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Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.Let's get briefed.
First up on today's bulletin, an update in our coverage of North Korean troops preparing to join Russian forces on Ukraine's battlefields as U.S.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces that they could be deployed within days.
Later in the show, we'll uncover the bizarre tale of two Ukrainian brigades reportedly fighting on the front lines, only to find out that they, well, might not even exist.But first, our afternoon spotlight.U.S.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Thursday that North Korean troops could be deployed within days to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.
Austin, speaking after strategic meetings with South Korean officials, confirmed that approximately 8,000 North Korean soldiers are currently stationed in Russia's Kursk region, preparing for their anticipated deployment into combat.
Well, how excited are those North Korean troops?I mean, one day, you're living under the thumb of an incredibly repressive regime in North Korea, and you're thinking, well, can't get much worse than this.
And the next, you're about to be dumped into Vladimir Putin's meat grinder.Austin detailed that these North Korean forces have been trained by Russian troops in critical frontline operations, including artillery, drone usage, and trench clearing.
Russian uniforms and equipment have also been provided, signaling that the Kremlin's intent is to use these foreign forces directly on the front lines in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
He emphasized that if North Korean forces join the fight, they will be treated as legitimate military targets under international law.The move is yet another indicator of Moscow's struggle to maintain momentum in Ukraine.
Austin noted that as Russian losses continue to mount, now at over an estimated 1,200 casualties per day, Putin's reliance on North Korean forces points to a deeper issue of manpower shortages within the Russian military,
and points to Putin's fear of calling for another conscription of his own citizens.Austin called this strategy a clear sign of weakness and another testament to Russia's deteriorating position on the battlefield.
Austin also highlighted the historic nature of this cooperation.It's the first time in more than a century that Russia has welcomed foreign troops onto its soil.
In response, the United States has ramped up security assistance to Ukraine, including artillery, anti-air defenses, and armored vehicles, with an additional aid package expected in the coming days.
This support is part of a broader effort among the U.S.and its allies to reinforce Ukraine's defenses as it faces a potentially expanded Russian coalition.
In a broader strategic context, Austin reiterated the ongoing commitment of the U.S.-South Korea alliance to address not only the Korean Peninsula, but also regional stability across the Indo-Pacific.
This includes enhanced nuclear and strategic cooperation and increased collaboration with Japan to address common security challenges, underscored, of course, by North Korea's latest missile test on Wednesday.
Now, at the same time, Ukrainian President Zelensky is slamming Western countries for what he calls a zero response to North Korea's involvement in Russia's war with Ukraine.
Zelensky warned, quote, if there is nothing, and I think that the reaction to this is nothing, it has been zero, he said, then the number of North Korean troops on our border will be increased, end quote.
Zelensky called on nations across East Asia, including Japan and South Korea, to urge China to intervene and halt North Korea's involvement in the conflict.He warned that Pyongyang's actions risk drawing the entire region into the war.
Well, he's not wrong.Coming up next, the tale of two Ukrainian brigades fighting on the front lines.Only one hitch here.The brigades might not exist.I'll have the details after the break. Here's a question for you.
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I want to bring you the bizarre story of Ukraine's fake military units.Credit now goes to Forbes for highlighting this one.It's a look into the world of information warfare on Ukraine's front lines.
Since Russia began its full-scale invasion back in February of 2022, Ukraine's ground forces have swelled in size, doubling over the last 32 months.
The Army, Air Assault Forces, Marine Corps, and National Guard have built up their ranks, adding new brigades to meet the Russian threat.But at least two of these units appear to have been pure fiction.
Back in February 2023, social media accounts appeared for two supposed brigades, the 88th Mechanized Brigade and the 13th Jager Brigade.Now, these accounts posted photos claiming to showcase soldiers in gear from these units.
Soon after, officials in Ukraine's Vorosh district reported that these brigades were deployed near the Belarus border.And then, well, things took a strange turn.
Military Land, that's a group that tracks Ukrainian forces, noted an absence of any reports or sightings mentioning these brigades in action.
Growing suspicious, they reached out to the Ukrainian General Staff for confirmation, and the response was clear.No brigade named the 88th Mechanized exists within Ukraine's official forces, and the 13th Jager Brigade likely doesn't either.
So, what's really going on here?This doesn't seem to be a scam, as no money was raised under these names.One theory is that these could be unofficial names taken up by smaller paramilitary groups which operate outside the formal military.
Many of these groups train in the hope of joining the army, while others prepare for resistance operations should Russian forces advance. But there's another possibility.
This could be a psychological operation to make Ukraine's forces appear stronger than they are.Both sides in this conflict use tactics like decoy vehicles to draw enemy fire.
So creating fake social media accounts for fictional brigades doesn't seem that out of line.Deception, disinformation, deflection, and decoys have been part of military strategy, well, since wars began.
Still, if this really was a Ukrainian PSYOP, it's curious that the General Staff admitted it so readily, which begs the question, was revealing this part of the ruse, or had it simply run its course?
Whatever the reason, it's another reminder of the layers of deception in the Russian-Ukrainian war, where the battle for perception, frankly, can be as intense as the battle on the ground.
And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Friday, 1 November.If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com.And remember to synchronize your watches.
It's Friday, and that means a new episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report, launches this evening at 10 p.m.on the First TV.You can also check it out on our YouTube channel.You can find that, at President's Daily Brief,
as well as on all podcast platforms.This weekend, we're talking the latest on the Middle East conflict, as well as U.S.border security and immigration policy as a country races toward the 5 November presidential election.
Our terrific guests this weekend include the always insightful intel and weapons analyst Ryan Macbeth, and the always informative law, policy, and immigration expert, Art Arthur, from the Center for Immigration Studies.It's a barn burner.
Describing it as an extravaganza of information, well, would not be an exaggeration.I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back over the weekend with our Situation Report.Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
