| AUSTIN IN KYIV: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit today, as a flurry of reports — including from South Korea's Yonhap News Agency — indicated that North Korea dispatched a contingent of elite troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. "I'm back in Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense, demonstrating that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine," Austin posted on his official X account. On Friday, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea is planning to send 12,000 troops in support of Russia's war against Ukraine, releasing satellite images allegedly showing that some 1,500 special forces troops have already arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok. Videos posted on social media purportedly showed North Korean troops being outfitted with Russian military uniforms, weapons, and false identification documents ahead of being deployed for combat. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense agreement in June, promising to increase military cooperation. Speaking to reporters Saturday in Naples, Italy, where he was attending the first-ever G7 Defense Ministerial, Austin stuck to the position that the deployment of North Korean troops remained unconfirmed. "I can't confirm this at this point in time, but if that is the case, then it would be serious, obviously, but it does indicate that Putin is having trouble." TURNER: NORTH KOREAN IN UKRAINE 'MUST BE A RED LINE': Citing comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the deployment of North Korea troops, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-OH), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is demanding a full briefing from the White House. "Now we have clear evidence that people are being supplied to Russia from North Korea, and these are not just workers for industries, but also military personnel," Zelensky said in a video address last night. "And we expect a normal, honest, strong reaction from our partners to this." "These troop movements, if true, are alarming and are an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. They require an immediate response from the United States and our NATO allies to avoid a widening conflict," Rogers said in a letter he fired off to President Joe Biden Friday. "North Korean troops, either attacking Ukraine from Russian territory or entering into Ukrainian territory, must be a red line for the United States and NATO. Your administration must make that absolutely clear and unequivocal." "Due to the urgency of this matter, I call for an immediate classified briefing of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence concerning the possible engagement of North Korean troops in a potentially escalating and broadening Ukrainian conflict," Rogers wrote. "Unfortunately, the instability and threats could increase significantly once North Korea learns the tactics of modern warfare," Zelensky said last night. "If the world remains silent now, and if we face North Korean soldiers on the front lines as regularly as we are defending against drones, it will benefit no one in this world and will only prolong this war." REPORT: NATO INVITE COULD FOLLOW HARRIS VICTORY: According to a report in the French newspaper Le Monde, Biden is softening his opposition to extending Ukraine a symbolic invitation to join NATO after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Berlin on Friday. The formal invitation, the first point in Zelensky's "Victory Plan," would be the first step in a lengthy accession process requiring unanimous approval from all 32 NATO nations. Both the United States and Germany have opposed an invitation as premature while the war in Ukraine is still raging. "If Kamala Harris is elected, it is quite possible that Biden could move in this direction during the transition period [before the inauguration of the new president]. If it's Trump, this argument no longer applies, and the slightest initiative by Biden risks making the situation worse," the paper quoted a European diplomatic source as saying. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER 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 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: Austin's visit to Ukraine comes as the United States has yet to officially endorse Zelensky's five-point victory plan. "This week, we secured support from our partners in terms of the Victory Plan – thank you to France, Lithuania, our Nordic partners, and many other allies in the European Union," Zelensky said in his nightly address. "We've also received very positive signals from the United States – we are hearing changes in rhetoric." "During his engagements, the secretary will meet with Ukrainian leadership and underscore the U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression on the battlefield," Sabrina Singh, Pentagon deputy press secretary, said in a statement this morning. "During his engagements, the Secretary will meet with Ukrainian leadership and underscore the U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression on the battlefield." Before Austin's trip was public, Zelensky said he hoped to "work on the points of the Victory Plan at all operational levels" during a visit from a Washington team. 'UNNERVING' LEAK UNDER INVESTIGATION: The Biden administration is scrambling to figure out how two top-secret U.S. intelligence documents turned up on the Telegram messaging app and were being shared and traded by pro-Iranian accounts. "The leak is very concerning," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on CNN on Sunday. "There's some serious allegations being made there, investigation under way, and I will get a briefing on that in a couple of hours." The highly classified U.S. intelligence documents described "recent satellite images of Israeli military preparations for a potential strike on Iran." They were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, according to the New York Times. "One of the documents is titled 'Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran,' and describes recent exercises that appeared to rehearse elements of such a strike. The second document details how Israel is shifting the placement of its missiles and weapons in case Iran responded with strikes of its own," the newspaper reported. "We don't know if it's a leak or hack," former Defense Secretary William Cohen said on CNN last night. "But either way, it's not so much the substance as I understand it of what has been leaked. But rather the fact that a leak took place or the hack took place." "That is very unnerving certainly to the Israelis. They will call into question our, quote, 'reliability' in terms of protecting that information," Cohen said. "But we should also point out that's our information involved as well … So the breach is serious, what was revealed is not so substantive. But we don't want to see it repeated and we don't know who has access to it, who might want to repeat it again." NETANYAHU REACTS TO ALLEGED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: The Israeli government is describing a Saturday drone attack from Lebanon as a deliberate effort to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The attempt by Iran's proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake," Netanyahu posted on X. "This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future." The drone in question landed near a house owned by Netanyahu in the Mediterranean coastal town of Caesarea. Neither he nor his wife was there at the time. "I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel's citizens will pay a heavy price," Netanyahu said in his post. "We will continue to eliminate the terrorists and those who dispatch them." INDUSTRY WATCH: BOEING STRIKE VOTE: The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers will vote on Wednesday on a new offer from management that would include a 35% pay raise spread over four years and a ratification bonus of $7,000 per worker. That's up from a 30% increase and a $6,000 bonus in the previous offer. Labor Secretary Julie Su met with company and union officials this week in Seattle, and the union credited her with helping to reach a tentative agreement. If the union's 33,000 members approve the new contract in Wednesday’s vote, they could return to their jobs as soon as this week. "We look forward to our employees voting on the negotiated proposal," Boeing said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Israel's wars continue, and Iran conflict looms, regardless of Sinwar's death Washington Examiner: Israeli forces say strikes on Lebanon are imminent Washington Examiner: Trump says he wants Iran to do 'great' but it's in 'danger' Yonhap: S. Korean satellite captures image of N. Korean troop movement to Russia: source AP: South Korea calls for immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly in Russia AP: Israel targets Hezbollah's financial arm and begins striking Beirut Washington Post: Fethullah Gulen, Muslim cleric and target of Turkey's Erdogan, dies at 83 Washington Post: Iran, weakened by attacks on its allies, braces for Israeli strikes New York Times: U.S. Defense Secretary Urges Israel To Scale Back Attacks In Beirut Area AP: Iraq's Kurdish region goes to the polls with a flagging economy and political infighting top of mind AP: 'Yes' vote looks set to narrowly pass to enshrine Moldova's path toward the EU Air & Space Forces Magazine: NATO Scrambles Fighters, Ups AWACS Flights to Protect Romania from Russian Incursions AP: Putin hosts a summit in a bid to show the West it can't keep Russia off the global stage Washington Post: To Putin, BRICS Is Key To His Fight Against The U.S. Not All Members Agree. Reuters: Ukraine Attacks Forced Black Sea Fleet To Move Warships From Sevastopol, Russian Official Says Washington Post: Ukraine's defense minister outlines Kyiv's 'victory plan' Wall Street Journal: Russia Turns Mariupol's Steel Mills From Battle Zone To Spoils Of War National Security Journal: Russia Captured 'Intact' a German Leopard 2 Tank AP: A week after China's war games, US and Canadian warships sail through Taiwan Strait Wall Street Journal: Scatter and Survive: Inside a US Military Shift to Deny China 'Big, Juicy' Targets Politico: Chinese Drone Maker DJI Sues Pentagon Over 'Military' Designation Bloomberg: Microsoft Goggles' Cost Must Drop From $80,000 Each, Army Says Inside Defense: Without $1.5 Billion Boost for Depots, Air Force Will Need to Make Tough Choices on Force Design The War Zone: Questions Linger Over Australia's Role In B-2 Spirit Strikes on Yemen USNI News: Update: Navy Declared Growler Crew Deceased Following Crash Air & Space Forces Magazine: Photos: NATO Wraps Up First-Ever 'Ramstein Flag' Exercise in Greece Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Safety Czar Says New NDA Plan 'Really Is Protecting' Airmen Air & Space Forces Magazine: SpaceX Wins New Launches; USSF Continues to Press for Competition Breaking Defense: New DOD Space Policy Directive Clarifies Space Force, Space Command Roles SpaceNews: US Government Eases Export Controls on Space Technologies Stars and Stripes: Air National Guard Planes Depart Empire State for 5-Month Antarctic Mission AP: One of the last Navajo Code Talkers from World War II dies at 107 National Security Journal: Nuclear Weapons for Ukraine? National Security Journal: Is North Korea Getting Ready to Start a New Crisis? Defense News: Opinion: Mike Rogers: Future of US Defense Depends on Culture Shift Prioritizing Innovation Washington Post: Opinion: James Stavridis: More surface warships or more drones? Both, please. THE CALENDAR: MONDAY | OCTOBER 21 9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Future of U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance,” with former ROK Foreign Affairs Minister Park Jin; former Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; and Mark Lippert, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/future-us-rok-alliance-capital-cable-100 9:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Relearning Escalation Dynamics to Win the New Cold War,” with Kyle Balzer, American Enterprise Institute fellow; Matthew Costlow, National Institute for Public Policy senior analyst; Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson Institute senior fellow; and Ryan Tully, Hudson Institute senior fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/relearning-escalation-dynamics 10 a.m. — Stand with Ukraine Zoom webinar with retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, former supreme NATO commander; and human rights leader Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 recipient, Nobel Peace Prize, who will call for Ukraine to be permitted to strike military targets cross-border in Russia. RSVP at [email protected] 12:30 p.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies virtual discussion: “Trump, Harris and the Transatlantic Future,” with Dana Allin, adjunct professor at SAIS Europe, editor of Survival and senior fellow for transatlantic affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies; Avis Bohlen, former assistant secretary for arms control and former U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria; John Harper, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and senior adjunct professor at SAIS Europe; Erik Jones, director, European University Institute’s Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies; and Robert Skidelsky, emeritus professor of political economy at Warwick University https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events 4 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “Putin’s Red Lines: Does He Mean What We Think We Heard?” https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/putins-red-lines 4 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies book discussion: On Xi Jinping: How Xi’s Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World, with author Kevin Rudd, Australian ambassador to the U.S. https://www.csis.org/events/book-event-xi-jinping-ambassador-kevin-rudd 6 p.m. Grand Rapids, Michigan — Council on Foreign Relations "Election 2024 U.S. Foreign Policy Forum,” with Kori Schake, director, foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute; Rajiv Shah, president, Rockefeller Foundation; Lingling Wei, Wall Street Journal chief China correspondent; Michael Froman, CFR president; and Megan Rydecki, director, Grand Valley State University’s Center for Presidential Studies http://www.cfr.org TUESDAY | OCTOBER 22 8:30 p.m. 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, Maryland — National Defense Industrial Association 26th annual Expeditionary Warfare Conference, with Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie, director of expeditionary warfare at OPNAV N95; Brig. Gen. Simon Doran, commanding general, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab; Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources Vice Adm. John Skillman delivers keynote remarks https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/10/22/26th-annual-expeditionary-warfare-conference 10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute book discussion: Duty To Deter: American Nuclear Deterrence and the Just War Doctrine, with author Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson Institute senior fellow; and Jeremy Hunt, Hudson Institute media fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/duty-deter-american-nuclear-deterrence 10 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry Stimson Center discussion: “Navigating a Shifting Nuclear Landscape from Energy to Defense,” with Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins; Phil Chaffee, editor, Nuclear Intelligence Weekly; Kirk Schnoebelen, adviser at UrencoUSA; and Ella Nilsen, CNN climate reporter https://www.stimson.org/event/navigating-a-shifting-nuclear-landscape 11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Spiral of Tensions: North Korea, Russia, and Ukraine,” with Duyeon Kim, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security’s Indo-Pacific Security Program; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; and Sydney Seiler, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 23 10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Explosive Triangle: Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Institute for Public Policy; Kim Ghattas, Financial Times contributing editor; and Aaron David Miller, CEIP senior fellow https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024 2 p.m. 210 Cannon — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe briefing: “Contesting Russia: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe,” with Indra Ekmanis, Baltic Sea fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute; Andrew Michta, director, Atlantic Council’s GeoStrategy Initiative; and Dalibor Rohac, American Enterprise Institute senior fellow https://www.youtube.com/live 2 p.m.1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “Understanding China’s Strategic Path to Great Power Status,” with Oriana Skylar Mastro, CEIP nonresident scholar; Isaac Kardon, CEIP senior fellow; Ashley Tellis, CEIP chair for strategic affairs; and Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024/10/understanding-china 4 p.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University Center for Contemporary Arab Studies book discussion: Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters, with co-author Helena Cobban, president of Just World Educational https://www.georgetown.edu/event/book-talk-understanding-hamas THURSDAY | OCTOBER 24 9 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia — National Defense Industrial Association U.S. and Japan Defense Industry Dialogue. https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/10/24/2024-japan-did 10:30 a.m. — R Street Institute virtual discussion: “Plundering the Pentagon: How Contractors Continue to Cheat Taxpayers,” with Julia Gledhill, research associate at the Stimson Center’s National Security Reform Program; Gordon Heddell, former inspector general at the Defense Department; and Nan Swift, fellow in governance studies at the R Street Institute https://www.rStreet.org/events/plundering-the-pentagon-how-contractors-continue-to-cheat 12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Warfare,” with Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, RAND senior policy researcher; and William Marcellino, RAND senior behavioral and social scientist https://www.rand.org/events/2024/10/generative-ai 5 p.m. 7795 Arundel Mills Blvd., Hanover, Maryland — Intelligence and National Security Foundation and the National Cryptologic Foundation "Cocktails and Codebreakers event,” with National Cyber Director Harry Coker; Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency and chief, Central Security Service; and retired Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Montel Williams, host of “Military Makeover: Operation Career” and former host, Montel Williams Show https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event FRIDAY | OCTOBER 25 9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: "Plotting a Course for the Future: The First U.S. Coast Guard Operational Posture,” with Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Adm. Peter Gautier https://www.csis.org/events/plotting-course-future-first | | | | "North Korean troops, either attacking Ukraine from Russian territory or entering into Ukrainian territory, must be a red line for the United States and NATO … These troop movements, if true, are alarming and are an extreme escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. They require an immediate response from the United States and our NATO allies to avoid a widening conflict." | | Mike Rogers (R-OH), chairman, House Intelligence Committee, in a letter to President Joe Biden |
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