All posts tagged: Intercepting

Air Defence Units of Ukrainian Companies Start Intercepting Drones, Minister Says

Air Defence Units of Ukrainian Companies Start Intercepting Drones, Minister Says

Published by Sam Flores

KYIV, March 30 (Reuters) – The first ⁠of ⁠the air defence units ⁠formed by Ukrainian industrial enterprises has already ​begun carrying out combat duties, while new units are ‌being formed at 13 other ‌enterprises, Ukraine’s defence minister said on Monday. Ukraine’s ⁠government last ⁠year authorised energy, communications and transport companies to buy ​v and use air defence equipment to improve their effectiveness in combating Russian air attacks. The groups, which consist of the ​companies’ own employees, are being equipped with weapons, operate ⁠under ⁠Air Force coordination, and ⁠are ​integrated into the broader air defense system. “To date, several enemy ​drones have been ⁠shot down in the Kharkiv region, including Shahed and Zala models,” Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram. He said the units were at different stages of readiness, with ⁠some already carrying out combat missions and others still in ⁠training. Fedorov did not specify which companies were taking part in the programme. “This is a system-level solution that enables the rapid expansion of air defence capabilities without placing an additional burden on frontline units,” he …

How Each Gulf Country Is Intercepting Iranian Missiles and Drones

How Each Gulf Country Is Intercepting Iranian Missiles and Drones

Published by skeptic

Over the past week, residents across the Gulf have watched missiles and drones cross the night sky—sometimes followed seconds later by bright flashes as air-defense systems intercept them. In cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, videos of interceptions have spread quickly across social media, turning what is normally a largely unseen security architecture into something suddenly visible. Authorities have urged people not to film or share footage online of interceptions or military activity, warning that such videos could reveal sensitive information about defense operations. Iran has launched waves of missile and drones toward several Gulf countries in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes which killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. These attacks have triggered air-defense responses across the region. Governments from the United Arab Emirates to Kuwait and Bahrain have reported detecting or intercepting hundreds of missiles and drones in recent days targeting airspace, military facilities, and infrastructure. Here is how each country has responded. United Arab Emirates The UAE operates a layered air-defense network designed to intercept threats at different stages of flight. At the highest …

How Russia is intercepting communications from European satellites

How Russia is intercepting communications from European satellites

Published by skeptic

Officials recently sounded the alarm over Russia intercepting communications from European satellites. But this isn’t a new problem. Ever since the initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, two Russian satellites have been secretly stalking European spacecraft. They have been manoeuvring close enough to raise concerns about more than mere observation. In 2018, the French defence minister accused Russia of espionage after one of these vehicles was spotted in the vicinity of a Franco-Italian military communications satellite. Two Intelsat satellites were similarly targeted before that. These so-called proximity and rendezvous operations (RPOs), in which a spacecraft deliberately manoeuvres to dock or operate near another object in space, are becoming commonplace in geostationary orbit (GEO), where satellites effectively stay fixed over the same spot on Earth. RPOs are not inherently malicious. These operations can sometimes be used to refuel a satellite and extend its lifespan, or to remove defunct satellites and debris, keeping orbits clear for future missions. Because the technology to improve satellite manoeuvrability is dual use – it has both civilian and military applications – …

Russia Accused Of Intercepting, Shadowing European Satellites For Signals Intelligence

Russia Accused Of Intercepting, Shadowing European Satellites For Signals Intelligence

Published by Jenni Sidey

Russian spacecraft have reportedly been intercepting the communications of at least a dozen high-value European satellites, according to EU security officials, in the latest Ukraine-related ‘scare’ by Moscow. However, any information gleaned would be from communications that the satellite operators failed to encrypt.  Officials told the Financial Times that such interceptions risk exposing sensitive data and could even give Russia the ability to interfere with satellite trajectories or even force them offline entirely. Illustrative, source: Pixabay “Two Russian satellites ‘Luch-1’ and ‘Luch-2’ repeatedly approached European communication satellites and could intercept information from at least ten key geostationary satellites located over Europe,” the report says. It was already widely reported that Russian spacecraft have increasingly shadowed European satellites in recent years, tracking them closely as tensions with the West spiraled related to Ukraine – a trend also highlighting how space is fast becoming the next battlefield. Also, this isn’t the first time some very specific allegations have been publicly made, as last year German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Russian Luch Olymp surveillance satellites were trailing …