What In The World Is Going On?
Segment #616
In this case that question is literal. A number of superficially unrelated events are seemingly more and more related.. and not in a good way, Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are all cooperating in major ways that are in the news almost every day. What got my attention were some of the secondary events that are certainly contributing to the tensions and may spark a much wider conflict. There is a lot happening and a lot to pay attention to. I am almost thankful I don’t know what Trump and his cabinet know.
Russia
The situation involving Russian incursions into NATO and nearby U.S. airspace has recently escalated, showing a significant rise in direct confrontation and provocation.1
Here are the key events and areas of tension:
Incursions into NATO Airspace (Europe)
Large-Scale Drone Incursion into Poland:
Date: Early to mid-September 2025 (e.g., September 10).3
Event: A swarm of approximately 20 Russian drones (reportedly low-cost, plywood/Styrofoam "Geran" or similar models) violated Polish airspace, with some penetrating deep into the country.4
Response: NATO jets were scrambled to shoot down the drones, marking the first direct military engagement between the Alliance and Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.5 Poland invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty to consult with allies.6
Significance: The flight paths of some drones reportedly pointed toward Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, a critical NATO logistics hub for aid to Ukraine, suggesting an act of intimidation.7
Fighter Jet Violation of Estonian Airspace: Date: Mid-to-late September 2025 (e.g., September 19).8Event: Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained there for several minutes, with their transponders off and without communicating with air traffic control.9
Response: NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept them.10 Estonia, like Poland, invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty.11
Drone Violations in Other NATO Countries:
Romania: A Russian-made drone violated its airspace near the border with Ukraine.12
Latvia, Finland, Norway, and Lithuania have also reported recent airspace violations or related incidents like extensive GPS jamming.13
Consequences: These incidents have led to urgent NATO consultations, a call to bolster air defenses along the eastern flank ("Eastern Sentry"), and an ongoing debate among Western leaders on the appropriate Rules of Engagement, including whether to shoot down Russian aircraft that violate sovereign airspace.14Interceptions Near U.S. Airspace (Alaska)
Incursions near the United States happen regularly, but are always taken seriously by military authorities:
Russian Aircraft Near Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ):
Event: U.S. and Canadian NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) routinely track and intercept Russian military aircraft flying near the Alaskan ADIZ.15 This zone is international airspace adjacent to U.S. sovereign territory, requiring all aircraft to identify themselves.16
Recent Incidents: There have been multiple intercepts reported in the past few months (e.g., several times in August and again in September 2025), involving Russian aircraft like Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers and Su-35 fighter jets.17
Response: NORAD scrambles fighter jets (like F-16s) and surveillance aircraft (like the E-3 Sentry) to identify and escort the Russian planes.18
U.S. Assessment: While NORAD states that this activity occurs regularly and is not seen as an immediate threat to U.S. or Canadian sovereignty since the planes typically remain in international airspace, the frequency is being closely monitored, especially given the increased tensions in Europe.19
Critical undersea cables are being damaged in the Baltic. Who's behind the breaks is a mystery, but Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo sees a connection between the cuts and the Russian shadow fleet.
In the Baltic Sea, a shadow war is raging between Russia and NATO. Commercial ships believed to be part of the Kremlin’s fleet stand accused of deliberately cutting subsea cables by dragging their anchors. There have also been incidents involving damage to other Baltic cables that have been traced to ships connected to China, sparking concerns about the level of collaboration between Moscow and Beijing. WSJ explains how these acts of sabotage have turned the Baltic Sea into a flashpoint for the hybrid war and how NATO is ramping up patrols and military presence to protect critical underwater infrastructure.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has summoned nearly all of the US military’s top generals to Marine Corps Base Quantico next week — without telling them why.
The directive was given on short notice to generals stationed across the world, sowing concerns and confusion among the highest ranks, the Washington Post first reported Thursday. “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Post in a statement.
Convening so many top military leaders in one location — without stating a reason — is exceedingly rare, and presents a unique security risk. “Are we really sure we want all these senior officers in one place?” one military analyst who requested anonymity told The Post. “Seems like an ideal situation for the unthinkable.”
The US government, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies have repeatedly raised concerns and brought charges regarding alleged espionage and sabotage activities linked to China targeting the United States. These allegations generally fall into a few key areas:
Cyber Espionage and Potential Sabotage of Critical Infrastructure:
Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups (often referred to by names like APTs or "typhoons" such as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon) have been accused of penetrating US networks.
The targets have included government agencies, defense contractors, and private businesses across various sectors, especially technology, energy, communications, water, and finance.
The goal is often to steal intellectual property, trade secrets, and sensitive government data, as well as to establish footholds in critical infrastructure networks that could be used for disruption or sabotage at a time of China's choosing.
Economic Espionage and Theft of Intellectual Property:
Numerous individuals, including researchers, academics, and former corporate employees, have been charged with stealing trade secrets and confidential information from US companies and universities for the benefit of the Chinese government or Chinese state-owned enterprises.
The industries targeted have included nuclear power, aerospace, solar technology, metals, and advanced manufacturing.
Traditional Human Espionage:
Cases involving individuals, both US and Chinese nationals, who have been convicted or charged with acting as illegal agents for the Chinese government to obtain classified or sensitive information.
Methods have included recruiting individuals through financial incentives, coercion, or leveraging connections within the Chinese diaspora.
Transnational Repression and Influence Operations:
The US government has accused China of conducting campaigns like "Operation Fox Hunt" to track down, harass, and intimidate Chinese dissidents, former officials, and critics residing in the United States, sometimes pressuring them to return to China.
Transcript: Jeff Barn brings us a closer look. This is committing cultural suicide one high-ranking U.S military official claims there are terrorist training sites most of them biting their time amongst us. Stateside we have at least 19 training sites and I've also since then I found out we actually have 22 that are verified by the FBI retired Admiral James Lyons Jr spent nearly 40 years in the U.S Navy commanding U.S Pacific Fleet in the 80s and there may be as many as 35 training sites
Ignore the kiddie graphics.. this is a pretty interesting brief on past, present, and future Russia… Russia’s running out of troops, money, and time, and the fallout could shake the whole world. From brutal battlefield losses to the chaos that might come after, here’s how close Russia is to losing in Ukraine and how long Putin has left before his country turns on him!
