| HIT THE ARCHER, NOT THE ARROW: With every Russian glide bomb attack on civilian targets in Ukraine — an apartment building in Kharkiv and both a children's orphanage and rehabilitation center in Sumy — President Volodymyr Zelensky argues that the case for using U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to hit Russian launch sites becomes more urgent. "This terror can be effectively stopped only in one way: by strikes on Russian military airfields, on their bases, on the logistics of Russian terror. And most importantly, it is possible. We talk about it every day with our partners. We convince them. We present arguments," Zelensky said in his nightly video address Saturday night. Last week, Zelensky dispatched a delegation to Washington, led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, to present a list of what Ukraine argues are legitimate military targets in Russia that are in range of American ATACMS long-range rocket systems. In a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, Umerov argued that countless civilian lives could be saved if Ukraine was free to use U.S. weapons as it sees fit. "We explained that it’s a legitimate military targets, that’s logistic hubs, airfields. So we’ve explained our logic behind of our request," Umerov said in an appearance afterward on CNN. "We’re protecting people against the violation of Russian Federation, who is launching the missiles towards the cities, towards the civilian objects, and that’s why we want to protect them, to hit the legitimate military targets." "We are in the consultation phase," Umerov said. "And we hope it will be allowed." "During this week, the Russian Federation fired more than 400 missiles of various types and drones at Ukraine," Ukraine said in a readout of the meeting. "The Ukrainian side noted that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense in order to protect people and critical infrastructure." "Our representatives have provided all the necessary information and details to our partners. I am calling on the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany – we need the means to fully and effectively protect Ukraine and its people," Zelensky said Saturday. "We need permissions for long-range capabilities, as well as your long-range shells and missiles. Making these vital decisions cannot be delayed – these are the actions that can have the most significant impact on the course of events." DUELING TACTICS: Outgunned and outmanned along its eastern front, Ukraine has concentrated its efforts on striking Russian energy assets, including oil refineries and gas distribution facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down a total of 158 Ukrainian drones over 16 oblasts, while Ukraine claimed to have hit the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya. Meanwhile, Russia has resisted redeploying troops from Ukraine to Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are digging in, and have captured as many as 500 Russian troops, which it hopes to trade for Ukrainian POWs. While some troops have been shifted to the occupied Russian territory, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War assesses they are not front-line forces that have been slowly advancing on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. "The Russian military command likely remains extremely averse to pulling combat-effective units from front-line areas in these directions," the ISW said Saturday. "The redeployed units were likely reserve units that the Russian military command intended to use to reinforce the Russian grouping in these directions and stave off the threat of premature operational culmination." As Russian forces close in, Ukraine has begun a mass evacuation of the town, a tacit admission its strategy to attack Kursk to divert Russian forces has failed to blunt the relentless assault. In a news conference last week, Zelensky and his top commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi conceded that while Russia has moved thousands of troops in response to the Kursk incursion, they have not come from the eastern front as hoped. "Their goals have not changed," Zelensky said. In a video posted on X, the ISW makes the case that hundreds of Russian military targets are within range of Ukraine's US-provided ATACMS missiles. F-16 LOST, AIR FORCE CHIEF SACKED: "I have decided to replace the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Zelensky announced Saturday, with no further explanation. The firing of Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk came after Ukraine acknowledged it lost an American-made F-16 fighter and its veteran pilot, callsign Moonfish, and after the head of the Ukrainian parliament's defense committee claimed the F-16 was mistakenly shot down as a result of friendly fire by a Patriot missile. "We've launched an investigation. We're analyzing what has happened. We also opened this file to our partners, so they are also analyzing this and investigating along with us," Umerov said in his CNN interview. However, he described the dismissal of Oleshchuk as a "rotation" and not in response to the crash of the F-16. "This is two separate issues. But as I said, it happens during the war. But at this stage, I would not connect them." ZELENSKY TO PITCH VICTORY PLAN TO BIDEN — BUT WILL WAIT FOR HARRIS OR TRUMP IF HE NEEDS TO Good Tuesday 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 Christopher Tremoglie. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: Defying an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia to a red-carpet welcome. While Mongolia, as a member of the ICC, is technically obligated to arrest Putin on war crimes charges, Putin demonstrated his ability to intimidate his southern neighbor, which is reliant on Moscow for fuel. "There are no worries, we have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, told reporters ahead of the visit. PUTIN TO TRAVEL TO MONGOLIA FLOUTING ICC ARREST WARRANT NETANYAHU DEFIANT IN FACE OF PROTESTS: Hundreds of thousands of Israelis turned out from protests over the weekend, calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close a deal that would bring the remaining hostages home after the discovery of the murdered bodies of six hostages in tunnels under Rafah as Israeli forces were closing in on their location. Among the dead was 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month. "I told the families, and I repeat and say this evening, I'm asking for your forgiveness that we didn't manage to bring them back alive," Netanyahu said in televised remarks. "We were very close, but we couldn't make it. And I repeat, tonight, Israel is not going to ignore this massacre. The Hamas will pay a price for this, a very heavy price for this." Netanyahu blamed the inability to reach a ceasefire deal on the need to retain control of the strategic Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, a demand which has stalled the final negotiations. "It was clear that if we don't have the corridor, there will be rearming. There will be the creation of a monster. The evil access needs the Philadelphi Corridor. And for that reason, we must keep control of the Philadelphi Corridor," Netanyahu said. "This is why Hamas insisted we are not going to be there. And this is why I insist that we are going to be there." "Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal," he said. "For our part, we will not relent. The Government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed, to continue striving towards a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence." WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SIX ISRAELI HOSTAGES FOUND DEAD BIDEN'S PATIENCE WEARING THIN: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris huddled in the White House situation room yesterday, working on what was described as a final proposal to impose a ceasefire and free the hostages. "During the meeting, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from the U.S. negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt," the White House said in a statement. "They discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt." Asked by a reporter as he stepped off Marine One yesterday if he was planning to present a final deal to both sides this week, Biden responded, "We're very close to that." Asked whether Netanyahu was "doing enough" to achieve a deal, Biden said simply, "No." BIDEN SAYS NETANYAHU NOT DOING ENOUGH TO SECURE RELEASE OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES MARINES ATTACKED IN TURKEY: Videos posted on social media show two U.S. Marines who were on liberty being attacked in the Turkish port city of Izmir Monday by a group of Turkish nationalists. Chants of "Yankee go home" could be heard in the videos. The two Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked on the USS Wasp, were in civilian clothes, and on shore leave when the assaults occurred. "The two Marines were aided by other Marines in the area and were subsequently taken to a local hospital for evaluation as precaution, but were not injured," according to a statement from the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Turkey says it has detained 15 members of the Turkish Youth Union, a nationalist youth organization in connection with the assault. SIX US SOLDIERS INJURED IN MISSION TO KILL 15 ISIS FIGHTERS IN IRAQ KOREA AIR BASE DEATHS: 'A DIFFICULT SUMMER': A visit to the press release webpage of the Kunsan Air Base in South Korea reveals a troubling trend. Four releases, dated Aug 29., Aug. 6, July 28, and Mar. 10, all describe incidents in which U.S. Airmen in their 20s were "found deceased on base." "It has been a difficult summer for the Wolf Pack with multiple losses over the past few weeks, and we are reinforcing existing support entities to care for our Airmen," said Col. Peter Kasarskis, 8th Fighter Wing commander. In each case, the Air Force says "foul play" is not suspected, suggesting the deaths may be suicides, accidental death from drug overdoses, or other means. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to secure release of Israeli hostages Washington Examiner: Biden and Harris rush to Situation Room after six Israeli hostages found dead in Gaza Washington Examiner: What we know about the six Israeli hostages found dead Washington Examiner: UK suspends some arms sales to Israel over possible violations of humanitarian law Washington Examiner: Six US soldiers injured in mission to kill 15 ISIS fighters in Iraq Washington Examiner: Putin to travel to Mongolia flouting ICC arrest warrant Washington Examiner: Jewish House Democrats criticize UN's omission of Israeli terrorist victims Washington Examiner: US forces rescued two Iranian mariners: US military Washington Examiner: Lost Authority: ISIS threat growing in Afghanistan under limited US pressure Washington Examiner: Lost Authority: China's pressure campaign risks 'end of the world' Washington Examiner: Lost Authority: US allies losing respect for Biden's approach to escalation management Washington Examiner: Zelensky to pitch victory plan to Biden — but will wait for Harris or Trump if he needs to Washington Examiner: Austin approves DHS request for Pentagon to aid Secret Service presidential campaign security Washington Examiner: Trump asserts he had 'every right' to interfere with 2020 election Washington Examiner: Biden touts drop in border crossings Washington Examiner: Opinion: US must resist China's aggression toward the Philippines Washington Examiner: Opinion: No, Taiwan isn't spending enough on defense Washington Examiner: Opinion: US should sanction Western enablers of Hong Kong repression Washington Post: Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Russian energy infrastructure AP: EU's top diplomat ramps up pressure on Ukraine's backers to permit strikes on targets inside Russia Washington Post: 7 U.S. troops hurt in dramatic raid that killed numerous ISIS fighters Washington Post: Ukraine's gamble in Russia has yet to slow Moscow's eastern assault Wall Street Journal: Ukraine Strikes Moscow Oil Refinery in Massive Drone Barrage Bloomberg: Ukraine Allies Expect Iran To Ship Missiles To Russia Imminently CBS: Massive Protests Erupt in Israel to Demand Cease-Fire After 6 Hostages Found Dead in Gaza Politico: Patriot Games: How America Is Outgunning Europe on Air Defense Stars and Stripes: 'Bend in the curve': Navy recruiting efforts see significant results following years of loosened requirements, missed goals Defense Scoop: Navy Testing Autonomous Flight Capabilities with Aerial Targets Defense One: European Officials Vow to Boost Defense Production, But Some Worry It Won't Be Enough New York Times: China And The Philippines Trade Blame For The Latest Sea Collision Washington Post: Dark' Tanker Crash Exposes Dangers Of China's Thirst For Cheap Oil Breaking Defense: State Department, RTX Reach $200M Settlement for Export Violations Washington Post: Opinion: When a 12-hour shift turned into three weeks at Chernobyl AP: Two sworn enemies hold the key to ending the war in Gaza. Does either man want a deal? The Atlantic: H.R. McMaster What Trump got right about National Security The Telegraph: Ben Wallace: Putin will soon turn his war machine on Britain Engelsberg Ideas: Mick Ryan: Ukraine in Kursk: a lesson in strategic audacity Foreign Affairs: Stephen Biddle: The False Promise of Ukraine's Deep Strikes Into Russia New Yorker: The Magazine for Mercenaries Enters Polite Society The Hill: Afghanistan 3 Years Later: Many Remain in Limbo, Feeling Let Down Air & Space Forces Magazine: As Questions Hang Over the 16th Air Force, New Boss Moves to Fine Tune Info Warfare Air & Space Forces Magazine: Watchdog: Air Force Must Get Better at Holding Contractors Accountable for Bad Spare Parts Air & Space Forces Magazine: Kendall Tours Seven Eastern European Countries, Praising NATO Air Defense Air & Space Forces Magazine: NGA Boss: Intel Community Having 'Eureka Moment' Cooperating with the Space Force Air & Space Forces Magazine: Northrop Touts Value of Digital Engineering as It Announces First Flight of Model 437 Space News: General Dynamics Secures $491 Million Contract Extension from Space Development Agency THE CALENDAR: TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 3 8:30 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Korea Studies and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management conference: “U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Relations,” https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events 9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: “How the War in Ukraine Changed Russia’s Power in the South Caucasus,” focusing on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, with Laurance Broers, associate fellow at the Chatham House Russia and Eurasia Program; Olesya Vartanyan, senior analyst in the South Caucasus at the International Crisis Group; Zsuzsanna Vegh, GMFUS program officer for transatlantic trusts; and Irakli Sirbiladze, fellow at the GMFUS ReThink.CEE Fellowship https://www.gmfus.org/event/how-war-ukraine-changed-russias-power 10 a.m. — FrontierView virtual discussion: “Can Russia and its Economy Survive the War?” with David Dalton, Dragonfly senior analyst; Nigar Jafarova, FrontierView senior analyst; and Martin Belchev, FrontierView practice leader https://pages.fiscalnote.com/Russian-Economy.html 3:30 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “China’s Belt and Road and the Global South — Importance Today,” with Dominik Mierzejewski, associate professor at the University of Lodz in Lodz, Poland; Jaroslaw Jura, assistant professor at Lazarski University, Warsaw, Poland; Mario Esteban, professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid; and Bartosz Kowalski, assistant professor at the University of Lodz https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/chinas-belt-and-road-in-the-global-south 3:45 p.m. — Billington Cybersecurity Summit: “Proactive Defense: Continually Reassessing the Cyber Risk Calculus,” with Army Lt. Gen. William Hartman, deputy commander, U.S. Cyber Command https://www.accenture.com/us-en/about/events/billington-cybersecurity-summit WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 4 8:30 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Korea Studies and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management conference: “U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Relations" https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events 9 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic symposium on “Decisive in the Air-Ground Littoral," with Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence; Maj. Gen. Lori Robinson, commanding general of Army Aviation and Missile Command; and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus https://www.ausa.org/events/hot-topics/aviation 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Houthi Aggression and a Roadmap for Peace in Yemen,” with Maged Al-Madhaji, chairperson and co-founder of the Sana’a Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.csis.org/events/houthi-aggression-and-roadmap-peace-yemen 2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Defense,” with Marine Corps Capt. Christopher Clark, deputy commandant for information at the Service Data Office; and Matt Marsden, head of customer engineering for defense at Google Public Sector https://events.govexec.com/ai-for-defense/ 2 p.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “Fighting Military Obesity in 2024,” with Lydia Alexander, practitioner of obesity medicine at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Weight Management Group; Tracy Zvenyach, director of policy strategy and alliances at the Obesity Action Coalition; Richele Corrado, associate program director of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program; and Stuart Piltch, president of Risk Strategies Consulting https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event/experts-weigh-in THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 5 8:30 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Korea Studies and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management conference: “U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Relations" https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events 12 p.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “Leadership in National Security,” with Aaron Jay, director, Cooperative Threat Reduction Policy Office, Department of Defense https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/leadership-in-national-security FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 6 5 p.m. Orange, California — House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific "Global Ties, Local Impact: Why Taiwan Matters for California," with Lanhee Chen, American Public Policy Studies, Hoover Institution: Danny Chen, founder, Green Maple Law Group: and Harry Lin, founder, Harry C. Lin, CPA A Professional Corporation https://www.youtube.com/live | | | | "They blame the war not on the invader but on the invaded. Not on Putin's lust for power, but on #Ukraine's thirst for freedom. So, I want to ask them: would you ever blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion of 1956? Would you ever blame the Czechs for the Soviet oppression of 1968? The Kremlin's behavior was evil and atrocious back then, and it is evil and atrocious today." | | European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers last week in Brussels |
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