This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets. Check in with the experts over at Patriot Gold. 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 Thursday, 22 August. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world's stage. Let's get brief. First, we're learning more about how the six deceased Israeli hostages recently recovered from Gaza may have perished with a forensic analysis suggesting they were likely murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. Also, in a sign that the Putin regime is struggling to mount an effective response to Ukraine's incursion into their territory, Russian state media is reportedly running a propaganda push to convince the public that the situation in Kursk is the new normal. It's nothing to see here, folks. I mean, except for that invading army. Other than that, nothing to see. But first, our afternoon spotlight. In another update out of Israel, the IDF has confirmed that the bodies of six Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza earlier this week showed signs of bullets and gunshot wounds.

Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine released the preliminary findings from autopsies of the recovered remains on Thursday, which suggests the hostages were likely executed by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. The IDF notified the families of the deceased, but stressed that their investigation is ongoing, and they can't yet definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths. That's according to an exclusive report from the Jerusalem Post. Officials said all six bodies of the hostages hostages, showed marks indicating bullets and wounds, while four bodies of suspected terrorists found next to the hostages had no signs of gunshot wounds. The findings disproved a claim by Hamas terrorists that the hostages in question died in an Israeli airstrike in March. The Hostages Families Forum, which represents the relatives of captives in Gaza, released a statement Thursday saying, The presence of bullets in the bodies of the late hostages is further proof of the cruelty of the terrorists. I mean, not that further proof was needed. As a reminder, the bodies were recovered in a raid Monday night on a Hamas tunnel beneath Khan Unis in Southern Gaza. All but one of the hostages, a man named Abraham Munder, were already known to have lost their lives in captivity.

The deceased also include Yagev Bookstab, Alexander Dantzig, Yoram Metzger, Nedov Papawel, and Chaim Pari. The mother of Yagev Bukstab said Thursday that officials had informed the family that he had shot dead while in captivity. According to the Jerusalem Post, the IDF has also informed the family of Yoram Metzger that he, too, was shot to death while in captivity. Though, as I noted, the IDF has not publicly released a formal determination concerning the deaths of the hostages. The Hostages Families Forum reiterated their calls for the Israeli government to do everything they can to finalize a ceasefire deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages still being held inside Gaza. They also slammed leaders in Jerusalem for failing to secure past agreements, accusing them of undermining truce efforts by being too firm in their demands. The group said, The rescue of the six bodies is not a picture of victory. It is a picture of the complete failure of the country's leadership when six hostages who were supposed to return alive, returned in a coffin. Every minute that the deal is not yet completed, another hostage may meet their death. And after 10 months of war in which the hostages suffer and die, it is known to everyone that the return of all the hostages is possible only through a deal.

Of the roughly 250 hostages taken during the attacks, 109 are still believed to be held by Hamas, though a third of those are thought to be dead. Coming up after the break. As the Putin regime struggles to repel Ukrainian forces advancing in Russian territory, Russian state media is reportedly running a propaganda push to convince the public that the situation in Kursk is the new normal. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. In a significant shift in its public messaging strategy, the Kremlin is employing state media and propaganda to normalize the present of Ukrainian troops on Russian soil in the wake of Kyiv's cross-border incursion into the Kursk region. This marks a stark departure from previous narratives, consistently portraying Russia as maintaining control over its territory. According to independent Russian news outlet, Meduza. Citing sources close to the Russian government, the Kremlin has developed three narratives to address the situation: an acknowledgement that Ukraine has indeed crossed into Kursk, an assurance that Ukrainian forces will eventually be defeated, and a call for patience, emphasizing that reclaiming the territory will take time. The Kremlin is diverting attention from the potential unrest in Kursk by organizing humanitarian assistance drives and emphasizing support for affected residents. The Russian government has also decided to proceed with the scheduled Kursk gubernatorial elections in September, aiming to avoid a disturbance of normalcy, or well, at least the appearance of normalcy in the region. This development of normalizing the presence of Ukrainian troops is particularly striking given the historical context. Russia has long relied on a robust and cohesive propaganda machine to shape public opinion and to maintain control over the narrative.

From At the beginning of the war, particularly concerning controversial moments like the mobilization of troops, the Kremlin has typically managed to steady the ship and calm public fears. Two sources, close to the Russian presidential administration, revealed that the government now expects a, quote, quite optimistic scenario of several months of fighting before the territory can be fully reclaimed. Efforts are currently focused on calming the Russian population and gradually getting them used to this extended timeline. However, a source in the military political leadership in Kyiv told Newswire RBC Ukraine that Russian President Putin has reportedly set a firm deadline for Russian forces to repel Ukrainian troops from Kursk by October first. The Kremlin is reportedly facing internal resistance as it considers a new wave of mobilization during ongoing labor shortages to meet Putin's October first deadline. That's according to sources from Mduza. The initial mobilization efforts sparked widespread concern, leading to significant pushback from various sectors, including the Russian cabinet of ministers and Kremlin-affiliated businessmen. These groups argued that a general mobilization would exacerbate labor shortages, which have been a persistent issue in Russia's economy. Medusa's sources revealed that despite the opposition, the Kremlin is more likely to intensify the use of conscripts, particularly in the Kursk region.

This decision, if accurate, could signal another instance of Putin placing unrealist realistic demands on the Russian military command, potentially straining their capabilities without providing the necessary manpower and resources to meet the objectives. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Alexander Siersky, Ukrainian forces have made significant advances, moving up to 21 miles into Russian territory. Over the past three weeks, Ukraine has captured approximately 488 square miles of Russian turf and approximately 100 settlements. And remember, It's the first time Russia has had to deal with an invading army since World War II. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Thursday, 22 August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv. Com. As the old saying goes, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium. Com. It's really very, very simple. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.