Good morning. Here’s your Situational Awareness for Tuesday, 27 September 2022.
COAST GUARD SPOTS CHINESE MISSILE GUIDED CRUISER OFF COAST OF ALASKA: According to a press release issued yesterday, the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball spotted a Chinese Guided Missile Cruiser about 75 miles off the Alaskan coast earlier this month. The crew later identified two other Chinese military vessels and four Russian military vessels within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. – M.S.
LAVROV: ANNEXED TERRITORIES TO RECEIVE NUCLEAR PROTECTION: Speaking to state-controlled media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said territories of Ukraine annexed after the referendums would be “unquestionably” under the “full protection of the state.” When questioned about the potential for employment of nuclear weapons in defense of these territories, Lavrov warned that as a territory of Russia, all “laws, doctrines, concepts and strategies” of the Russian government would be applicable. If passed, Russian referendums would seize nearly 15% of Ukraine’s landmass, including territories currently occupied by Ukrainian armed forces.
NORD STREAM 2 PIPELINE RUPTURES OFF DANISH COAST: Danish maritime authorities established a safety zone around the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea after a gas leak was detected in waters along the route of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The announcement follows a warning from Gazprom that it had detected a drop in pressure in the pipeline overnight from 105 to 7 bars. The pipeline had been filled with gas as part of technical preparations for its opening prior to the project’s suspension following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has been utilized by Putin to taunt the west amid a rising energy crisis in comments indicating gas deliveries could resume from the pipeline “at the push of a button.”
CHINESE STATE MEDIA PUSHES FOR INDIAN PARTNERSHIP: Chinese state media continues to push for a partnership with India to complete the “Asian Century”. The latest editorial from a Chinese Community Party (CCP) mouthpiece criticizes the United States for “trying to lure India into joining its anti-China bloc, simply because American politicians cannot tolerate China’s meteoric economic rise on the global stage, which will cut into Washington’s ability to project its unrivalled [sic] power and hegemony.” The editorial goes on to express hope that India remains “sober-minded” and “won’t be easily hoodwinked or manipulated by Washington.” – M.S.
PHILIPPINES CRACKS DOWN ON CHINA GRAY-ZONE; CLOSES 175 CHINESE OFFSHORE GAMBLING FIRMS: Philippines government officials ordered 175 Chinese-owned gambling operations closed and 40,000 Chinese workers deported from the country Monday. The move was part of a crackdown on the notoriously corrupt Chinese online gaming industry that has flourished in the Philippines since 2016. According to a justice ministry spokesperson, “the crackdown was triggered by reports of murder, kidnapping and other crimes committed by Chinese nationals.” – M.M.
JAPANESE CONSUL DETAINED BY RUSSIA FOR ESPIONAGE: Russia’s FSB security service detained a Japanese diplomat Monday in the Russian city of Vladivostok for what it described as spying. The diplomat was allegedly captured by Russian security service personnel with classified information on how Russia was handling sanctions in the far east. The unidentified diplomat reportedly obtained the classified information in exchange for a monetary reward. An FSB spokesperson said the diplomat was arraigned and ordered deported from the country after being declared persona-non-grata. – M.M.
In today’s Early Warning, the team covers down on threats close to home and dives into geostrategic developments. Get access to the full report by visiting: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe/