The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 2nd, 2024: Israel Planning 'Significant Retaliation' Against Iran & Russia's Bloody Advance In Ukraine

Episode Date: October 2, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   First, following Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Israel, leaders in Jerusalem are preparing for a, quote, “significant retaliation.” We���ll break down the latest deliberations, and what options Israel is considering. Then, an update from the battlefields of Ukraine, where Kyiv has lost control of a major city in the eastern Donetsk region as Russian forces continue their slow, bloody advance. 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 President's Daily Brief.  Email: [e-mail].  Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. Start your day with the delicious taste of Blackout Coffee. Blackout Coffee is a family-owned American business, and frankly, they're all about premium coffee, fresh roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Go to blackout coffee.com, promo code PDB, for 20% off your first time purchase. It's Wednesday to October. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world's stage. Let's get briefed. First, following Iran's latest missile attack on Israel. Leaders in Jerusalem are preparing for a, quote,

significant retaliation. We'll break down the internal deliberations and what options Israel may be considering. Then, an update from the battlefields of Ukraine. Now, as an aside, with the Middle East situation spiraling, it's amazing in a way how quickly the brutal Ukraine conflict can get kicked off the front pages. But Keev has lost control of a major six. city in the eastern Denetsk region as Russian forces continue their slow, costly advance. But first, our afternoon spotlight. I want to begin in Israel, where leaders are deliberating over how to respond to Iran's ballistic missile attack on Tuesday, while they also manage a limited ground invasion of Lebanon and continue limited operations to deal with Hamas in Gaza and work

to recover the remaining hostages. As a reminder, Iran fired some 180 missiles. into Israel in retaliation for the recent assassinations of several Iranian-linked terror leaders by Israel. While Israel managed to intercept most of those missiles, several impacted, damaging houses, civilian infrastructure, and several military bases. Israeli sources, speaking exclusively to Axios on Wednesday, said they were planning a, quote, significant retaliation that could arrive within the next few days. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened a meeting at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, with the country's various security chiefs to strategize. While operations are still in the planning phase, these sources said Israel would likely

target Iranian oil production facilities, along with other strategic infrastructure. Officials reportedly want the response to deliver a crushing financial blow to the Iranian regime. But targeted strikes are only one potential option. Officials are reportedly considering covert targeted assassinations of Iranian leadership, similar to the July Mossad bombing in Tehran that killed Hamas leader Ishmael Hanyi. They're also considering strikes aimed at taking out Iran's air defense systems. The Biden administration, however, is reportedly pleading with Israeli leaders to limit any retaliation, fearing that this latest escalation could spiral into a full-scale regional war.

Indeed, the Iranian regime threatened Monday that if Israel retaliated over the missile attack, they would unleash a, quote, crushing response. If Iran makes good on that threat, the Israeli sources told Axios that all options would be on the table, including strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Israeli official said, quote, we have a big question mark about how the Iranians are going to respond to an attack, but we take into consideration the possibility that they would go all in, which, will be a whole different ballgame, end quote.

Danjahou is scheduled to speak with President Biden later on Wednesday, and he's expected to advocate for restraint, though the White House appears to have little leverage, frankly, to dictate Israel's next moves. Meanwhile, Israel is managing a limited ground campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where fighting has taken a deadly turn. As we discussed yesterday, IDF forces began raiding Lebanese border villages,

storing Hezbollah weapons and launch infrastructure on Tuesday in an attempt to further degrade the capabilities of the beleaguered terrorist group. As fighting intensified on Wednesday, the IDF tragically revealed that seven of its soldiers had been killed during a gunfight with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, marking the first Israeli fatalities of the operation. An officer and another four soldiers were also injured in the skirmish. Danjahou offered condolences to the families of the fallen

and said additional infantry and armored units would be sent to bolster their operations in southern Lebanon. Nanjahou said, quote, we are in the middle of a tough war against Iran's axis of evil, which seeks to destroy us. This will not happen because we will stand together and with God's help, we will win together, end quote. Next, an update from the battlefields of Ukraine, where Kyiv has lost control of a major city in the eastern Denetsk region as Russian forces continue their advance. I'll be right back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day,

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Ukrainian troops who had fiercely defended the city since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 were ordered to retreat to avoid encirclement. Wuladar is a key strategic point for Ukraine and Russia, located near important transportation hubs, including Pokrovsk. Russia had previously failed to take the city, including during one of the largest tank battles of 2003, which ended at the time in heavy Russian losses. However, in recent months, Russia shifted tactics advancing along the flanks instead of launching direct frontal assaults. This led to the capture of villages in the west and east, creating a pincer movement that cut off Ukrainian forces.

Russia's overwhelming advantage in troops and weaponry estimated that a ratio of 7 to 1 for personnel by Ukrainian forces breached defense lines, leaving Vuladar exposed. On Wednesday, Ukraine's eastern military command confirmed the decision to pull troops out of Vuladar. Reports from Dhenzka authorities earlier in the week had indicated that Russian forces were approaching the city center, and by Tuesday, some Ukrainian units had already begun retreating. The retreat was reportedly harrowing. Ukrainian soldiers, including members of the 72nd Brigade, described chaotic conditions as they escaped under the cover of darkness, often through minefields, on foot. One soldier reported that many comrades were wounded or killed by Russian drones and artillery during the withdrawal. Pro-Kremlin military bloggers posted videos showing Russian soldiers raising flags on rooftops in Vuladar, further confirming Moscow's control of the city.

Ukrainian military officials, however, have been reluctant to comment on the situation and daily briefings from the general staff remain silent on Vuladar's fall. For Ukrainian troops, the loss of Vuladar is not. not only a military defeat, but also a source of frustration. Soldiers who escaped expressed disappointment with their commanders, claiming the retreat order came too late. One machine gunner described disoriented units, navigating communication blackouts and chaotic withdrawals, stating, quote, we were left to figure it out ourselves. According to reports, about 100 civilians remain trapped in Volodar out of a pre-war population of some 14,000. The governor of Dinesk confirmed that all children had been evacuated, but ongoing skirmishes make it difficult to reach the remaining civilians. And that, my friends,

is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday to October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to be at pdb at thefirsttv.com. As you know, every month, we compile the best questions, or at least those with the fewest grammatical errors, and produce the monthly episode that the PDB team cleverly calls Ask Me Anything. And to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by simply visiting PDB Premium.com. I told you it was easy.

I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Hey, honey, it's mom. Did you know if we switch to Verizon we can get four phones for $0 plus four lines for $25 a line?

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