Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Wednesday, 05 October 2022.
KYIV MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT DISTRIBUTES RADIATION PILLS: In an official announcement, the municipal government of Kyiv said it is distributing stockpiles of potassium iodine to emergency service districts in preparation for a potential Russian nuclear attack. The Kyiv Municipal Security Department said the city possesses an adequate reserve of medication prepositioned for the treatment of individuals evacuated from contaminated areas and distribution by the Health Department to medical facilities and family doctors. Municipal officials also announced potassium iodide pills were publicly available at all city pharmacies but warned the medication should not be taken unless directed.
BELARUS: AGGRESSIVE NATO CANNOT BE IGNORED: In comments to the media, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin accused NATO of actively working against Belarus and implementing aggressive policies that cannot be left “without attention.” Citing unspecified but “specific” intelligence data, Khrenin said NATO forces in neighboring countries were preparing for war against an imaginary “threat from the East.” In response, Belarusian forces were preparing “adequate” and “concrete” measures to “respond to all threats that may arise quickly, accurately, and adequately.”
U.S.-PHILIPPINES-JAPAN CONDUCT JOINT COMBAT EXERCISES: 2,500 U.S. and Philippine Marines began joint combat exercises this week. The exercises, named after the Tagalog word for cooperation, Kamandag, involve amphibious assaults and special operations mission sets. The exercises will include live fire and maneuver drills with HIMARS missile launchers and Close Air Support aircraft. These are the largest and first set of joint exercises since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos held a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden at the United Nations General Assembly. The U.S. Marines are also conducting related simultaneous joint exercises with Japan’s Self Defense forces on Hokkaido. The multinational exercises are aimed at preparing for a potential armed conflict with China in the Pacific.
U.S. SENDS SENIOR STATE DEPT REP TO U.S.-TAIWAN DEFENSE CONFERENCE: The U.S. sent a senior official to the annual U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference to address arms sales and upgrading Taiwan’s military. Laura Cressey, from the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, gave the keynote address at the closed-door event in Virginia yesterday.
In today’s Early Warning, Mike notes the latest warnings of an impending financial crisis, plus takes a look at the potential for major oil and gas disruption at home and abroad. Don’t be left behind – stay ahead of the curve and see what happens next with an Early Warning subscription. Get access to the team’s full report here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe