| 'THE WAR IS RETURNING TO THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIA': While the Ukrainian counteroffensive is slowly advancing on three fronts, President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought to add a psychological element to the campaign by targeting buildings in the Russian capital of Moscow. The attacks, utilizing homegrown Ukrainian drones, have little strategic effect, but they send a message to Muscovites that the war is not just some faraway conflict. Sunday's drone attack damaged two office buildings a few miles from the Kremlin, and it was the fourth strike to hit Moscow this month and the third this week. "Ukraine is getting stronger. Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia - to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process," Zelensky said in a Sunday video address. "Russian aggression has gone bankrupt on the battlefield … Ukraine is getting stronger." "Ukrainian military sources reported that Ukrainian forces are achieving small successes on the southern flank of Bakhmut and are gradually advancing in the Berdyansk (western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast area) and Melitopol (in western Zaporizhia Oblast) directions," the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest battlefield assessment. Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry noted "an uptick of fighting" in southern Ukraine in recent days. "Ukrainian forces defeated elements of Russian airborne forces' (VDV) 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment to capture the village of Staromaiorske," the ministry reported in its daily social media post. "Meanwhile, in the north, other VDV units continue offensive operations in the Serebriansk Forest west of Kremina but have achieved little ground." MEDVEDEV: 'WE WOULD HAVE TO … USE THE NUCLEAR WEAPON': One indication Russia may be a bit nervous about an eventual Ukrainian breakthrough of its defenses came over the weekend from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has developed a reputation for bellicose threats on his social media accounts. In a post yesterday, Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, suggested that if Ukraine's counteroffensive succeeds in capturing what Russia now considers its territory, Moscow would have no choice but to use nuclear weapons. "By repelling the collective enemy's counteroffensive, our Armed Forces are defending Russian citizens and our land. It is quite clear to all decent people," Medvedev said on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "Just imagine that the NATO-supported ukrobanderovtsy's offensive turned out successful, and they took away a part of our land: then we would have to, following the President's degree of 02.06.2020, use the nuclear weapon." Russia has a nuclear doctrine known as "escalate to de-escalate," which advocates the use of small tactical nuclear weapons to shock the enemy into agreeing to negotiations to end a conflict on terms favorable to Moscow. "There would simply be no other way out," Medvedev said. "That's why our enemies must worship our warriors. They are keeping global nuclear fire from flaring up." SAUDI PEACE SUMMIT WITHOUT RUSSIA: Saudi Arabia has announced it will host a peace summit in early August seeking a way to end the war, but the gathering will be on Ukraine's terms and not include Russia. The summit, to be held at the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, will be centered around Ukraine's conditions for peace, according to the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak. "We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land," Yermak said yesterday, according to Ukraine's official website. "The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains ten fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world," he said. "During a press conference at the Russia-Africa Summit on July 29, Putin accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale offensive so that Russia cannot discuss a ceasefire while its troops are defending against Ukrainian attacks," according to the ISW. RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY SAYS IT INTERCEPTED UKRAINIAN MISSILE, INJURING CIVILIANS Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! TURNER SCOFFS AT UFO FRENZY: The testimony last week from former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch that the government is hiding evidence of alien technology and lifeforms recovered from UFO crashes has provoked derision from the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. "I always love it when you have somebody who comes forward and testifies about things that they don't know anything about," Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) told Fox host Maria Bartiromo on her Sunday Morning Futures program. "The most, I think, striking aspect of all of the testimony was repeatedly, over and over again, the whistleblowers had to say: 'Actually, I don't have any knowledge of this. Somebody else told me that.'" At last Wednesday's House Oversight subcommittee hearing, Grusch testified the U.S. has covered up what he called a "multi-decade" program to collect and reverse-engineer "UAPs," or unidentified anomalous phenomena. Under questioning from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Grusch said, "Biologics came with some of these recoveries." "Human or nonhuman biologics?" asked Mace. "Nonhuman," Grusch replied. "That was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the program I talked to that are currently still on the program." "I mean, really, this would take thousands and thousands of people for such an unbelievable cover-up to be occurring. And for people to speak with such confidence over something that they do not know is, I think, something certainly everybody needs to be concerned about," said Turner. "So, aliens are not on Earth, then?" Bartiromo pressed Turner. "Maria, I certainly can't tell you that there are no aliens here," Turner replied. "I can tell you that, certainly, there's no evidence that what the gentleman is testifying about — he has said himself personally he has no direct knowledge of." 'INSULTING': Meanwhile, the head of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, which is the agency officially investigating UFOs, has called the claims in last week's hearing "insulting." Sean Kirkpatrick's letter, published on his personal LinkedIn page, was widely circulated Friday. "I cannot let yesterday's hearing pass without sharing how insulting it was to the officers of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community who chose to join AARO, many with not unreasonable anxieties about the career risks this would entail," Kirkpatrick said, according to the Associated Press. "They are truth-seekers, as am I, but you certainly would not get that impression from yesterday's hearing." "AARO has yet to find any credible evidence to support the allegations of any reverse engineering program for non-human technology," he wrote, adding that no "verifiable information" has been discovered that would "substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials." CONGRESS DEPARTS, LEAVES MILITARY OFFICERS HANGING: Both the House and Senate have left town for a three-week August recess without resolving the backlog of more than 270 military promotions caused by Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) refusal to budge in his fight with the Pentagon over its abortion travel policy. The problem is only going to get worse in August when Army chief of staff Gen. James McConville and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday will retire with no confirmed replacements. Last week Tuberville wrote another demand letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, complaining that the Pentagon has been unresponsive to his requests for information about what he calls the "illegal policy to pay for travel and leave for service members and their dependents seeking elective abortions." "Since the policy's implementation and despite my numerous requests, the DoD has refused to provide basic information on the utilization of this policy, such as the budget from which it will draw funds necessary to cover this travel," Tuberville wrote. "In fact, the DoD recently provided a briefing for members of the Senate Armed Services Committee which failed to deliver any new information, and frankly, raised more questions than answers. I remain strongly opposed to this immoral policy, and believe its development and implementation run afoul of legal authority granted to the executive branch." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Rundown Washington Examiner: US threatens to exit Niger as Russia's Wagner Group revels in military coup attempt Washington Examiner: Major sticking points remain as House and Senate reconcile defense spending bills Washington Examiner: Senate NDAA: Here are the four Republican senators who opposed defense bill Washington Examiner: Russian defense ministry says it intercepted Ukrainian missile, injuring civilians Washington Examiner: Biden administration announces $345 million military aid package for Taiwan Washington Examiner: Brazil denies US extradition request for alleged Russian spy Washington Examiner: Opinion: Russian oligarchs should pay for US drone repairs Washington Examiner: Air Force engineer under investigation for allegedly taking equipment home New York Times: US Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations Washington Post: Air Force maverick who warned of war with China sticks to his guns AP: US pledges to help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025 Wall Street Journal: Investors Bought Nearly $1 Billion in Land Near a California Air Force Base. 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AP: China Says U.S. Military Aid To Taiwan Will Not Deter Its Will To Unify The Island Air & Space Forces Magazine: What's at Stake for Air Force as Senate and House Work Out Final 2024 Defense Bill Defense News: Japan Forecasts Large Boost to Defense Spending Over Next Five Years Forbes: Pentagon Investigates 'Critical Compromise' Of Air Force Communications Systems Reuters: Ukraine Reports Fierce Fighting In Northeast New York Times: Russia Strikes Grain Terminal, Extending Campaign Against Ukraine's Ports Defense One: How the US Is Using Open-Source Intel to Track Russia's War in Ukraine AP: 'The Few, The Proud' Aren't So Few: Marines Recruiting Surges While Other Services Struggle Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35 Crashed Due to Computer Glitch Caused by Turbulence: Accident Report Air & Space Forces Magazine: Microscopic Contaminants Pose 'Low Risk' to F-35 Engines, JPO Says Military.com: The Next Frontier for Warfighters Might Be Implants in Their Brains. 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The Military Wants to Know Air & Space Forces Magazine: Travis Gets Its First New KC-46 as Tanker Deliveries Resume Air & Space Forces Magazine: In Emotional Speech, Brown Commemorates 75th Anniversary of Military Desegregation Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Air Force Detachment Supports RC-135 Recon Jets in Alaska Defense News: Aerojet Eyes Resource Sharing, Renewed Stability After L3Harris Buy Space News: ULA Has Concerns About a Third Competitor in National Security Space Launch The Cipher Brief: How We Should be Preparing Now for a Russian Collapse in Ukraine Calendar MONDAY | JULY 31 1 p.m. 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: "The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: Unleashing America's Cyber Talent," with Rob Shriver, deputy director, Office of Personnel Management; White House Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden; Diana Burley, vice provost for research and innovation at American University; and Kathi Hiyane-Brown, president of Whatcom Community College https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/unleashing-americas-cyber-talent 4 p.m. — Arms Control Association and the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction virtual discussion: "Oppenheimer: Scientists, the Bomb, and the Implications for Today," with Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research; Lisbeth Gronlund, research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy; Stewart Prager, professor emeritus of physics at Princeton University; and Frederick Lamb, research professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register 6:30 p.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — Women's Foreign Policy Group discussion: "Afghanistan: Strength in the Face of Suppression, Highlighting the Heroines of the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon," with retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, former commander, U.S. Central Command; and Adela Raz, former Afghanistan Ambassador to the U.S. https://www.wfpg.org/index.php? TUESDAY | AUGUST 1 8 a.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conversation with Mara Karlin, assistant secretary of defense for strategies, plans, and capabilities. RSVP: Thom Shanker tshanker@email.gwu.edu 8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va.— Potomac Officers Club annual Army Summit, with Doug Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology; and Gabe Camarillo, Army undersecretary and chief management officer https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-8th-annual-army-summit 10 a.m. — Air and Space Forces Association virtual discussion: "Joint and combined Total Force integration, utilization, health of the force, and joint development for enlisted personnel," with Ramon "CZ" Colon-Lopez, senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff https://www.afa.org/events/air-space-warfighters-action-seac-ramon-cz-colon-lopez 11 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual discussion: "'Digital Chatter' — The Growing Challenge of Mis/Disinformation," with Hannah Becker, vice president and adjunct faculty at Becker Digital; Welton Chang, co-founder and CEO of Pyrra Technologies Inc.; John Gilligan, president and CEO of the Center for Internet Security; Andy Norman, author and executive director of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative; Maj. Trisha Wyman, leader in psychological and special operations at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command; and Kimberly Underwood, director of digital news media at SIGNAL Magazine https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=3086672029831705 11 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: "The Ukraine war, climate change, and the Democratic Party," with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live 2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual book discussion: Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, with author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter at Axios https://www.csis.org/events/book-launch-beijing-rules WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 2 11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: "Securing American Competitiveness: The Importance of Critical Supply Chains in Strategic Rivalry with China," with Robert O'Brien, chairman of American Global Strategies LLC; and Miles Yu, director of Hudson's China Center https://www.hudson.org/events/securing-american-competitiveness 11 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual discussion: "Utilizing Data Literacy in the Military," with Capt. Derrick Kozlowski, chief data officer at the U.S. Army Signal School; Sgt. Brian Picerno, senior career manager at the U.S. Army Cyber School; Diego Laje, senior reporter at SIGNAL Media; and Kimberly Underwood, director of digital news media at SIGNAL Magazine https://www.workcast.com/register THURSDAY | AUGUST 3 8:30 a.m. — Air and Space Forces Association virtual discussion: "How the Expeditionary Center Is Shaping ACE and the Future Fight," with Air Force Maj. Gen. John Klein, commander of U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center https://www.afa.org/events/air-space-warfighters-action-maj-gen-john-klein 5:30 p.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Intelligence and National Security Alliance discussion: "AI and emerging tech, intelligence community data strategy, the future of Open Source and collaboration with industry partners," with Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stacey Dixon https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event FRIDAY | AUGUST 4 9:30 a.m Summerall Field, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia — Relinquishment of Responsibility ceremony for outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston https://home.army.mil/jbmhh/index.php 10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Smart Women, Smart Power and Aerospace Security Project virtual conversation: "Looking South: Security Challenges in Latin America," with Army Gen. Laura Richardson, commander, U.S. Southern Command; Kathleen McInnis, director, CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative; and Kari Bingen, director, CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/looking-south-conversation | | | | "Run. Run fast. … He is not going to get you an attorney. He is not going to pay for the attorney … He is not going to pay for it unless you stay on message, and if you stay on message, you will end up behind bars. There is no doubt about it … Put on your sneakers and start running because the faster you get away from this mess, the better off you're going to be." | | Former Trump personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, on CNN Friday, with advice to former President Donald Trump's co-defendants. |
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