Defense & National Security — Presented by Lockheed Martin — Ukraine under pressure after Russia's claimed takeover of Bakhmut

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View Online Defense & National Security Defense & National Security PRESENTED BY LOCKHEED MARTIN The Big Story  Ukraine under pressure after Russia's claimed takeover of Bakhmut  Russia's claimed capture of the city of Bakhmut delivered a symbolic victory for Moscow and raises the pressure for Ukraine's coming counteroffensive to succeed. © AP Kyiv is contesting the claim of a complete Russian takeover of Bakhmut and has stressed that its troops remain in strategic positions on the outskirts of the city and are poised to retake it.   But Russian forces are sweeping through most of the city, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has already hailed the capture of Bakhmut as a victory.    Putin said he would decorate the soldiers who fought in the eight-month battle and personally congratulated both his troops and those serving with the private Russian military company Wagner Group.   Russian state-run media outlets have also praised the capture of Bakhmut as a historic victory since the Ministry of Defense claimed full control of the city on Saturday.   Federico Borsari, a transatlantic defense and security fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said Bakhmut holds limited strategic value because of heavily fortified Ukrainian positions further west in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.   "I don't think Russia has enough manpower, strength and capabilities to push to reach these areas because it's already difficult for them to keep what they have now," Borsari said.   Still, with Russia gaining its first significant victory in months, all eyes will now be on how Ukraine reacts on the battlefield to the claimed victory and whether it will retake Bakhmut or befuddle Russian troops elsewhere.   Ukraine is likely in a strong position for its long-anticipated counteroffensive after defending Bakhmut, which allowed its forces to grind down Russian power, military analysts have said for months.   Russia suffered 20,000 deaths alone since December, according to U.S. estimates, and Wagner Group bore many of those fatalities.   Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin heralded the capture of Bakhmut over the weekend but said his fighters would be withdrawing for now to regroup and resupply, which if true could limit future Russian offensive operations, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).   Read the full report at thehill.com. Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and in the future: Russia warns against F-16s for Ukraine, further NATO involvement in war Russia is warning the West of a "colossal risk" should nations supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, suggesting that it could raise the question of NATO’s role in the war.  President Biden on Friday told Group of Seven (G-7) leaders that the United States will support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, an effort expected to start soon outside Ukraine at sites in Europe. 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Learn more.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: FBI repeatedly misused surveillance tool, unsealed FISA order reveals The FBI repeatedly misused a surveillance tool in searching for foreign intelligence to use in cases pertaining to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and 2020 racial justice protests, according to an April 2022 court order publicly released Friday.  The order, which was released by the U.S. Foreign … Full Story On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The German Marshall Fund of the U.S. will hold the 2023 Brussels Forum discussion on "The Future of Russia - Potential Scenarios and Their Implications for International Security," with Assistant NATO Secretary-General for Public Diplomacy Baiba Braze, at 12 p.m. The Business Council for International Understanding will discuss "France's defense priorities, important developments in the EU and NATO on defense capabilities and the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine," with French Air and Space Force Maj. Gen. Bertrand Jardin, French defense attaché to the U.S., at 12:30 p.m. A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee will hold a hearing on "Examining the Fiscal Year 24 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request for Europe," at 2 p.m. A House Homeland Security subpanel will hear from U.S. officials on "A Security Sprint: Assessing the U.S. Homeland's Vulnerabilities to Chinese Communist Party Aggression," at 2 p.m. What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: Holding the line, ahead of Ukraine's counteroffensive, (Military Times)  After 5 months, B-2 bombers return to flying after mysterious fire and grounding, (Military.com) Why Bakhmut? It's a question as old as war, (The New York Times) Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: McCarthy has little room to maneuver in debt ceiling talks Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was narrowly elected Speaker in January after 15 ballots, is coming under heavy pressure from conservatives … Read more White House threatens to veto GOP measure blocking student loan debt relief program The White House on Monday threatened to veto a Republican-led bill in the House that would block the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness … Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Putin is following Brezhnev to a dead end What a debt default would mean for national security A call to arms: Defending America's soul in an age of extremism   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Defense page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? 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