The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | August 22nd, 2024: Israeli Hostage Horrors & Russia's 'New Normal' In Kursk

Episode Date: August 22, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    In another tragic update out of Israel, the IDF has confirmed that the bodies of six Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza earlier this week showed signs of bullets and gunshot wounds, suggesting the hostages were likely executed by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. In a sign that the Putin regime is struggling to mount an effective response to Ukraine’s incursion into their territory, Russian state media is reportedly running a propaganda push to convince the public that situation in Kursk is the "new normal." To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail].  Patriot Gold: https://www.patriotgoldgroup.com Say Mike Baker sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets. Check in with the experts over at Patriot Gold. They've been the top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. Go to Patriot Gold Group.com or call 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Thursday, 22 August. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker.

Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, we're learning more about how the six deceased Israeli hostages recently recovered from Gaza may have perished, with a forensic analysis suggesting they were likely murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. Also, in a sign that the Putin regime is struggling to mount an effective response to Ukraine's incursion into their territory, Russian state media is reportedly running a propaganda push to convince the public that the situation in Kursk is the new normal. It's not a Nothing to see here, folks, I mean, except for that invading army. Other than that, nothing to see.

But first, our afternoon spotlight. In another update out of Israel, the IDF has confirmed that the bodies of six Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza earlier this week showed signs of bullets and gunshot wounds. Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine released the preliminary findings from autopsies of the recovered remains on Thursday, which suggests the hostages were likely executed by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. The IDF notified the families of the deceased, but stressed that their investigation is ongoing, and they can't yet definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths,

that's according to an exclusive report from the Jerusalem Post. Officials said all six bodies of the hostages showed marks indicating bullets and wounds, while four bodies of suspected terrorists found next to the hostages had no signs of gunshot wounds. The findings disproved a claim by Hamas terrorists that the hostages in question died in an Israeli irstrike in March. The Hostages Families Forum, which represents the relatives of captives in Gaza, released a statement

Thursday saying, quote, the presence of bullets in the bodies of the late hostages is further proof of the cruelty of the terrorists, end quote. I mean, not that further proof was needed. As a reminder, the bodies were recovered in a raid Monday night on a Hamas tunnel beneath Khan Yunus in southern Gaza. All but one of the hostages, a man named Abraham Munder, were already known to have lost their lives in captivity. The deceased also include Yagev Bukhtab, Alexander Dansig, Yoram Metzger, Nadev, Papal Well, and Chaimperi. The mother of Yagev Bukhstab said Thursday that officials had informed the family that he had been shot dead while in captivity.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the IDF has also informed the family of Yorametsker that he too was shot to. death while in captivity, though, as I noted, the IDF has not publicly released a formal determination concerning the deaths of the hostages. The hostages' families' forum reiterated their calls for the Israeli government to do everything they can to finalize a ceasefire deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages still being held inside Gaza. They also slammed leaders in Jerusalem for failing to secure past agreements, accusing them of undermining true efforts by being too firm in their demands. The group said, quote, the rescue of the six bodies is not a picture of victory. It is a picture of the complete failure of the country's leadership when six hostages who were

supposed to return alive returned in a coffin. Every minute that the deal is not yet completed, another hostage may meet their death, and after 10 months of war in which the hostages suffer and die, it is known to everyone that the return of all the hostages is possible only through a deal, end quote. Of the roughly 250 hostages taken during the attacks, 109 are still believed to be held by Hamas, though a third of those are thought to be dead. Coming up after the break, as the Putin regime struggles to repel Ukrainian forces advancing in Russian territory, Russian state media is reportedly running a propaganda push to convince the public that the situation in Kursk is the, quote, new normal. I'll be right back.

Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. In a significant shift in its public messaging strategy, the Kremlin is employing state media and propaganda to normalize the presence of Ukrainian troops on Russian soil in the wake of Keeves' cross-border incursion into the Kersk region. This marks a stark departure from previous narratives consistently portraying Russia as maintaining control over its territory. According to independent Russian news outlet Medusa, citing sources close to the Russian government, the Kremlin has developed three narratives to address the situation, an acknowledgement that Ukraine has indeed crossed into Kursk, an assurance that Ukrainian forces will eventually be defeated, and a call for patience, emphasizing that reclaiming the territory will take time.

The Kremlin is diverting attention from the potential unrest in Kursk by organizing humanitarian assistance drives and emphasizing support for affected residents. The Russian government has also decided to proceed with the scheduled Kersk gubernatorial elections in September, aiming to avoid a disturbance of normalcy, or, well, at least the appearance of normalcy in the region. This development of normalizing the presence of Ukrainian troops is particularly striking, given the historical context. Russia has long relied on a robust and cohesive propaganda machine to shape public opinion and to maintain control over the narrative. From the beginning of the war, particularly concerning controversial moments like the mobilization of troops,

the Kremlin has typically managed to steady the ship and calm public fears. Two sources close to the Russian presidential administration reveal that the government now expects a, quote, quite optimistic scenario of several months of fighting before the territory can be fully reclaimed. Efforts are currently focused on calming the Russian population and gradually getting them used to this extended timeline. However, a source in the military political leadership in Kiev, told Newswire RBC Ukraine that Russian President Putin has reportedly set a firm deadline for Russian forces to repel Ukrainian troops from Kursk by October 1st. The Kremlin is reportedly facing internal resistance as it considers a new wave of mobilization during ongoing labor shortages

to meet Putin's October 1st deadline, that's according to sources from Medusa. The initial mobilization efforts sparked widespread concern, leading to significant pushback from various sectors, including the Russian cabinet of ministers and Kremlin-affiliated businessmen. These groups argued that a general mobilization would exacerbate labor shortages, which have been a persistent issue in Russia's economy. Medusa's sources revealed that despite the opposition, the Kremlin is more likely to intensify the use of conscripts, particularly in the Kersk region. This decision, if accurate, could signal another instance of Putin placing unrealistic demands on the Russian military command, potentially straining their capabilities without providing the necessary manpower

and resources to meet the objectives. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Alexander Siersky, Ukrainian forces have made significant advances moving up to 21 miles into Russian territory. Over the past three weeks, Ukraine has captured approximately 488 square miles of Russian turf and approximately 100 settlements. And remember, it's the first time Russia has had to deal with an invading army since World War II. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday, 22 August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And as the old saying goes, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com.

It's really very, very simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.