THE OPEN SOURCE REPORT

Monday, January 23, 2023

The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security and delivers it to your inbox M-F.  Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:  

In the Americas...

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain Leaving:  White House chief of staff Ron Klain is reportedly planning to resign in the coming weeks.  Media reports cite sources who say Klain is ready to move on following the November midterm elections.  Klain’s departure would mark a rare, high-level personnel change in the Biden administration.  Sources also say Jeff Zients, who oversaw the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response, is tapped to replace Klain, who reportedly favored him as his replacement.  Associated Press CNN

U.S. Sanctions Wagner Group:  White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says the US is designating Russia’s Wagner group a significant 'Transnational Criminal Organization' over the group’s support of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.  The designation restricts companies and individuals in the U.S. from providing support for the group.  In response, Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin, wrote to the White House, asking what crimes his mercenary group had committed.  New York Times Reuters

California Mass Shooting Kills 10:  A suspect in the shooting deaths of ten people during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, California on Saturday has been found dead.  Authorities say the suspected gunman was found dead on Sunday after what they believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Investigators have yet to determine a motive behind the killings.  CNN New York Times Reuters

Brazil’s Lula Fires Army Chief:  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has fired Brazil’s army commander, General Juil Cesar de Arruda.  He will be replaced by the army commander of Brazil’s southeast.  The firing of Arruda comes after Lula said he would purge the Brazilian security forces of those suspected of colluding with supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro after government buildings were attacked in the capital Brasilia.  Associated Press Reuters

Brazil, Argentina Discussing Common Currency:  Brazil's President Lula da Silva and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez have written e a joint letter saying their countries are developing a common currency as part of efforts for greater economic integration.  The two announced the plan during Lula’s visit to Argentina, his first trip abroad since taking office.  Officials say the new currency will help facilitate regional trade and lessen dependence on the U.S. dollar.  Financial Times Reuters

In Western Europe

Germany Signals its Okay with Leopard Tank Transfer:  German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday that Germany will not block Poland if it tries to send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had said Warsaw would transfer the German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine whether it had approval from Germany or not.  BBC Deutsche Welle Politico Reuters

Poland to Train Ukrainian Military on Leopard Tanks:  Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday that Poland will start training the Ukrainian military on operation and maintenance of the Leopard-2 battle tanks. Reznikov told reporters at a defense meeting in Germany of the planned training, which he called a breakthrough first step.  Bloomberg Reuters 

EU Foreign Ministers Meeting on Ukraine Aid, Russia Sanctions:  European foreign ministers are meeting on Monday to discuss aid for Ukraine. Diplomats say the bloc is considering a new 500 million euro military aid package for Ukraine, though Polish media reports that Hungary is blocking the deal.  Diplomats say the ministers are also discussing a potential 10th round of sanctions against Russia, as well as the possible use of frozen Russian assets in Europe to help rebuild Ukraine.  Separately, the ministers also blacklisted more Iranian individuals and entities over alleged human rights abuses, though they did not designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.  Bloomberg Politico Reuters 

Greek Police Search Ryanair Plane Over Bomb Threat:  Greek police searched a Ryanair passenger jet that landed at Athens International Airport on Sunday after the pilot told authorities of a possible bomb threat.  The flight departed from Katowice in Poland and was escorted by Hungarian fighter jets and then two Greek F-16s as it landed in Athens. Passengers and their luggage were taken off the plane and searched.  EuroNews Reuters

In Central and Eastern Europe

Russia Increases Shelling in Eastern Ukraine:  Ukrainian officials say Russia has increased shelling in eastern Ukraine on areas outside of the Donbas region, including in the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Sumy.  Officials say the shelling killed at least one civilian in Zaporizhzhia.  Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry claims that its forces advanced in Zaporizhzhia, though Ukraine maintains that it is resisting the Russian offensive there.  Reuters 

Russia, Estonia Ambassadors Expelled:  Russia and Estonia expelled ambassadors from each other’s countries on Monday.  Russia first ordered Estonia’s envoy to leave by February 7 over the Estonian Foreign Ministry’s order last month for the Russian embassy to reduce its staff size.  Estonia then ordered Russia’s envoy to leave by February 7 in what analysts are calling a tit-for-tat move.  The actions come amid significantly damaged relations between Russia and Estonia, mainly over Ukraine.  Associated Press  

Russian State Nuclear Power Company Supporting War Effort:  The Washington Post reports that Russia’s state nuclear power company Rosatom is supporting Russia’s defense industry with materials and technology for missile fuel.  According to documents obtained by Ukrainian intelligence, Rosatom offered to supply Russian military units and sanctioned Russian arms manufacturers.  The report said Rosatom presents itself as a civil nuclear energy entity, despite its support of Russia’s nuclear weapon development, but new documents cited in the report seem to show how entrenched the company is in Russia’s military-industrial complex.  The findings will likely push Ukraine, Poland and Baltic partners to more aggressively push for sanctions against Rosatom.  Washington Post

Former British PM Johnson Makes Surprise Visit to Kyiv:  Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday in a surprise trip to Kyiv.  Johnson used the visit to reiterate that Britain will support Ukraine against Russia long-term and will also help reconstruction efforts after the conflict.  Reuters

Hypersonic Missile-Armed Russian Warship Joining Drills with China, South Africa:  The Russian state news agency TASS reports that the Russian frigate Gorshkov, which is reportedly armed with new-generation Zircon hypersonic missiles, will participate in joint naval drills with China and South Africa in February.  The drills will be the second joint exercise between China, Russia and South Africa after an exercise in 2019.  Russian President Vladimir Putin sent the Gorshkov to the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month.  Al Jazeera Reuters

Top Russian-Installed Donetsk Official Says Visited Soledar:  Denis Pushilin, the top Russian-installed official in occupied parts of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, said Sunday that he visited the embattled town of Soledar.  Russia’s Wagner group claimed it captured Soledar on January 11, and Russian authorities later said they were in control of the town.  Ukraine has never publicly confirmed that Russia has taken the town, which had seen intense fighting alongside the nearby city of Bakhmut for several months.  Reuters

Moldova President Discusses Potential End to Neutrality:  Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said in an interview with Politico that her country may be shifting away from its constitutionally-enshrined neutrality to join a “larger alliance” amid concerns over the Ukraine war.  Sandu said the conflict has forced Moldova to reconsider if it has the capacity to defend itself, though she was careful to not specifically name NATO as a potential alliance that Moldova could join.  The President added that the main obstacle to Moldova’s integration into a wider alliance will likely be the presence of Russian soldiers in the breakaway region of Transnistria.  Overall, while Sandu said Moldova is subject to Russian propaganda and misinformation, it does not currently face any military threats thanks to Ukrainian resistance against Moscow.  Politico

In Asia

Japan’s Kishida Considering February Talks With Zelenskiy:  Japanese newspaper Yomiuri reports that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv in February.  Yomiuri said Kishida wants to make the visit to show that Japan, which chairs the Group of Seven economies this year, will maintain support of Ukraine amid Russian aggression.  Reuters

Australia Accelerating Sea Mine Purchases:  Australia’s defense department said Monday that it is accelerating its acquisition of advanced, smart sea mines to bolster defenses at ports and along maritime trade routes and communication lines.  The department says the smart mines will be able to differentiate between military targets and other ships.  The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australia will spend up to A$1 billion ($698 million) on the mines and will reportedly source them from an unspecified European weapons supplier.  ABC Bloomberg Reuters

New Zealand Selects New PM:  New Zealand’s ruling Labor Party selected former Education Minister Chris Hipkins as the country’s new prime minister following the resignation of Jacinda Ardern.  Hipkins, who previously served as the COVID response minister, accepted the party’s nomination and said he will reorient policies to address issues like rising living costs and concerns about crime.  BBC Bloomberg NPR Reuters

Nearly 220m People in Pakistan Without Power:  Pakistan is suffering major country-wide power outages after a breakdown in its electricity grid.  Officials say they are investigating the outage, which appears to have been caused by a voltage surge.  The outage marks the second major breakdown of Pakistan’s power grid in three months.  Experts say Pakistan’s energy sector lacks resources to maintain oil-and-gas power plants and is too heavily in debt to replace aging infrastructure.  Deutsche Welle Reuters

In The Middle East and North Africa

U.S. Says Two Islamic State Fighters Captured in Syria:  The US military’s Central Command said Sunday that US forces captured two Islamic State fighters in eastern Syria on Saturday.  CENTCOM said the fighters were captured in a raid and said a civilian received “minor injuries” in the operation but was treated at a nearby medical facility.  CENTCOM added that “partner forces” were present in the raid, possibly alluding to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Syrian Kurdish armed group.  Reuters

In Sub Saharan Africa

Burkina Faso Demands Withdrawal of French Troops:  Burkina Faso’s military government is demanding the departure of French troops deployed to the country.  Burkina Faso state television said Saturday that the government suspended a 2018 military accord allowing the presence of French troops and that France has a month to withdraw its forces.  The French government did not immediately comment on the development, which is the latest sign of deteriorating relations between France and Burkina Faso.  Al Jazeera Reuters

Bombing, Gun Attack at Mogadishu Mayor’s Office Kills Five:  Al Shabaab fighters detonated a bomb outside the Mogadishu mayor’s office and then attempted to storm the building on Sunday.  Somalia’s ministry of information said the attack killed five civilians and that security forces killed six of the attackers.  Al Jazeera Reuters

In Cyber & Tech

Pentagon Releases New Strategy for Integrated Satellite Communications Network:  The Pentagon has released a new strategy designed to modernize its satellite communication network.  The document, called the Enterprise SATCOM Management and Control Implementation Plan, provides guidance for all DOD components that operate satellite systems and is designed to improve collaboration and communication among the entire DOD satellite network, according to officials.    The strategy calls for implementation in three phases, with the first phase set to begin in 2023, and the final phase being completed in 2029.   C4ISRNET

China Expands Satellite Coverage of South and East China Seas: Beijing has expanded its satellite coverage to include most of the contested areas in the South and East China Sea according to a report by China’s main space agency contractor.  The report, called the Blue Book, comes from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which says China now has the ability to conduct remote sensing “of all the seas and islands under administration”.  The area in question represents island chains and shoals that are claimed simultaneously by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, with each country occupying some of the contested locations.  South China Morning Post 

Costa Rica Government Systems Shut Down By Second Ransomware Attack: Costa Rica’s government has suffered another cybersecurity attack according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), which said in a statement last week, that 12 of its servers were encrypted with ransomware and that all of its computers were offline.  Local and international experts have been called in to investigate and assist.  This latest incident comes months after the government in San Jose suffered a major cybersecurity incident that affected numerous ministries where the hackers reportedly used conti ransomware.  The Record 

Tech Company Hack Exposes Law Enforcement Data:  ODIN intelligence, a tech company that provides apps and services to police departments, says hackers breached its systems and defaced its website over the weekend.  They say attackers stole a significant amount of data,  including plans for police raids and reports on alleged crimes and suspects.  The hackers also claimed to have leaked the company’s Amazon Web Services private keys for accessing its cloud-stored data after destroying its data backups.  TechCrunch

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