May 1st, 2025: Inside Ukraine’s Deadly Assassination Program & U.K. Joins Houthi Fight
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It's Thursday, the 1st of May. Well, look at that. It's a brand new month. We survived April. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed.

We'll start things off in Kyiv, where officials are now confirming that Ukraine was behind the bombing that killed a top Russian general in Moscow. It's just the latest strike in Ukraine's deadly assassination program. And today, we'll look at what's behind Kyiv's increasingly aggressive playbook.

Later in the show, the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, with the Pakistani government claiming it has intelligence that says India will launch military strikes within the next 36 hours. Plus, the United Kingdom has joined the U.S. offensive against the Houthis in Yemen, launching airstrikes for the first time in the campaign against the terrorist group.

And in today's back of the brief, just days after Moscow finally admitted that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian forces, that was not a well-kept secret, new intelligence reveals the staggering number of casualties that they've suffered on the front lines in Ukraine. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

As Vladimir Putin continues to drag out his war against Ukraine, leaders in Kyiv continue to bring the fight against Moscow's top brass directly to Russian soil. Ukraine has now officially taken credit for the targeted killing of Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik in a bombing near Moscow. This strike is just the latest demonstration of

of an increasingly potent weapon in Ukraine's arsenal, a lethal assassination program capable of reaching deep inside Russian territory, sending a message to the Kremlin, of course, that nobody is safe.

Ukraine's intelligence service, also known as the SBU, reportedly pulled off the assassination on the 25th of April using a remotely detonated explosive device placed inside a parked Volkswagen in the city of Balashchika, situated less than 20 miles outside of the Russian capital. The blast was triggered just as Moskalik was passing by the vehicle, killing him instantly. That's according to a report from the Kyiv Post.

The circumstances suggest that Moskalik's movements were being closely tracked by Ukraine, demonstrating a level of sophistication on the part of Kyiv's intelligence service that likely has left Russian officials very rattled. Ukrainian President Zelensky marked the general's death on Monday by saying, quote, justice inevitably comes. While Ukrainian officials have not discussed the details of the operation that took out Moskalik, Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, a

arrested a suspect shortly after the explosion. He was identified as 42-year-old Nat Kazin, reportedly a national of Azerbaijan. If the FSB's account is to be believed, Kazin recently purchased the Volkswagen from a Russian citizen and worked with Ukrainian intelligence services to plant a homemade bomb inside it. They further claim he obtained the explosive components from a cache that had been prepared in advance,

in the Moscow region by Ukrainian intelligence, demonstrating, of course, the SBU's ability to leverage assets operating inside the heart of Russia.

The loss of Moskalik, who had worked at the highest levels of the Russian military for some 40 years, represents a major blow for the Kremlin. At the time of his death, he was serving as deputy chief of the Russian general staff's main operational directorate, tasked with planning and coordinating military operations, including selecting civilian targets inside Ukraine for attack. As we've been tracking closely here on the PDB,

The Russian military has been targeting Ukrainian civilians for some time, most recently killing a dozen in a strike on an apartment block in Kyiv.

Roman Kostenko, Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security Committee, confirmed the assassination in a recent interview, stating that they are specifically targeting all individuals involved in war crimes against Ukraine, including any officials who have fired at civilians, launched missiles, or analyzed targets, along with those who gave the orders. He said, quote, this will become the primary mission of our intelligence services and the SBU

to ensure these people are punished no matter where they are. They should be afraid even to leave their homes, let alone leave the territory of the Russian Federation."

We should note that Kostenko's words are far from an empty threat. Due to Russia's tactics against Ukrainian civilians, Kyiv has increasingly prioritized the targeted assassination of Russian military leaders. Moskalik's death follows that of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in December. Kirillov, who served as the chief of Russia's nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was killed when a bomb concealed in a scooter detonated outside his Moscow apartment building.

He had been targeted over his role in overseeing some 4,800 incidents involving the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. According to the BBC, the killing shocked Russia's military and political establishment, leaving Kremlin leadership feeling vulnerable in their own capital for the first time since the war began. That assassination came just five days after a leading Russian missile scientist

was shot dead in a forest outside Moscow in an attack linked to Ukraine's military intelligence service. Those killings followed the assassination of a senior Russian naval commander implicated in civilian attacks in a car bomb explosion in November. Other notable suspected assassinations include that of Ilya Kiva, a pro-Russian former Ukrainian MP who was shot dead in a village outside Moscow in December of 2023.

Earlier that year, Russian propagandist Vladlan Tatarskiy, a vocal advocate for attacks on civilian infrastructure, was killed at a café in St. Petersburg when a bomb placed inside a sculpture detonated.

All right. Before we go to break, a quick reminder to check out and hopefully subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can find that at President's Daily Brief. Now, we're rapidly approaching 100,000 subscribers, at which point the PDB team will hop into a fancy RV and drive to every subscriber's home to deliver homemade cookies, take selfies, and say thank you.

Okay, fair enough. That probably will not happen. But we will celebrate with a live stream and other swell stuff. All right, coming up next, Pakistan warns of an imminent Indian military strike, and the UK joins US airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. I'll be right back.

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As we discussed earlier this week on the PDB, Pakistan's defense minister has warned of an imminent Indian military incursion. Now, Islamabad claims it possesses intelligence that says India plans to launch a military strike within the next 36 hours. In a rare middle-of-the-night post on X, the Pakistani information minister declared on Wednesday, "Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to carry out military action against Pakistan in

in the next 36 hours." He did not provide supporting evidence, and Indian officials, at least for now, remain silent. The warning follows a dramatic escalation of tensions a week after 26 tourists were massacred in Indian-administered Kashmir. That grisly attack has put enormous political pressure on Indian Prime Minister Modi to respond forcefully. New Delhi was quick to point the finger at Islamabad,

accusing Pakistan of supporting the gunmen that are linked to the resistance front The Islamist terror group initially claimed responsibility on social media then abruptly walked it back days later alleging their channels were hacked by Indian intelligence India has dismissed the about-face as a cynical ploy

Pakistan, meanwhile, has denied involvement and called for a neutral investigation. But with trust between the two nuclear-armed neighbors reaching historic lows, few believe a diplomatic breakthrough is anywhere on the horizon. Since the attack, cross-border fire has erupted nightly along what's known as the Line of Control, the disputed, heavily militarized boundary dividing Kashmir. It's a familiar pattern.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947, two of them in this same region. Their last major military flare-up came in 2019 when India launched airstrikes inside Pakistan. Following a suicide bombing, they killed 40 Indian paramilitary officers. With public anger mounting and Modi vowing to pursue the attackers "to the ends of the earth,"

Fears are growing that New Delhi could order a similar operation. The Pakistani information minister warned that any Indian military action would be met, quote, assuredly and decisively, signaling that Islamabad is prepared to retaliate.

The rhetoric isn't just noise, it is being backed up. Pakistani security sources told CNN that their forces shot down an Indian surveillance drone on Tuesday, allegedly flying over disputed airspace. New Delhi has yet to confirm or deny that claim. Meanwhile, India's Navy announced successful long-range missile tests earlier this week, saying the launches were meant to "revalidate and demonstrate readiness for offensive strike operations."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged restraint and said he plans to speak with both Indian and Pakistani counterparts as soon as possible. And State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday, quote, we are reaching out to both parties and telling them not to escalate the situation, end quote.

China also weighed in, with its foreign minister warning that any conflict, quote, "would not serve the fundamental interests of each side" and risked further destabilizing South Asia, according to China's state broadcaster. As both sides continue to exchange accusations and warnings, the line of control is again bracing for the possibility of open conflict.

Alright, shifting to Yemen. The British military joined the U.S. in a fresh wave of airstrikes on Houthi targets late Tuesday, marking a significant expansion of Washington's campaign to cripple the Iran-backed terror group. This latest strike, under what's known as American Operation Roughrider, targeted what officials described as a drone manufacturing hub near the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

The strikes were an effort to degrade the Houthis' capacity to both threaten international shipping lanes and to continue launching drone and missile attacks on Israel. The British Ministry of Defense further elaborated, stating that Royal Air Force Typhoons, that's a multi-rolled fighter jet, struck, quote, a cluster of buildings about 15 miles south of Sana'a, allegedly used to assemble drones of the same type responsible for ongoing attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

RAF crews deployed precision-guided bombs, each packing a 500-pound punch, during the nighttime operation, which officials insisted was scheduled to minimize civilian casualties. Casualty and damage estimates remain under wraps. The joint operation came just days after an alleged American airstrike on Monday slammed into a detention center, killing at least 68 people and wounding dozens more. The Pentagon says it's investigating the claim.

Meanwhile, an 18th of April U.S. bombing of the Rosisa fuel port killed 74 and wounded over 170 in the deadliest strike of the campaign to date.

While the UK had previously taken part in strikes under the Biden administration, this marks Britain's first military action under President Trump's administration. Notably, there was not much elaboration from Washington regarding the joint airstrikes. U.S. Central Command made no mention of Britain's involvement, sticking to its continued practice of limited disclosures, even as it racks up more than 1,000 airstrikes since 15th of March, that's according to the Pentagon.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey defended the strike, calling it a necessary response to what he described as a "persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation." He pointed to a 55% drop in Red Sea shipping, warning that it's already cost billions and is "fueling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK." Additional strikes were also reported around Sa'ada, the Houthis' northern stronghold.

As we previously reported on the PDB, the aircraft carriers Truman and Vinson have served as the primary launch platforms for the Sustained American Air campaign, operating in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, respectively. The ongoing strikes are part of a broader American effort to degrade the Houthi's military capabilities and secure one of the world's most vital maritime trade corridors, after months of Houthi attacks on commercial and naval vessels.

Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief, new intel reveals just how many North Korean troops have been killed or wounded fighting for Russia on the front lines in Ukraine.

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In today's Back of the Brief, just days after Moscow and Pyongyang officially confirmed what the world already knew, that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, we're now getting a clearer picture of the cost. South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, the NIS, told lawmakers Wednesday that an estimated 4,700 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded on the front lines. That includes roughly 600 confirmed deaths,

Most of the injured, around 2,000 soldiers, were repatriated to North Korea between January and March, flown or shipped back by train. As for the dead, they were reportedly cremated in Russia before their remains were returned home to North Korea.

Now, this isn't the first time that South Korea has raised the alarm. In January, the NIS said around 300 North Korean soldiers had died and 2,700 had been injured. That number has steadily risen, with Seoul's latest update pushing the total casualty estimate past 4,000 just last month and now 4,700. So, what is Kim Jong-un getting in return for sending his troops to die in a war that's not his?

According to the NAS, well, he's getting quite a bit. The agency believes Russia has sent North Korea air defense systems, electronic warfare tools, drones, and satellite launch technology. And that's not all. Seoul says about 15,000 North Korean laborers have also been deployed to Russia under so-called industrial cooperation programs.

On the weapons front, the NIS says North Korea has supplied Russia with missiles and artillery worth billions of dollars. But, interestingly, there's no evidence that Russia is paying for those arms with direct cash transfers, at least not yet.

As we reported earlier this week, North Korea publicly declared it had sent troops to help, quote, annihilate what it called Ukrainian pro-Nazis and to liberate Russian territory. Oh. Putin responded by thanking Kim and promising that the sacrifices of North Korean soldiers would not be forgotten. Well, that's nice on Putin's part. Both leaders point to their 2024 mutual defense treaty as justification for the deployment.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 1st of May. I hope your April was lovely, and I hope your May will be delightful. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. To listen to the show ad-free, well, you can do that simply by becoming a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.

Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.