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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 134 · Monday, 9 November 2026

Pentagon

Hegseth asks staff to make next execution more like ‘The Running Man’

Pentagon says condemned prisoners could compete for freedom in televised death matches

Pete Hegseth picks wrong week to stop drinking

Pentagon confident U.S. will be ready for 2027 war with China by 2035

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Vol. 15 · No. 134

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Vol. 15 · No. 134 · Deployed worldwide

Monday

9 November 2026

1950 Zulu

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· Page 2

Russian troops 'optimistic' deploying to decades-long quagmire

Filed · 1539

DAMASCUS, Syria — Russian troops who have deployed to Syria are reportedly "excited" and "optimistic" that they are leading an escalation of force in the region that will inevitably embroil their country in a decades-long quagmire, sources confirmed today.

The troops arrived last week to a newly constructed air base and are ready to begin their prolonged campaign of asymmetric warfare against a multitude of enemies, while also participating in operations alongside a large number of involved nations not seen since World War II, which includes the United States, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the U.K., Australia, France, Canada, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, which is supplying a large cache of advanced military hardware.

Earlier this week Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his troops via satellite, commending them for charging into an ill-advised campaign that will undoubtedly sap their nation of financial, material, and manpower resources for years to come.

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