Read more about the article North Korea’s Military Demonstration: Strategic Cruise Missile Test Amid US-South Korea Drills.
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North Korea’s Military Demonstration: Strategic Cruise Missile Test Amid US-South Korea Drills.

On 21 August, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from a navy ship, as the state media agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. This event coincided with the annual joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea (Reuters, 2023). Known as the ‘Ulchi Freedom Shield’, these drills are primarily computer-simulated command post exercises designed to enhance coordination and readiness in responding to potential security threats (Kim, 2023).

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23 August 2023
Read more about the article Tensions Mount Along NATO’s Eastern Flank as Belarus Conducts Military Provocations Around The Suwałki Gap.
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Tensions Mount Along NATO’s Eastern Flank as Belarus Conducts Military Provocations Around The Suwałki Gap.

On 1 August, two Belarusian military helicopters violated Poland’s airspace by shortly flying over Białowieża, a village not far from the border between the two countries (Brzezinski, 2023). The Polish media outlet Onet deemed such incursion a provocation (Chiappa, 2023). The following week, the alert threshold was raised as Minsk held military exercises in the Grodno region, which were simulating real-combat situations, according to the Belarusian Defence Ministry (Teslova, 2023).

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23 August 2023
Read more about the article ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions Against Niger Following The 26 July Military Coup
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ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions Against Niger Following The 26 July Military Coup

On 26 July, one day after Niger’s presidential guard detained democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the army command endorsed the coup orchestrated by Abdourahmane Tchiani who, while declaring himself the leader of the newly established military junta, claimed that economic hardship, corruption and deteriorating security had made such move necessary (Schotte, 2023). After seizing power, the junta started to crack down on key political figures and fundamental freedoms: on 30 July, it arrested the ministers of petroleum, education and mines, as well as the ruling party’s head (Mednick, 2023). Meanwhile, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane banned the use of social media to spread content which would allegedly harm national security (Mednick, 2023).

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11 August 2023
Read more about the article NATO Maritime Forces Conduct a Mine Countermeasures Exercise in the Mediterranean Sea
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NATO Maritime Forces Conduct a Mine Countermeasures Exercise in the Mediterranean Sea

On 27 July, seven NATO warships from the UK, Italy, Türkiye and the United States took part in a mine countermeasures exercise in the Central Mediterranean Sea. The drill was under the combined leadership of NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2).

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9 August 2023
Read more about the article The EU Adopts New Sanctions Against Belarus Amid Heightened Tensions on the Belarus-Polish Border
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The EU Adopts New Sanctions Against Belarus Amid Heightened Tensions on the Belarus-Polish Border

On 3 August, the European Union (EU) passed a new round of sanctions targeting individuals and entities in Belarus (European Council, 2023). These sanctions were introduced amid escalating tensions along the Polish-Belarusian border. On 1 August 2023, Poland accused Belarus of violating its airspace south of the Suwałki Gap (Haq et al., 2023). Belarusian helicopters were reportedly spotted flying over Polish territory at low altitudes, making radar detection difficult (Pikulicka-Wilczewska, 2023). This incident led to heightened military activity, with Wagner troops, in collaboration with Belarusian forces, and Polish troops rushing to their respective sides of the border (Pikulicka-Wilczewska, 2023). Additionally, on 7 August 2023, Belarus also started a military exercise, resulting in an even more tense international environment (AP News, 2023).

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8 August 2023