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This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets and safeguard your future. Speak with the experts at Patriot Gold. Now, as you may have heard, 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, 27th, August. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, Ukraine continues to keep Moscow on the backfoot, as officials in Russia reported Tuesday that Kyiv's forces are trying to break through the Kremlin's defensive lines in Russia's Belgarod region. Also, an update on the arrest of Russian-born Telegram CEO, Pavel Duraov in France, as prosecutors and French President Emmanuel Macron weigh in on the criminal probe, which has, of course, brought Paris's already strained relations with Moscow to a brand new low. But first, our afternoon spotlight. It appears Kyiv is attempting to press their advantage along their border with Russia, as reports emerge that Ukrainian troops tried to break through Moscow's defensive lines into the Belgorod region on Tuesday. While the reports vary and details are still being sorted out, Russian Russian military bloggers said that Kyiv's soldiers, supported by at least eight armored vehicles, attacked two border checkpoints along the border with Russia's Belgorod region Tuesday morning.

That's according to the Telegraph. Now, details of the scale of the operation can't be independently verified yet, and there's been no official confirmation from officials in Kyiv or Moscow. Some Russian military bloggers said as many as 500 troops were part of the attack, while others, well, they put the figure at 200 or less. Additionally, some reported that Ukraine launched shelling and drone attacks on at least three villages in the region to support the assault. The reports claimed that the attack was repelled after Ukrainian forces were met with volleys of Russian artillery fire. Some pro-Russian military channels tried to downplay the activity, saying that it was nothing more than regular skirmishes with small units of Ukrainian forces. These sources said that only one border checkpoint was targeted in the fighting. Still, the head of Russia's Western Belgarod region acknowledged the attack in a telegram post on Tuesday morning, saying, There's information that the enemy is trying to break through the border of the Belgarod region. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the situation on the border remains difficult, but under control, and our military is carrying out planned work. As a reminder, Belgarod sits directly across the border from Ukraine's Kharkiv region and just south of Russia's Kursk region.

Ukraine, of course, launched an incursion into Kursk on sixth August, and now controls approximately 500 square miles of Russian territory. That incursion has sparked widespread fears in Russia's Belgarod region that Ukraine will try to expand their offensive outside of Kershk. Russian authorities have already been preemptively evacuating residents near the Belgarod region's border with Kershk. But it doesn't appear that the attacks on Tuesday morning are part of a major new offensive in Belgarod. More likely, according to regional analysts, Kyiv is trying to keep the Russian military stretched and guessing about Ukraine's next moves. Hamish to Breton Gordon, a former British tank commander, explained Kyiv's thinking to the Telegraph saying, It's a classic offensive operation. Attack weakness, give the Russians lots to think about and make difficult decisions with limited resource. The Russians will have to look south, he said, putting them off balance while they're trying to reinforce Kershk. Ukraine launching such attacks means that they understand warfare. Quote. Meanwhile, Russia continued its aerial assault on Ukraine on Tuesday for the second day in a row with relentless missile and drone attacks, damaging critical energy infrastructure and killing at least six people. Coming up after the break, an update on the arrest of Russian-born Telegram CEO, Pavel Dourov in France, as prosecutors and French President Emmanuel Macron weigh in on the criminal probe.

I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. I want to provide an update on the arrest of Telegram founder, Pavel Dourow, by French authorities on Saturday, which has, of course, ignited controversy and further strained relations between Russia and the West. Dourow, a Russian-born 39-year-old tech billionaire, is accused of complicity through failure to moderate content in multiple crimes, including child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraudulent transactions. The investigation into these allegations began on eighth July, focusing on an unnamed person, but was subsequently expanded to include Durof, who has dual French and United Arab Emirate citizenship. French prosecutors extended his detention by 48 hours on Monday evening, during which now they must decide whether to charge or release him. The arrest has sparked a global outcry. Edward Snowden, you remember him? He's the former NESA contractor turned whistleblower, labeled the arrest as, An assault on the basic human rights of speech and association. Snowden suggested that the arrest was not just about law enforcement, but rather an attempt to pressure Telegram into government demands for user data. In Russia, where Telegram is most popular, the news of Durav's rest ignited a fierce reaction. It intensified the already fraught relations between Russia and France, of course, due to the Ukraine war.

Russian media outlets quickly accused France of attempting to undermine the platform's independence and its commitment to free speech, because nobody's committed to free speech, like Putin and his regime are committed to free speech. The arrest fueled suspicions in the Kremlin of politically motivated Western interference. The chairman of Russia's state, Duma, suggested that the US, through France, might be attempting to gain control over Telegram, especially ahead of the US presidential election. The White House has yet to comment on Duraouh's arrest. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement on X, stressing that Duraouh's arrest was a law enforcement matter and not politically motivated. Meanwhile, Jean-Michel Bernadjoll, the head of the French Agency, the Office for Fighting Crimes Against Minors, provided additional context in a LinkedIn post. Bernadjou indicated that the core issue in the case against Duraud is Telegram's failure to effectively moderate its platform, particularly concerning the distribution of child sexual abuse material. Bernadjou argued that Telegram's resistance to working with law enforcement and child protection agencies exacerbated the situation, leading to serious legal consequences, of course, for the company's founder. Despite the mounting legal pressure, Telegram defends its practices, insisting it abides by EU laws and has nothing to hide.

Telegram emphasized its long-standing commitment to user privacy and removing illegal content by shutting down channels that are dedicated to such activities. The arrest has also fueled broader discussions about the responsibilities of tech companies in moderating in content and cooperating with law enforcement. Unlike US tech giants such as Metta and Google, which routinely comply with court orders to provide user data in criminal investigations, Telegram has built its reputation on resisting such requests. For now, Durauff remains in custody, with French authorities holding him until at least Wednesday as they decide whether to press formal charges. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Tuesday, 27th, August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv. Com. Remember, as if I'd let you forget, to listen to the show ad-free. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium. Com. Of course, check out our YouTube channel, at President's Daily Brief, for episodes of our critically acclaimed, well, at least by my immediate family, Weekend Show, the PDB Situation Report. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Safe. Stay cool.