DEFENSE MORNING CLIPS
As of 0430 Hours, November 8
OVERVIEW
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said his military had received the U.S.-Norwegian NASAMS and Spanish-supplied Aspide air-defense systems, while Russian military correspondents in Kherson said that local hostility was growing as collaboration administration staff exited the city, the Wall Street Journal reported. Separately, the U.S. remained engaged in senior-level confidential talks with Russia, as National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted “We have done so when it’s been necessary to clarify potential misunderstandings and … reduce the possibility of catastrophe,” Reuters wrote. Also of note, in an interview, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown told Voice of America that exercises such as Vigilant Storm were “part … of our continued training” to ensure readiness in support of an “ironclad alliance” with South Korea.
TOP STORIES
- Russia Presses Evacuation of Kherson as Ukrainian Offensive Looms
Wall Street Journal Online, Nov. 7 (1603) | Yaroslav Trofimov
Russia stepped up the evacuation of civilian institutions from the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson, where looting has become widespread and squatters have taken over the abandoned government headquarters, as Ukraine received sophisticated Western air-defense systems that could help it protect its cities. Moscow’s decision to mobilize roughly 300,000 reservists has allowed Russian forces, for now, to stabilize the front line in most areas, halting the Ukrainian offensives that reclaimed large parts of the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions in September and October. - White House’s Sullivan has talked to Russians about risk aversion – source
Reuters, Nov. 7 (1706) | Steve Holland
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been engaged in confidential talks with senior Russian officials aimed at lowering the risk of a broader war over Ukraine, a source familiar with the conversations said on Monday. The source, who asked to remain unidentified, said the talks are ongoing. - Bombers Over Korean Peninsula ‘Just Part of an Exercise’ – Air Force Chief to VOA
Voice of America News, Nov. 7 (1105) | Carla Babb
The U.S. show of force over the Korean peninsula Saturday, when two B-1B stealth bomber aircraft flew over the peninsula for the first time since 2017, was just part of a major joint exercise meant to ensure the United States has a “ready force” in the region, according to the U.S. Air Force chief of staff. “It was all part of the Vigilant Storm exercise, an exercise that we’ve operated under over time,” General C.Q. Brown Jr. told VOA in an exclusive interview Monday.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
- Pentagon closing in on $9B cloud contract award after scuttling JEDI
C4ISRNET.com, Nov. 7 (1317) | Colin Demarest
The U.S. Department of Defense expects to award early next month the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, a multi-vendor, enterprise-wide platform for the acquisition of billions of dollars of commercial computing services, after a predecessor was canceled last year amid allegations of political interference. Speaking Nov. 7 at an industry engagement event in Maryland, Chief Information Officer John Sherman said the Pentagon is “getting ready to award JWCC in about a month, 30 days-ish, from now,” in line with previous predictions made by defense officials of a decision by the end of the year. - Pentagon forms new AI hubs for R&D teams to share data and advance models
DefenseScoop.com, Nov. 7 (1453) | Brandi Vincent
Officials in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering are developing a new cloud-based, common infrastructure of “artificial intelligence hubs,” where military laboratories and R&D units can exchange previously siloed data and collaborate within a shared modeling and simulation environment that’s compliant with Pentagon security protocols.
EXECUTIVE/LEGISLATIVE
- Kevin McCarthy previews Republicans’ plans for the majority – starting at the border
CNN.com (Exclusive), Nov. 7 (1005) | Melanie Zanona and Kristin Wilson
House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is vowing to secure the border, cut back on government spending and launch rigorous investigations into the Biden administration if Republicans win the House on Tuesday, reflecting a mix of priorities as McCarthy will be forced to contend with an increasingly hardline and pro-Trump conference that is itching to impeach President Joe Biden. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with CNN, two days before the midterm elections, McCarthy outlined his plans for power, which includes tackling inflation, rising crime and border security – three issues that have become central to Republicans’ closing pitch to voters - Elections set to reshuffle Capitol Hill’s key defense committees
InsideDefense.com, Nov. 7 (0500) | Tony Bertuca
Midterm elections this week are poised to set off a political game of musical chairs on Capitol Hill that could have significant impacts on defense issues ranging from topline spending to Ukrainian military aid to U.S. shipbuilding. Analysts say understanding potential leadership and membership changes to several congressional committees is key to gaining a sense of how broad defense issues may come into play.
EUROPE
- US officials urge Ukraine to signal it is still open to diplomatic discussions with Russia
CNN.com, Nov. 7 (2200) | Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood and Oren Liebermann
Senior US officials have in recent weeks been urging Ukraine to signal that it is still open to diplomatic discussions with Russia, amid concerns that public support for the country’s war effort could wane with no end to the conflict in sight and neither side willing to begin peace talks, sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. - Ukrainian official says Iranian ballistic missiles bought by Russia may need to be destroyed at their launch sites
CNN.com, Nov. 7 (1114) | Julia Kesaieva in Kyiv and Tim Lister
Ukraine’s air force says that newly arrived western air defense systems will help deal with the new threat of Iranian ballistic missiles reportedly being purchased by Russia. Yuriy Ihnat, Air Force spokesperson, told a briefing in Kyiv that Ukraine might target the Iranian missiles at their launch sites, which would probably be well inside Russia. - Russians Work to Restore Power in Occupied City of Kherson
Associated Press, Nov. 7 (1527) | Andrew Meldrum
Russian-appointed authorities say they are working to partially restore power in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson following what they called a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” on power lines. Ukraine’s presidential office said Monday said that Russian soldiers in plainclothes have been moving into apartments in Kherson, presumably to get ready for urban warfare. One Kherson resident told The Associated Press that Russian military personnel were going door-to-door, forcing tenants to leave immediately if they could not prove ownership of apartments. - Griping Aside, Europe Sticks With Ukraine
New York Times, Nov. 8 (0300), Pg. A1 | Jason Horowitz and Catherine Porter
The high cost of living is provoking strikes, protests and widespread grumbling. Talk about nuclear weapons has heightened anxieties and encouraged some to demand rapid negotiations. And President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is wooing politicians, including many from populist parties on the right and the left who have flirted with him in the past. But while Mr. Putin may have bet on European fatigue and intolerance for hardship to divide the alliance and buckle its weakest members, more than eight months into Russia’s war on Ukraine, the scale of the challenges has been leveraged effectively by leaders to stiffen the public spine and Europe is holding firm. - Estonia’s defense minister on Ukranian lessons, future investments and Russia’s cyber threat
BreakingDefense.com, Nov. 7 (1101) | Aaron Mehta
Hanno Pevkur has held a number of ministerial roles for Estonia over his time in government, before becoming defense minister in July — putting him in the driver’s seat for a major military modernization effort in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During an October visit to Washington, Pevkur sat down with Breaking Defense at the Estonian embassy for a wide-ranging discussion. The below highlights from that conversation have been lightly edited for length and clarity. - US citizen recently died in Ukraine, State Department says
CNN.com, Nov. 7 (1857) | Paul LeBlanc and Jennifer Hansler
A US citizen recently died in Ukraine, the US State Department said Monday, the latest known American to die in the country since Russia’s invasion in February. While the State Department did not name the individual, the International Legion of the Defense of Ukraine identified Timothy Griffin as a US citizen killed during combat in Eastern Ukraine. - Sweden Strengthens Case for NATO Entry Ahead of Turkey Talks
Bloomberg News, Nov. 8 (0324) | Selcan Hacaoglu and Niclas Rolander
Sweden’s new leader is making progress toward convincing Turkey he’s serious about meeting Ankara’s demands in exchange for being let into NATO, according to two Turkish officials familiar with the matter. Stockholm made fresh concessions just days before a key meeting between Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scheduled for Tuesday. Kristersson will seek to persuade his opposite number to lift objections to Sweden’s entry to the alliance, and ratify the application made alongside neighboring Finland following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. - Kosovo Accuses Serbia of Trying to Destabilize Country
Associated Press, Nov. 7 (1247) | Florent Bajrami and Llazar Semini
Kosovo on Monday accused neighboring Serbia of trying to destabilize the country by pressuring members of the ethnic Serb community to resign from their posts for not accepting Pristina’s decision to change illegal vehicle license plates. Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, has been in close coordination with Russia and China and is trying to “sabotage” the European Union-mediated dialogue.
RUSSIA
- Russia Pulls Commander in Ukraine Following Criticism Over Battlefield Losses
Wall Street Journal Online, Nov. 7 (1133) | Thomas Grove
Russia removed a top military commander in Ukraine following criticism from some of President Vladimir Putin’s top allies over the officer’s responsibility for a recent chaotic retreat in the country’s northeast that underscored Russian weaknesses on the battlefield. Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin, responsible for the Central Military District, Russia’s largest, was the last of Russia’s regional commanders still in place amid Moscow’s faltering invasion. It was unclear whether he had been suspended or removed from his post. - Heavy Russian casualties spur outcry, rare official reply
Washington Post, Nov. 8 (0115), Pg. A13 | Mary Ilyushina and Annabelle Timsit
Steep Russian casualties in key battles in eastern Ukraine have prompted an unusual public outcry – and sharp criticism of military commanders – by surviving soldiers, and family members of recently conscripted fighters, who say their units were led to slaughter in poorly planned operations. The uproar over battlefield losses near Vuhledar in the Donetsk region prompted an official statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, which sought to play down the reportedly high death toll among soldiers in the 155th Separate Guards Marine Brigade, which led Moscow’s offensive in the area. - Russian Navy Pulls Warships from Black Sea into Port After Attacks
U.S. Naval Institute News, Nov. 7 (1836) | H I Sutton
The Russian Navy still outnumbers and outguns the Ukrainians in the northern Black Sea. Despite the dominance on paper, the Russian Navy is on its back foot after several successful attacks from the smaller Ukrainian forces. - Russian oligarch brags he’s ‘interfering’ in U.S. midterms
Washington Post, Nov. 8 (0115), Pg. A14 | Robyn Dixon
Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin and head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which is fighting in Ukraine, boasted Monday that he was interfering in the U.S. midterm elections and planned to continue doing so. Prigozhin gained infamy as an operator of internet “troll farms” and was placed under sanction by the U.S. Treasury Department for his role in meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, using a company he owned, then called the Internet Research Agency, to spread disinformation and sow discord, especially on social media platforms.
INDO-PACIFIC
- North Korea Denies U.S. Claims It Sent Artillery Shells to Russia
Associated Press, Nov. 7 (2333) | Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung
North Korea has denied American claims that it’s shipping artillery shells and ammunition to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, and on Tuesday accused the United States of lying. - U.S. urges Russia, China to hold North Korea accountable for recent provocations
Yonhap News Agency (South Korea), Nov. 7 (1542) | Byun Duk-kun
A state department spokesperson called on China and Russia on Monday to hold North Korea accountable for its missile launches in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, insisting failure to do so will not be in their interest. The call from state department press secretary Ned Price came after Moscow and Beijing blocked U.S.-led efforts to punish North Korea for its recent provocations that included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, along with more than a dozen short and intermediate range ballistic missiles. - U.S. eyes aircraft carrier deployment if North Korea conducts nuke test
Kyodo News (Japan), Nov. 7 (1852) | Not Attributed
The U.S. government plans to deploy an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan in a show of force if North Korea carries out its first nuclear test in years, sources with knowledge of the matter said Monday, adding the decision is expected to be taken in alignment with Japan and South Korea. - Sanctions fail to halt North Korea’s accelerating weapons programs
Reuters (Analysis), Nov. 7 (0459) | David Brunnstrom
Economic sanctions, the primary means the United States has used for years to try to exert pressure on North Korea, have abjectly failed to halt its nuclear and missile programs or to bring the reclusive northeast Asian state back to the negotiating table. Now, U.S. policy makers and their predecessors can do little more than pick through the wreckage and seek to determine what went wrong, and who might be to blame. - North Korea’s missile launches show no scarcity of weapons funding, materials despite sanctions
Reuters (Analysis), Nov. 8 (0241) | Josh Smith
North Korea’s record year of missile launches has shown its willingness to pour resources into producing and deploying more weapons than ever – and sanctions have done little to hinder their development, analysts say. Analysts said Pyongyang’s willingness to fire such expensive devices into the sea suggests the impoverished country’s missile programme faces few hurdles despite being banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. - Australia Warns Building Nuclear Subs Will Be ‘Huge Undertaking’
Bloomberg News, Nov. 7 (2229) | Ben Westcott
Australia will need to do extensive preparation, training and research if it is to successfully construct a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines by 2040, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said, highlighting the long road ahead for its military ambitions.
CHINA
- Chinese Warplane Incursions Near Taiwan Rise to Three-Month High
Bloomberg News, Nov. 8 (0317) | Not Attributed
China’s air force stepped up its incursions into sensitive areas near Taiwan to the highest level since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit three months ago, amid a flurry of activity it sees as undermining its sovereignty. Some 31 aircraft flew into Taiwan’s southwestern air-defense identification zone or across the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait on Monday, the Defense Ministry in Taipei said in a tweet. The figure is the most since Aug. 5, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. - China’s Xi Jinping Plans Visit to Saudi Arabia Amid Global Reshuffling
Wall Street Journal, Nov. 7 (2148) | Stephen Kalin, Keith Zhai and Summer Said
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is planning to visit Saudi Arabia before the end of the year, according to people familiar with preparations for the trip, as Beijing and Riyadh seek to deepen ties and advance a vision of a multipolar world where the U.S. no longer dominates the global order.
MIDDLE EAST
- Group Warns of Rampant Violence in Syria Camp of IS Families
Associated Press, Nov. 7 (0732) | Hogir Al Abdo
A sprawling camp in northeastern Syria housing tens of thousands of women and children linked to the Islamic State group is witnessing pervasive violence, exploitation and lawlessness, an international aids group said Monday. Doctors Without Borders also said that countries with citizens held in the detention center of al-Hol in Syria’s northeastern province of Hassakeh have failed to take responsibility for protecting them. Repeated breaches of human rights and recurrent patterns of violence have been observed at the camp, said the group, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF.
ARMY
- Army planning ‘over a dozen’ events on top of Project Convergence to refine new tech next year
DefenseScoop.com, Nov. 7 (1404) | Billy Mitchell
In addition to its annual Project Convergence tech demonstration and experiments, the Army next year plans to add iterative exercises to continuously test and improve operational technologies, particularly in the data operations space, Lt. Gen. John Morrison, Army G-6, said Monday.
NAVY
- Facing dire recruiting realities, Navy raises max enlistment age to 41
Navy Times Online, Nov. 7 (1453) | Geoff Ziezulewicz
The Navy raised its maximum enlistment age to 41 on Friday for sailors joining the fleet, a nod to the current recruiting struggles plaguing the entire U.S. military. Friday’s policy change means the Navy is now accepting the oldest enlisted recruits of the four services.
SPACE FORCE
- Space Force official: We need the Commerce Department’s space traffic office to be successful
SpaceNews.com, Nov. 7 (1428) | Sandra Erwin
Space Force Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt said discussions between DoD and the Department of Commerce are picking up momentum as both agencies work to figure out how to transition space traffic management to the Office of Space Commerce. Burt, who is special assistant to the vice chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, spoke Nov. 7 at the Air Traffic Control Association’s annual conference and exhibition.
NATIONAL GUARD
- More Than a Dozen States Have Activated the National Guard to Secure Midterm Elections
DefenseOne.com, Nov. 7 (1515) | Lauren C. Williams
At least 14 states have spun up their National Guard units to ward off cyber attacks on the national election that concludes tomorrow, but others have not.
NOTABLE COMMENTARY
- House Republicans are committed to strengthening our military against China
Washington Examiner Online, Nov. 7 (0600) | Rep Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)
The United States confronts two near-peer nuclear-armed autocratic adversaries: Communist China and the Russian Federation. Both Beijing and Moscow seek to stamp out the sovereignty of nearby democratic nations. As the world has seen in Ukraine, what the Russian military lacks in capability it makes up for in horrific brutality. In China, an even more brutal regime, enabled by a vast surveillance state, enforces party loyalty with an iron fist. At the same time, Xi Jinping openly engages in genocide against the Uyghur people. On the House Armed Services Committee, we’ve heard from every top military leader that China is a threat to U.S. security at home and to China’s democratic neighbors abroad. We must respond to this challenge. - Putin just backtracked under pressure. That’s a hopeful sign
Washington Post, Nov. 8 (0115), Pg. A23 | Max Boot
Vladimir Putin’s power rests on the impression that he is invincible and implacable – that the Russian president can’t be defeated and will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. The first myth has already been dispelled in Ukraine, where the Russian military has suffered heavy losses without coming close to achieving his ultimate objective of destroying Ukrainian independence. But the second myth lives on: It is leading some in the West to argue that the United States should use its leverage to force Kyiv to the bargaining table, because the Ukrainians will never succeed in regaining all of their lost territory. This pessimistic argument is premised on the assumption that Putin will just keep escalating indefinitely with more troops and more weapons – even nuclear weapons if necessary. But in recent weeks, we have seen evidence that suggest Putin is a rational actor who is perfectly capable of backtracking if it’s in his interest to do so. - Tehran’s Mullahs Throw Biden a Lifeline
Wall Street Journal, Nov. 8 (0200), Pg. A15 | Walter Russell Mead
Joe Biden is a lucky man. The heroism of the Ukrainian people saved him from a Russian victory. Now the people of Iran, led by their women, are offering him a historic opportunity to weaken Russia, reduce long-term American vulnerabilities in the Middle East, and even return a sense of caution and sobriety to Chinese foreign policy.