This is the DEFCON Warning System. Alert status for 9 P.M. UTC, Friday, March 1st, 2024. Condition code is Green. DEFCON 5.
There are currently no imminent nuclear threats at this time.
Russian nuclear threats have made headlines recently, with warnings from Russia that involvement by NATO in the Russian war against Ukraine will result in nuclear usage. These statements are generally considered to be hyperbolic in nature, designed as a warning to NATO as well as to play to Russian audiences. While The DEFCON Warning System does not foresee any unusual escalatory movements by either side, we will continue to monitor the situation.
Iran has started work on a site with plans to build four new nuclear reactors. The United Nations’ atomic watchdog says Iran has reduced its stockpile of near weapons-grade nuclear material, though still has enough weapons-grade material for several nuclear weapons.
China is seeking inroads to African coastal nations to allow China to station military forces or open a naval port, which the U.S. has strongly opposed. China’s shipmaking capabilities are far outpacing that of the U.S. and its Western allies. The FBI says China cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure are now at an unprecedented scale and that Beijing-backed actors were pre-positioning malware that could be triggered at any moment to disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure.
Russia looks to increase the age limit of its military to bolster its forces in the face of continuing losses in the Ukraine theatre. Meanwhile, Russia is increasingly confident that the West will surrender the Ukraine conflict to Russia. However, there has been more talk, but no commitments, regarding sending NATO troops into Ukraine for training and other non-combat missions.
The United States claims that Russia has obtained what it calls a “troubling” emerging anti-satellite weapon which can cause destabilization among the world powers. This new tech has not yet been deployed. In response to this development, the U.S has issued direct warnings to the Russian government against deploying a nuclear-capable anti-satellite weapons, which indicate that the U.S. believes the new anti-satellite weapon could be nuclear-capable.
Russia refuses to engage with United States in arms control talks while the U.S. supports Ukraine in Russia’s war against that country. Meanwhile, NATO says Ukraine has right to strike targets in Russian territory.
Armenia has suspended its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization with Russia. Meanwhile, Russia and Venezuela discuss cooperation on use of nuclear technology.
The DEFCON Warning System is a private intelligence organization which has monitored and assessed nuclear threats by national entities since 1984. It is not affiliated with any government agency and does not represent the alert status of any military branch. The public should make their own evaluations and not rely on the DEFCON Warning System for any strategic planning. At all times, citizens are urged to learn what steps to take in the event of a nuclear attack. If this had been an actual attack, the DEFCON Warning System will give radiation readings for areas that are reported to it. Your readings will vary. Official news sources will have radiation readings for your area.
For immediate updates, go to www.defconwarningsystem.com. Breaking news and important information can be found on the DEFCON Warning System community forum and on the DEFCON Twitter feed DEFCONWSAlerts. You may also subscribe to the DEFCON Warning System mailing list. Note that Twitter updates may be subject to delays. The next scheduled update is 9 P.M. UTC, April 2nd, 2024. Additional updates will be made as the situation warrants, with more frequent updates at higher alert levels.
This concludes this report of the DEFCON Warning System.
