The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 10th, 2024: Ukrainian Drones Swarm Moscow & Israel Strikes Syrian Chemical Weapons Facility

Episode Date: September 10, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    Moscow is reeling following a massive overnight drone attack by Ukraine, their largest attack on the Russian capital since the start of Putin’s war. An alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria appears to have struck a major research center linked to the Syrian military that has been tied to the production of chemical weapons. 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]. Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Russian capital since the start of Putin's war. Also, an alleged Israeli air strike in Syria appears to have struck a major research center of the Syrian military that's been linked to the production of chemical weapons. But first, our afternoon spotlight. I want to begin in Moscow, where Ukrainian forces struck the Russian capital on Tuesday in their largest drone attack of the war, resulting in the death of at least one individual and the destruction of multiple high-rise buildings. While there's been no official comment yet from Keeve, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that their forces had destroyed 144 incoming Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, both near the border and inland, with roughly 20 intercepted while swarming over the Moscow region.

While the Russian Defense Ministry touted their air defenses in their statement, an unknown number of drones managed to break through striking high-rise apartment buildings in a Moscow district. The strikes killed a 46-year-old woman and injured three others, and left many of the apartments severely damaged. The chaos prompted authorities to close three of Moscow's four regional airports for more than six hours, diverting scores of flights. Even after more than two years of fighting, drone attacks on Moscow have been a rare occurrence. On August 21st, Russian forces shot down 11 incoming Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, and the last incident before that occurred back in May, though that attack only involved one drone. With Keeves forces now firmly embedded inside Russia's

Kursk region, their military has expanded their reach, and they appear to be getting bolder in their offensive strikes. Russian authorities condemned the drone attack on Tuesday, calling such attacks, quote, terrorism for targeting civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Demetri Dmitri Peskov, rather ironically, said, quote, the Kiev regime continues to demonstrate its nature. They are our enemies, and we must continue the special military operation to protect ourselves from such actions, end quote. Peskov apparently lacks the capacity for self-reflection.

We should note, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed in Russian missile and drone attacks since the war began in February 2022. Just last week, Russia launched one of their deadliest missile. attacks on Ukrainian territory since the war broke out, striking a military training academy in a nearby hospital in eastern Ukraine, and that event killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200. On Sunday, another two Ukrainians were killed in a Russian air strike on the city of Sumi near the front lines in eastern Ukraine. We should also point out that the Kremlin launched their own drone and missile attack overnight on Tuesday against multiple regions in Ukraine. The Ukrainian military

reportedly shot down 38 of the 46 Russian drones, but said the ones that broke through damaged buildings and infrastructure and injured three. As is apparent, Ukraine has been increasingly eager to bring the fight to Russian soil. At a meeting with Western military leaders last Friday in Germany, Ukrainian President Zelensky reiterated his request to allies that they lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside of Russia. So far, Canada and Lithuania have given their express consent to waive the restrictions, but the U.S. and other allies are still reportedly weighing concerns about the risk of escalation. In response to U.S. hesitancy, Ukraine has accelerated the development of its own weapons, including a domestically

produced ballistic missile and a drone missile, which was recently used against Russian forces. Coming up after the break, an alleged Israeli air strike in Syria appears to have struck a major research center of the Syrian military that's been linked to the production of chemical weapons. I'll be right back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch, solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy,

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Book direct at choiceotails.com. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. On Sunday night, Israeli Airstrikes hit a facility and central Syria, reportedly linked to chemical weapons production, killing at least 18 people and injuring 37 others. The strikes hit the Syrian military scientific studies and research center, otherwise known as, of course, SSRC, doesn't everybody love a good acronym? A site accused by Western governments of playing a pivotal role in Syria's chemical weapons program. Now, the SSRC, located in the Masyaf countryside, has been the subject of international scrutiny.

since a Syrian civil war, when chemical attacks on rebel-held areas sparked global outrage. Not a lot of action, but certainly a lot of outrage. While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime insist the facility as for research and development, Israeli intelligence and Western analysts claim it's a hub for strategic weapons production, supplying Iranian-backed forces like Hezbollah. Witnesses reported hearing at least eight explosions as airstrikes pummeled the area. Syria State News Agency Sanaa confirmed the death toll, adding that many of the injured remain in critical condition. Explosions were also reported in neighboring areas, emphasizing the scope of the strikes.

A local resident told CNN that several buildings were damaged and a key highway in Masyaf was severely impacted, causing fires and firefighters struggled to contain. Syrian air defenses reportedly intercepted some of the missiles, but many hit their intended targets. Israel has conducted hundreds of air strikes in Syria over the past decade, targeting military sites linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Chazbalah, and Syrian assets that Israel sees as threats to its security. In recent months, these airstrikes have increased, according to UN Commission reports, with Israel citing the growing influence of Iran, as well as Khazbalah's entrenchment near its borders as a major security concern. The timing of this

latest strike is particularly significant given the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hasbullah. Hezbollah, in solidarity with Hamas, has engaged in cross-border attacks, of course, against Israel from Lebanon, further destabilizing the already volatile situation in Syria and Lebanon. Hasbullah's presence in Syria has been deeply rooted since the onset of the Syrian Civil War back in 2011, when the Lebanese militant group, backed by Iran, of course, aligned itself with Assad, to suppress opposition forces. As a result, Syria has become a critical battleground for Iran's proxy forces, including Hezbollah, making it a strategic target for Israel. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 10th September. If you have any questions or comments,

please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. Now, of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by simply visiting PDB premium dot com. I told you it was simple. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe. Stay cool. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.