Greek, Israeli, and Cypriot officials are reportedly in advanced discussions on establishing a joint brigade-level rapid reaction force in the Eastern Mediterranean. The proposed unit would comprise around 2,500 personnel - 1,000 each from Greece and Israel, and 500 from Cyprus - and would be designed for rapid, mobile deployment rather than permanent basing.

Its stated mission would focus on the protection of subsea energy infrastructure and critical maritime assets amid rising regional tensions.

The force is expected to operate across air, land, and sea domains, with dedicated air squadrons from the Israeli and Greek air forces, naval backing from Greek warships and submarines, and support from Israel’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.

While officials stress that the initiative is not formally directed against any specific actor, analysts note that the primary shared security concern among the three states remains Turkey.

Greece has recently completed the deployment of Israeli-made Spike missiles, with an estimated range of 30 kilometers, on several Aegean islands close to the Turkish coast, an acquisition that adds a further layer to the evolving military balance in the region.

🇮🇹 - Italian police arrests 384 people and confiscates over 1500kg of drugs in a massive nationwide series of simultaneous raids.

🇵🇹🇺🇦🤝‼️ #BREAKING • Ukraine and Portugal have established a joint partnership to produce sea drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Dec. 20, alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who arrived in Ukraine for his first official visit.

🚢 🇺🇸 🇻🇪 UPDATE: SKIPPER (9304667) has now reached the general GOLA (Galveston Offshore Lightering Area) in order to transfer her 1.85 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil to smaller tankers that can then bring the oil into various refinery terminals within Houston, for instance. 🛢

📎 Tanker Trackers

⚠️🇻🇪 Diosdado Cabello orders the head of tortures in Venezuela, Granko Arteaga, to start assassinating or capturing opponents inside and outside the country.