Southern Europe in April 2026: the most important developments in security
In Southern Europe in April 2026 the most widely reported security event came on 28 April, when a gunman opened fire at two locations in Athens and wounded five people; the suspect was reported to be at large. Earlier in the month, Greece strengthened its military. Israel agreed to sell PULS rocket artillery systems to Greece for $750 million, with an Israeli defence company also signing a 650 million euro deal, and Greece ordered the launchers. It also tested its Centauros anti-drone system abroad. Greece and Cyprus advanced the transfer of Leopard tanks to Cyprus's national guard.
Italy's security policy centred on the Middle East. On 8 April Israeli warning shots damaged an Italian UN peacekeeping vehicle in Lebanon, with no injuries, and Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador. Italy refused to let US military flights carrying weapons to the Middle East use an Italian airbase. On 14 April Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suspended Italy's defence cooperation agreement with Israel, which the Foreign Ministry described as never having been substantive. Italy also raised its terrorism alert level on 10 April after a threat. On the Strait of Hormuz, Italy backed a naval mission even without US support. The navy first planned to send four ships, then said on 23 April it would deploy two minesweepers, and on 24 April an Italian frigate was also ready. Italy and Ukraine pledged to cooperate on defence and drone production.
Migration remained a constant concern. The Italian coast guard recovered 18 bodies from a migrant boat off Lampedusa on 1 April, and rescues took place south of Crete. Greek police detained suspected smugglers on Samos and dismantled a smuggling ring that ran its own passport workshop, while a report alleged Greece used migrants for pushbacks into Turkey.
On Cyprus, the government accused Turkey of placing tanks in the UN buffer zone, while the UN denied claims that tanks had been placed there. A UK official said Britain's sovereign bases on the island are not up for negotiation.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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