Pentagon brass weighs major expansion in training for Ukraine's military, a move that could significantly enhance its ability to oust Russia from occupied areas even as it deepens US involvement in the war.

Via @DanLamothe & @karendeyoung1 washingtonpost.com/national-secur… (h/t cnn) @DanLamothe @karendeyoung1 The plan, under discussion for weeks, per senior U.S. defense officials, would build on the billions of dollars in weaponry & other aid Washington has provided Ukraine by showing its military how to wage a more sophisticated campaign against the struggling Russian army.

Inbox —> Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke today w/ his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, and “emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication.”

Full readout: Noting too that Austin spoke today w/ Ukraine’s defense minister. DOD’s readout:

“The Russians are in trouble,” one US official said bluntly.

“The question will be how the Russians will react, but their weaknesses have been exposed.”

New from ⁦@shaneharris⁩ & ⁦@nakashimae⁩ washingtonpost.com/national-secur… @shaneharris @nakashimae These maps show Ukraine’s latest victories against Russia washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/…

A U.S. official tells ⁦The Post’s @DanLamothe that⁩ it appeared Ukrainian forces had carried out a strike using a weapon not provided by the United States. washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/… Re: Tuesday’s attack on the Russian base in Crimea. It’s worth noting a few things we reported last week, as Moscow threatens to annex additional occupied territory in Ukraine.

1) Restrictions on what Ukraine may/may not do with US-provided weapons.

New --> FBI removed ~12 boxes that had been in a basement storage area. Trump's lawyer said the warrant indicated agents were investigating possible violations of laws dealing w/ the handling of classified material & the Presidential Records Act. washingtonpost.com/national-secur… One adviser who spoke to Trump after the search said the former president sounded buoyed by the development, thought it would help him politically.

“It furthers his inclination to run and galvanizes the Republican base on his behalf.”

Women, children & the elderly are inside the sprawling Azovstal iron/steelworks plant in Mariupol, seeking safety in the battered port city, per local police, meaning Ukrainian fighters & civilians now are holed up in one of the last pockets of resistance. washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/… Re: the Moskova sinking -->

One Russian sailor’s mother says her surviving son told her ~40 people died — and many were wounded and missing.

"He calls me and cries from what he saw. It was scary. It is clear that not everyone survived" Via @JeanneWhalen washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/…

News --> Pentagon: After the explosion aboard the Moskva, US has observed 4 or 5 other Russian warships have repositioned farther from the shore

Could have been a missile, a mine or mishap involving ammo on board that triggered the blast

Via @DanLamothe washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/… @DanLamothe Pentagon: Appears the Moskova continues to operate under its own power as it's limped away for repairs. Did not require a tow, US says, contradicting Ukrainian claims that the vessel sank.

Breaking --> Another $800 million in US arms to Ukraine, per Biden.

"These new capabilities include artillery systems, artillery rounds, and armored personnel carriers. I have also approved the transfer of additional helicopters." Especially notable that Biden says additional helicopters will be transferred to Ukraine as part of this next military aid package from the US.

As The Post reported Tues., Russian-made Mi-17s were among the items on a preliminary list but later expressly ruled out by DOD.

Ukraine says it has about 7,000 unclaimed Russian corpses in morgues & refrigerated rail cars.

Officials say Kyiv's figure of 18,600 Russian dead was based on battlefield reports & intercepted military communications. washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/… “Russian or not Russian, we treated the bodies with dignity.”

News --> S-300 air defense systems from Slovakia to Ukraine.

In exchange, the US will move a Patriot missile battery and troops to Slovakia.

Here's Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin --> Here's an Army fact sheet on Patriot air defense systems:

* 90 soldiers assigned to a battery
* 3 soldiers required to operate the system history.redstone.army.mil/miss/patriot/p…

Now --> The Senate is voting on Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court c-span.org/video/?519353-… You can follow The @washingtonpost's coverage of Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation vote here: washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/…

Today --> NATO members agree to ‘strengthen’ support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg says

“This war may last for weeks but also months and possibly also for years, and, therefore, we need to prepare for a long haul.” washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/… Milley tells Congress just now that Ukraine needs more armor & more artillery as Russia shifts its focus to the east.

Says US is working with allies to find systems Ukrainians know how to use, as US equipment would require months of training — time they don't have.

Pentagon spox on the "very small" Russian troop movements away from Kyiv:

"We're not prepared to call this a retreat or a withdrawal." Adds: "The vast majority of [Russian] forces assembled around Kyiv are still there"

New —> Russia asks China for weapons, U.S. officials say

“If Beijing is offering any type of military assistance to aid Moscow’s war in Ukraine, the spillover effects on U.S.-China policy could be vast.”

washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/… Full story here: wapo.st/3q2zl8t

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said he was not aware of any such request for assistance. “I’ve never heard of that,” he said in an email to The Washington Post.

NEWS --> Manhattan district attorney seizes evidence from the former daughter-in-law of Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg. Three boxes of financial records and a laptop. Via @shaynajacobs & @Fahrenthold washingtonpost.com/national-secur… 'The move by District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. appears to be the latest sign that Allen Weisselberg, the company’s highest-ranking officer who is not a member of the Trump family, is a key focus of the ongoing criminal probe into the former president’s financial dealings.'

The Washington Post homepage right now: washingtonpost.com/politics/joe-b… And our friends have we at the New York Times: nytimes.com/2020/11/07/us/…

‘Gleeson wrote that judges are empowered to protect their court’s integrity “from prosecutors who undertake corrupt, politically motivated dismissals. That is what has happened here.” ... washingtonpost.com/local/legal-is… ... “The Government has engaged in highly irregular conduct to benefit a political ally of the President.”

“This strike went forward with no notification or consultation with Congress.” ‘In Baghdad, according to officials familiar with the situation, diplomats at the sprawling U.S. Embassy began packing bags in the event of a potential evacuation order.’ Latest on the Soleimani strike is here: washingtonpost.com/world/national…

'Taylor is a potentially damaging witness for Trump because he appears to have no political/ personal incentive to protect the administration. Unlike other State Dept witnesses, he has neither his govt career nor his personal standing with Trump at stake.' washingtonpost.com/powerpost/dipl… Big update -->

William Taylor tells impeachment investigators that he was told the release of Ukraine aid was contingent on a public declaration to investigate Bidens, 2016 election

Developing here: washingtonpost.com/powerpost/dipl…

1/ 37% of Americans favor starting the process while 56% say they oppose.

I was curious whether there is any historical data to compare these figures to the Nixon/Clinton eras, so I asked out polling director, @sfcpoll ... wapo.st/2V0biK4?tid=ss… 2/ Scott pointed me to two sources.

In the first, we see that Americans's support for impeaching Clinton never rose above 41%. See Page 2 here: washingtonpost.com/context/washin…

New --> The Post's @DevlinBarrett w/ an exclusive look at FBI data.

Arrests in domestic terror probes outpace those inspired by Islamic extremists
washingtonpost.com/world/national… @DevlinBarrett Important context for today's story looking at domestic terrorism arrests --> washingtonpost.com/world/national…