In April, a 100-metre-long Russian intelligence gathering ship known as the Viktor Leonov sailed into Irish waters. The vessel was reportedly en route towards Cuba but it nonetheless captured the attention of the Irish Defence Forces. While the reasoning for its presence in the Irish exclusive economic zone are unclear, it was the latest incursion of Russian assets in Irish waters and airspace in recent years. It also acted as a reminder of the era of fraught geopolitical tensions that has taken hold across the world. In decades past, Ireland offered little value to foreign adversaries seeking weakness among Western…

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