Five Things to Know, April 17, 2023

1.   The United States, South Korea and Japan rehearsed their seaborne missile defense in international waters on Monday, four days after North Korea launched another ballistic missile. The guided-missile destroyers Yulgok Yi I, the USS Benfold and the JS Atago trained together in the Sea of Japan, or the East Sea, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said in a news release Monday. All three are equipped with the Aegis Combat System, shown capable in tests of intercepting ballistic missiles.

2.   A unilateral strike by U.S. troops in northern Syria that targeted an Islamic State senior leader killed at least two people, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Monday. A helicopter raid by American forces resulted in the deaths of two people who were armed in addition to the “probable death” of a senior ISIS leader responsible for planning attacks in the Middle East and Europe, the command said.

3.   Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are vowing a tough stance on China’s increasing threats to Taiwan and on North Korea’s unchecked tests of long-range missiles, while building momentum on ways to boost support for Ukraine and punish Russia for its invasion. Russia’s war in Ukraine will consume much of the agenda Monday as the envoys gather in this Japanese hot spring resort town for Day Two of talks meant to pave the way for action by G-7 leaders when they meet next month in Hiroshima.

4.   The death toll from Russian missile strikes on eastern Ukraine's city of Sloviansk rose to 11 Saturday as rescue crews tried to reach people trapped in the rubble of an apartment building, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine's air force said the country would soon have weapons with which to try to prevent attacks like the one on Friday. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said.

5.   Congress returns to Capitol Hill from a two-week break with a rush of posture hearings ahead of expected budget proposals from the House and Senate at the start of the summer. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have more than 20 budget hearings scheduled this week, with nine of them focused on military operations and funding issues. The Senate and House Armed Services Committees have 14 additional hearings scheduled, including testimony from the Army and Navy secretaries.