ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - December 13, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - December 13, 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

• Austria's OMV Terminates Gas Contract with Russia's Gazprom
• Somalia Pulls Federal Troops from Jubbaland
• EU to Sanction Chinese Entities for Aiding Russia’s War in Ukraine

Austria's OMV Terminates Gas Contract with Russia's Gazprom

Austrian utility OMV announced it terminated its long-term natural gas supply contract with Russia's Gazprom. The announcement comes after Gazprom halted all supplies to Austria on November 16, 2024 due to a payment dispute. While the end of the contract signals a structural shift in the European gas market, the development is unlikely to significantly alter day-to-day operations in Austria's energy sector. OMV gas storage is currently at 85 percent, and Austria has worked to diversify its supplies away from Russia over the past several years. Alternative suppliers are able to cover all of Austria's gas supplies. OMV confirmed it "is in a position to fulfill all of its customer contracts from alternative gas sources".

Somalia Pulls Federal Troops from Jubbaland

On December 12, 2024, the Somali government stated that they pulled troops from the Lower Juba region after clashes occurred between Jubbaland State authorities and federal troops on December 11 over an election dispute. Tensions initially rose between federal and state officials in November 2024 after officials from Jubbaland State (a semi-autonomous region) suspended relations with the Somali government in response to federal official's claims that the state election was illegal. Jubbaland and federal officials accused each other of instigating the clashes. During the violence, Jubbaland authorities alleged to have captured the town of Ras Kamboni town (a nearby airport) and that federal soldiers surrendered during fighting on December 11. Meanwhile, federal officials claimed to have captured multiple vehicles and that casualties were reported on both sides. The claims by officials could not be independently verified.

EU to Sanction Chinese Entities for Aiding Russia’s War in Ukraine

The European Union (EU) agreed to sanction Chinese entities for the first time for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU targeted six China- and Hong Kong-based companies, freezing their assets as part of a broader sanction package to curb Russia’s military capability. Chinese firms previously have been added to a blacklist of entities barred from buying goods made in the EU for their alleged military support of Russia. The names of the firms have not been publicly disclosed.