text: RUSSIA: WEST’S REJECTION OF REFERENDUM A REFUSAL OF DEMOCRACY: Russian officials denounced the U.S.-led West’s rejection of Ukrainian Referendums as an insult to the democratic right of “self-determination.” In comments to state-controlled TASS media yesterday, Russian Central Election Commission representative Igor Borisov said the referendum complied with “civilized standards” and was ”valid de facto and de jure.” The official accused “powerful transatlantic political players” of ignoring the people’s “right to express their will” and “determine their destiny” for political purposes. Borisov called on the world’s countries to recognize the referendums as a historic triumph over “manipulative approaches and double standards” used to dominate global political discourse. (AC: With NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg, as well as several other European leaders, denouncing the Donbas referendums as a sham, the conflict in Ukraine is set to expand. Russia will likely annex the Donbas territories and declare them part of the Russian Union State, setting the stage for a territorial crisis which fits within Russian doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons. Expect Russia to not-so-quietly deploy tactical nuclear weapons into Crimea and Belarus as a start, but relatively soon after into the newly annexed Donbas territories. – M.M./R.P.)NORWAY DEPLOYS MILITARY TO PROTECT ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE: Citing increased security requirements, Norwegian officials announced the internal deployment of national police and military units to protect oil and gas infrastructure following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. The move follows Monday’s warning from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority calling for extra vigilance against “accident” or “direct attack” after a series of unidentified drones had been sighted near the country’s offshore oil and gas platforms. Norway is now the largest gas supplier to Europe and possesses extensive energy oil infrastructure with 90 offshore oil and gas fields connected to more than 9,000km of gas pipelines. (AC: Several Norwegian offshore and coastal facilities are in close proximity to the bases of the Russian Northern Fleet on the Barents Sea (including the Polyarny submarine base), making them a prime target for retaliatory strikes on NATO/EU energy infrastructure since Russia claims US/NATO culpability in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Similarly, Norway’s newly inaugurated Baltic Sea pipeline also presents a target of opportunity for retaliation as it remains the sole baltic pipeline delivering LNG to mainland Europe – R.P)LATVIA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY ON EASTERN BORDER: Latvian government officials declared a state of emergency in the country’s eastern border regions in response to an increase in entry attempts following Russia’s mobilization. The declaration allows the deployment of additional resources to border checkpoints, train stations, and airports for the next three months, which government officials say will allow them to combat a predicted increase in illegal border crossings. A similar order has been in place along the border with Belarus since August 2021.RUSSIA RESTRICTS ACCESS, OPENS CONSCRIPTION OFFICE ON GEORGIAN BORDER: Russian state media reports indicate defense officials have erected a Conscription center on the Georgian border to issue draft order summons to men attempting to flee into Georgia. The move comes simultaneously with an announcement of a heightened security alert and restricted access to the Russian region of North Ossetia after nearly 5,000 vehicles amassed on the Russian side of the Verkhny Lars border crossing into Georgia. Georgian officials say 20,000 Russian citizens have entered Georgia through the checkpoint in the past two days and warn they will be unable to “ensure order and security” should this number continue to grow.