Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Monday, 17 October 2022.
PUTIN: MOBILIZATION WILL END IN TWO WEEKS: In comments to the media at the Central Asian Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that “all mobilization activities” would be completed in two weeks. Citing early Russian defense ministry estimates that were lower than the previously announced 300,000 troops, Putin further announced he had no plans to expand mobilization efforts saying no requests for more troops had been received, and he did not “see any need.” Per the announcement, two hundred twenty thousand soldiers have already been mobilized for military service in Russia.
BRAZIL: ELECTION POLLING FIRMS FACE BACKLASH OVER FAILED CALLS: Brazilian polling firms are facing threats of crackdowns by the Federal Police after their election surveys were well off the mark and appeared biased during the first round of the recent national election. President Jair Bolsonaro’s Justice Ministry called for a Federal Police investigation, and the nation’s antitrust regulator launched a probe into whether polling companies formed a cartel to manipulate election results. Members of the Brazilian Congress are seeking to establish laws mandating prison sentences for attempts to manipulate elections through fraudulent polling.
INDIA CONDUCTS BALLISTIC MISSILE TEST: Joining the list of countries conducting missile tests, Indian Defense Ministry officials announced the successful test of a nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile. Officials say the missile was fired against a target in the Bay of Bengal from India’s INS Arihant strategic strike nuclear submarine. The Defense Ministry stressed the test was needed to validate the weapon system and prove India’s ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence’ policies.
U.S. PROVIDES $100 MILLION IN MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE PHILIPPINES: In a press conference aboard the USS Ronald Regan, U.S. Officials announced that 100 million dollars in new foreign military aid had been provided to the Philippine military. The move is the latest pledge of American support to the pacific island nation, which has received $1.14 billion in American aid since 2015. U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, indicated the funding could be used however the country’s military desired before adding that it could also help “offset” a recently scrapped defense deal with Russia.
In today’s Early Warning, Mike takes a look at a range of domestic issues, including the Biden administration’s new strategies to “ensure” state and local governments are following the federal government’s lead on climate policies. You can get access to what the future holds with Forward Observer’s Early Warning service here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe