This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Do yourself a favor. Protect your retirement assets. Talk with the experts at Patriot Gold. Now, they've been the top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. Go to patriotgoldgroup. Com or call 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Tuesday, 20 August. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First, in an update out of Israel, the IDF confirmed that during an operation in Gaza, they've recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the seventh October attacks. Also, with Russia facing a major manpower shortage as Ukrainian forces continue their push into Russian territory, Vladimir Putin is deploying his so-called space troops to the front lines. Now, I don't expect that his space troops are going to be particularly happy with their new assignment. But first, our afternoon spotlight. As negotiators work to secure an elusive ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, the IDF said Tuesday they'd recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip in an overnight raid. Israeli Defense Minister Yov Galant He described the mission as a, quote, complex operation and said the remains were recovered from tunnels under the Southern Gaza city of Khan Unis.

All but one of the hostages, a man named Abraham Munder, were already known to have lost their lives in captivity. The deceased also included Yagev Bushtaub, Alexander Tansig, Yora Metzger, native Papawel, and Haim Peri, according to a report from Reuters. Now, we don't have a clear picture of how the hostages died, though the IDF is investigating. Representatives for Hamas had previously said that two of the hostages in question died in an Israeli airstrike in March. Though we should note that Hamas has a history of fabricating such claims, and well, it's a terrorist organization, so truth may not be their strong point. The news serves as a stark reminder, of course, of the dangers and conditions still facing the many captives of Hamas taken during the brutal 7 October attacks that ignited the current war. Of the roughly 250 hostages taken during those attacks, 109 are still believed to be held by Hamas, though a third are thought to be dead. The Israeli military says the fates of the others, well, remain unclear. Roughly 120 hostages were freed during a ceasefire last November, and Israeli forces have managed to rescue seven hostages alive in several covert operations, including a raid on June eighth that freed four.

But negotiations to secure a second ceasefire agreement to free the remaining hostages have repeatedly fallen through. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a statement Tuesday saying, Our hearts grieve over the terrible loss. The state of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages, the living and the deceased. The latest recovery is renewing calls inside Israel, particularly from the families of hostages, for the government to finalize a truce deal with Hamas. Of course, that would take two parties, and currently Hamas is not participating. The Hostages Families Forum, which represents the families of captives taken by Hamas, said Tuesday that the only path forward is a negotiated deal. There was also palpable anger among some relatives of the hostages whose remains were overrecovered, with some accusing Netanyahu and other leaders of torpedoing past opportunities to sign an agreement. The nephew of Abraham Munder said the government had abandoned the hostages, while the son of Alexander Dantzing told the New York Times, It's absolutely clear to me that it was possible to bring him back home. Netanyahu chose to sacrifice the hostages. Regarding the current ceasefire talks, Netanyahu has accepted a US bridging proposal meant to address the last remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas.

Us Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has been on the ground in the Middle East, meeting with representatives of Israel, Egypt, and Qatar as negotiations continue in the Qatari capital of Doha. Blinken framed the current talk works as the best and possibly last chance to secure a lasting peace and free the remaining hostages. Now, lasting peace is a completely inaccurate phrase used by Blinken. This would simply be a halt in the conflict until such time that Hamas and their Iranian masters decide to attack again, which they have, of course, vow to do. But I digress. Hamas, once again, appears intent on undermining the negotiations. They are not participating directly and continue to demand that Israel Israel agreed to a previous proposal submitted by the terror group in early July that significantly favors their interests. They've also announced the resumption of suicide bombings inside Israel, warning that such attacks will, quote, return to the forefront. Now, given the rhetoric from Hamas, there is little hope of a major diplomatic breakthrough anytime soon, despite the persistent optimistic comments from the Biden administration. Coming up after the break, facing a manpower shortage as Ukraine advances further into Russian territory, Vladimir Putin is deploying his so-called space troops to the front lines of the Kursk region.

I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. In an unprecedented move, Russian President Putin has deployed a regiment from his aerospace forces to defend the Khrushchev region. The deployment is just the latest evidence that Ukraine's cross-border raid into Russia on 6 August has stretched Russia's military resources thin. First reported by the independent investigative Russian outlet, Important Stories, the Putin regime has deployed a temporary motorized rifle regiment of so-called space troops. The unit, formed between May and June, includes personnel from security and logistics companies, engineers, mechanics, and servicemen from a Russian spaceport. This deployment has apparently confused the public and members of the Russian military community. The fighter bomber Telegram channel, known for its ties to the Russian aerospace forces, expressed its bewilderment, questioning the appropriateness of labeling the unit as motorized riflemen when it reportedly, well, lacks basic military equipment. A post on the channel states, I have no idea why they call themselves motorized riflemen if there is no sign of any motorized rifles there, with other posts sharing the same confusion. This move comes as the Kremlin has been forced to redeploy troops from Ukraine's front lines to defend its own territory. The Institute for the Study of War noted that more than 5,000 1,000 personnel had been redeployed from Ukraine to Kursk by mid-August, with further reinforcements expected as the situation evolves.

Now, redirecting troops from the primary fronts in Ukraine to defend Kursk could play into Ukraine's hands, potentially leading to, of course, more significant losses on the front lines. Additionally, the potential social and political consequences of an urgent mobilization, sending new recruits directly into battle, would likely provoke unrest within Russian society, and That is something that Putin is not willing to risk at this stage of the conflict. The scale of Ukraine's offensive continues to impress many as Ukrainian troops captured more territory in Kursk within a few days than Russia has managed to take in Ukraine throughout the entire year. According to Alexander Sersky, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army Forces, Ukrainian forces have reportedly seized control of over 400 square miles of Russian territory and nearly 100 settlements in Kursk. Tatiana Stanovaia, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, suggested that the Ukrainian presence inside Russia might persist for an extended period of time, potentially lasting months or even years. This ongoing occupation could become a new reality that Russians may have to accept, signaling a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict. And importantly, of course, it strengthens Ukraine's position in any potential negotiations with Putin.

And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Tuesday, 20 August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv. Com. And as you've probably heard from the White House, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium. Com. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our extended Weekend Show, the PDB Situation Report. We've got guests, insight, analysis, handy homemaking tips. We've got new episodes launching every Friday evening at 10:00 PM on the first TV, and also on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief, and of course, all podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe.

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