January 16, 2021 Newsletter #10.0

Good morning everyone,

I don't really have much to say this week. App and website development is still on track, so I am excited for testing coming up.

So with that, let's dive in:

TOP STORY

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF PLANNING FALSE FLAG ATTACK AS PRETEXT TO UKRAINE INVASION

Friday, January 14, 2022: The United States Pentagon has accused Russia of “working actively to create a pretext for for a potential invasion” by pre-positioning “a group of operatives to conduct what we call a false flag operation — an operation designed to look like an attack on them or their people or Russian speaking people in Ukraine, again, as an excuse to go in, ” according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. He also stated that “influence actors are already started, they’re already starting to fabricate Ukrainian provocations that in both state and social media, to try to justify, in advance, some sort of pretext for incursion.” The statement echoed a similar one given by Ukraine the same day. The United Kingdom later backed the statements given by both the US and Ukraine.

Pictured above is Russian Spetsnaz in plainclothes during the first few minutes of the annexation of Crimea who had already been pre-positioned.

Table of Contents

• CONFLICT

  • North Korea Carries Out Several Missile Tests

  • Rocket Attack Against US Embassy in Baghdad

  • CSTO Peacekeeping Operation Ends in Kazakhstan

  • Two Armenian Troops Reportedly Killed in Azerbaijani Airstrike

• RUSSIA UPDATES

  • Iskander Missile Launchers on the Move

  • Ukraine Gov. Websites Hit by Cyber Attack

  • Swedish Troops Sent to Gotland Island Amid Russian Activity in the Baltic

• CHINA UPDATES

  • Chinese Satellite "Grapples" Another During Space Test

  • New PLA Garrison Commander Named for Hong Kong

CONFLICT

NORTH KOREA MISSILE TESTS CONTINUE

North Korea has carried out four ballistic missile test over the past week and a half, with Tuesday's launch appearing to be a hypersonic weapon that traveled a reported 430 miles at a speed of Mach 10, underscoring the country’s recent advancements in the global hypersonic arms race. While the DPRK claimed the first launch on January 5 was also a hypersonic missile, South Korea says it only traveled at a speed of Mach 6. The launch led the FAA in the United States to briefly ground all flights on the west coast. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff called the latest launch a “grave threat to international peace and stability.” On Friday, North Korea launched two KN-23 ballistic missiles from rail-based platforms, which were similar to rail-based test firings took place last September. As I have previously noted the concept is by no means new, historically you can look back at the Soviet BZhRK SS-24 Scalpel and #merican Peacekeeper Rail Garrison.

ROCKETS TARGET US EMBASSY IN IRAQ

Thursday, January 13, 2022: The United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was attacked yet again by rocket fire. C-RAM systems at the embassy were able to successfully intercept two of the three 107mm rockets that were launched. The third rocket hot the rooftop of a school house, injuring two people according to local media. Iran-backed militias have ramped up attacks against American forces in Iraq this month as it marks the two year anniversary of the killing of IRGC Major General Qasem Soleimani.

CSTO PEACEKEEPERS BEGIN TO LEAVE KAZAKHSTAN

Thursday, January 13, 2022:  CSTO peacekeeper withdrawals from Kazakhstan are underway after their mission was deemed a success following mass civil unrest across the country that left at least 182 people dead and thousands wounded. CSTO operations consisted of roughly 2,500 troops from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. 

ARMENIA SAYS TWO SOLDIERS KILLED BY AZERBAIJANI DRONE STRIKE 

Tuesday, January 11, 2022: Two Armenian soldiers were killed during an Azerbaijani drone strike amid clashes along the Nagorno-Karabakh border in #Gegharkunik. The drone that was used was likely a Turkish-built TB-2, which saw extensive use during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. Two other Armenian troops were also wounded during the clashes, which included small arms and artillery fire. Armenia also claimed one Azerbaijani soldier was killed.

RUSSIA UPDATES

ISKANDER MISSILE SYSTEMS ON THE MOVE

By @tessaron_news

The 103rd and 107th Missile Brigades of the 36th and 35th Combined Arms Army are deploying their Iskander-M short range ballistic missile launchers from their garrison in Ulan-Ude. This missile brigades are assigned to the Eastern Military district and their Iskanders were spotted moving East by rail through Sverdlovsk some 3,000km west of their home station. 

It has been assessed that these brigades are deploying within striking range of the Ukrainian front to support kinetic operations.

The 9K720 Iskander (Russian: «Искандер»; NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system produced and deployed by the Russian military. The missile systems (Искандер-М) are to replace the obsolete OTR-21 Tochka systems, still in use by the Russian armed forces, by 2020. The Iskander has several different conventional warheads, including a cluster munitions warhead, a fuel-air explosive enhanced-blast warhead, a high explosive-fragmentation warhead, an earth penetrator for bunker busting, and an electromagnetic pulse device for anti-radar missions. The missile can also carry nuclear warheads. It has a range of 50-500km.

UKRAINE SAYS GOV WEBSITES TARGETED BY RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACK

Friday, January 14, 2022: Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has reported that several government websites were down on Friday due to a “massive cyberattack” with the Ukrainian Information Ministry stating that “first data suggests that the attack was carried out by the Russian Federation.” Websites for the Ministry of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Education were among several impacted by the attack, which left messages such as “Ukrainians! … All information about you has become public. Be afraid and expect worse. It’s your past, present and future.” Ukraine has been considered a “cyber playground” for Russian hackers who have previously targeted government websites for years, most notably the NotPetya ransomware virus that led to global disruptions in 2017.

SWEDISH TROOPS SENT TO GOTLAND AMID INCREASED RUSSIAN ACTIVITY IN REGION

By @tessaron_news & @atlas.news2

More than 200 Swedish troops and armor were moved into the Gotland Islands the past three days in response to the Russian Baltic Fleet mobilizing its amphibious assault force and sailing within 30NM of the Swedish islands. Three Russian LSTs were sailed down from the Northern Fleet to double the amphibious lift capability of the Baltic Fleet; Ropuchas Olenegorskiy Gornyak, Georgiy Pobedonosets and the Ivan Gren-cl Pyotr Morgunov.

The presence of these ships doubles the amphibious landing capability of the Baltic Fleet which can strike targets such as the Baltic States, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Denmark. Their transit sent a flurry of Swedish and Finnish patrol craft and interceptors to shadow them.

The Floating Crane Ship Fortuna, usually used to lay underwater cable was also spotted close to Gotland Islands, spurring a mobilization of interceptors and patrol boats to investigate.

The Swedish troops were flown to the island on an American made, C-17 Globemaster, flown by pilots of the Heavy Airlift Wing, stationed in Bulgaria which regularly assists NATO and EU members with air lift missions on request.

Meanwhile, Swedish police have confirmed that unknown “drones have been observed over the Forsmark and Oskarshamn nuclear power plants.” While little information has been provided as to what type of drone, they have been described as a “larger model that withstands wind as it blows hard in the area.” They noted that the drones did not drop anything or land. The plants are in two separate parts of the country, with Forsmark being located north of Stockholm along the Gulf of Bothnia while Oskarshamn is south of Stockholm across from Gotland Island. It is speculated that the drones were launched from Russian military or merchant vessels operating in the region.

CHINA UPDATES

CHINESE SATELITTE "GRAPPLES" ANOTHER DURING SPACE TESTING

By @tessaron_news

The Chinese Shijian-21 Satellite has reportedly made “rendezvous” with defunct Beidou Navigation Satellite between December 26th and January 8th. 

Shijian-21 was launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit Oct. 23 by a Long March 3B rocket. Chinese state media reported that the satellite would “test and verify space debris mitigation technologies,” but no further details have been revealed. 

On Nov. 3 US Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron (SPCS) catalogued a new object alongside Shijian-21 with the international designator 2021-094C, that apparently came off of the Shijian-21.’

The object is noted as a rocket body and more precisely an apogee kick motor (AKM), used in some launches for a satellite to circularize and lower the inclination of its transfer orbit and enter geostationary orbit.

It is currently unknown whether the mystery object is an AKM, an object possibly related to space debris mitigation tests, or part of potential counterspace operations tests.

The object could be used to test rendezvous and proximity operations, refueling experiments or manipulation using a robotic arm or other means. 

What does this mean? The Shijian-21, originally marketed as a test body for space debris mitigation, manipulated its orbit and was able to pair up with an old Chinese satellite.

The commander of the US Space Command, Air Force Gen. James Dickinson told Congress in April that spacecraft like the Shijian-21 is part of an effort by China to seek “space superiority through space and space-attack systems.”

“One notable object is the Shijian-17, a Chinese satellite with a robotic arm,” Gen. Dickinson said. “Space-based robotic arm technology could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites.”

Gen. Dickinson said the co-orbital robotic spacecraft is part of a growing arsenal of space weaponry fielded by the Chinese military.

PLA GARRISON IN HONG KONG GETS NEW CO

Monday, January 10, 2022: Chinese Major General Peng Jingtang, current deputy chief of staff of China’s People’s Armed Police and former Chief of Staff of the Xinjiang Armed Police Corps, has been appointed by President Xi Jinping to lead the People Liberation Army's (PLA) garrison in Hong Kong. Peng has previously overseen counterterrorism and mass surveillance operations throughout Xinjiang, where human rights organizations and western nations accuse China of committing human rights abuses against Uyghur ethnic minorities. Pro-democracy leaders in Hong Kong fear that his presence may include a greater crackdown on their activities and greater enforcement of the National Security Law.  

END OF NEWSLETTER

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