PDB – Could Putin Use Tactical Nukes in Ukraine?

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Today's PDB includes a variety of critical, global national security issues.

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READ TODAY'S PDB BELOW:

HOMELAND SECURITY

BIZARRE AND CONCERNING – Two men arrested after targeting Secret Service agents in influence operation. According to the affidavit filed on Wednesday by federal prosecutors, Mr. Taherzadeh and Mr. Ali spent thousands of dollars buying four Secret Service agents and one DHS official “rent-free apartments (with a total yearly rent of over $40,000 (£30,578 per apartment), iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat screen television, a case for storing an assault rifle, a generator, and law enforcement paraphernalia.”

ILLEGAL ALIEN SURGE IS COMING – Texas governor orders National Guard to expand border protections for fear of mass migration next month. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday ordered the state's National Guard to begin building mass detention areas along the border with Mexico and form boat blockades in the Rio Grande out of concern that changing federal policies will increase illegal crossings into Texas.

Cubans arriving in record numbers along Mexico border. Cuban migrants are coming to the United States in the highest numbers since the 1980 Mariel boatlift, making their way across the U.S. southern land border.

CHINA THREAT

SO WHAT? GO ANYWAY – China warns of strong measures if US Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that Beijing firmly opposed all forms of official interactions between the United States and Taiwan, and Washington should cancel the trip.

RUSSIA THREAT

HOW LIKELY? The spectre of tactical nuclear weapons use in Ukraine. As Russia flounders on the battlefields of Ukraine, the once-unthinkable possibility of nuclear weapons use is now on the rise, as President Vladimir Putin's options for victory narrow. Tactical nuclear weapons have not been part of strategic thinking since the end of the Cold War in 1991. What are these weapons and what would be the significance of their use?

Russians preparing for new push as Ukraine gathers its dead. Ukraine gathered its dead and collected evidence of Russian atrocities on the ruined outskirts of Kyiv, as the two sides geared up Wednesday for what could become a climactic battle by Moscow's forces to seize the country's industrial east.

Pentagon: Russia has fully withdrawn from Kyiv, Chernihiv. U.S. and European officials believe Moscow is preparing to concentrate its invading forces in the eastern part of Ukraine.

PROOF – Germany intercepted calls with Russians discussing Bucha killings -Der Spiegel. According to Der Spiegel, the radio messages corresponded with known deaths. In one intercept, a soldier discusses shooting someone off their bicycle. A body was photographed lying next to a bicycle.

Video appears to show Ukrainian soldiers executing Russian soldier, New York Times reports. The video was verified by The Times, however, the outlet decided not to publish it due to its graphic nature. Per The Times it shows a Ukrainian soldier shooting a Russian soldier three times while another man says “he's still alive. Film these marauders. Look, he's still alive. He's gasping.”

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

YES PLEASE – AND CHINA AND CUBA AND… UN to vote on suspending Russia from Human Rights Council. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is set to vote on a United States-initiated resolution to suspend Russia from the organisation's leading human rights body over allegations that its soldiers killed civilians while retreating from the region around Ukraine's capital.

German Air Force banks on Israel's Arrow-3 for national missile shield. The German Air Force is looking to the Israeli Arrow-3 system to quickly field a defensive weapon against Russian Iskander and other missiles, according to a service spokesman.

RUSSIAN MURDERERS IN AFRICA TOO – Russian mercenaries and Mali army accused of killing 300 civilians. Suspected Russian mercenaries participated in an operation with Mali's army in March in which about 300 civilian men were allegedly killed over five days, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

BIDEN'S AFGHAN DISASTER

ONE OF MANY – An Afghan boy saved lives helping American soldiers. It could have cost him his. We began to hope that Bashir was the first of many young Afghans to see the benefits of supporting the coalition and the Afghan government by extension.

US MILITARY AND SPACE

Intelligence agencies accelerate use of commercial space imagery to support Ukraine. Since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, space imagery, remote sensing and communications satellites have been informing the public and helping keep Ukrainian forces and civilians connected.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Space Force uniforms approved, a ‘home run' with Guardians. The Space Force's service dress uniform proved to be a hit with Guardians—not to mention “off the charts” with younger Guardians—said Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, and the service has “slapped the table on the final design.”

END of PDB

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.