text: RUSSIAN OFFICIALS UPDATE BRICS ALLIANCE STATUS: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Reccep Erdogan are scheduled to meet this week. According to a Kremlin spokesman, the two may speak about Turkey’s application to join the BRICS economic alliance, although “there are no particular plans in this regard [to admit Turkey] today.” Meanwhile, Russian officials say Venezuela has not yet approached Russia about joining BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), and added that Algeria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are the latest country to express interest in joining. Argentina and Iran have already applied. (AC: China sees the BRICS alliance and a constellation of emerging markets as part of their strategy to supplant U.S. dominance and displace the dollar as the world’s sole reserve currency. An expanding BRICS offers an opportunity for countries outside the American orbit to gain similar benefits provided by the United States, especially foreign direct investment and military protection. The BRICS alliance will likely grow to challenge the West for global economic dominance. – M.S.)DEVASTATION AT CRIMEA AIR BASE MAY CAUSE SHIFT IN RUSSIAN STRATEGY: Russian officials said that blasts at a Crimean air base were caused by accidental secondary explosions from a planned explosive ordnance disposal event, however, satellite photos indicate a precision strike. (AC: In post-strike satellite photos, multiple Russian fighter aircraft are observed destroyed inside hardened bunkers along a taxiway and parking apron. The apparent strike destroyed eight fighter aircraft and reportedly killed one person. The Russian explanation for the blasts is highly unlikely given the location, size, and pattern of the cratering. This was most likely a precision HIMARS strike, given that there is little collateral outside of the aircraft parking apron and taxiway. While Russia is putting the best face on this embarrassing loss, it will certainly elevate calls within Russian leadership circles to treat the U.S. and its western allies as direct combatants in the war in Ukraine. – M.M.)CHINESE PARAMILITARY CONTRACTORS EXPANDING ACROSS AFRICA: In a move foreshadowed by the highly touted China-Solomon Islands Security Pact and President Xi Jinping’s signing of authorizations for expeditionary operations abroad, China state-backed private security companies are rapidly deploying thousands of paramilitary contractors throughout Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and the Horn of Africa regions. The paramilitary contractors are allegedly conducting security operations for numerous Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, securing Chinese rare-earth mining facilities and conducting anti-piracy operations. (AC: The deployment of state-backed private paramilitary contractors to provide security for BRI projects began several years ago on an extremely small scale, but appears to have accelerated since the attacks in Pakistan by Balouch separatists on Chinese workers and BRI projects in the Balochistan area. Expect standard worldwide paramilitary deployments across all of China’s BRI projects, particularly in areas with a history of insurgent activity – like Latin America. The deployment of paramilitaries will likely frontrun the future deployment of People’s Liberation Army military units. – M.M.)