PUTIN’S IRE AT LONG-RANGE FIRES: In a television interview that aired Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin both threatened retaliation and played down the significance of the U.S. plan to arm Ukrainian forces with extended-range precision rocket systems to counter Russia’s artillery advantage.
In segments of an interview with state-run Rossiya TV network, Putin made a cryptic threat to hit targets “we haven’t yet struck.” It’s a curious threat given that any strike, in theory, can hit a previously untouched target, and Putin has spared no category of targets, bombing or shelling schools, hospitals, shelters, residential areas, apartment buildings, and cultural sites.
“All this fuss around additional deliveries of weapons, in my opinion, has only one goal: to drag out the armed conflict as much as possible,” Putin said, according to the Associated Press. Putin downplayed the impact of the weapons, while saying Moscow would “use our means of destruction, which we have plenty of, in order to strike at those objects that we haven’t yet struck.”
MUSK’S SPACEX STARLINK INTERNET SAVING UKRAINE FROM RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA: ZELENSKY
UK JOINS US IN SENDING MLRS TO UKRAINE: Putin’s threat came as Russia hit targets in Kyiv for the first time in a month and before British Defense Minister Ben Wallace announced the U.K. would be joining the U.S. in sending multiple-launched rocket systems to Ukraine, which are similar to the Lockheed Martin HIMARS launchers.
“The cutting edge M270 weapon system, which can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away with pinpoint accuracy, will offer a significant boost in capability for the Ukrainian forces,” the British Defense Ministry said in a statement. “Ukrainian troops will be trained on how to use the launchers in the U.K., so that they can maximize the effectiveness of the systems.”
“These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin’s forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities,” said Wallace.
WHERE THE WAR IN UKRAINE STANDS AFTER 100 DAYS AND WHAT’S NEXT
ZELENSKY VISITS FRONT LINES: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a secret visit to “command posts and frontline positions” in both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions yesterday, according to his office.
“I am proud of everyone whom I met, whom I shook hands with, with whom I communicated, whom I supported. We brought something to the military. I will not talk about it in detail,” he said in his nightly video address.
In the see-saw battle for the town of Sievierodonetsk, which Russia is desperate to capture to declare full control of Luhansk, Ukrainian counterattacks enjoyed some success over the weekend, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.
“Even as Russian forces continue to pour equipment and troops into the Sievierodonetsk-Lysychansk area, Ukrainian forces have conducted a successful counterattack in Sievierodonetsk in the last 48 hours and pushed Russian troops back to the eastern outskirts of the city and out of southern settlements,” the ISW said in its latest update. “The ability of Ukrainian forces to successfully counterattack in Sievierodonetsk, the Kremlin’s current priority area of operations, further indicates the declining combat power of Russian forces in Ukraine.”
ANOTHER RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED AS FORCES RESUME KYIV ATTACKS
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HAPPENING TODAY, D-DAY REMEMBERED: Today is the 78th anniversary of D-Day, the pivotal allied campaign of World War II to defeat Nazi Germany. Commemorations will be held here at Washington’s World War II Memorial and in France at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where 9,386 Americans are buried, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and the days that followed. After two years of COVID restrictions, today’s ceremonies are open to the public.
On D-Day 1944, more than 160,000 allied troops, carried by 7,000 boats, landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified Normandy beaches, code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, and Gold, in what was the largest amphibious assault in history. The cost that day was high — 4,414 allied soldiers lost their lives, including 2,501 Americans.
In a message to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force, Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower told them: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”
5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT D-DAY
ALSO TODAY: The staff of the House Armed Services Committee is holding bipartisan virtual background briefings on Capitol Hill for credentialed reporters who want to get into the weeds of this week’s subcommittee markups of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
There are two backgrounders today:
- 4 p.m. — Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- 5 p.m. — Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
There are five backgrounders tomorrow:
- 9 a.m. — Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations
- 10 a.m. — Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems
- 11 a.m. — Subcommittee on Readiness
- 12 p.m. —Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- 1 p.m. — Subcommittee on Military Personnel
TIT FOR TAT, US AND S. KOREA RESPOND TO N. KOREA’S LATEST MISSILE TEST: On Sunday, North Korea fired a volley of eight short-range ballistic missiles from four different locations into the East Sea, its 18th missile test this year in violation of United Nations resolutions.
Today, the U.S. and South Korea fired eight missiles into the sea in response. The barrage of surface to surface missiles were launched from the Lockheed Martin Army Tactical Missile System, or “ATACMS.”
“The South Korea-U.S. combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces,” said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement, according to the Yonhap news agency. “Our military strongly condemns the North’s series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns.”
US, SOUTH KOREA LAUNCH 8 BALLISTIC MISSILES A DAY AFTER NORTH KOREA DOES SAME
GAO FAULTS AF FOR ‘SHORTFALLS’ IN SPACE COMMAND HQ SITE SELECTION: In reviewing the process the Air Force used to select Huntsville, Alabama, over Colorado Springs, Colorado, as its preferred site for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters, the Government Accounting Office found “significant shortfalls in its transparency and credibility.”
In a report released June 2, the GAO rated the site selection process high for comprehensiveness but found it was “minimally credible” and only “partially” well-documented and unbiased.
The GAO made no determination about whether the decision, made in the waning days of the Trump administration, was subject to political influence or should be revisited. Instead, it recommended the Air Force establish guidance that incorporates “best practices” to substantiate future basing decisions to “help prevent bias, or the appearance of bias, from undermining their credibility.”
SUPER HORNET PILOT ID’D: The Navy has released the identity of the pilot killed Friday when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona, California, Friday afternoon.
Lt. Richard Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113, based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. Bullock was flying a routine training mission when his aircraft went down in a remote, unpopulated area. The crash is under investigation.
NAVY PILOT DIES IN SUPER HORNET JET CRASH IN CALIFORNIA
FILLING KIRBY’S SHOES, FOR NOW: Now that retired Rear Adm. John Kirby has departed the Pentagon for the White House, the search is on for a full-time briefer to take his place.
In the meantime, the Pentagon announced Friday that Gordon Trowbridge, a former deputy Pentagon press secretary, will fill Kirby’s post as acting assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.
Also as of today, retired Army Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, who is deputy assistant to the secretary for public affairs, will assume the duties of briefing the press. Breassseale, who retired from the Army in 2014, served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Egypt, Haiti, and Venezuela and was awarded two Bronze Stars for meritorious service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Breasseale, who lives in Northern Virginia with his husband, will be the Pentagon’s first openly gay spokesperson.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Another Russian general killed as forces resume Kyiv attacks
Washington Examiner: Musk’s SpaceX Starlink internet saving Ukraine from Russian propaganda: Zelensky
Washington Examiner: Where the war in Ukraine stands after 100 days and what’s next
Washington Examiner: West Point head recommended to be next Army Europe commander: Report
Washington Examiner: State Department says fewer Americans ‘wrongfully detained’ overseas than outside nonprofit groups
Washington Examiner: US, South Korea launch 8 ballistic missiles a day after North Korea does same
Washington Examiner: Serbia trip canceled after countries close airspace to Lavrov’s plane
Washington Examiner: Navy pilot dies in Super Hornet jet crash in California
CNN: U.S. Defense Secretary Set To Meet Chinese Counterpart For First Time During Trip To Indo-Pacific
AP: As Ukraine loses troops, how long can it keep up the fight?
Defense One: What the West Has Given Is Not Enough to Win, Ukraine Says
New York Times: Russia Seeks Buyers for Plundered Ukraine Grain, U.S. Warns
Washington Post: As war drags on, weary Russians yearn for a return to normal life
Defense News: Major Baltic Sea Exercise Kicks Off As Swedish, Finnish NATO Bids Wait On Turkey
New York Times: U.S. Warship In Sweden, With A NATO Message
Air Force Magazine: Air Force Revives Sled Testing for Hypersonics Work
Air Force Magazine: US Remains Leader in Emerging Technologies, But China Makes Some Gains, Study Finds
USNI News: Keel Laid For Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine District of Columbia
South China Morning News: China Delays Launch Of Type 003 Aircraft Carrier For Unknown Reason – Are Technical Problems At Fault?
Marine Corps Times: Marine Corps Reserve Gets New Missions, New Roles And A Whole New Design
AP: US naval officer in Japan faces prison over deadly crash
New York Times: Ex-Air Force Sergeant Sentenced to 41 Years for Murder of Federal Officer
19fortyfive.com: Ukraine: A War of Maneuver or Attrition?
19fortyfive.com: Would Putin Attack NATO Territory to Stop Missile Shipments to Ukraine?
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: John Bolton: Beyond Weapons: Time for a New U.S. Strategy on Taiwan
Calendar
MONDAY | JUNE 6
9 a.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual discussion: “Is it Wise to Push South Korea Toward China-Containment?” with Joon Hyung Kim, professor at Handong Global University; Andrew Yeo, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies; Jessica Lee, senior research fellow at Quincy; and Sarang Shidore, director of studies at Quincy https://quincyinst.org/event/is-it-wise-to-push-south-korea
9:15 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation virtual annual Republic of Korea-U.S. Strategic Forum,” with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink https://www.csis.org/events/rok-us-strategic-forum-2022
10 a.m. 1750 Independence Ave. S.W. — Friends of the National World War II Memorial ceremony to celebrate the 78th anniversary of D-Day, with the chairman of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial https://www.facebook.com/WWIIMemorialFriends
10 a.m. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. — Navy Memorial wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Livestream at https://www.navymemorial.org/new-events/midway-80
10:30 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — Brookings Institution discussion on “Taiwan’s Path Forward,” with Eric Chu, chairman of the Kuomintang; Ryan Hass, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution and former director of China, Taiwan and Mongolia at the National Security Council; and Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution https://www.brookings.edu/events/taiwans-path-forward
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “Fielding a Resilient Aerial Refueling Force,” with Mark Gunzinger, director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies; Todd Harrison, senior vice president and head of research at Meta Aerospace; John Venable, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense; and Timothy Walton, senior fellow at Hudson’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology https://www.hudson.org/events/2116-virtual-event
1 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual discussion: “The KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) Turns Thirty: The Future of U.S.-Kurdish Relations in Iraq,” with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq Jennifer Gavito; KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani; and Bilal Wahab, WINEP fellow https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/krg-turns-thirty
4 p.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee media briefing on markups for the FY2023 NDAA RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms
5 p.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee media briefing on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
TUESDAY | JUNE 7
TBA — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin departs for Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand. Austin will take part in the International Institute for Strategic Studies 19th “Shangri-La Dialogue.” https://www.defense.gov/News/Advisories
3 p.m. Pentagon Airmen’s Hall — Department of the Air Force Pride Celebration Kickoff with Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones; Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond; Marianne Malizia, director, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Diversity and Inclusion; and Air Force Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team Champion
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Implementing the EU’s Strategic Compass: The View from Washington and London,” with Alison Weston, deputy director of the European External Action Service’s Security Defense Policy Directorate; Angus Lapsley, director of Euro-Atlantic security at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Molly Montgomery https://www.csis.org/events/implementing-eus-strategic-compass
9 a.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee media briefing on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The U.S. Philippines Alliance Under Marcos,” with Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby, associate professor at De La Salle University; and Aries Arugay, visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Yusof Ishak Institute https://www.csis.org/events/us-philippines-alliance-under-marcos
9:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Orbital Vigilance: The Need for Enhanced Space-Based Missile Warning and Tracking,” with Space Force Col. Miguel Cruz, commander of the Delta 4, Missile Warning command; Davin Swanson, chief engineer in space and C2 systems at Raytheon Intelligence and Space; Christopher Stone, senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute’s Space Studies; and retired Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, chair of the Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Studies https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/orbital-vigilance
9:30 a.m. Pentagon Auditorium — DoD LGBTQ+ Pride ceremony with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, ASD(Readiness) Ms. Skelly, U/SECAF Ms. Jones, USSF Lt. Col. Fram
10 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing: “The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 funding request and budget justification for the National Guard and Reserve,” with testimony from Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, chief, Army Reserve; Vice Adm. John Mustin, chief, Navy Reserve; Lt. Gen. David Bellon, commander, Marine Corps Forces Reserve; and Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, chief, Air Force Reserve https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee media briefing on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
11 a.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Readiness Subcommittee media briefing on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
12 p.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee media briefing, beginning on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
12 p.m. Rome, Italy — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “A New Transatlantic Relationship for the Middle East and North Africa,” with former Italian Ambassador to the U.S. Ferdinando Salleo; Thomas Smitham, charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Rome; Valeria Talbot, co-head of the Institute for International Political Studies’ Middle East and North Africa Center; former Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Khemaies Jhinaoui, founder of the Tunisian Council for International Relations; and Dina Fakoussa-Behrens, associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
1 p.m. — House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee media briefing, on markups for the FY2023 NDAA https://docs.google.com/forms
1 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Accelerating Special Operations Modernization,” with Ryan McLean, director of the U.S. Special Operations Command Tactical Assault Kit’s Product Center; Daniel Lynch, chief software integration officer at U.S. Special Operations Command; Vimesh Patel, chief technology adviser at World Wide Technology; and George Jackson, director of events at Government Executive https://events.govexec.com/accelerating-special-operations-modernization/
2:30 p.m. — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe virtual hearing: “European Energy Security Post-Russia,” with Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO at Naftogaz Ukraine; Constanze Stelzenmuller, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Benjamin Schmitt, research associate at Harvard University https://www.youtube.com/user/HelsinkiCommission
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 8
9 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and George Mason University virtual 2022 AFCEA-GMU Critical Issues in C4I Symposium, with Brig. Gen. John Olson, chief data and artificial intelligence officer at the Air Force Department; Andrew Malloy, technical director of the Defense Information Systems Agency; and Gregg Judge, CIO and deputy director of the Army’s Enterprise Cloud Management Office https://www.afcea.org/event/GMU-Home
10 a.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee markups of H.R.7900, the FY2023 NDAA
- 10 a.m. — Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee
- 12 p.m. — Strategic Forces Subcommittee
- 2 p.m. — Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee
- 3:30 p.m. — Military Personnel Subcommittee
http://www.armedservices.house.gov
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies-Chey Conference: “Cooperation on Scientific Innovation, Supply Chains, and Geopolitical Risk in Northeast Asia,” with David Honey, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering
https://www.csis.org/events/csis-chey-conference
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation Subcommittee hearing: “Resourcing U.S. Priorities in the Indo-Pacific FY2023 Budget.” http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion on nuclear deterrence,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, deputy commander of the U.S. Strategic Command https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/nuclear-deterrence
11 a.m. — Brookings Institution virtual forum: “Russia, France, and global disorder,” with French Ambassador to the U.S. Phillippe Etienne; Fiona Hill, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the U.S. and Europe and former deputy assistant to the president and former senior director for European and Russian affairs at the National Security Council; Thomas Gomart, director of the French Institute of International Relations; and Celia Belin, interim director of the Brookings Institution’s Center on the U.S. and Europe https://www.brookings.edu/events/russia-france-and-global-disorder/
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar: “Washington’s War: Lessons in Leadership for a Modern Army,” with retired Lt. Gen. James Dubik, AUSA senior fellow https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/G-James-Dubik
12:30 p.m. 1030 15th Street N.W. — Atlantic Council forum on “Strengthening Black Sea Security and Defense in a New Era,” with Romanian Ambassador to the U.S. Andrei Muraru https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/strenghtening-black-sea-security
3:30 p.m. — Heritage Foundation event: “Maintaining American Nuclear Deterrence,” with Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., ranking member, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces; and Patty-Jane Geller, Heritage senior policy analyst for nuclear deterrence and missile defense https://www.heritage.org/missile-defense/event
3:45 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual book discussion of Getting China Wrong,” with author Aaron Friedberg, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University https://www.csis.org/events/book-event-getting-china-wrong
7:30 p.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. — Intelligence and National Security Alliance discussion on the Defense Department’s strategic outlook for digital modernization and cybersecurity with Pentagon CIO John Sherman; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency https://www.insaonline.org/event/leadership-dinner-with-the-hon-john-sherman/
THURSDAY | JUNE 9
8:30 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee markups of H.R.7900, the FY2023 NDAA
- 8:30 a.m. — Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee
- 9:30 a.m. — Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee
- 10:30 a.m. — Readiness Subcommittee
http://www.armedservices.house.gov
7 p.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Arms Racing in Northeast Asia and Implications for the Korean Peninsula” https://www.stimson.org/event/arms-racing-in-northeast-asia
FRIDAY | JUNE 10
11 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Are Sanctions on Russia Working?” with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Molly Montgomery; and Svitlana Zalischuk, adviser to the Naftogaz CEO
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/are-sanctions-on-russia-working/
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 22
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee full committee markup of H.R.7900, the FY2023 NDAA http://www.armedservices.house.gov
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“In most cases, I want to remain an ordinary person, since I am the same person I was before, like everyone else. The drops of rain are as visible on me as on any other person. The value of life has changed. So let’s say that my attitude has changed, as I do not pay attention to trivialities anymore.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Wired magazine, on how the war has changed him.
