 Yemen's Houthis penetrate Israel's missile defences for the first time. Iran's Houthi militia in Yemen penetrated Israel's air defense systems with a cruise missile landing in southern Israel. While the Israel's army did not explicitly name the Yemeni militia, it is widely believed to be part of ongoing operations by the group in the Red Sea. The army of Israel is currently investigating why the missile wasn't intercepted, citing the possibility that its flight pattern caught air defense operators off guard. The Houthis who rule North Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, also claimed responsibility for the missile attack, with spokesman Yahya Sari, saying the Iran-aligned group had targeted southern Israel with missile fire. The missile did not cause any damage or injury, but questions remain as to how the projectile made its way through Israeli defenses. The Houthis have attempted to strike Israel with ballistic missiles since the beginning of its war on Gaza last October, yet this marks the first time one has actually hit Israeli territory. Until now, all Houthi missiles have been shot down by Israel's Arrow 1 or 3 missile defense systems. One possibility as to why it evaded Israel's defences is that because of the line-drive trajectory at which cruise missiles fly, Israeli missile defense operators may have been caught by surprise, according to the Jerusalem Post. The Houthis' maritime assaults from the Red Sea region began in November, initiated by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. After Iran backed Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, its relentless retaliation has seen Iran's proxies attack the Jewish state and American targets, punishing the US for supporting Israel's right to defend itself. Their attacks have already disrupted maritime routes, compelling vessels to opt for longer journeys, bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Paris, preparing to deploy troops to Ukraine, battle of Russian and French soldiers expected there. France is preparing its forces for deployment to Ukraine, the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, claimed in a statement. Paris, allegedly, seeks to send as many as 2,000 troops to Ukraine, he said. French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that he cannot exclude the possibility of Western soldiers being sent to aid Kiev in its fight against Moscow, branding Russia an adversary while denying Paris was waging war against it. Russia's military and top officials have repeatedly pointed to the presence of French mercenaries already fighting for Kiev on the ground. In mid-January, the Russian Defense Ministry said that more than 60 foreigners, predominantly French, nationals had been killed in a high-precision strike against a temporary assembly point of foreign fighters. In the statement, the Russian foreign intelligence service chief said the French armed forces had become concerned about the rising number of French nationals dying in Ukraine. According to the spy chief, the French military is worried about the government's plans to send the contingent to Ukraine, considering that such an operation would be difficult to conduct without Russia noticing. The French soldiers would indeed become a legitimate priority target for attacks by the Russian armed forces, Naryshkin said. The claims come as the chief of staff of the French Army, General Pierre Schill, said in an interview that France is prepared to take part in the toughest engagements militarily and is ready to face any international developments. He added that Paris could assemble a division of 20,000 troops within 30 days and an army of 60,000 by joining with divisions from other NATO allies. Schill said France has international responsibilities and is linked by defence agreements to states exposed to major threats and must therefore have its forces trained and interoperable with allied armies. He added that nuclear deterrence is not a universal guarantee because it does not guard against conflicts that would remain below the threshold of vital interests. Schill said that the army must show itself a credible force through responsiveness in terms of force projection and the ability to carry out operations of increased scope. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also claimed that Western mercenaries, including French nationals, are dying in Ukraine in large numbers. Commenting on a potential NATO deployment to Ukraine, the president also warned that this would be one step shy of a full-scale World War III.