Drone Attacks Deep Into Russia Rattle Moscow

WEDNESDAY PDB – Kyiv is seeking to rattle the Krem­lin ahead of its long-planned offensive. First came drone strikes on the Krem­lin's dome of the Senate and on an oil terminal in Russia's Krasnodar region on May 3.

Then, late last week, Ukraine launched a mar­ine drone attack on a Rus­sian spy ship in the Black Sea.

Yes­ter­day morn­ing, as many as two dozen drones attacked Moscow. And today, a drone struck the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, causing a fire.

Drones damage Moscow buildings in pre-dawn attack blamed on Ukraine. Russian air defenses stopped eight drones converging on Moscow while Russia pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:

MEMORIAL DAY

The American military veterans who've fallen in Ukraine. On Memorial Day, the loved ones of American veterans killed in Ukraine reckon with the meaning of service under one flag — and sacrifice under another.

POLITICS

NOT ENOUGH – Debt ceiling agreement locks in Biden's proposed defense budget. It would cap the defense budget topline at President Joe Biden's $886 billion request for fiscal 2024, a 3.3% increase over this year.

PENTAGON WOKE WATCH

NO – FAR-LEFT RADICALS IMPOSING WOKE IDEOLOGY AT PENTAGON ARE THE PROBLEM – ‘MAGA' Republicans are dismantling Ronald Reagan's legacy. Efforts to draft the U.S. military into culture wars are undoing its Reagan-era rise from post-Vietnam malaise.

CHINA THREAT

Video shows Chinese fighter jet flying close to US aircraft. The U.S. military says a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

PODCAST – Largest drone attack on Ukraine by Russia. Updates from the frontlines in Ukraine, as the capital city tried to celebrate its more than 1,500th anniversary.

NOT REALLY – NATO intel chief: Russia's war on Ukraine and a hybrid war aimed at US. David Cattler, NATO's assistant secretary general for intelligence and security, said this in Tallinn, Estonia, earlier this month.

Pilots say F-16s can help Ukraine but missiles could down them. The F-16 jets that the Ukrainian military is touting as a potential game-changer in its conflict with Russia will either be restricted to defense or deployed in very high-risk operations, according to people who've flown the planes in combat.

Estonia will ask for a clearer path for Ukraine to join NATO. In Europe, defense ministers and military experts worry that the world is not learning the lessons from Ukraine quickly enough.

New US aid package for Ukraine will total about $300 million. U.S. officials say a military aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be announced this week will include additional munitions for drones.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

North Korea says attempt to launch first spy satellite ends in failure. It failed on launch.

Images show North Korea's launch pad as it prepares its spy satellite. Satellite images taken Tuesday showed activity at a main pad at North Korea's Sohae Satellite Launching Station.

IRAN THREAT

US pressured to secure Persian Gulf after Iran seizes tankers. The United Arab Emirates has pressed the U.S. to make more muscular moves to deter Iran after the Islamic Republic's military seized two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in recent weeks.

SPACE THREAT

US ‘Space Diplomacy' strategy seeks to counter ‘competitors' soft-power plays. The State Department today published a first-of-its-kind strategy for using diplomatic tools to maintain US leadership in space, including efforts to woo emerging space players away from “strategic competitors” — i.e.: China, which has made space cooperation a key part of its own global soft-power push. 

Maxar explores new uses for Earth observation satellites. Maxar Technologies, which provides satellite imagery to the Defense Department and intelligence community, is considering how its Earth-facing spacecraft sensors could serve a dual-purpose in observing objects and activity in orbit.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

US bombers fly over Bosnia in sign of support. The aircraft also participated in a joint military event in the town of Tuzla with Bosnia's multi-ethnic army and U.S. Army Special Forces.

NATO to send 700 more troops to Kosovo to help quell violent protests. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said an additional reserve battalion would be put on high readiness in case additional troops are needed.

Despite AUKUS pledges, Aussie defense spending drops $1.5B, report says. Leading Australian thinktank says there's a “disconnect” between Australia's strategic priorities and the money to fund capabilities to tackle them.

Philippine president hints at plan to build a submarine fleet. It is planning to buy the submarines, the country's president said Friday after the navy's 125th anniversary celebration in Manila.

US MILITARY

Nimitz Carrier Strike Group now near Guam, Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group heading east. Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its escorts are operating off the coast of Guam awaiting the call to assist in disaster relief ashore.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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