Desperate for Success on the Battlefield in Ukraine, Russia’s Wagner Group Trades Bodies for Bullets in Bakhmut

IN DONBAS, ECHOS OF VERDUN: After weeks of stalemate in a bloody triangle of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Russia’s Wagner Group claims to be making headway in its attempt to encircle Bakhmut with its army of mercenaries and prisoner conscripts. The artillery duel was so devastating that many have compared it to the famous “meat grinder” The 1916 Inauguration of World War I Battle of VerdunThe German forces launched a 10-month-long campaign of attrition in which they were determined to defeat the United States. “bleeding the French white.”

The fighting was described by a top U.S. military commander as taking place in a triangle bordered by Bakhmut Soledar and Chasiv Yar. “really severe and savage,” With both sides trading small portions of territory and fields, rolling hills and other land features Littered with bodies Many Russian soldiers serving in penal units were sent in waves by the advance Russian army to open the door for Wagner mercenaries.

“If you go back in Russian history, you’ll see that there are plenty of examples of the Russians trading individuals for bullets, and we’re seeing that in this area,” Official At a Pentagon briefing, he told reporters. “The prisoners from Wagner Group … once those folks go up and, you know, essentially take the brunt of whatever Ukrainian response there is, then you have better-trained forces that move behind them to claim the ground that these individuals have walked over.”

“Combat footage widely circulated on social media on January 9 shows Wagner Group fighters engaging in fierce small arms combat near the city administration building in central Soledar,” According to the Institute for the Study of War, latest campaign update. “Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continues to use reports of Wagner Group success in Soledar to bolster the Wagner Group’s reputation as an effective fighting force … Prigozhin emphasized on January 9 that ‘exclusively’ Wagner Group units are taking ground in Soledar.”

A PUTIN’S WAR WILL NOT END UNLESS THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA CONVINCED OF DEFEAT

SOLEDAR AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE RUSSIAN CONTROL IS OFFENSIVE: It is available in its Daily Twitter UpdateThe British Defense Ministry stated that it appeared that Russian and Wagner forces had made an appearance. “tactical advances” The past four days have been “are likely in control” About six miles north from Bakhmut is the Salt Mine Town of Soledar.

“Part of the fighting has focused on entrances to the 200 km-long disused salt mine tunnels which run underneath the district. Both sides are likely concerned that they could be used for infiltration behind their lines,” The intelligence assessment was concluded. “Despite the increased pressure on Bakhmut, Russia is unlikely to envelop the town imminently because Ukrainian forces maintain stable defensive lines in depth and control over supply routes.”

RUSSIA CLAIMS FATAL RETALIATORY STRIKE UKRAINE DENIES HAPPENED

‘THIS IS WHAT MADNESS LOOKS LIKE’: His Nightly Video Address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Recognizing the extent of the fighting in the Donbas, the West has promised to speed up the delivery of new weapons and ammunition to the front.

“We do everything to ensure that there is as little time as possible between the agreement on additional support and the application of this support on the battlefield,” Zelensky said. “Although the invaders have now concentrated their greatest efforts on Soledar, the result of this difficult and long battle will be the liberation of our entire Donbas.”

Zelensky said that even Russia’s brute force takes Soledar it will still be a Pyrrhic victory. “What did Russia want to gain there? Everything is completely destroyed. There is almost no life left. And thousands of their people were lost. The whole land near Soledar is covered with the corpses of the occupiers and scars from the strikes,” He stated. “This is what madness looks like.”

UKRAINIAN CITY BAKHMUT IS ‘HOLDINGOUT AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, ZELENSKY SAYS

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HAPPENING RIGHT NOW: The Surface Navy Association’s three-day National Symposium Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia gets underway with scheduled speakers Adm. Michael GildayChief of naval operations Vice Adm. Roy KitchenerCommandant, Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Charles Bradford Cooper, commander, Fifth Fleet. You can find the complete list of events here Here.

NEW RULE IGNITES HOUSE DEFENSE HAWKS: After selecting, their first act Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R.CA) was elected Speaker of the House. Republicans adopted new operating rules to govern the 118th Congress, which promise greater transparency and participation by rank-and-file legislators in the writing and passage legislation.

“Lawmaking should be open to all members, not just a select few, so that the best ideas win. That’s what this rules package reflects,” McCarthy stated in a Statement After the 220 to 213 vote, which was largely a party-line vote. “Rules that empower members to debate and legislate are replacing rules that silenced their voice and centralized power. Rules that increase transparency are replacing rules that kept lawmaking hidden behind closed doors.”

Democrats immediately called foul, asking what private concessions McCarthy granted the hard-right wing of his party to win the speaker’s gavel. “There is a secret three page addendum to the House Rules that secured the support of the wackiest members of the House and the American public deserves to know what’s in it,” Tweet Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI).

The Republican holdout in the Senate was Rep. Tony Gonzales Texas, who spoke on CBS on Sunday to express concern about the efforts of the extremist party in his party. Reduce the defense budgetU.S. aid specifically to Ukraine

“I’m going to visit Taiwan here in a couple of weeks. How am I going to look at our allies in the eye and say, ‘I need you to increase your defense budget,’ but yet America is going to decrease ours?” Gonzales asked about Face the Nation.

“Anyone suggesting this package cuts defense spending is ignoring the math: there are not 218 members that support defense cuts and any budget resolution that tries to do so will fail,” According to a centrist Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), after voting for the new rules. “This is a positive step that will increase transparency and give every member a stronger voice in the legislative process.”

RULES PACKAGE CHICK FULL OF MCCARTHY ACCESSIONS NARROWLY PASSES THE HOUSE

CANADA TO BUY F35s TRUEAU ONCE TRUDEAU: The government of Justin TrudeauThe Canadian prime minister, who Seven years ago The trashed Lockheed Martin F-35 You can also use it as “overpriced nightmare” and vowed never to buy it, has come around and now plans to replace its aging fleet of F-18s with America’s premier stealth fighter.

“Today, I announced that Canada is acquiring a new fleet of 88 F-35 fighter jets. This project is estimated at $19 billion — making it the largest investment in our @RCAF_ARC in three decades,” Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand In a tweet “This project will ensure that our aviators have the tools they need to defend Canada.”

Canada will receive 88 F-35As under the agreement, which will be delivered in 2026. “Canada is confident that the F-35 represents the best fighter jet for our country at the best price for Canadians,” The Defense Ministry stated in a Statement. ”During the finalization phase of the procurement process, the US government and Lockheed Martin With Pratt & Whitney successfully demonstrated that an agreement to purchase the F-35 fighter jets meets Canada’s requirements and outcomes, including value for money, flexibility, protection against risks, performance and delivery assurances.”

INDUSTRY WATCH Northrop Grumman has announced it will assume production of rocket motors for the U.S. Army’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, the ballistic rocket that Ukraine has been using to devastating effect in the Lockheed Martin HIMARS United States supplied launchers

We are proactively investing in production facilities and technologies in support of producing even higher rates of rocket motors faster and more affordably to meet our customer’s anticipated demand,” said Jim Kalberer, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of missile products.

According to the company, Lockheed Martin received its 15,000th rocket motor as well as its 20,000th warhead for final assembly.

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The Rundown

Washington ExaminerZelensky: Bakhmut, Ukraine is ‘holding out against every odds’

Washington Examiner: Russia claims fatal retaliatory strike Ukraine denies happened

Washington Examiner: A former US ambassador claims that Putin’s war against Russia will continue until he is convinced defeat

Washington ExaminerWhite House: Iran could be contributing to war crimes in Ukraine

Washington Examiner: A former ambassador points out the biggest obstacle to the liberation of Americans in Russia

Washington ExaminerReport: Identified documents from the Biden vice presidency surface at a think tank.

Washington Examiner: Republicans fight to reduce defense spending before House rules package vote

Washington ExaminerIn the race to be the Homeland Security Committee’s chair, Mark Green defeats Dan Crenshaw

Washington ExaminerBolsonaro: Biden is under pressure from the Left

Washington ExaminerUS ‘standing by’ Brazilian investigators will assist in investigating Bolsonaro’s involvement in the riot

Washington ExaminerBiden administration presses for plea agreement with terrorists, causing 9/11 trial to be rescheduled

Washington Examiner: Russian troll farms didn’t sway voters in 2016 election

New York Times: Kyiv Confirms Tough Fight Against Bakhmut

Business InsiderEx-NATO Commander predicts that Russia’s forces in Ukraine will be ‘burned through and exhausted’ by the end of winter

Politico: Pentagon Weighs Sending Stryker Combat Vehicles To Ukraine

19fortyfive.com: Ukraine Can Crush the Wagner Group One and For All

19fortyfive.comRussia wants to buy back its old aircraft carrier from China

19fortyfive.comPutin will turn out: Ukraine captured from Russia intact S-300

19fortyfive.comPutin Fears Losing the Su-57 Stealth Fighters In Ukraine

Wall Street Journal: Russian Ship’s Secretive South Africa Stop Prompts U.S. Questions

ReutersChina’s “Wolf Warrior”, Diplomatic Spokesperson Zhao Changes To A New Role

Bloomberg: Taiwan Invasion War Game by US think Tank Sees China Quickly Flopping

Reuters: U.S. Wants to deploy Missile-Armed Marines on Japan’s Okinawa Islands. Yomiuri

Voice of America: China Shuts U.S. Military Outreach in Advance of Expected Blinken Visit

CNN: Pentagon Prepares for a Series of GOP-Led Investigations

Defense NewsU.S. Navy To Increase Readiness With Cold War-Era Squadrons

Air & Space Forces MagazineAir Force Wants More eVTOL Platforms for Testing and Exercises in 2023

Air & Space Forces MagazineAir Force Announces a New Body Composition Program

Washington Post: A Simple Trick Could Reduce Carbon Emissions from U.S. Military Vehicles

Calendar

TUESDAY – JANUARY 10| JANUARY 10

8 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, Virginia — Surface Navy Association annual National Symposium With the theme “Sharpening Our Competitive Edge,” with Adm. Michael GildayThe keynote address will be delivered by Chief of Naval Operations at 4:05 p.m. https://www.navysnaevents.org/national-symposium

9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States virtual discussion with Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu https://www.gmfus.org/event/conversation-moldovan

11 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion, beginning at 11 a.m., with former Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, former commander of the U.S. European Command and former NATO supreme allied commander Europe https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/aerospace-nation

1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Enabling an Economic Transformation of Ukraine: Recovery, Reconstruction, and Modernization,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, vice president of Russia and Europe at the U.S. Institute of Peace; former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky; Sergiy Tsivkach, CEO of UkraineInvest; Michael Polsky, founder and CEO of Invenergy; and former U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, vice chairman and president of strategic growth at Mastercard https://www.csis.org/events/enabling-economic-transformation

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 11

7:30 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Virginia — Surface Navy Association annual National Symposium with the theme “Sharpening Our Competitive Edge,” with Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA) delivering remarks on the “View from Capitol Hill” and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro giving a keynote address at 11 a.m. https://www.navysnaevents.org/national-symposium

8 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The Case for Ukraine Retaking Crimea,” with retired Army Gen. Wes Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander Europe; Leonid Gozman, Russian opposition politician and commentator; Debra Cagan, energy fellow at the Transatlantic Leadership Network; former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-case-for-retaking-crimea

9:30 a.m. — Stimson Center event: “Voices from Japan: Japan’s Security Policy Transformation,” with Itsunori Onodera, the 12th, 17th, and 18th minister of defense of Japanhttps://www.stimson.org/event/voices-from-japan

9:45 a.m. — Intelligence and National Security Alliance virtual discussion on “ONI’s assessments of foreign naval capabilities and its application of naval intelligence to global geopolitical challenges,” with Rear Adm. Michael Studeman, commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, and Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, INSA president https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event

4 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology conversation: “Reflections on U.S. defense policy from Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA),” with Michael O’Hanlon, Philip H. Knight chair in defense and strategy, senior fellow and director, Strobe Talbott Center; and Melanie Sisson, fellow, Strobe Talbott Centerhttps://www.brookings.edu/events/reflections

5 p.m. 2201 C St. NW — Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada joint media availability following a meeting of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee http://www.state.gov

THURSDAY | JANUARY 12

7:30 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Virginia — Surface Navy Association annual National Symposium, with the theme “Sharpening Our Competitive Edge,” with Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Christopher Grady delivering remarks at 7 p.m. https://www.navysnaevents.org/national-symposium

8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Northern Virginia Chapter 2023 NOVA Army IT Day forum, with Army Undersecretary Gabriel Camarillo; Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff of the Army for command, control, communications, cyber operations, and networks; Dovarius Peoples, chief information officer of the Army Corps of Engineers; Kenneth McNeill, chief information officer for command, control, communications, and computers/cyber, J-6, of the Army National Guard Bureau; Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the Army Training and Doctrine Command; Margaret Boatner, deputy assistant Army secretary for strategy and acquisition reform; Kimberly Buehler, director of the Army Office of Small Business Programs; Megan Dake, deputy assistant Army secretary for procurement; William Nelson, deputy assistant Army secretary for research and technology; and Maj. Gen. Christopher Eubank, commanding general of the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command https://afceanova.swoogo.com/ArmyITDay2023

6 p.m. — Economic Club of Washington, D.C., virtual discussion with U.K. Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce https://www.economicclub.org/events/he-dame-karen-pierce

FRIDAY | JANUARY 13

TBA — President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for meetings at the White Househttps://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room

12 p.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service discussion: on “Displacement and Disabilities in Ukraine What’s Happened to Children with Disabilities in the Conflict?” with Eric Rosenthal, founder and executive director of Disability Rights International; Elizabeth Ferris, director of ISIM; and Quill Kukla, director of Georgetown’s Disability Studies Program https://www.georgetown.edu/event/displacement-and-disabilities