Author: NatSec.ca

Russia is increasing covert attacks on key infrastructure in Germany

Russia is intensifying covert attacks on key infrastructure in Germany in a campaign of hybrid warfare that Berlin views as a possible prelude to a wider conflict, according to a confidential defence ministry document titled ;Operationsplan Deutschland (OPLAN),’ obtained by Bloomberg.

As Germany positions itself as NATO’s main hub in Europe, it expects to be first targeted by Russia covertly via hybrid attacks on energy and defence infrastructure. The document summarizes guidelines for cooperation between different levels of government and institutions in case of conflict with Russia.

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Berlin power outage affecting 45,000 homes blamed on political extremists

The far-left ‘Volcano’ extremist group claimed responsibility for the January 3, 2026 arson attack on a power station which affected 45,000 residences, shut down mobile phone connections, cut heating during freezing weather, stopped trains and forced hospitals to switch to back-up generators.

Berlin’s mayor said on Monday January 5, 2026, that the German capital’s core infrastructure needed better protection.

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President Zelenskyy has appointed former Liberal cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland as an economic development adviser

“Right now, Ukraine needs to strengthen its internal resilience — both for the sake of Ukraine’s recovery if diplomacy delivers results as swiftly as possible, and to reinforce our defense if, because of delays by our partners, it takes longer to bring this war to an end,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Freeland, who has Ukrainian ancestry, was deputy prime minister between 2019 and 2024. She has long been one of Canada’s most vocal opponents of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Source: CBC

Trump on Sunday asserted that the US was “in charge” of Venezuela

Clearly, there was little planning for what would transpire after the illegal invasion and abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

On Sunday night, January 4, 2026:

“And don’t ask me who’s in charge, because I’ll give you an answer, and it’ll be very controversial.”

“What does that mean?” a reporter asked.

“It means we’re in charge,” the Trump said.

On Sunday morning, January 4, 2026, in a testy exchange later on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, Rubio complained that people were “fixating” on Trump’s declaration at a news conference in Florida on Saturday that the US government would run Venezuela. He added that “it’s not running — it’s running policy, the policy with regards to this.”

Rubio said on CBS that the US naval force that Trump massed in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela over recent months — “one of the largest naval deployments in modern history, certainly in the Western Hemisphere” — would remain in place to enforce the quasi blockade, with the aim of “paralyzing that portion of how the regime, you know, generates revenue.”

Source:

Edward Wong, NYT: Trump says US is ‘In Charge’ of Venezuela, while Rubio stresses coercing it

Trump’s plans for Greenland, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Iran [Updated]

Aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall,” and “Colombia is very sick too.” That comes one day after the US military and civilian agencies illegally invaded Venezuela and abducted President Nicolás Maduro.

On Sunday, January 4, 2026, Trump renewed his calls for an US takeover of the Danish territory of Greenland.

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US killed at least 80 people, including civilians, during the illegal invasion and abduction of Venezuelan President Maduro in Caracas

As at December 31, 2025, at least 115 people have been killed by US military in 35 boat strikes that started September 2, 2025.

The US military and civilian forces killed at least another 80 people, including civilians, during the illegal invasion and abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, 2026.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on January 3, 2026 that 32 Cuban military and intelligence personnel were killed during the illegal US operation.

US officials claim ‘around’ 6 US soldiers were injured. None were reported killed.

Sources:

Isabela Espadas Barros Leal and Genevieve Glatsky, NYT: A timeline of rising tension between the US and Venezuela

Jack Nicas, NYT: Cuba says 32 of its citizens died in Venezuela, including military personnel

Taiwan vows to defend its sovereignty after Chinese military drills

In a live New Year’s address, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the island is determined to defend its sovereignty and bolster its defence in the face of China’s growing assertiveness.

He urged opposition parties to support his proposal to increase Taiwan’s defence spending by C$55 billion (US$40 billion), a plan currently stalled amid a political deadlock in the opposition-controlled parliament.

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Cargo ship ‘Fitburg’ en route from Russia sabotaged an undersea cable in the Gulf of Finland

A cargo vessel severed an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, around 4:53 a.m. local time. Finnish police said they suspected this was an act of sabotage.

The cargo ship ‘Fitburg’ was en route from Saint Petersburg, Russia to the port in Haifa, Israel when it damaged an undersea cable connecting the capitals of Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. The vessel was sailing under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the time of the incident.

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Without Europe, the US ceases to be a leader

Geo-politically, marginalizing Europe will also come at a cost. The small peninsula is well sited for American needs. Forward-based radar makes it easier to counteract missiles lobbed by Russia or Iran. Military bases allow the world’s mightiest armed forces to operate in the Middle East and Africa. Having Europe onside helps project power in other ways. Sanctions work best when both sides of the Atlantic join in. By accepting the global supremacy of the dollar, Europeans leave themselves little choice but to enforce America’s boycotts, even when they disagree. Push too hard and they may try to free themselves from that, too.

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Russia’s Oreshnik missile system has been deployed inside Belarus

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, The Russian Defence Ministry said Tuesday, December 30, 2025.

They released footage it said showed Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile systems in Belarus. The video shows several military vehicles arriving at an undisclosed location in Belarus.

On December 18, 2025 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had said that the Oreshnik systems had arrived in the country. Lukashenko said that up to 10 such missile systems will be stationed in Belarus.

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