business in Ukraine (in Polish) in the current political situation, pointing out, among other things, potential opportunities for companies in the arms industry or dual-use technologies.
