SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Hey, good morning, everyone. I hope everyone had vacation weekend.
Sorry we’re beginning somewhat bit late this morning however been — been a crowded day from — for — for me, Senior Protection Official, as earlier than.
We’re on day 4 — 54 now. Greater than 660 missile launches because the begin of the invasion. Not an entire lot of main modifications to talk to since final time we talked on — on Thursday.
When it comes to complete battalion tactical teams that we might assess are inside Ukraine, they’re as much as 76. So I do know that is one of many first questions that was going to get requested, was have we seen extra reinforcements within the east, and the quick reply is sure, they’ve added, since final time you and I talked, about 11 battalion tactical teams.
Now look, I do not know the place all them — all — all of them are, I can not inform you they’re all within the Donbas, however all of the Russian forces are within the east or within the south. That’s the place they — they’re — bodily have floor forces. However precisely how these 11 are unfold out, I could not start to inform you, however they’ve added to their functionality inside Ukraine.
Now we have seen — effectively, let me simply begin geographically. So round Kharkiv, we do see continued bombing within the neighborhood of Kharkiv as Russian forces proceed to blockade the town. Now we have seen combating to the south and the southeast of Izyum, as we did final week. In order that — that’s unchanged.
Our evaluation in — is Mariupol continues to be contested, the Ukrainians proceed to — to push again on Russian forces which might be within the metropolis, and definitely Mariupol stays below risk from the air, each from — from missile strikes in addition to bombs from the air however even, you realize, in fact, artillery.
Once more, within the JFO, the heaviest combating is — is de facto — that we have seen is round Donetsk and a city referred to as Popasna. This — that is — that is the place there — there is a deal with artillery and — and — and airstrikes. So there’s — there’s fairly a little bit of energetic combating in — in these areas.
I might remind you that the Donbas has by no means not been with out energetic combating, even during the last eight years and definitely since this invasion, however that is the place we’re seeing that — that and — and combating round Izyum. When it comes to the Donbas areas, these are very energetic areas proper now. Mykolaiv down within the south has been now topic for the final a number of days to bombardment. Issues had been quiet there for some time however we’ve seen now some — some — some strikes there, airstrikes and artillery.
I do know you — chances are you’ll ask in regards to the — the — the imagery and social media in regards to the Moskva, on the — the — the ship burning. We have — we have seen that video, we will not independently confirm the — the — the — these pictures, however the — the photographs themselves comport with what we had assessed to be the injury carried out to this ship.
After which I do know you have all seen the video of the — of the crew — the surviving crew of the Moskva. We — we will not truly confirm that that — that that — that that is who they’re and even the date that that video was — was taken. So we — we will not inform you what number of survivors there have been or what number of sailors fell casualty to — to the ship sinking. We simply — we simply do not know.
In — within the air, we’ve — since — because the — we have seen that Russia — Russian lengthy vary aviation bombers have executed lengthy vary air launch cruise missile strikes on each Kyiv and Lviv during the last couple of days.
The — the — you realize, we — we do not know every part that was focused or what the entire injury was however our preliminary evaluation is that they have been going after — they have been going after primarily navy targets or what they believed to be navy targets, whether or not that is ammunition or — or — or hubs.
The Russians have been — during the last 24 hours, have been flying somewhat bit greater than 200 sorties. So once more, not completely all that totally different than what we have seen prior to now. Once more, heavy airstrikes in Mariupol.
Within the maritime setting, we nonetheless assess that the Russian Navy is sustaining a standoff distance from Odesa, not getting very shut within the wake of the Moskva’s sinking, and there is — the — the — the Ukrainians have reported that they consider that Russia is making preparations to land Marines — Russian Marines within the neighborhood of Mariupol. We will not — we — we will not affirm that independently however we’re actually not ready to — to dispute it. They do have some amphibious functionality actually in — within the Black Sea and within the — in — within the Sea of Azov. So it is — it is actually inside the — actually inside the realm of the doable there.
Let’s have a look at if I am — yeah, they might — they’ve — they have — based mostly on what we are able to see this morning, they have at the least one LST, a tank touchdown ship within the Sea of Azov, however they actually have others within the Black Sea. So we’ll — we’ve not seen any motion on that, but it surely’s — the Ukrainians have been speaking about that.
Simply when it comes to safety help circulation, based mostly on the final $800 million that the president licensed, this was — that we simply introduced final week, already there have been 4 flights from the USA arriving into the theater simply yesterday with a numerous quantity of apparatus.
I’m not going to element each flight for you and what’s on it. We’re simply not going to — have not carried out that and we’re not going to start out, however 4 flights have arrived within the area from the USA, and over the following 24 hours we consider that one other one will arrive, in order that can be 5 flights in nearly as many days since that $800 — $800 million, sorry, was introduced.
And I feel that is it. We’ll go to questions. Bob?
Q: Thanks. Relating to the Russians, Russians seem to have or at the least claiming that they’ve accelerated, expanded their airstrikes throughout the nation. Does it appear to be they’re setting the stage for imminent renewal and enlargement of the bottom defensive in Donbas or is there a connection there or are you seeing that growing? Thanks.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I feel, Bob, as many of the airstrike exercise and artillery continues to be within the east centered on the Donbas, Mariupol specifically. We did see some strikes in Kyiv and Lviv during the last 24 hours or so, however they have been I might say by exception, and we’re not seeing loads of different airstrike exercise elsewhere in Ukraine. Virtually all of the airstrike and artillery motion is within the Donbas or within the south by Mariupol.
So it is tough to say that that is some type of signal that, you realize, that there is an imminence right here. We nonetheless consider that the Russians are doing a good quantity of shaping. They’re nonetheless transferring in command and management, artillery, different enablers into the Donbas. And as I’ve mentioned because the final time we have talked, you realize, they’ve elevated their footprint by one other 11 BTGs in Ukraine. Once more, I do not know the place all of them are, however all of their troops are within the east or within the south.
The opposite factor to remembers is that they have fairly a little bit of floor forces in and round Mariupol as a result of they’re nonetheless combating for Mariupol. And so, you realize, ought to Mariupol fall to the Russians that may unlock, you realize, one other nearly a dozen battalion tactical teams for use elsewhere within the east and within the south. That is a giant if as a result of the Ukrainians are nonetheless combating very, very exhausting for Mariupol, however that is one other supply of manpower that they might use ought to it come to that.
Q: Thanks.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Sure. Howard Altman?
Q: Sure, thanks. Ukraine claims that financial sanctions are having a crippling impact on Russia’s skill to resupply its warfare effort. Are you seeing any proof of that? And in that case, what?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I feel proper now the — I wish to watch out right here even on background, however there was an have an effect on on Putin’s skill to restock and resupply notably within the — within the realm of elements to a few of his programs and his precision-guided munitions. I feel that is about so far as I am prepared to go, however they’ve already had — they’ve already confronted a problem when it comes to replenishing their inventories due to elements to a few of these programs, and that is already had a sensible impact on Putin.
The opposite factor that we, you realize, we all know that they — that they are working by their very own provide efforts and I ought to say the replenishment efforts with their very own protection contracting course of, and that that — that the — that they’ve issues about how briskly and the way a lot they will ramp up their very own home manufacturing of protection articles and that the — the sanctions are having an have an effect on on their skill to try this.
Jeff Schogol?
Q: Thanks, and I will caveat this by saying I have never seen the place the supply of this declare, however I noticed on Twitter over the weekend claims that when the Moskva sank it had nuclear weapons aboard. Is that this one thing — can the Protection Division say whether or not it has any indications that the Moskva had nuclear weapons on board when it went down?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Jeff, we’ve no indications that there have been nuclear weapons on board the Moskva when it went down.
Q: Thanks.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Sure. Pierre?
Q: (inaudible), on one of many maps by the — we are able to see that there’s an space west of Mariupol, north of a metropolis referred to as Berdyans’ok, however it’s an space the place you might see that the Ukrainians are occupying and space however they appear to be like seized or surrounded by Russians. Do you have got any feedback on this? Are they actually in dangerous form on this space?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Berdyans’ok is down the coast from Mariupol. Now we have — I am not — you realize, we way back assessed that Berdyans’ok was largely in Russian management. I do not know what number of — if any I do not know what number of Ukrainian troops could be there, and I simply haven’t got that stage of element, Pierre, however Berdyans’ok was — as you realize it was after they carried out their first amphibious touchdown a number of weeks in the past they landed to the southeast of — I am sorry, southwest of Berdyans’ok and moved upward the coast and took Berdyans’ok on their solution to Mariupol. Now we have assessed it in Russian management for fairly a while.
Q: I do perceive this, (inaudible), should you do not thoughts. What I am making an attempt to say is that there’s an space north of this metropolis the place it exhibits there are Ukrainian troops they usually could also be surrounded.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I simply do not — I haven’t got that —
Q: Okay.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: — stage of element. I am sorry, Pierre.
Q: Thanks. Don’t fret.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Sure. Idrees?
Q: Okay. Two fast questions. There’s some stuff with the Russian Protection Ministry claimed it shot down a aircraft carrying western weapons inside Ukraine. Any contingent of weapons that you’ve got equipped that you’ve got seen been hit by Russia? And should you can present an replace on the place you might be when it comes to making a call on coaching Ukrainians on a few of the programs you are sending over.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Sure, simply I’ve seen no — no reporting that we have seen that signifies that — that western weapons on an plane have been shot down by the Russians. So I’ve nothing on that. I’ve not seen something on that.
And as for the coaching, I might simply inform you that Common Wolters continues to work this very, very exhausting. There are — with out moving into the small print of it I imply we — we do have some — we’ve made some progress when it comes to — when it comes to organising some coaching for Ukrainians, these are practice the practice the trainers.
So coaching trainers exterior of Ukraine in coming days on the — on the howitzers particularly. In order that’s going to maneuver ahead right here very quickly and we’re clearly exploring different choices for different programs as effectively.
And even when there must be further coaching for the howitzers we’re actually taking a look at that as effectively. So there is a vary of choices which might be nonetheless being explored. However their — however what we do count on to have the ability to transfer ahead right here in — within the subsequent few days on coaching trainers on the howitzers, once more, exterior of Ukraine and that is about as a lot element as I am actually prepared to enter at this level.
Barbara Starr.
Q: You mentioned that you don’t have anything on an plane U.S. or western weapons being shot down. However within the airstrikes that we’ve seen on sight inside Ukraine, do you have got info that any of the weapons you — the U.S. or the allies had offered had been in — in retailer — not out within the discipline getting used however both in meeting level storage or in the event that they transfer in to Ukraine, have any of these been focused by the Russians and focused efficiently?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Not — not that we all know of, Barb. We — we do assume that they have been aiming for navy targets in Lviv and for — and Kyiv however no indications that they hit any storage or any shipments of western help moving into.
Q: However have been they concentrating on them, do you assume?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I feel — you realize what I’ve been — I’ve been very cautious to not discuss Russian concentrating on. I imply we do not — we simply do not — we’re not inside that call transfer, Barb. We — we do not know what —
Q: Okay.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: — how they’re concentrating on upfront. All I can do is inform you what we see within the second and we noticed strikes in Kyiv and Lviv. We — we consider that they have been towards navy targets however how profitable — as I mentioned originally, the — the injury assessments we do not know and I do not — I — it is — it is tough for us to get particularly into the Russian mindset right here, when it comes to how — what they select to focus on.
Q: And simply to be clear, if you have been speaking about coaching on howitzers, to ensure I perceive, you are saying it’s going to, might, no matter but it surely — it’s going to begin occurring within the subsequent few days?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: We consider we’re going to have the ability to begin this coaching within the subsequent a number of days. It will — it’s going to be simply the preliminary — preliminary efforts. There — there could also be further ones elsewhere and at different instances however we mentioned we knew what we would have liked — we mentioned that we have been going to maneuver out shortly on this and we’ve. And there’ll — you realize we’ll discover different choices going ahead however we count on inside the subsequent a number of days to start some coaching on — for trainers, Ukrainian trainers, on the — howitzers particularly.
Q: And we’ll put in a bid for press protection at that.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I am positive you’ll. Heather?
Q: Thanks a lot. I used to be questioning should you might say something in regards to the thought of who might need shot down the Moskva whether it is in reality the Ukrainians, or if it was a fireplace because the Russians mentioned? And if the shelling on Kharkiv and Kyiv have been because of the Russians making an attempt to get again on the Ukrainians?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I’m not — I am not going to get into extra element in regards to the sinking of the Moskva, what — or what precipitated it, Heather. And — and I can not say with — with certainty what — what prompted or impressed their or as I mentioned to Barb, what — what the rationale was behind the strikes they carried out in — in Kyiv and Lviv when it comes to, you realize, your query about whether or not that was type of a retaliatory strike.
Once more, I — we — we — we do not have excellent visibility into the Russian mindset right here. David Martin?
Q: Have you ever seen any try by the Russians to get better the Moskva? And in the course of the time when it was — after it was hit and making an attempt to make its solution to port, did you observe any lifeboats and in that case, you realize, what sort of — what number of might they maintain?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I’ve no — we — we have seen no efforts by the Russians to attempt to as you place it get better the Moskva. I imply, this can be a cruiser of some 600 toes. That — that may be an infinite engineering activity to — to attempt to carry that ship as much as the floor. We have seen no indication that they’ve — have proven any curiosity in doing that.
I might inform you that simply — sure, we did see indications that there have been some survivors off of the Moskva. There have been lifeboats put within the water. And there was sailors in these lifeboats. However we — we — we’re not capable of give an ideal depend of — of what number of. And it was only a snapshot in time, that does not imply that there weren’t further lifeboats put in after we had an opportunity to look.
Or what turned of — of these survivors. So we — we simply — we simply do not know. We — we — we do consider that there have been survivors from the ship, and it — it is exhausting to take a look at the injury that was carried out with out typically assuming that there have been additionally casualties. That she misplaced sailors, what number of we simply do not know.
Jack Detsch, International Coverage.
Q: Hey, (inaudible), I am questioning how the Pentagon is characterizing the combating exterior of Izyum? There have been stories of Ukrainian counterattacks presumably taking initiative and even stressing Russian street entry. I am questioning should you’re seeing that from — out of your vantage level?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: What we’re seeing is — is an effective little bit of — of — as I mentioned on the prime, Jack, little bit of heavy combating to south and southeast of Izyum. Now, that is been pretty constant over the previous couple of days. I imply, even on Thursday once I final talked to you guys we talked in regards to the combating round Izyum.
This can be a — is — should you simply have a look at the geography, it is essential to the Donbas area as a result of it type of lies nearly on the — the western fringe of it.
And — and — and also you — you — they — they’ve needed to maneuver by and to the south and southeast of Izyum, in the direction of Sloviansk and Popasna — and Popasna, we talked about there being heavy combating there. So it’s of a chunk of the Russian effort to form of lower off that northern a part of the Donbas and to repair Ukrainian forces there.
I — I can not inform you, Jack, with any certainty about counterattacks. I imply, I — I did not — we simply haven’t got that stage of constancy, however once more, I — I — I hasten to remind that the Donbas area has been a sizzling warfare for eight years, each side have traded geography with some violence during the last eight years, and the Ukrainians do have a — a not insignificant pressure posture there and they’re — and they’re combating.
So it’s actually not out of the realm that the — that there may very well be — that there have been Ukrainian counterattacks close to Izyum, given the truth that we do consider there’s been loads of heavy combating there. I simply cannot, you realize, particularly confirm, you realize, a counterattack in a sure neighborhood or a sure area, however there was loads of energetic — energetic combating there.
Q: Thanks. After which only one actually shortly on — on Mariupol. I — I do know you mentioned that the Russians would unlock 11 BTGs if — in the event that they have been to grab it. Is — is that this marketing campaign taking away any vitality from — from the Russians presumably going after the Donbas or forcing them to spend extra time on — on shaping operations that you’ve got described?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: It is tough to know, Jack, and that is a terrific query. What we — you realize, we do not know if — if the Russians are pondering linearly, like, in a — in a linear means, like, “Okay, we have to get Mariupol first after which we are able to begin turning all our vitality on the Donbas,” or in the event that they’re making an attempt — or in the event that they’re — they’re pondering extra in parallel. We — we — you realize, I — I — I do know it isn’t satisfying however we simply do not know the — the Russian pondering right here.
They do have a couple of dozen BTGs dedicated to Mariupol, each out and in of the town, and may Mariupol fall to them, then clearly they might not — they might not want these dozen BTGs to remain there they usually might apply them elsewhere, however as to what their planning is, we simply — we simply do not know.
Kasim?
Q:(Inaudible), thanks. So I’ve truly a query about — a comply with up on Moskva. On — on Friday, a protection official confirmed that in — the ship was hit by two Neptune missiles, which factors fingers to Ukrainians. Do you have got any perception what triggered Ukrainians to strike that particular ship? And did it provide you with the mil-to-mil communications between United States and Ukraine? And I’ve one other one.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I — I do not — I — I — I haven’t got something extra to supply on the Moskva sinking right now, Kasim. Go forward, what’s your second one?
Q: And — yeah, I — was there any form of U.S. contribution or enter — tactical enter with respect to putting of Moskva?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I should not have something extra to supply on the Moskva sinking right now, Kasim.
Q: Thanks.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Okay, transferring on. Tony?
Q: Hello, (inaudible). I’ve a — a non-Moskva query right here. Have the sources of the 155 howitzers been recognized? Are these going to be Army or Marine? And after they would possibly begin truly being shipped?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Sure, they’ve been recognized. It will be a mixture of Army and Marine. And I am not going to get into the — I — I simply — I am not going to get right into a each day blow-by-blow on — on what flight they’re getting on, Tony, however I can guarantee you that — that — that we’re transferring with all haste to get them there and — and we count on that they will be transferring quickly, however they’re going to be coming from totally different areas in the USA from Army and Marines and we’ll — we’ll get them there as quick as we are able to.
Q: Okay. On the — on the $300 million Ukrainian safety help initiative that you just guys introduced on April 1st, I seen that AeroVironment, the maker of the Puma UAV, obtained a $20 — $20 million contract on Thursday. Is that this the primary contract from the $300 million initiative fund? And if sure, when do you count on extra to be signed? Probably this week for — like, for Switchblades and laser-guided rockets, et cetera?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Tony, I’ll need to take your query there trigger I simply do not know the reply to it. So we’ll — I — we’ll — we’ll see what we are able to discover out.
Q: All proper. Can I get yet another on — that you just would possibly be capable of reply? There’s been loads of hypothesis that the Donbas battle goes to be like a World Warfare II basic kind of armor formations. Are you seeing massed armor alongside in Russia, able to strike into the Donbas space, or is the Pentagon pondering principally that tanks or armor formations would principally come from these within the battalion tactical teams?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I imply, I — I — it isn’t that — we’re — I — I — I would not say that we’re seeing massed, you realize, columns of tanks on the — on the — on the opposite facet of the border. What we’ve seen over the previous couple of days is them proceed to attempt to set the circumstances. We referred to as it “shaping operations.” They’re transferring in — they’re transferring in heavy artillery, they’re transferring in command and management enablers, they’re transferring in aviation, notably rotary aviation assist.
They’re — it seems as if they’re making an attempt to study from the failed classes of the north, the place they did not have correct sustainment capabilities within the space they have been about to function. We do assess that, be — due to the geography in that a part of Ukraine, that — that there can be a reliance on armored capabilities and — and artillery, however I — I haven’t got, you realize, particular person actions of — of tank columns to — to talk to. Once more, they’ve already obtained quite a bit obtainable to them.
And — and once more, I — I feel I would just — would depart it at that. They’ve moved in a further 11 battalion tactical teams into Ukraine over the previous couple of days. We — we’ve to imagine, Tony, that a few of them have armor capabilities that — that — that aren’t — that they’re — that they’re — that — that they symbolize mixed arms capabilities and never simply — you realize, not simply infantry or not simply armor or not simply artillery.
However once more, we simply haven’t got a — a — much more visibility than — than that.
Q: Okay. Thanks very a lot.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah. Eric Schmitt?
Q: Are you able to give any extra element about these 11 BTGs? Are they a few of the items that got here out of the north that have been both replenished or reconstituted or maybe are they augmented by a few of these new conscripts which have been referred to as up? Any extra element about simply the weather that make up these 11 BTGs and simply how fight prepared you guys assess they’re?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: No, we do not. I imply, we do not — we — I — I can not inform you how — how — how they — who these guys are, the place they got here from, whether or not they have been refit from different ones that have been extra depleted. I — we — we simply haven’t got that stage of — of element.
We do assess that there is nonetheless about 22 BTGs that aren’t dedicated, which might be — which might be most likely, in some type or trend, going by refit and resupply to the north of Ukraine, however I — I could not inform you extra element about how they manned up these 11 and the place they got here from.
Tom Bowman? I’ll need to scoot right here just some minutes’ guys. Tom Bowman?
Q: Yeah, getting again to the long-range bombers, are they flying over Belarus or Russian airspace or the Ukrainian airspace, primary? And in addition, with Mariupol, is the town fully surrounded or are any provides getting in, maybe, from the north to the defenders?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I do not learn about provide traces into Mariupol, I haven’t got something on that, Tom. And I couldn’t — I am trying right here to see if we’ve the place the long-range aviation, you realize, what — what their flight path is. I simply haven’t got something on that both, I am afraid. I am sorry.
Q: Sure, however as a far — is Mariupol, is it surrounded? Do we all know?
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I imply, it is — it — it — the Russians are throughout the town they usually’re within the metropolis. I imply, it is — it is — it isn’t about surrounding it. They’re — they’re combating within the metropolis.
Q: Proper.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: And it is being fairly effectively continued — proceed all to be shellacked by airstrikes and artillery. We might characterize Mariupol as each contested and remoted, let’s put it that means.
Q: Received it. Okay.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Okay, Luis Martinez. I feel, Luis, you are going to have be my final one right now. I am sorry.
Q: Thanks, (inaudible). Since we have been speaking about social media earlier, there’s, you realize, some movies out over the weekend that confirmed some Russian Tu-160 bombers flying at low-level flights over Ukraine — I imply over Russia.
Some individuals are intend — assume that is a message, others assume it is simply working towards for the Might ninth victory parade. What’s your tackle it? And have Tu-160s been concerned in launching missiles into Ukraine as a stand-off place? Thanks.
SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I’m not seeing Tu-160s concerned within the air ops. I’ve not seen that video, so I can not confirm what it means or what that pertains. However, of the strikes that we have been speaking about during the last a number of days we’re — we’re not accessing that they got here from Tu-160s.
Okay, everyone, I am afraid I’ll need to name it quits there. I feel we’re up on the podium later right now. Sorry I could not get everyone; I solely missed just a few of you, but it surely’s simply been that form of day and I’ve obtained some commitments right here I’ve obtained to get to.
So, we’ll see you somewhat bit later. Out of right here.
