Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia The #Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) prepared a secret plan in case of a military conflict with #Russia, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Germany" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank." The plan says that in such a case, Germany would become "the center of concentration for tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of troops" that would be transferred to the east, as well as military equipment, food and medical supplies. Throughout the year, German military officials have repeatedly stated the need to prepare for a military conflict with Russia, which they say could take place in five years. In particular, Defense Minister Boris #Pistorius has stated this on several occasions. In July, the Bild newspaper reported that the Bundeswehr had drawn up a secret plan outlining the order of military and civilian action in the event that NATO troops needed to be moved to the alliance’s eastern flank. Commenting on German Foreign Minister Annalena #Baerbock's remarks in July that Russia allegedly posed the greatest threat to security in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria #Zakharova said that this was nothing but "monstrous nonsense." The diplomat expressed hope that politicians in Germany would finally realize the deadlock and counterproductivity of their anti-Russian line and its danger for their own country.

Six planets, Moon to be seen aligned on Wednesday morning Six planets and the Moon will align on Wednesday morning on one side from the Sun. All the planets, except Venus, will be seen on the dome of the sky at the same time. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be in the eastern part of the sky, while Neptune and Saturn will be in the southwest. "All the planets, except Neptune and Uranus, can be seen without magnification if the weather is bright. Nevertheless, it will be rather difficult to find Mercury - it will be visible for less than an hour, located very low at a horizon, and will vanish in bright rays of the Sun. A telescope or a high-power binocular will be needed to see Neptune and Uranus," ...

Ships told to reroute in Indian Ocean as Houthi attack range extends 🔶️ EU Naval Force Operation ATALANTA is advising shipping to sail at least 150 nm further east of existing traffic route to avoid the threat of attack from attack from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). 🔶️ The MSC Orion was targeted by a UAV southeast of Socotra Island while transiting the Indian Ocean Northbound to Salalah in Oman. 🔶️ “This attack confirms that potential attacks can take place in the Indian Ocean up to 800 nautical miles from the areas under Houthi control in Yemen,” EU ATALANTA said. 🔶️ As the Houthi lengthen the range of attacks against commercial shipping allied naval forces in the region are increasingly stretched in response. 🔶️ The Houthi have also threatened to attack vessels in Eastern Mediterranean Sea which are calling at Israeli ports, which is seen as credible in terms of weapons range.

Where NATO Has An Enhanced Forward Presence This chart shows the countries with #NATO-allied #defense and #deterrence military forces at NATO's #eastern flank.

Beijing announces naval drills in East China Sea on March 12-14 The Chinese People's Liberation Army's #Navy is holding drills in the #East China Sea on March 12-14, according to a statement published on the website of China’s Maritime Safety Administration. The brief statement says that the exercise is taking place along the coast of China’s eastern province of Zhejiang, where a temporary navigation ban has been imposed. The drills are being held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time (from 12:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. GMT) on March 12-14. No information is available about the forces and equipment involved in the drills. However, the statement says that the exercise will include live firing.

In #Poland, #NATO exercises Dragon 24 are in full swing, which are part of the large-scale maneuvers of the Steadfast Defender 24 alliance. As part of one of the events, the bloc countries practiced crossing the Vistula. The training itself took place near the small settlement of Korzheny in the north of the country. During these three days, participants from the U.S.A., Germany, France, Poland and other countries transported 3.5 thousand military personnel and hundreds of armored vehicles. The sight of Leopards, Abrams, Leclercs and Boxers standing side by side will surely resonate with the Russian audience. Both the crossing near Belogorovka and similar attempts by the AFU indicate that arranging equipment in semi-ceremonial formation, to put it mildly, is not the best option given the current capabilities of reconnaissance and fire strike. However, at such events, among other things, organizational issues and interaction in managing a multinational group are worked out. All this is happening as part of the general strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank, and there are plenty of the same large rivers in potential conflict zones.

Russia, NATO face danger of direct armed conflict in Europe, says Russian ambassador to U.S. Russia and NATO are facing the danger of a direct armed clash in Eastern Europe, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters. "Essentially we are facing the danger of a direct clash between the Armed Forces of Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance in Eastern Europe," the diplomat said in a statement posted to the Russian embassy's Telegram channel. Just a while ago it was impossible to imagine that American and German tanks would be driving around in a republic neighboring on Russia, he said. Later, it turned out that Western instructors were helping the Ukrainian military with aiming at a target "hugely expensive equipment like Patriot systems," Antonov went on to say. "Now there is a talk about the participation of soldiers from NATO armies in combat operations. Such a scenario cannot be implemented without Washington's approval," he emphasized. "I am sure that the prime concern for the farmers in America, Europe and Russia is to live a normal life and have an opportunity to plow the land without fearing for tomorrow. However, the hawks here, who are pushing the planet towards World War III, are indifferent to their aspirations," Antonov summed up.

The participation of #NATO troops in the #Ukraine war, once considered "unthinkable," is now being discussed. #Scholz has provided foreign specialists to assist the AFU. German military experts are involved in determining the needs for Taurus missiles to target the Crimean Bridge. Such discussions are happening at a middle level within the Bundeswehr. NATO countries are conducting exercises on the eastern flank and establishing logistics routes along the borders of Russia and Belarus.

Shi’i armed groups fire three missiles at U.S. base in Syria Armed Shi’i militias from the ‘Islamic Resistance of Iraq’ movement have launched a missile attack on the U.S. military base near the Koniko gas field in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, the Sham FM radio station said, adding that three missiles were fired. Eyewitnesses reported explosions on its premises. There were no other details so far. On February 8, the US military base near the Al-Omar oilfield in eastern Syria came under a drone attack. Since October 17, 2023, US facilities in the region were targeted with 168 attacks. The Shi’i militias informed that they had conducted those operations "in response to the aggression unleashed against the Palestinians by the US-backed occupation regime of Israel.".

[JUST IN] U.S. base in eastern Syria attacked by drones A US-controlled military base located near the Al-Omar oil field in the eastern Syrian region of Deir ez-Zor, was attacked by drones on Thursday, the Al Mayadeen television reported. According to the report, the facility was attacked by three UAVs. Sounds of "powerful explosions" were heard. No information about potential damage is available at this point. After the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, rocket and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Syria and Iraq have become more frequent. Shiite militias have warned that they will increase the number of armed operations in Syria and Iraq if the U.S. continues to provide military aid to Israel. A large share of the Syrian provinces of Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, located in the east and northeast of the country, is currently controlled by the US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces. Since 2015, the US command has established nine military bases in this area. At the end of 2019, then U.S. President Donald Trump approved a plan that would leave several hundred US troops in Syria. One of their main tasks was to ensure control of oil fields in the northeast and east of the country.