PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 3rd, 2024: Las Vegas Green Beret Bomber Revealed & Elite Ukrainian Troops Go AWOL

It's Friday, 3 January. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Today, we'll start off with what we've learned about the man behind Wednesday's Cybertruck bombing outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Later in the show, we'll dig into reports of a mass desertion by Western-trained Ukrainian soldiers, hundreds of whom reportedly went AWOL without firing a shot. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. I want to bring you the latest on the Cybertruck bombing outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas that took place on New Year's Day.

Now authorities have identified the driver of the explosive laden Tesla Cybertruck as 37-year-old Matthew Allen Leibelsberger. Now he's an active duty U.S. Army service member from Colorado. Officials say that Leibelsberger, a decorated green beret, was identified at the scene using his tattoos, credit cards, military ID, and passport.

He was found dead inside the truck from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A Desert Eagle 50-caliber pistol was recovered in the vehicle.

Leibelsberger had recently returned from an overseas assignment in Germany and was on approved leave at the time of the incident. He had served in the army since 2006 and amassed an impressive service record. Among his decorations were five bronze stars, one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an army accommodation medal with valor.

He had deployed twice to Afghanistan and also served in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia, and the Congo, according to the Associated Press. Law enforcement is working to piece together a motive, but early indications suggest this was likely a suicide rather than an act of terrorism.

Investigators are exploring Leibelsberger's personal life, which appears to have been in turmoil. Sources told the Post that his wife, with whom he shares a baby daughter, broke up with him just a week before the incident. She reportedly confronted him over alleged infidelity, leading him to leave their Colorado Springs home the day after Christmas. One relative said his wife had not heard from him in several days after he left.

After leaving Colorado, Leibelsberger rented the Tesla Cybertruck via the Turo app and made his way to Las Vegas. Now that's the same app used by the man who carried out the terror attack in New Orleans just hours earlier.

On New Year's Day, he parked the truck in front of the Trump International Hotel and detonated the explosives stashed inside. The blast caused significant damage to the hotel's facade and injured three people, but miraculously, the explosion resulted in no other fatalities.

While authorities continue to investigate the incident, they have not ruled out terrorism as a potential motive. However, the emerging evidence, including rivals, burgers, personal struggles and apparent suicide, points more strongly to essentially a tragic end for a soldier who served his country for almost two decades.

Coming up next, the story of a Ukrainian brigade trained and armed by the West, now facing accusations of mass desertion before serving in combat. More on that after the break.

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Welcome back to the PDB afternoon bulletin. Turning now to Ukraine, where troubling reports have emerged about a mass desertion within one of the country's newest elite military brigades. Ukrainian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into allegations of desertion and abuse of power after hundreds of soldiers reportedly fled an army unit that was partly trained by France.

This infantry brigade, named Anne of Keve after an 11th century Keve princess who became a French queen, is made up of roughly 5,800 soldiers. It was intended to be a showcase of Western military support and training.

The brigade spent nine months preparing in Western Ukraine, Poland, and France. During this time, it gained significant attention. French President Emmanuel Macron even met with members of the unit during a publicized visit to a French military base back in October. Equipped with advanced Western weaponry, the brigade was well-armed and well-equipped. And the unit's mission was clear, bringing Western-style battlefield tactics and hardware to the front lines.

By November, the brigade was deemed ready for deployment with French officials confident that these Ukrainian troops had been adequately trained to confront the Russian forces. However, reports indicate that the brigade has faced significant internal challenges, including incompetent and corrupt command.

The Ukrainian journalist revealed last week that even before the unit had reached the battlefield, 1700 servicemen had deserted 1700 out of approximately 5,800. That's nearly a third of the brigade leaving their posts without firing a shot.

The reasons behind this alarming desertion rate, well, are multifaceted. According to the journalist, many soldiers in the brigade had been forcibly recruited off the streets. Others reportedly went AWOL during training in France with approximately 50 soldiers disappearing at that time. By November, around 500 troops from the unit were still unaccounted for.

The Anne of Kiv Brigade was eventually deployed to Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub, in Ukraine's defense against Russian advances in the eastern Donetsk region. But the brigade faced heavy losses in battle, including the destruction of tanks and armored vehicles. Critics are now questioning President Zelensky's strategy of forming new brigades like this one, instead of focusing on rotating and rearming existing units.

As the war grinds on, these desertion reports highlight the challenges of course that Ukraine faces in maintaining morale and cohesion within its military, even as Western support does continue to flow.

And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday, 3 January. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbathefirsttv.com. And of course, well, it being Friday and all, that can only mean one thing. A brand new episode of the PDB Situation Report is waiting in the wings.

The latest situation report airs tonight at 10 p.m. on the first TV and as always is also available on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and all podcast platforms everywhere in podcast land. Our guests this weekend include the China expert and author Gordon Chang and retired senior FBI agent Kurt Pyple.

We'll be examining the New Orleans terror attack and the Vegas Cybertruck incident, and we'll break down Xi Jinping's New Year's address. Everything from the state of the Chinese economy to the regime's timeline for Taiwan. It's insightful, informative, and it's easy to digest. It won't leave you with that gassy, bloated feeling. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back over the weekend.

with the PDB situation report. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.