ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 18, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - March 18, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Vladimir Putin Claims Landslide Russian Election Victory
• Houthis Threaten to Target Ships in Indian Ocean
• Indian Navy Rescues Hijacked Vessel from Somali Pirates; Crew Safely Evacuated

Vladimir Putin Claims Landslide Russian Election Victory

Russian President Putin secured a landslide victory in the recent presidential elections where he won more than 80 percent of the votes. Western media and political analysts have criticized this victory and termed the elections as “obviously not free nor fair” because Putin has been observed to imprison political opponents. ZeroFox Intelligence predicts Putin’s victory to see a greater pursuit of stronger government restrictions on the Russian internet, widely known as the “RuNet.” Russia had been slow to introduce state controls on the internet but has increased those controls in recent years as Putin has pursued greater command of the domestic information space. Further consolidation of state control over the internet can be expected in the months and years after the elections.

Houthis Threaten to Target Ships in Indian Ocean

On March 14, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels threatened to expand the group’s targeting of commercial ships to include Israel-linked vessels in the Indian Ocean, a potentially major escalation. In a televised speech, Abdul Malik al-Houthi claimed the group could begin targeting cargo ships with connections to Israel as they transit the Indian Ocean toward the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It is unclear if the Houthis currently can strike targets at such a distance from Yemen. If they can strike targets in the Indian Ocean at regular intervals, it could pose a major threat to international shippers that have already largely abandoned Red Sea routes to avoid being targeted. Though the Houthis claim to target only ships with links to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, they have regularly attacked ships with no such links.

Indian Navy Rescues Hijacked Vessel from Somali Pirates; Crew Safely Evacuated

The Indian Navy has successfully rescued MV Ruen, a Malta-flagged bulk-carrier vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates in December 2023 to be used as a “mother ship” in piracy attacks. On March 15, Indian Navy-deployed INS Kolkata intercepted the vessel. Some of the pirates opened fire on the warship but could cause no substantial damage. The Navy then used minimal force to corner the pirates and coerce them into surrendering. The operation ended with the Navy rescuing all 17 crew members of MV Ruen and apprehending all 35 pirates.