ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - June 12, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - June 12, 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

• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Set to Disconnect From Russian Electric Grid
• Insurgents Ambushed Security Convoy of Chief Minister of Manipur, India
• EU Announces New Support Measures for Ukraine

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Set to Disconnect From Russian Electric Grid

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania plan to officially disconnect their electric grids from the Russian and Belarusian grid (BRELL) on February 8, 2025. Desynchronization was previously planned for the end of 2025. The three Baltic states have been working towards decoupling from BRELL for almost two decades after they declared disconnecting from the BRELL grid a strategic objective in 2007. The updated timeline underscores the urgency of these countries to eliminate their electricity dependence on Russia. The Baltic states will join the Continental European (UCTE) grid on February 9, 2025, a day after disconnecting from BRELL. Officials do not expect customers to be affected by the switch.

Insurgents Ambush Security Convoy of Chief Minister of Manipur, India

On June 10, suspected insurgents ambushed an advance security convoy belonging to the Chief Minister of India’s Manipur state ahead of his planned visit to the western Jiribam district. At least two security personnel were wounded in the exchange, with some reports indicating several attackers were also injured in the ensuing gun battle. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is scheduled to visit Jiribam during a period of heightened violence in the district, over a year after a low-level ethnic conflict broke out in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki groups. He was not present at the scene of the ambush. The unrest is seen as one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s few security failures. It is unclear if Chief Minister Singh will reschedule his visit.

EU Announces New Support Measures for Ukraine

On June 11, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced new EU initiatives to support Ukraine. Most notably, von der Leyen announced the EU will transfer EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.6 billion) of windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine by July. This will mark the first tranche of funds under the EU's plan to transfer roughly EUR 3 billion (USD 3.2 billion)of interest on Russian assets to Ukraine per year. Later this week, G7 representatives will also discuss using this EUR 3 billion yearly interest as a steady revenue stream to underpin an immediate US loan to Ukraine worth USD 50 billion. Other measures include a series of agreements worth EUR 1.4 billion (USD 1.5 billion) to attract private sector investments in Ukraine, dedicated support for equity investments in Ukraine, and an additional EUR 1.9 billion (USD 2 billion) aid package from the EU's Ukraine facility.