Ukraine Launches Surprise Counterattacks Into Russia

THURSDAY PDB – Ukraine pierces Russian border, triggering fierce clashes. Russia said on Wednesday it was fighting intense battles against Ukrainian forces that had penetrated its southern border near a major natural gas transmission hub.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Russian region of Kursk to try to repel Ukraine's biggest assault on Russian territory since Moscow invaded its neighbor in Feb. 2022.

On August 3, up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops, as well as 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, entered Russia near the town of Sudzha.

Putin calls alleged Ukrainian incursion of Kursk region ‘large-scale provocation.' Vladimir Putin said Wednesday accused Ukraine of a “large-scale provocation” amid reports of an incursion on the Kursk region.

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

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

NATIONAL SECURITY

Marijuana and Mexican cartels: Inside the stunning rise of Chinese money launderers. Experts worry that the organizations, which now dominate money laundering worldwide, pose a potential national security threat to the U.S.

Wartime need for drones would outstrip US production — there's a way to fix that. If the U.S. Army found itself at war, American manufacturers would struggle to produce the large number of high-quality small drones that the service would likely need — unless the Pentagon increases its support for drone producers, and soon.

Where is US foreign policy headed? Four distinct, but not necessarily exclusive, strategies present themselves for the next administration.

HOMELAND DEFENSE

NORTHCOM head wants new integration role in counter-UAS ops. The head of U.S. Northern Command is pushing to put defense against uncrewed aircraft systems into his job jar, arguing that his command could play a key role in integrating service operations to protect Defense Department facilities.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Man charged with threatening mass casualty event at Army-Navy college football game in 2023. He is in federal custody in Arizona and awaiting extradition to Rhode Island.

POLITICS

STOLEN VALOR – Tim Walz's military record, National Guard departure get new scrutiny. The Harris-Walz campaign has cited his Army experience as an asset. But Republicans and some who served with him have questioned claims about his service. COWARD AND LIAR.

Pentagon chief defends decision to revoke plea deal for 9/11 defendants. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for the first time Tuesday on his decision to throw out a plea deal for the men accused in al-Qaida's 2001 attacks, saying that the depth of U.S. losses and sacrifice on 9/11 demand that the military commission trial goes ahead.

US POWER OVERSEAS

E-2D refueling from HC-130 over Middle East highlights the Hawkeye's potential. The radar plane's in-flight refueling capability could help it defend against an Iranian attack and opens up new ways to employ its abilities around the globe.

Army extends some unaccompanied tours in South Korea to 2 years. Some “single” soldiers who ship out to South Korea will now need to spend two years on the peninsula rather than one.

Another security forces airman found dead on American base in South Korea. This, at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea on Monday, less than two weeks after the death of a fellow service member assigned to the same unit.

Two B-1 bombers fly to and from Ellsworth to train with Japanese fighters. The Lancers crossed the Pacific on Aug. 1 and 2 to join Japanese fighters in a tactical mission aimed to “deter adversaries” in the airspace between South Korea and Japan.

Okinawa governor, aiming to reduce island's military presence, plans US lobbying trip. He is traveling soon to the U.S. to lobby Cabinet officials, Congress and the American public to reduce the U.S. military footprint in his prefecture and curb troop misconduct.

ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST TERROR

KICK TURKEY OUT OF NATO? – Turkey to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel in international criminal court. Turkey filed papers to the International Court of Justice on Wednesday in connection with Israel's war in Gaza.

Israel court hears bid to close prison where soldiers are accused of sexually assaulting Palestinians. The Israeli Supreme Court considered a petition Wednesday to shutter the desert military facility.

IRAN THREAT

Egypt asks its airlines to avoid Iran airspace for three hours early morning on Thursday. This, amid tension between Israel and Iran.

CHINA THREAT

China's ‘coercive behavior' scrutinized at US-Australia talks as global tensions cited. ‘Shared security challenges' tackled by two allies as ministerial consultations feature each country's top defense and diplomatic officials.

South China Sea: Chinese military holds joint patrol around contested Scarborough Shoal. PLA ‘combat preparation patrol' held at the same time as joint exercise involving Philippine, US, Canadian and Australian forces.

Allied navies, Chinese warships hold competing drills off the Philippines. Chinese warships and a coalition of U.S. allies held dueling drills off the coast of the Philippines on Wednesday.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Ukraine's other problem: Spiraling debt. Loans from the IMF, Western governments, and private investors are coming due.

Warily, US companies eye co-production deals in Ukraine. But questions remain about the safety of doing business in a war zone, the persistence of corruption, and the long-term business case.

SPACE THREAT

Air Force Research Lab team eyes space data transport demo in 2026. It convened to help the Space Force test and prototype new spacecraft concepts plans to launch its first experimental satellites soon.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

NATO missed a chance to transform itself. Biden's commitment to NATO was clearly rock solid but the question of what comes next consumed the summit.

Niger's junta cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine. The move signals a burgeoning rift between some West African states and Kyiv.

US MILITARY

Counter-drone missile competition possible in 2025. The Army's planned competition is for a next-generation interceptor to take out threats from unmanned aerial systems.

US Army working on new missile defense strategy with eye toward 2040. It is planning to release a refreshed missile defense strategy to counter a wide variety of complex threats

Creating space careers for enlisted soldiers a priority. The Army's Space and Missile Defense Command wants to establish a space-dedicated military occupation specialty for non-commissioned officers during the earlier stages of their careers.

Morale crush: Some Marines languish in hot barracks as temperatures around the world heat up. Many Marines are struggling to stay cool in barracks often without air conditioning, leading to lack of sleep, low morale and safety concerns.

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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