Contents tagged with Belgium
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Belgium launches €1.7 billion Ukraine support fund, to be funded by taxing frozen Russian assets
Belgium has launched a special fund to support Ukraine, which will receive funds from taxing frozen Russian assets in the country, that will later be directed towards aid for Ukraine. The fund amounts to €1.7 billion. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was visiting the country.
De Croo noted that frozen assets, the income derived from them, and the taxes collected on …
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German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall buys 50 Leopard-1 tanks from Belgium for shipment to Ukraine
The German defense concern Rheinmetall has bought 50 Leopard-1 tanks from Belgium, reports the newspaper Handelsblatt, citing its sources.
Rheinmetall reportedly purchased Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium to re-equip them and ship about 30 of them to Ukraine.
According to the newspaper, Rheinmetall initially wanted to buy Leopard tanks from the Swiss defense company Ruag. However, Switzerland did not issue an export license in accordance with its neutrality law, and Rheinmetall had to look for …
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Russia is reportedly preparing acts of sabotage in the North Sea to cause chaos in Europe
Russia uses civilian vessels to gather intelligence on Scandinavian countries' military activities and critical infrastructure in the North Sea, according to an investigation conducted by the special services and public broadcasters of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
An entire fleet of Russian ships disguised as fishing trawlers and research vessels is reportedly studying and mapping the location of oil and gas pipelines, telecommunications cables, power plants and other facilities. …
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Belgium to deliver its largest military aid package to Ukraine
Belgium will deliver to Ukraine the "largest to date" package of military assistance, the total cost of which amounts to 92 million euros, said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a press conference.
The aid package will include AMRAAM anti-aircraft missiles used in NASAMS air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, grenades, FN Minimi machine guns, FN SCAR rifles and ammunition, as well as light armored vehicles. The number of weapons was not disclosed for security reasons.
"Since …
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Belgium to supply underwater drones to Ukraine
The Belgian Council of Ministers approved a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. It will include 10 underwater drones and two mobile laboratories, reports the newspaper Le Soir, citing Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder.
"These drones can detect all underwater threats: mines and spy equipment. These are new advanced technologies that will provide them (Ukrainians) with great assistance. The Belgian army already has these devices. They will all be delivered to Ukraine by the …
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Belgian fighter jets intercept Russian Tu-160 bombers over Baltics
Belgian fighter jets intercepted two Russian TU-160 strategic bombers and two Russian SU-27 fighers over the Baltics on Tuesday, September 18, reported the Belgian Air force.
“Two Belgian Air force F16 of NATO's BAP mission intercepted two Russian TU-160 Blackjack and two Russian SU-27 Flanker above the Baltic Sea. It was the first scramble for the Belgian detachment which is safeguarding the Baltic airspace since the 3th of September,” reads the message of the Belgian Air Force on Twitter.
A …
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Belgian officer dismissed on suspicion of ties with Russia
The Belgian security forces dismissed an officer suspected of having links to a Russian oligarch. The officer himself claimed that he “was not given the opportunity to explain his business connections”, Radio Liberty reported, referencing the local press.
It should be noted that the officer was recruited in 2004. He had experience in international trade with one of the republics of the former USSR. He was granted access to documents classified as “secret”.
“However, his communication with …
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Swedish Air Force: Russian warplanes violated Sweden's airspace
A surveillance aircraft and two destroyers of the Russian Air Force violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic coast entering it for a short period, the Swedish Air Force reported.
In the report published on January 24th, Swedish Air Force stated that the incident occurred on January 19th. An Il-20 surveillance aircraft and two Su-27 fighters flew near the city of Karlshamn, in south Sweden. The Russian aircraft entered Swedish airspace without permission, which the Swedish military reported to …
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Contingent of Belgian armed forces arrives in Estonia
A contingent of the Belgian Armed Forces arrived in Estonia, err.ee reports. The Belgian have joined the British-led NATO battle group stationed in Tapa. They will stay in Estonia for four months replacing a Danish contingent that rotated out in 2018.
The Belgian units arrived in three convoys of 100 vehicles in total. The core of the contingent is made up of troops from Belgium's historical Chasseurs Ardennais battalion. The unit has approximately 300 personnel along with some 100 units of …
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Belgium reviews use of smartphones by military because of Russian espionage
Belgium has restricted the use of smartphones in the army because of treat of espionage from the Russian Federation, reported by the Belgian news agency Belga.
“We know that Russia is interested in obtaining mobile geolocation data. We are making efforts to prevent such activity and have been actively conducting explanatory work among the personnel for several years. But this does not seem enough yet,” said Colonel Carl Gillis, head of operations for the Belgian armed forces Chief of Staff. …