The Wire - April 2, 2023

//The Wire//0030Z April 2, 2023// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: Critical infrastructure vulnerabilities remain a constant concern. Belarus prepares to receive Russian Nukes. Ukraine persecutes Christians.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -National Events- OH: CDC officials confirm that 7x employees in total have been injured since the beginning of the East Palestine HAZMAT crisis. These officials reported suffering burning eyes and throats, headaches and nausea. It is unknown as to how many others have been injured due to the toxic environment, as other agencies have not released any information on employee injuries. Officials still maintain that the area is safe for residents. -International Events- Belarus: Lukashenko continues to prepare for the arrival of Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Lukashenko has expressed the desire to also host Russian strategic weapons, and has begun revitalizing Belarus' Cold-War era silos and launch pads. Ukraine: Persecution of Orthodox Christians remains an constant goal of Ukraine's regime. Security forces again raided the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (aka the Monastery of the Caves), a thousand-year-old Orthodox monastery in Kiev. The raid was conducted to remove Orthodox leadership by forcibly evicting Metropolitan Pavel, who remains under house arrest. Analyst Comments: In East Palestine, it is important to note that the 7x investigators that have been injured were NOT part of cleanup crews. Rather, these employees were part of survey crews, going door-to-door to interview residents. It is becoming impossible to conceal the severe impacts this HAZMAT crisis has had on the local environment, when the teams going to residential homes are falling ill. This alone is undeniable proof that residential areas are heavily contaminated. In Ukraine, Orthodox Christians have been persecuted heavily since the renewal of Russia's invasion, with Zelensky's Secret Police (the SBU) raiding and arresting Metropolitan Pavel on charges of "justifying Russian aggression", a criminal offense in Ukraine. Freedom of speech is NOT allowed in Ukraine, and all information has been strictly controlled by the government since Zelensky enacted emergency powers at the beginning of the invasion. Though completely ignored by western media for obvious reasons, arresting unarmed religious clerics at gunpoint by secret police organizations is not often looked upon in a positive light, no matter the circumstances. Since 2022, 61 other clerics have been prosecuted for allegedly pro-Russia stances, despite formally cutting ties with the Moscow Patriarchy. Most Orthodox churches in Ukraine have gone underground in response to Zelensky's sanctions, raids, and targeting actions. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst: S2ANNNN