Pax Americana: Episode 18

Thank you to everyone who tuned into the latest episode of Pax Americana today. The Pax Americana community just keeps growing and Olga Lautman and I are floored by how many of you tune in every Thursday. If you missed today’s episode, please catch it here. Olga Lautman and I are still taking sign ups for our Fall 2025 seminar: a 6-week discussion on information warfare, disinformation, and media manipulation— exclusively for our paid subscribers.Starts: Wednesday, September 17 at 3:00 PM ETMeets: Weekly on Wednesdays (Sept 17–Oct 22)Format: ZoomZoom link will be sent separately on Wednesday at 2:30 PM ET. Cut-off for registration is September 17 at 2:00 PM ET.Slides will be emailed the following day…Registration Link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccVY1gdQvAJLIsN8ahz0oRRl1bsyqDupu1Ixx5SEcWZLZ6kg/viewform?usp=headerIf you have not yet signed up but want to join, please consider becoming a paid subscriber now.Show Notes* Russian drones deep inside PolandNATO warplanes, including Dutch F-35s and Polish F-16s, shot down multiple Russian drones deep inside Poland—the first direct alliance engagement against Russian weapons over member territory. Russia’s attack forced airport closures and damaged homes. It prompted Prime Minister Donald Tusk to invoke NATO Article 4, calling it “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II.” Source: Wall Street Journal* Poland and Latvia Restrict Airspace Near Russian and Belarusian Borders After Drone IncursionPoland and Latvia barred drones and low-flying aircraft along their borders with Russia and Belarus after NATO jets shot down Russian drones inside Polish territory. The restrictions, which don’t affect commercial flights, are meant to give NATO and local defenses room to intercept further incursions. Source: The Moscow Times* Poland closes all border crossings with Belarus: about 1,700 cars in queuesThe State Border Committee of Belarus reported that it had received an official notification from the Polish Border Service about the closure of all remaining active checkpoints on the Belarusian-Polish border.Source: The Insider (Russian language)* Belarus frees 52 prisoners after Trump appeal, US eases some sanctions on MinskBelarus released 52 prisoners, including journalist Ihar Losik and 14 foreign nationals, after a personal appeal from Donald Trump. In return, Washington eased sanctions on Belarus’ national airline Belavia, even as opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warned the gesture covered only a fraction of political prisoners and signaled no real change in Lukashenko’s rule.Source: Reuters* Belarusian spy network uncovered by Eurojust operation, Moldovan ex-intel chief arrestedA Eurojust-backed operation involving Czechia, Romania, Hungary, and Moldova exposed a Belarusian KGB spy ring spanning multiple countries. Among those arrested was Alexandru Bălan, Moldova’s former deputy intelligence chief, accused of passing state secrets and meeting Belarusian officers in Budapest. Source: Euroactiv* Russian spy drones over GermanyRussian surveillance drones are conducting reconnaissance flights over eastern Germany to track arms shipments to Ukraine, with over 530 drone sightings recorded in the first three months of this year alone, according to Western intelligence services. Source: Euronews* Russia plans to produce nearly 2,500 high-precision missiles in 2025Russia is expected to manufacture close to 2,500 high-precision missiles in 2025, spanning cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic classes, Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, said in an interview with Ukrinform. Source: Kyiv Independent* 123,000 flights disrupted by Russian signals – threatening flight safetyIn four months, nearly 123,000 flights have been disrupted by Russian signals that interfere with GPS and other satellite systems. This is according to a report from Sweden and five neighboring countries that SVT has reviewed. Source: TVP World and SVT (In Swedish)* Julie and my latest chapter from our new seriesActive Measures: The Kremlin's Troll FactoryStay Salty. And particularly this week, stay safe.Julie This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe