EU Red Sea mission Aspides short of ships; Kallas seeks reinforcements

EU's defensive naval mission Aspides in the Red Sea operates with only six vessels against a stated requirement of at least ten, per EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The shortfall limits the mission's ability to escort merchant shipping and respond to Houthi attacks. Kallas is pressing member states to contribute more assets, but no commitments have been announced, leaving the mission's capacity uncertain.