HM Intelligence Updates

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in central Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak Province. Officials have not confirmed whether the crash resulted from enemy fire or technical failure. #hm #hmintelligence

Thousands of people have staged a second day of protests in Tehran, as anger grows over Iran’s worsening economic crisis. Merchants and shop owners blocked streets, shut businesses, and called for a nationwide strike, according to eyewitnesses cited by the Associated Press. The demonstrations have been driven largely by the collapse of Iran’s currency, with the rial hitting a record low of 1.42 million to the U.S. dollar on December 28, alongside soaring inflation that has pushed food prices up 72% and medicine prices up 50% over the past year. Protesters reportedly chanted slogans calling for the return of the shah, while parts of Tehran’s Grand Bazaar joined the strike. Security forces responded with tear gas and water cannons, as officials sought to downplay the crisis. Deputy Interior Minister Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian blamed the currency collapse on psychological factors and warned against “enemy incitement,” while authorities cautioned that protesters would face prosecution. #hm #hmintelligence

President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States carried out its first-ever land strike against Venezuela, saying the military targeted a drug facility that was destroyed in a massive explosion. #hm #hmintelligence

Today in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a military tank experienced a mechanical malfunction while traveling on a public road, drawing attention from nearby civilians and temporarily disrupting traffic. #hm #hmintelligence

China has reportedly disguised mobile DF-series intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers to resemble civilian construction equipment, specifically cranes produced by Zoomlion, as a means of concealment and deception. Zoomlion is a prominent Chinese manufacturer of construction, agricultural, and environmental machinery, and using vehicles that visually match its widely recognized cranes could allow military missile launchers to blend into ordinary industrial activity, making them harder to detect and track. #hm #hmintelligence

China released its first official video of the “Justice Mission 2025” live-fire military drills around Taiwan, scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 30. #hm #hmintelligence

Türkiye has achieved a major breakthrough in drone warfare as two Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned fighter jets successfully flew in autonomous close formation, marking a historic milestone in AI-powered air combat and the evolution of next-generation unmanned aerial systems. #hm #hmintelligence

Arseniy Konovalov, a former Russian consulate official in Houston, was sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony and fined 100,000 rubles for treason, accused by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) of attempting to sell classified material to U.S. intelligence. Konovalov, who served as second secretary at the Russian Consulate in Houston from 2014 to 2017, allegedly contacted U.S. intelligence while on a long-term assignment and provided classified information in exchange for payment. He was arrested in March 2024, and the footage of his detention shows him being informed of the charges while seated in a vehicle. The sentence, announced on December 26, 2025, has not yet come into effect, and his case is considered one of the most significant diplomatic breaches in recent years. #hm #hmintelligence

Numerous drones have hit civilian buildings in Kyiv overnight/early morning. Early reports indicate that at least 5 civilians have been injured. #hm #hmintelligence

The U.S. has released a video of USS Paul Ignatius launching Tomahawk missiles on ISIS camps in Nigeria on Christmas Day in response to the Islamist attacks against Nigerian Christians. In a statement Trump said the United States carried out a major military strike against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria, claiming the operation was ordered by him as Commander in Chief in response to the group’s killings of Christians. He described the strikes as highly successful, warned of further action if attacks continue, reaffirmed opposition to radical Islamic terrorism, and praised the U.S. military while issuing a Christmas message. #hm #hmintelligence

Cambodia has condemned Thailand for demolishing a Hindu Vishnu statue it says stood inside Cambodian territory in the disputed An Ses border area, calling it an attack on a religious and cultural site amid ongoing clashes between the two countries. Cambodian officials say the statue, built in 2014 and worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus, was destroyed by Thai forces on December 22, with verified video circulating online, while Thailand has not commented and maintains its operations target only military objectives. #hm #hmintelligence

A Border Patrol agent shot down a suspected cartel-operated drone near the border wall, highlighting how criminal groups are increasingly using drones for surveillance, smuggling coordination, and tracking law enforcement, effectively turning the border into a low-altitude battlefield and signaling that the border crisis has entered a more dangerous and technologically advanced phase. #hm #hmintelligence

Ukrainian soldiers report that the most effective defense against fiber-optic FPV drones is using a “Safari” shotgun to damage the drone, followed by a “Ptashka” net launcher that can fire a 4×4 m net up to 30 m to capture any drone that survives the initial shot. #hm #hmintelligence

The Venezuelan military has started distributing rifles to civilians in working-class neighborhoods, stating that the initiative is intended to organize local militias that could form an armed resistance in the event of a foreign invasion of Venezuela. #hm #hmintelligence

A Ukrainian company is currently developing “Ambush drones” which wait for targets perched in trees using feet and legs similar to that of a bird..... Some new nightmare fuel for everyone 🫠 #hm #hmintelligence