Russia
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Conflicts - Tensions
Undersea cable cutting attacks appear linked to the PRC
FORUM Staff As suspicious damage to undersea telecom cables and other infrastructure mounts worldwide, evidence is growing that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) may be involved in much of the alleged sabotage. Vessels tied to the PRC and Russia have been linked to most of the incidents through automated ship tracking that pinpoints their location at the time of…
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Conflicts - Tensions
‘Expendable’ North Korean troops ordered on futile missions in Russia’s illegal war
FORUM Staff North Korea’s ill-prepared troops, deployed to support Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, are suffering significant casualties, including about 1,000 deaths and injuries during one week in late December 2024. The mass casualty estimates, provided by the United States National Security Advisor’s office and the U.S. Department of Defense, appear to confirm analysts’ predictions that North Korean troops would…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Japan sharpens measures against airspace violations following Russian, Chinese military incursions
Felix Kim Japan is well positioned to deter and counter violations of its territorial airspace, officials and analysts said following recent incursions by Russian and Chinese military aircraft. “Japan will continue to develop the capabilities to deploy aircraft and other resources to monitor and push out [Russian aircraft] from Japanese territory,” Stephen Nagy, an international relations professor at Japan’s International…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korean troop deployment to Russia violates U.N. resolutions
FORUM Staff The European Union imposed new sanctions on two top North Korean defense officials in mid-December 2024 for their roles in deploying troops to aid Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. The EU targeted North Korean Defense Minister Ro Kwang Chol for his direct involvement in the military cooperation between the two regimes, including sending an estimated 11,000 troops to…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC’s links to Russia, battle inexperience cited for slowing arms sales
Voice of America The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) drive to buttress its military modernization through increased international arms sales has slowed, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with experts citing Chinese-made weapons systems’ lack of battlefield testing as a detriment. The December 2024 report shows significant growth in total international arms sales driven by…
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Northeast Asia
Joint bomber exercise, arms buildup contradict Xi’s statements on nuclear weapons
FORUM Staff A joint nuclear-capable bomber drill by Beijing and Moscow near Japan in late November 2024 drew condemnation and called into question Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s past pronouncements against nuclear proliferation. The military exercise over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan also tightened the links between the CCP and Russia, which repeatedly…
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Global Commons
Severed data cables linked to PRC-flagged cargo ship, European officials say
FORUM Staff European defense and government officials said a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-flagged vessel is a prime suspect after two undersea internet cables were severed in a span of hours in mid-November 2024. The cargo carrier Yi Peng 3 left a Russian port and sailed over both cables in the Baltic Sea about the time they were damaged. The…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Kyiv, Seoul deepen security ties over North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia
Agence France-Presse South Korea and Ukraine will enhance their security cooperation in response to North Korea’s troop deployment to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. The announcement followed a November 2024 meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov after the countries expressed alarm about Pyongyang sending thousands of soldiers to western Russia. Yoon…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korean troops may be ‘cannon fodder’ in Russia’s war against Ukraine
FORUM Staff The precise quantity and capabilities of North Korean troops deployed to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine remain unknown. But few observers are optimistic about the prospects for the imported fighters. Officials estimate about 11,000 North Korean troops have moved into Russia’s Kursk region, and there is growing consensus that at least some have been on the battlefield.…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Malaysia, South Korea boost defense industry ties
Reuters Malaysia and South Korea have agreed to cooperate in supplying critical minerals from Malaysia’s reserves and to boost defense industry cooperation as the Southeast Asian country seeks to upgrade its Air Force jets. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also affirmed their commitment to conclude a free trade agreement by 2025, Yoon’s office…
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