First batch of US Abrams tanks officially approved for shipment to Ukraine
From CNN's Natasha Bertrand
The first batch of Abrams tanks that the US is providing to Ukraine was approved for shipment over the weekend, and the tanks are on track to arrive in Ukraine by early fall, Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush said on Monday.
“They are done,” Bush told reporters in a briefing. “Now they have to get to Europe, and then to Ukraine, along with all of the things that go with them. Ammunition, spare parts, fuel equipment, repair facilities. So you know, it's not just the tanks, it's the full package that goes with it. That's still on track.”
The US began training the Ukrainians on the tanks in May in Germany, CNN reported. The 31 tanks destined for Ukraine had been undergoing refurbishment and preparation for shipment for several months, and were officially approved to be transferred over the weekend.
The US dramatically accelerated the time it normally takes to ship the tanks by deciding earlier this year to transfer the older M1-A1 models instead of the more modern version of the tank.
1:45 p.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Secretary of State Blinken reiterates US' support for Ukraine during talk with foreign minister
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler and Maria Kostenko
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media in New York on August 3. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters/File
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about “developments in Ukraine’s counteroffensive efforts, recent conversations about a just and durable peace in Ukraine held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and long-term security arrangements between the two countries,” according to a readout from spokesperson Matt Miller.
“The Secretary reiterated the United States’ staunch and ongoing support of Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s aggression and reaffirmed continued support of a strong Ukrainian military and accountable defense institutions,” the readout said.
Kuleba tweeted about the call and said he emphasized Ukraine's need for long-range missiles.
"In our call, @SecBlinken and I discussed further steps to broaden global support for the Peace Formula and solutions to expand grain exports. I thanked the U.S. for all the assistance provided and stressed the need to enhance Ukraine's long-range capabilities by providing ATACMS [Army Tactical Missile Systems]," Kuleba wrote in the tweet.
Some more context: Ukraine's Armed Forces Chief Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said earlier Monday that he told his US counterpart that Ukrainian forces are step-by-step creating conditions for advancing in the south, where they have struggled to gain ground as heavy fighting continues.
Zaluzhnyi said he had told the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley that Ukraine's defenses were steadfast and that “initiative is on our side."
International peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, concluded this weekend without clear resolutions, but helped to “consolidate international consensus” on finding a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine, China’s foreign ministry said Monday, Reuters reported. The meetings did not include representatives from Moscow.
1:18 p.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Ukraine says it detained a woman in connection to a plot to assassinate Zelensky. Here's what we know so far
From CNN's Tim Lister, Olga Voitovych and Christian Edwards
The woman's name has not been publicly released, but according to a statement from the SBU, she is from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv.
The SBU said the suspect had been “gathering intelligence” about Zelensky’s planned visit to Mykolaiv at the end of July, in order to plan a Russian airstrike to kill the president.
However, SBU agents prevented the attempted assassination after the agency obtained information about the “subversive activities of the suspect” and adopted additional security measures.
The woman was caught “red-handed” as she “was trying to pass intelligence to the invaders," SBU said.
In monitoring the communications of the woman, the SBU established that she also had the task of identifying the location of electronic warfare systems and warehouses with ammunition of the armed forces.
She allegedly traveled around the territory of the district and filmed the locations of Ukrainian objects.
According to the investigation, the alleged informant was a resident of Ochakov in Mykolaiv region and a former salesperson in a military store.
This is not the first assassination attempt: Zelensky has faced several known attempts on his life since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his country in February 2022. Russian special forces were tasked with eliminating the Ukrainian president at the start of the war.
In a profile published in April 2022, TIME magazine described how Russian troops had parachuted into Kyiv to kill or capture Zelensky and his family on February 24, the day after the war began.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in March of last year that Zelensky had survived more than a dozen assassination attempts.
1:50 p.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Jeffrey Judd Jones identified by family as one of 3 Americans killed recently while fighting in Ukraine
From CNN’s Sharif Paget
Jeffrey Judd Jones From Jones Family
Jeffrey Judd Jones is one of the three Americans killed recently while fighting in Ukraine, according to a family statement provided to CNN by his father, Howard Jones.
“Jeff’s family and friends are proud of Jeff’s contributions and sacrifice for the Ukrainian people,” the written statement read.
The 48-year-old was killed by a mortar shell explosion on July 31, Jones said.
“Jeff had traveled to Ukraine twice to help the Ukrainian people, particularly the children. Jeff supported humanitarian efforts and then served on a volunteer medic team near the front in 2022 to add more purpose to his life,” Jones said in the written statement.
He said his son was first injured in 2022 when an artillery round struck a building and he spent five days in a Ukrainian hospital. “Despite Jeff’s past experiences serving on the front, Jeff was determined to help the Ukrainians, so he returned to Ukraine in April 2023,” Jones said.
A resident of Perry, Georgia, Jeffrey Judd Jones served in the US Army and applied the skills he learned in the Airborne Division in Ukraine.
“Jeff’s family and friends will miss him dearly,” the statement adds.
Apart from Jones, Andrew Webber was identified as another American killed recently while fighting in Ukraine, according to a family statement provided to CNN by his wife, DeeDee Cloyd Webber.
A US State Department spokesperson told CNN that two Americans died in Ukraine on July 29 and another US citizen died on July 31. The State Department said it is in touch with their families and providing consular assistance.
CNN’s Raenu Charles contributed reporting to this post.
1:08 p.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Ukraine is creating conditions to advance in the south, commander tells top US general
From CNN's Maria Kostenko
Ukraine's Armed Forces Chief Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said he told his US counterpart that Ukrainian forces are step-by-step creating conditions for advancing in the south, where they have struggled to gain ground as heavy fighting continues.
Zaluzhnyi said he had told the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the top US general, that Ukraine's defenses were steadfast and that “initiative is on our side."
"Our soldiers are doing their best. [Russia] is conducting active assault actions in a number of directions, but is not succeeding," he said he told Milley. "In particular, the enemy’s actions have the aim to distract Ukrainian forces from other specified areas of the front."
They also discussed Ukraine's current needs "in armament and ammunition," he added.
11:31 a.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Putin says it is "necessary" for Russia to increase production of the latest types of weapons
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with CEO of Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on August 7. Kremlin Press Office
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the director general of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, on Monday and spoke about skills shortages and rapidly rising wages among military industries, according to a Kremlin readout.
Putin said it was "necessary to increase the percentage of production of the latest types of weapons," according to a transcript of the meeting. Chemezov said Rostec, the state-owned high-tech giant, was trying to find sufficient highly-skilled personnel.
“Our average number [of staff] is 592,000. Unfortunately, we still do not have enough people. This year we will urgently need to close 23,000 vacancies, we will recruit - these are highly qualified specialists, of course,” Chemezov told Putin according to the Kremlin readout.
Chemezov also spoke about the growth of wages at the company's defense enterprises, which was 17.2% last year because many factories worked "both on weekends, and on holidays, and at night, and these days are paid, of course, at an increased rate."
“The fulfillment of the state defense order for the last year, 2022, amounted to 99.5 percent. This figure is quite high. We have increased production volumes for all types of military products, which are massively used today in the special military operation,” Chemezov told Putin.
Putin also spoke about the need for Rostec to increase production of drones.
"Both the Kub and the Lancet showed themselves very effectively [in the SVO zone]: firstly, the blow is powerful, any equipment, including foreign-made equipment, not only burns, but ammunition explodes," Putin said.
It was necessary to increase their production of UAVs "Kub" and "Lancet" even more, he said.
On August 3, Putin said at a meeting with industry leaders in the Kremlin that a combination of military spending and domestic demand was driving the Russian economy, with employment in manufacturing stable.
The Russian leader said that wage growth was due to labor shortages. He said Moscow needs to "attract people, to interest them in a higher level of wages. And this is already beginning to affect the position of small and medium-sized enterprises in a certain way."
CNN's Tim Lister and Anna Chernova contributed reporting to this post.
10:36 a.m. ET, August 7, 2023
It’s mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know
From CNN staff
While Ukrainian officials have pledged to “return” the war to Russia, launching a series of strikes on Russian territory and naval assets in recent weeks, the situation on Ukraine’s southern front remains one of grueling attrition, with little territory being won or lost by either side.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service revealed more information around an alleged Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Here are the latest developments:
Assassination plot: The Ukrainian Security Service said Monday that it had detained a Russian informant “who was preparing a Russian airstrike in the Mykolaiv region,” aiming to assassinate Zelensky while he was visiting the region in July. According to the investigation, the alleged perpetrator was a resident in southern Ukrainian and a former saleswoman in a military store. The woman has not been named.
Bridge strikes: Explosions hit two critical road bridges linking occupied Crimea with parts of the Kherson region under Russian control, Russian authorities said Sunday, as Ukraine continues to escalate its targeting of Russian infrastructure and territory. Kyiv has made it clear that it is seeking to cut off the annexed Crimean peninsula from land newly captured by Moscow in 2022.
Motherland statue: The Ukrainian government on Sunday removed the hammer and sickle symbol on a famous Soviet-era statue in Kyiv, replacing it with a trident – the Ukrainian coat of arms. The city’s 62-meter-tall “Motherland” monument dominates the capital’s skyline, and Ukrainian officials were keen to rid it of remnants of its Soviet past. On Monday, a Russian spokeswoman condemned the removal, claiming “Mother can not be renamed.”
Saudi peace talks: International peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, concluded this weekend without clear resolutions, but helped to “consolidate international consensus” on finding a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine, China’s foreign ministry said Monday, Reuters reported. The meetings did not include representatives from Moscow.
Munitions draining: Russian forces used nearly half a million munitions in the last week alone on the Eastern front, Ukraine’s deputy defense ministry said Monday. Hanna Maliar said there had been “endless assaults” by the Russians, with more than 9,000 instances of shelling – up to about 8,000 the previous week. “This is continuous shelling, through which our soldiers have to pass,” Maliar said. Heavy fighting has also continued in the south, with few territorial gains for either side.
Air defenses: Zelensky said Sunday that air defense systems donated by the United States and Germany have returned “significant results” in shielding Ukraine from aerial assaults. Western allies have donated a range of air defense systems to Ukraine, including the US-made Patriot systems. Zelensky said he was “grateful to every country, every leader” for helping Ukraine to defend its skies, just hours after a wave of Russian missiles hit Ukraine early Sunday.
Here's the latest map of control:
7:43 a.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian efforts to advance amid heavy fighting in the south
From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych
Ukrainian service members in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on July 31. Sergiy Chalyi/Reuters
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have spoken of heavy clashes along the front lines in southern Ukraine, with little territory being won or lost by either side.
It appears that Ukrainian efforts to take the village of Robotyne are yet to bear fruit, after weeks of fighting in the area.
The official Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that its reporters had visited the village, "where not a single whole house remained due to the unsuccessful assaults of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the last 2 months."
The reporters shot footage purporting to show wrecked Ukrainian armor in the immediate area.
RIA Novosti said on its Telegram channel that "every time the Russian military stops them on the approaches to [the village]. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are constantly shelling the village, where there are still civilians."
Other Russian sources have also published images and video of the wreckage of Ukrainian armor, purportedly in the Robotyne area.
For the last few days, the Russian Defense Ministry and unofficial Russian sources have said that Ukrainian attacks on the Robotyne area have been repelled, with one Russian military blogger saying that trenches in the area that had been occupied by Ukrainian troops were subsequently retaken.
The Russian appointed head of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, claimed that Russian forces had also repelled Ukrainian infantry groups that attempted to advance near Mala Tokmachka and Novopokrovka, villages a few miles southeast of the town Orikhiv.
CNN is unable to confirm the Russian claims; a scarcity of geolocated video makes independent assessment of the battlefield difficult.
8:14 a.m. ET, August 7, 2023
Kremlin spokesperson clarifies comments on lack of democracy in Russia
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that his recent remarks to The New York Times that Russia's presidential election was not about democracy had been misinterpreted.
The New York Times published a story on Sunday quoting Peskov as saying: “Our presidential election is not really a democracy, it is costly bureaucracy,” adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will be re-elected next year with more than 90% of the vote."
Peskov has since sought to clarify his meaning, telling the official TASS news agency: “The answer was the following: the level of consolidation around the president is absolutely unprecedented and it can be said already now that if he runs [for president], he will be reelected by an overwhelming majority, and the election — theoretically — only entail unnecessary spending."
“The president insisted that the election be organized without fail, that this is what democracy requires," he said.
In 2020, Russian lawmakers approved changes to the constitution which made Putin eligible to serve for a further two terms, potentially allowing him to stay in power until 2036. Under the previous Russian law, Putin would have been required to step down as president in 2024, when his second consecutive term in office comes to an end.
