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Strategic map of the Kalyaran Gulf showing Marastria on the east shore, Darev on the west, the Helios North and Helios South gas fields at the ocean mouth, and the Rashtan–Lyran land border at the head of the gulf. In this simulation I stepped into the shoes of Marastria, a fragile parliamentary democracy on the east shore of the Kalyaran Gulf, facing a more repressive, missile-heavy neighbour, Darev, on the west. The crisis centred on a narrow strip of contested sea and two

In this simulation I stepped into the shoes of Kalundu which is a poorer, landlocked state facing a stronger coastal neighbour, Azimbar, in a limited war over water, minerals and political survival. The conflict centres on the Kirewa River. The river rises in Azimbar and is controlled by a huge upsteam structure, the Kirewa Grand Dam, which powers its cities and industry. Kalundu sits downriver with failing harvests, rising food prices and periodic blackouts, watching water l

Russian spy ship Yantar operating close to UK waters near vital undersea cables In November 2025, the Russian spy ship Yantar operated on the edge of UK territorial waters north of Scotland. The ship, operated by Russia’s GUGI deep-sea research directorate, is widely assessed as an undersea surveillance and cable-mapping platform rather than a benign research vessel. During this deployment, UK authorities reported that Yantar: Directed lasers at an RAF P-8A Poseidon surveilla