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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)

@aoav.bsky.social
273 followers 777 following 252 posts

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) investigates and records harm to civilians in conflicts around the world. For press inquiries, please contact @iainoverton.bsky.social‬ www.aoav.org.uk

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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
What is absolutely clear is that this is an active war against civilians and as long as foreign actors continue to fuel this conflict, there will be no end in sight. #Sudan #ArmsTrade #Accountability #ActionOnArmedViolence
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Governments must impose greater checks surrounding arms deals with the UAE to avoid this. Accountability needs to reach those supplying, financing and facilitating the weapons.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
What must be addressed is accountability. There must be greater scrutiny of arms transfer through third countries to reduce the amount of foreign weapons reaching the hands of both the SAF and the RSF.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Panelists also brought into focus the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the UN arms embargo. The embargo is constrained to the Darfur region. Due to the ever changing nature of the military arsenal being used, the embargo must be implemented and extended across the entirety of Sudan.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
As a result, there has been an increase in civilian targeting, with disproportionate strikes on women and children who are among the highest casualties. Other civilian infrastructure is also being targeted including schools, hospitals and markets.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
And although one would expect greater technological precision would offer greater protection to civilians, the opposite is happening. Drones mean no one and nowhere in Sudan is now safe.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Attention must also be drawn to the use of drones which is changing the military landscape in Sudan. Increasingly sophisticated drone systems, yet again supplied externally, allow both parties to strike far beyond traditional frontlines.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Weapons from countries including Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria, Serbia, Sweden, UK, and Australia to name just a few, have been documented in Sudan, some delivered directly and some through third countries.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Particular attention was given to the United Arab Emirates, which was identified as the key supplier to the RSF, an allegation the UAE has consistently denied despite evidence.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The discussion highlighted how foreign weapons and technologies are helping sustain a war in which civilians are targets. In recent years, foreign military equipment has been entering the country and supplying weapons to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Who is arming the war in Sudan? And who is accountable for the civilian harm? These were some of the central questions raised today in the fantastic webinar, War in Sudan: Outside Weapons and What can Be Done Next, hosted by the Forum on the Arms Trade and Control Arms.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The fact is Sudan is no longer a domestic conflict. It is increasingly becoming a global testing ground for new technologies and weapons.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Channel 4’s Dispatches lifts the lid on Britain’s Gaza Secrets, but questions remain aoav.org.uk/2026/channel...
aoav.org.uk
Channel 4’s Dispatches lifts the lid on Britain’s Gaza Secrets, but questions remain - AOAV Channel 4 Dispatches reveals Britain's Gaza secrets | AOAV
Channel 4's Dispatches reveals new evidence about Britain's response to the war in Gaza. AOAV examines the findings and the questions left unanswered.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Why did Polymarket trading surge an hour before the Iran war started? aoav.org.uk/2026/polymar...
aoav.org.uk
Why did Polymarket trading surge an hour before the Iran war started?Polymarket Trading Surged Before Iran War Strikes - AOAV
Polymarket bets surged just before US and Israeli strikes on Iran. AOAV investigates suspicious trading patterns and profits made by newly created accounts.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
In memoriam: an analysis of the 7th of October 2023 casualties in Israel aoav.org.uk/2023/an-anal...
aoav.org.uk
An analysis of the 7th of October 2023 casualties in Israel - AOAV
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, examining the strategic impact, demographic patterns of casualties, and broader implications for the Israel-...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Why possible prosecutions of UK Special Forces over Afghanistan are both a tragedy and a necessity Op-ed from @iainoverton.bsky.social aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-spec...
aoav.org.uk
Why possible prosecutions of UK Special Forces over Afghanistan are both a tragedy and a necessityWhy UK Special Forces Prosecutions Over Afghanistan May Be Necessary - AOAV
AOAV argues that possible prosecutions of UK Special Forces over alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan are both tragic and necessary for justice and accountability.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Three years of genocide: How has Britain’s policy shifted on Israel? aa.com.tr/en/europe/th...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
MoD admits ‘regrettable failure’ after 97 million files discovered in SAS war crimes inquiry aoav.org.uk/2026/sas-war...
aoav.org.uk
MoD admits ‘regrettable failure’ after 97 million files discovered in SAS war crimes inquiryMoD admits ‘regrettable failure’ after 97 million files found in SAS war crimes inquiry - AOAV
The MoD has admitted a “regrettable failure” after 97 million files were discovered during the inquiry into alleged SAS war crimes in Afghanistan.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Former SAS worker tells The Times that troops were ‘feral’, ‘not the heroes they think they are’ and believed themselves ‘untouchable’ aoav.org.uk/2026/sas-wor...
aoav.org.uk
Former SAS worker says troops were ‘feral’, ‘not the heroes they think they are’ and believed themselves ‘untouchable’ Former SAS worker describes ‘feral’ culture amid Afghanistan inquiry - AOAV
Former SAS worker Monica Grenfell tells The Times that some troops were “feral” and felt “untouchable”, amid the inquiry into alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Little-known UK consultancy Touché Ltd recorded 194 potential arms export licence uses for Israel aoav.org.uk/2026/touche-...
aoav.org.uk
Little-known UK consultancy Touché Ltd recorded 194 potential arms export licence uses for Israel Kent consultancy recorded 194 uses of Israel export licence - AOAV
Kent consultancy Touche recorded 194 uses of an open UK export licence for controlled goods and technology to Israel in 2023 and 2024.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Sky has been told about defence industry links in The Wargame. Why are they still missing from its biographies? aoav.org.uk/2026/sky-the...
aoav.org.uk
Sky has been told about defence industry links in The Wargame. Why are they still missing from its biographies?Sky’s The Wargame: Why Are Defence Industry Links Missing? - AOAV
AOAV asks why Sky’s The Wargame biographies omit current defence industry links held by several of the politicians and military figures featured.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Afghanistan Inquiry into SAS killings calls open hearing over ‘significant’ increase in undisclosed MoD documents aoav.org.uk/2026/afghani...
aoav.org.uk
Afghanistan Inquiry into SAS killings calls open hearing over ‘significant’ increase in undisclosed MoD documents Afghanistan Inquiry calls hearing over undisclosed MoD documents - AOAV
The Afghanistan Inquiry has called an open hearing after a “significant and unexpected” increase in relevant MoD documents that have not been disclosed.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
“The apocalypse is not now. It’s next.” @aoav.bsky.social speaks to anthropologist Ruben Andersson about the rise of the global security industry, and what happens when governments invest in anticipating disaster rather than addressing its causes. aoav.org.uk/2026/ruben-a...
aoav.org.uk
Ruben Andersson: Age of Security and the politics of fear | AOAVThe apocalypse is not now, it’s next: how fear became a global political and industrial obsession - AOAV
Ruben Andersson speaks to AOAV about Age of Security, exploring how fear fuels militarisation, surveillance and a politics of permanent emergency.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Why does political violence persist in democracies? DIViNE is seeking expressions of interest for 10 PhD positions exploring this question. AOAV is a partner in the network. Deadline: 10 October. Formal applications open in October–November. divine.unimi.it/what-is-divi...
divine.unimi.it
What is DiViNE? - DIViNE
Democracies are commonly seen as able to channel contestation through institutionalized processes and nonviolent action. Yet, democratic polities frequently experience a broad range of political viole...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
£58m and counting: the mounting cost of Britain’s inquiry into SAS killings in Afghanistan aoav.org.uk/2026/afghan-...
aoav.org.uk
Afghan Special Forces inquiry has cost £58m£58m and counting: the mounting cost of Britain’s inquiry into SAS killings in Afghanistan - AOAV
The inquiry into alleged unlawful killings by British Special Forces in Afghanistan has cost £58m and has yet to publish its findings.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Trump to Send 40k Bombs to Israel in $2.8bn Deal novaramedia.com/2026/09/17/t...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Starmer ‘complicit’ in Trump’s Yemen massacre www.declassifieduk.org/starmer-comp...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NHS officially recognises long-term Lariam consequences for veterans aoav.org.uk/2026/nhs-off...
aoav.org.uk
NHS recognises long-term Lariam effects on veterans - AOAV
The NHS has formally recognised the potential long-term health consequences of the antimalarial drug Lariam, after years of concern among military veterans.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Coalition of legal professionals demands tougher action against Israel www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/coaliti...
lawgazette.co.uk
Coalition of legal professionals demands tougher action against Israel
Measures imposed must be far more wide-ranging to comply with the government's legal obligations, says letter to PM Andy Burnham.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The Impossible Struggle to Demine Gaza www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
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Reposted by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
Iain Overton @iainoverton.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
As the SAS stand accused of executing over 80 civilians, it's small wonder there is a deluge of reports from The Telegraph about why suing soldiers is a bad thing.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
UN Secretary-General cites AOAV data in new global report on improvised explosive devices aoav.org.uk/2026/un-secr...
aoav.org.uk
UN Secretary-General cites AOAV data in new IED reportUN Secretary-General cites AOAV data in new global report on improvised explosive devices - AOAV
The UN Secretary-General has cited AOAV data on 954 IED incidents and 9,753 casualties in a new report to the General Assembly on improvised explosive devices.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Former Anthropic researcher quits, warning: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” And if this doesn't give you pause for thought, perhaps you have already ceded thought to the algorithm. aoav.org.uk/2026/anthrop...
aoav.org.uk
Former Anthropic researcher quits over AI safety fearsFormer Anthropic researcher quits, warning: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade” - AOAV
Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has quit, warning that leading AI companies are racing towards systems they fear could become uncontrollable.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Just 9 MoD fraud cases were referred to the CPS in five years, despite the department estimating potential fraud exposure of up to £1.5bn. With defence spending rising sharply, the machinery of accountability appears to be lagging behind. New from @aoav.bsky.social aoav.org.uk/2026/just-ni...
aoav.org.uk
Just nine MoD fraud cases referred to CPS in five years amid £1.5bn fraud-risk warning - AOAV
Just nine MoD fraud cases were referred to the CPS in five years, despite warnings that the department faces up to £1.5bn in potential fraud risk.”
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Reposted by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
Global Investigative Journalism Network @gijn.org · 08/09/2026
🤖 Our new guide by @iainoverton.bsky.social shows you how to investigate a contemporary conflict where cloud platforms, surveillance networks, AI models and commercial infrastructure are embedded within warfare itself. Check it out here ⬇️ twp.ai/E5Fzei
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Guide to Investigating Tech and AI in Modern Warfare gijn.org/resource/inv...
gijn.org
Guide to Investigating Tech and AI in Modern Warfare
Technology is rapidly rewriting the nature of war and conflict, investigative reporters need new resources and reporting strategies so they can keep up.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Farage, firepower and foreign policy: the defence policies of Reform UK examined aoav.org.uk/2026/farage-...
aoav.org.uk
Farage, firepower and foreign policy: the defence policies of Reform UK examined - AOAV
The party's rise has been fuelled by strong patriotic messaging, yet important questions remain about its approach to security and armed violence.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
British military courts missed sexual-offence trial targets for third consecutive year, inspection finds aoav.org.uk/2026/militar...
aoav.org.uk
Military courts miss sexual-offence trial targets for third yearBritish military courts missed sexual-offence trial targets for third consecutive year, inspection finds - AOAV
British military courts failed to meet targets for listing sexual-offence trials in 2024, 2025 and again in 2026, a new independent inspection has found.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Firearms licensing system in England and Wales ‘not fit for purpose’, watchdog finds, echoing AOAV’s concerns aoav.org.uk/2026/firearm...
aoav.org.uk
Firearms licensing system in England and Wales 'not fit for purpose', watchdog finds, echoing AOAV's concernsirearms licensing system 'not fit for purpose', watchdog finds - AOAV
Police inspectors say England and Wales' firearms licensing system is not fit for purpose, echoing concerns raised by AOAV over inconsistent licensing practices.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Firearms licensing system in England and Wales ‘not fit for purpose’, watchdog finds, echoing AOAV’s concerns aoav.org.uk/2026/firearm...
aoav.org.uk
Firearms licensing system in England and Wales 'not fit for purpose', watchdog finds, echoing AOAV's concernsirearms licensing system 'not fit for purpose', watchdog finds - AOAV
Police inspectors say England and Wales' firearms licensing system is not fit for purpose, echoing concerns raised by AOAV over inconsistent licensing practices.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Violent Music is Not Evidence of Violent Crime: The Danger of Putting Drill Lyrics on Trial As the Met Police defends using drill rap lyrics as evidence in court, Iain Overton argues the urge to blame culture and creative expression should be resisted www.bylinesupplement.com/p/violent-mu...
bylinesupplement.com
Violent Music is Not Evidence of Violent Crime: The Danger of Putting Drill Lyrics on Trial
As the Metropolitan Police defends using drill rap lyrics as evidence in court, Iain Overton argues that the urge to blame culture and creative expression should be resisted
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
UK military personnel served on US warships in Caribbean during strikes condemned as “extrajudicial killings” aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-mili...
aoav.org.uk
UK military personnel US warships CaribbeanUK military personnel served on US warships in Caribbean during strikes condemned as “extrajudicial killings” UK military personnel served on US warships dur...
MOD records show UK military personnel served on US Navy vessels in the Caribbean during strikes condemned by the UN and Human Rights Watch as extrajudicial killings.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Useful graphic from SIPRI on the changing defence technology landscape, showing the growing overlap between traditional defence primes, venture-backed defence startups, big tech firms and foundational AI model providers.
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Reposted by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
Iain Overton @iainoverton.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
New from @aoav.bsky.social : UK capital’s cold murder cases reveal a deadly racial disparity: young black men are disproportionately represented in London’s unsolved killings aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-capi...
aoav.org.uk
UK capital’s cold murder cases reveal a deadly racial disparity: young black men are disproportionately represented in London’s unsolved killings - AOAV
AOAV's review of unsolved murders in London over the past decade found that cases are far more likely to remain unresolved when the victim is a young Black man or when the killing involves a firearm, ...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Britain’s Gaza spy flights may hold evidence of attacks on Palestinian civilians and British aid workers. But the government will not reveal what they recorded aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-gaza...
aoav.org.uk
UK Gaza spy flights may hold evidence of attacks on civiliansBritain’s Gaza spy flights may hold evidence of attacks on Palestinian civilians and British aid workers. But the government will not revea...
Britain flew more than 600 surveillance missions over or near Gaza. AOAV asks what the RAF recorded, what intelligence was shared and whether the footage could contain evidence of unlawful attacks.
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
3/ Explore more data at the Explosive Weapons Monitor 2025, INEW's annual report on harm from explosive weapons in populated areas: explosiveweaponsmonitor.org/reports/9/ex...
explosiveweaponsmonitor.org
Explosive Weapons Monitor
The Explosive Weapons Monitor is a civil society initiative that conducts research and analysis on harms from and practices of explosive weapon use in populated areas for the International Network on ...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
2/ This harm is not inevitable. As part of @explosiveweapon, AOAV calls on all states to restrict the use of explosive weapons where civilians live, and to endorse and implement the Political Declaration on EWIPA. #WorldHumanitarianDay
explosiveweaponsmonitor.org
Explosive Weapons Monitor
The Explosive Weapons Monitor is a civil society initiative that conducts research and analysis on harms from and practices of explosive weapon use in populated areas for the International Network on ...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
1/ World Humanitarian Day exists because of a bombing: the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, 2003. 23 years on, aid and health workers are still killed by explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2025, attacks on aid operations ⬆️52%.
explosiveweaponsmonitor.org
Explosive Weapons Monitor
The Explosive Weapons Monitor is a civil society initiative that conducts research and analysis on harms from and practices of explosive weapon use in populated areas for the International Network on ...
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Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
UK MoD says it holds correspondence relating to Afghanistan war with EU defence agency. The EU agency says no such records exist aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-mod-...
aoav.org.uk
UK MoD says it holds Afghanistan records EU agency cannot findUK MoD says it holds correspondence relating to Afghanistan war with EU defence agency. The EU agency says no such records exist - AOAV
The UK Ministry of Defence says it holds information on correspondence with the European Defence Agency over Afghanistan, while the EU agency says no such records exist.
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Reposted by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) @aoav.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
US authorities found 104 export-control violations by BAE Systems Inc, including unauthorised transfers of sensitive military technical data. AOAV’s previous research found BAE had definite or reported military links with 93 countries. aoav.org.uk/2026/bae-sys...
aoav.org.uk
BAE Systems fined $36m over 104 US arms export violationsBAE Systems to pay $36m after 104 breaches of US arms export rules - AOAV
BAE Systems’ US arm will pay a $36m penalty over 104 arms export violations, including unauthorised transfers of sensitive military data to China.
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