Evening Brief: Sex Toys Seized in Bahrain, Russian Armor Fails in Ukraine, and China Sanctions U.S. Firms Over Taiwan

Department of War Tells Troops to Stop Mailing Adult Toys to Bahrain

Look! I do not know what you troops are doing with these things, and I don’t wanna know. But somebody at the Department of War apparently decided this needed adult supervision.

Grace Bennett, co-owner of Canadian sex toy company Bonjibon, received a cease-and-desist letter after shipping what she calls “sexual wellness” products to U.S. service members stationed in Bahrain. The letter came from the Department of the Navy, acting on behalf of Bahraini authorities, and ordered her to stop shipping the items immediately. According to the notice, the products were classified under local customs rules as an “immediate danger to life or limb” or property.

Yes. That sentence exists. Someone typed it. Someone signed it.

The orders were placed by U.S. troops themselves through Bonjibon’s online store. The packages never made it to the customers. Bahraini customs intercepted them. This was not Bennett’s first rodeo. She said it was the second warning she had received from the Department of War over similar shipments.

Bennett’s response was not exactly low profile. She framed the letter in glitter, asked Instagram followers whether she should display it, then posted videos poking fun at the situation. The irony was not lost on her. Soldiers trusted with crew-served weapons apparently cannot be trusted with their personal packages in Bahrain.

The issue is not new. U.S. bases overseas operate under host-nation laws, and Bahrain is a conservative country with strict import rules. Some adult products slip through if they are discreet. Items that are obviously shaped like what they are tend to get confiscated with enthusiasm.

Bonjibon markets itself around inclusivity and sexual health education across genders. Bahrain customs does not care. The Department of War does not get a vote either. Host-nation law wins every time, whether the package contains electronics, alcohol, or something that makes the customs officer sigh deeply before doing the paperwork.

From the military side, the message is simple. You are guests in someone else’s country. Their rules apply. It does not matter how FUBAR those rules look from the barracks. If the host nation bans it, it is banned.

So here is the professional takeaway, troops.

Stop ordering stuff that is going to get seized. Stop making paperwork for bored officers. And for the love of all that is holy, make sure we have enough to go around. We don’t want anyone feeling left out.

Two ways to continue to read this article.

Russian ‘turtle tank’ seen operating with additional cage armor and an attached mine roller. Image Credit: Twitter Russian forces tried a new twist on old field-expedient armor north of Pokrovsk. It did not work. Ukrainian National Guard units from the 1st Azov Corps published a video and statements saying Russian naval infantry pushed multiple mechanized columns toward the Dobropillia sector in winter fog. Ukrainian reporting said the assault involved four columns and about two dozen armored vehicles, plus additional light mobility such as motorcycles and ATVs. Ukrainian drone teams claimed they detected the movement and then broke up the attack with coordinated strikes. Independent organizations that track battlefield reporting also weighed in. The Institute for the Study of War assessed the action as roughly company-sized and said Ukrainian forces destroyed at least eight tanks and 18 infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers in the engagement near Fedorivka, northeast of Pokrovsk. That is a large loss for one assault, even allowing for the usual fog of war. The most discussed detail was the “turtle tank” concept. Footage and stills show at least some Russian vehicles using improvised anti-drone protection that appears to include welded-on metal structures and, in at least a few cases, shipping container sections mounted over the top of T-80 tanks. Building a roof to disrupt top-attack munitions and first-person-view drones that dive onto turret roofs and engine decks seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem is, drones can exploit gaps, hit lower and side angles, or force secondary effects by striking fuel, ammunition, or exposed components. Ukrainian statements credited FPV teams and heavy bomber drones, including a drone element described as Lasar’s Group, working with neighboring units. Multiple outlets reported that thermal-equipped drones helped spot columns through the fog, which undercut the Russian attempt to use winter weather as concealment. Who exactly took the losses and how many vehicles were destroyed will be argued online for weeks. That is normal. What is harder to argue is the trend. Improvised cages, nets, chains, and now container sections show a force adapting fast under pressure. It also shows a force paying for every armored push in the Pokrovsk direction. The Department of War will study this because it is not a boutique Ukraine problem anymore. Cheap drones, thermal optics, and coordinated strikes are changing what “protected” means for armor. If a shipping container welded to a tank is showing up on a modern battlefield, that is a signal flare for everyone. China imposed sanctions on a number of U.S. defense firms. Image Credit: news.sophos.com China Sanctions 20 U.S. Defense Firms After Record Taiwan Arms Package Beijing hit 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives with sanctions on December 26, 2025, after Washington approved an $11.1 billion Taiwan weapons package a week earlier. China imposed sanctions on 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives on December 26, 2025, calling the move a direct response to new U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The measures freeze any assets the targeted firms hold inside China and bar the named executives from entering the country or conducting business there, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. The sanctions were triggered by Washington’s December 18, 2025 approval of an estimated $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, one of the largest ever authorized. The deal spans multiple cases and focuses on long-range fires, artillery, drones, and sustainment items designed to improve Taiwan’s ability to survive initial attacks and continue fighting in a high-end conflict. Major items in the package include 82 HIMARS rocket systems and 420 ATACMS missiles, together valued at more than $4 billion, along with 60 self-propelled howitzers costing over $4 billion. The package also includes more than $1 billion in drones, over $700 million in Javelin anti-armor missiles, and additional equipment such as Harpoon missile kits and helicopter parts. U.S. officials said the arms sales support Taiwan’s military modernization and emphasize asymmetric defense, meaning systems intended to raise the cost and complexity of any Chinese military action rather than attempting to match China force for force. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense welcomed the package, stating it would enhance deterrence and strengthen the island’s defensive posture. China’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of crossing a “red line” on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and warned that any party supporting Taiwan arms sales would face consequences. The sanctions list includes a mix of major defense firms and smaller specialized companies tied to the approved weapons and support systems. Publicly named targets include defense units associated with Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris, among others. Ten executives were also sanctioned, including Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey and senior leaders from several of the targeted firms. The restrictions prohibit those individuals from traveling to China or engaging in commercial activity linked to Chinese entities. In practical terms, the impact may be limited. Most U.S. defense contractors already have minimal exposure to China due to export controls and security restrictions. Beijing has previously sanctioned more than 60 U.S. contractors over Taiwan arms sales with little measurable economic effect. Still, the message is consistent: every major U.S. move on Taiwan now brings a Chinese response, and Taiwan remains the most dangerous flashpoint in U.S.–China competition. One defense company Beijing has not sanctioned yet is Bonjibon, so at least this story has a happy ending.