In Geopolitics Today: Monday, October 31st
Ukraine Attacks Russian Naval Base in Crimea with Unmanned Systems, US Marines to Boost Interoperability with Japan and the Philippines, and other stories.
Kosovo Delays Controversial License Plate Laws for Six Months
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has announced a six-month delay to the implementation of rules that would require ethnic Serbs to switch to local license plates following pressure from the European Union and the United States.
Kosovo has been attempting to impose rules that require members of its Serb minority to exchange their Serbian license plates for local ones since September 2021. However, the move has been met with violent resistance by local Serbs living in Kosovo. The dispute has seen unrest as Kosovo’s government insists that local Serbs must obtain Kosovo IDs and license plates.
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Ukraine Attacks Russian Naval Base in Crimea with Unmanned Systems
The Ukrainian military launched a substantial drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea naval base in Sevastopol on Saturday.
It’s unclear at this time how much damage the attack has caused as Russian officials claim Russian forces completely repulsed the attack but some reports suggest that at least the Admiral Makarov, a frigate in use as Russia’s Black Sea flagship, was damaged and possibly disabled.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo Expels Rwandan Ambassador
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) government has ordered Rwandan Ambassador Vincent Karega to leave the country within 48 hours.
The DRC has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, an allegation Rwanda has repeatedly denied. The decision to expel Karega is expected to worsen relations between the two countries, whose relations have already been distrustful for decades.
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US Marines to Boost Interoperability with Japan and the Philippines
The United States has begun preparing its marines to better be able to work with the armed forces of Japan and the Philippines. Washington is seeking to develop interoperability with key allies across the Pacific theatre.
Bringing together a mix of forces in two military exercises — Resolute Dragon in Japan and Kamandag in the Philippines — US commanders are training their forces to quickly disperse to key maritime terrain and then team up with local forces to find and hit targets ashore and at sea.
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Increase in Extra-terrestrial Conflict between States
Increased hostility between major space-faring powers is likely to spread to the battlefield of outer space. The use of outer space civil infrastructure facilities and commercial satellites in armed conflicts by one state seems more likely than ever, and this may prompt retaliatory strikes.
The weaponization of outer space is an ongoing process as countries around the world are making unprecedented commitments to civilian space exploration as well as its militarization. Today, an increasing number of countries are looking to use space in order to enhance their capabilities and national security by developing a range of defensive and offensive technologies.