| SLOW MARCH TO THE SEA: After weeks of fierce fighting, Ukrainian troops have pierced the first band of Russian defenses, liberating the small village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. The announcement was made by Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, who said Ukrainian forces are continuing to push south along two fronts. "Ukrainian forces are currently conducting two operational efforts in southern Ukraine in western Zaporizhia Oblast and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and Malyar did not indicate one effort as the main offensive direction," according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War. "Malyar's statement is consistent with the scale of Ukrainian offensive operations that ISW has observed in southern and eastern Ukraine." Ukraine's strategy is aimed at cutting Russian supply lines and taking control of a corridor of land that would sever Russia's land bridge to Ukraine. The next battlefield objective, according to the New York Times, may be the city Tokmak, a strategic road-and-rail hub about 15 miles south of Robotyne. "One force is driving toward Berdiansk, on the Sea of Azov, and the other toward Melitopol, near that sea." The looming question is whether Ukraine can make it all the way to the Sea of Azov before winter sets in, something a classified U.S. intelligence assessment judged as unlikely. ZELENSKY: ELECTIONS COULD BE HELD IN WAR ZONE: In an interview with Ukraine's 1+1 television channel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he's open to the idea of holding presidential elections next year, even if the war is still raging, but only if he gets significant financial and logistical help from Western nations. Zelensky said he had discussed the possibility with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during Graham's visit to Kyiv last week. "I told him if the United States and Europe give us financial support ... I'm sorry, I will not hold elections on credit, I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections either." "Observers should be in the trenches. I told him observers must be sent to the frontline so that the elections are legitimate for us and for the whole world," Zelensky said, according to his official website, noting the significant challenges to conducting elections during a war when millions of Ukrainians are internally displaced or living abroad. "How will the military be able to vote? Show me the infrastructure. No one has shown it yet. How will people abroad be able to vote? No one has shown me," Zelensky said he told Graham. "There is a way out. I am ready for it. I am talking about this publicly now." GRAHAM: 'A BOLD AND CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION': In a statement yesterday, Graham said he was "very pleased" that Zelensky had "opened the door to elections" in 2024. "I cannot think of a better symbol for Ukraine than to hold free and fair elections during the course of a war. Elections would not only be seen as an act of defiance against the Russian invasion, but an embrace of democracy and freedom," Graham said. "Holding democratic elections during wartime would be seen as a bold and consequential decision by President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine. It speaks to their vision of a free and democratic Ukraine both today and in the years to come." Graham admitted conducting wartime elections would be "challenging" but called on all of Ukraine's allies to provide the financial and technical assistance necessary. "I cannot think of a better investment for the stability of Europe than helping Ukraine survive as an independent, self-governing, rule of law-based democracy." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! HAPPENING TODAY: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is in Beijing for her second day of talks with Chinese officials aimed at finding areas of mutual cooperation as U.S. relations with China remain strained over the threat to Taiwan and as China's economy is sagging. Raimondo met today with her Chinese counterpart, He Lifeng, and later with China's Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital. "While we will never compromise in protecting our national security, I want to be clear that we will never seek to decouple or hold China's economy back," Raimondo said. Raimondo's visit follows one by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June. GINA RAIMONDO NAVIGATES DUELING CHINESE PRIORITIES AS SHE SEEKS ECONOMIC THAW DOD TO TUBERVILLE: HEALTHCARE 'SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T COMPROMISE ON': The Pentagon says it won't meet the demands of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) to stop funding travel for servicemembers who are based in states where abortion access is limited, insisting it can't compromise on basic healthcare services. "The Department of Defense has a responsibility to ensure that, no matter whether you're a man or a woman, no matter where you're serving, you're a federal troop, you're going to have equal access to reproductive healthcare," said spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder at yesterday's briefing. Ryder said access to abortions and other reproductive services, such as in vitro fertilization, can't be based on "the luck of the draw" depending on where troops are based. "I mean, that just doesn't send the right message, and it breaks faith with our troops." Ryder said while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not spoken to Tuberville since July, he remains actively engaged with other members of the Senate to find a way to break the impasse, without giving in to Tuberville's unyielding demand. "At the end of the day, the issue here is we have a responsibility to ensure equitable healthcare access for all of our service members, no matter where they are living. And that's just something that we can't compromise on," Ryder said. WHO ARE THE 301? The Pentagon is highlighting a list of the 301 senior military officers whose nominations or promotions are being held up by Tuberville and says the problem is growing worse by the day. "Between now and the end of the year, there are approximately 650 general and flag officers that will require Senate confirmation … The Department has 83 three and four star nominations pending for positions already vacated or due to rotate within the next 150 days," said Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman, in an email. "Because of this blanket hold, for the first time in the history of the Department, three of our military services are operating without Senate-confirmed leaders. This is unprecedented, unnecessary and unsafe." Of the 301 generals and admirals: - 61 officers are unable to assume their new positions.
- More than 40 officers who have been selected for promotion to one or two stars will assume new duties while remaining at their current rank until they are confirmed.
- 25 officers have had their retirements deferred until the holds have been lifted or December 31, 2023, whichever occurs first.
And because senior officers are not authorized to have their date-of-rank backdated, none will receive a pay increase while they are performing the duties in a higher grade. MCCAUL: 'ROBERT MALLEY SAGA … RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS': Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is calling on the State Department to investigate how the Iranian state-run Tehran Times apparently obtained a copy of a memo to U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley, informing him his security clearance was suspended. "The State Department needs to do a top to bottom security review, because I am concerned they have a leak," said McCaul in a statement. "I have requested transparency from the State Department on the ongoing Robert Malley saga and will continue to demand answers." "This latest chapter raises serious questions about how the regime obtained this potentially authentic document and what other sensitive or classified information they may have," McCaul said. "If this memo is authentic, it is extremely concerning especially since this is not the first time the Iranian regime's mouthpiece has appeared to have sensitive U.S. government information recently while Congress is kept in the dark." The April 21 memo, marked "sensitive but unclassified," informed Malley his top secret clearance was being suspended for "serious security concerns" related to his "personal conduct," "handling of protected information," and "use of information technology." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The Rundown Washington Examiner: Marines killed in Australia aircraft crash identified Washington Examiner: 'Completely naive': Nikki Haley continues to slam Vivek Ramaswamy Washington Examiner: Gina Raimondo navigates dueling Chinese priorities as she seeks economic thaw Washington Examiner: Pentagon to produce thousands of autonomous weapon systems to counter China Washington Examiner: McCarthy defends short-term spending stance, hits Senate GOP for wanting to spend more Washington Examiner: Prigozhin plane crash: White House 'increasingly confident' Wagner chief is dead Washington Examiner: Biden's decision to keep Space Command in Colorado to be investigated Washington Examiner: Donald Trump indictment: Judge sets Jack Smith's 2020 election trial to March 2024 Washington Examiner: Trump arraignment in Georgia election case set for Sept. 6 Washington Examiner: House Republican to defund Trump prosecutions until November 2024 using appropriations process Washington Examiner: Biden's decision to keep Space Command in Colorado to be investigated Washington Examiner: Cruz and Malliotakis demand answers from Pentagon on 9/11 defendants' plea deal Washington Examiner: Opinion: China needs trade improvements far more than the US does Wall Street Journal: US, Allies Seek Long-Term Military Aid for Ukraine to Show West's Resolve Reuters: Zelenskiy says elections could happen under fire if West helps New York Times: Past Drones and Sea Mines, a Merchant Ship's Perilous Journey in Ukraine New York Times: Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia, is seen on video for the first time in three years. New York Times: Russia Charges Former U.S. Consulate Worker With Collecting Information About Ukraine War Washington Post: Tough Line For Kremlin On Funeral Of Prigozhin Air & Space Forces Magazine: Russian Harassment of US Drones over Syria Drops After F-35s Arrive in the Middle East Task & Purpose: US Airstrike in Somalia Kills 13 al-Shabab Fighters Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Wants to Buy 1,000s of Small, Cheap, Autonomous Drones in Next Two Years South China Morning Post: China Has Launched Bigger, Faster Version Of 054A Guided Missile Frigate, Online Photos Suggest AP: Kim says North Korea must be ready against US-led invasion plots after US, allies start new drills AP: Britain's foreign secretary will visit China in an attempt to shore up ties Military.com: Thousands of Garmin Smartwatches Being Used to Test Space Force Fitness Program Breaking Defense: INDOPACOM Stands Up New Directorate to Better Connect Industry, DOD Innovation Efforts Inside Defense: MDA Tasked to Explore Missile Defense Policy Shift, Brace for 'Regional' Strikes by Russia, China DefenseScoop: Air Force Aims to Get More Civilians into Cyber Excepted Service Space News: Hera Systems and LeoStella Team Up to Compete for Military Satellite Orders Air & Space Forces Magazine: How Moody Maintainers Saved an A-10 Warthog from an Early Retirement AP: The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch? 19fortyfive.com: The Russian Military is Going into 'Emergency Mode' in Ukraine 19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Russia Is Poised To Upend The 'Diplomatic Chessboard' In Ukraine The Cipher Brief: Could Prigozhin's Death Be a Step Toward Sudden and Catastrophic Collapse for Putin The Cipher Brief: Diogenes the Cynic's Job in Russia Just Got Harder The Cipher Brief: Tracking the U.S. National Intelligence Strategy 19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Why Ron DeSantis Wins the Commander-in-Chief Test Calendar TUESDAY | AUGUST 29 8 a.m. 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Virginia — ExecutiveBiz Space Technologies Forum, with Frank Turner, technical director of the Space Development Agency info@executivemosaic.com 8 a.m. 331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — National Defense Industrial Association conference: "Delivering New Capabilities to the Warfighter at Speed and Scale," with Maynard Holliday, performing the duties of assistant defense secretary for critical technologies; Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering; Jason Rathje, director of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering's Office of Strategic Capital; Brendan Owens, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment; Oliver Fritz, director for operational energy at the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment and Energy Resilience; RuthAnne Darling, director for operational energy - innovation at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; Kim Sablon, principal director for trusted AI and autonomy at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions, logistics, and technology; Amy Smith-Carroll, director for surface warfare at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; Brad Belzak, director of homeland defense integration at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy; Kimberly Sablon, principal director for trusted AI and autonomy at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; Lt. Col. John Long, deputy to the Navy chief AI officer at the Office of Naval Research; and Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo. RSVP: esocha@ndia.org 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: "Reviewing the Camp David Trilateral Summit," with Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Tomita Koji; Republic of Korea Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyundong; and Kurt Campbell, National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs https://www.csis.org/events/reviewing-camp-david-trilateral-summit 11 a.m. — National Defense Industrial Association National Training and Simulation Association virtual discussion: "Generative AI" https://www.ntsa.org/events/2023/8/30/ntsa-august-webinar/registration 12 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: "A View from the Right: Republican Perspectives on U.S.-Africa Policy," with former Republican California Rep. Ed Royce, policy director at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP and former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and former State Department Special Envoy for the Sahel Region J. Peter Pham, fellow at the Atlantic Council's Africa Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/republican-perspectives-on-us-africa-policy 12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual discussion: "Two Years of Diplomacy with the Taliban," with Tripp Copeland, former foreign affairs officer at the State Department's Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation; Jonathan Schroden, director of the Center for Naval Analyses's Countering Threats and Challenges Program; and Shkula Zadran, Afghan 2020 youth representative to the United Nations https://quincyinst.org/event/two-years-of-diplomacy-with-the-taliban 1 p.m. 1100 Longworth — House Foreign Affairs Committee "Roundtable discussion: with Abbey Gate Gold Star Families," with Darin Hoover and Kelly Barnett, parents of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover; Steve Nikoui, father of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui; Coral Briseno, mother of Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez; Alicia and Herman Lopez, parents of Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez; Cheryl Rex, mother of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola; Rick Herrera, father of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee; Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee; Paula Knauss Selph, mother of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss; Greg Page, father of Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page; and Mark and Jaclyn Schmitz, father and stepmother of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/live 2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: "Resilience in Actions: The Army's 21st Century Cybersecurity Strategy," with Army Reserve Deputy Chief Information Officer Maj. Gen. Jan Norris; Cody Gerhardt, chief technologist at HP; and Alex Treadway, vice president and associate publisher at Route Fifty https://events.govexec.com/resilience-in-action/registration WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 30 8 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia — National Defense Industrial Association conference: "Emerging Technologies For Defense," with Steve Wax, performing the duties of assistant defense secretary for science and technology; Lt. Col. Gabriela Arraiz, deputy CTO of the Joint Special Operations Command; Laura Taylor Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy; Dev Shenoy, principal director of microelectronics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and Chris Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. RSVP: esocha@ndia.org 9:30 a.m. — Stimson Center virtual discussion: "Security Dynamics in Southern Asia — Views from Rising Analysts," with Riya Sinha, associate fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress; Noorulain Naseem, research associate at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute; Namra Naseer, research associate at National Defense University's Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis; and Rushali Saha, senior research associate at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research https://www.stimson.org/event/security-dynamics-in-southern-asia 10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies conference call briefing: "Previewing the 2023 G20, U.S.-ASEAN, and East Asia Summits," with Richard Rossow, CSIS chairman in U.S.-India policy studies; Stephanie Segal, CSIS senior fellow; and Gregory Poling, director of the CSIS Southeast Asia Program https://www.csis.org/events/press-briefing 10:30 a.m. — 1775 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — Brookings Institution's Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy and Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in-person and virtual event: "How much money for defense is enough?" with Michael O'Hanlon, director, Talbott Center; Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Travis Sharp, senior fellow and director of defense budget studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-how-much-money-for-defense 11 a.m. 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — National Defense Industrial Association National Training and Simulation Association virtual discussion: "Generative AI and Training: It's Here. Now What?" with Keith Brawner, senior researcher and program manager of U.S. Army Futures Command's Simulation and Training Technology Center; Andy Van Schaack, associate professor at Vanderbilt University; and Svitlana Volkova, chief computational scientist at the Aptima Office of Science and Technology https://www.ntsa.org/events/2023/8/30/ntsa-august-webinar/registration THURSDAY | AUGUST 31 8:30 a.m. — Government Executive Media Group NextGov/Federal Computer Week "Data and Analytics Summit," with Cameron Chehreh, vice president of sales and marketing group and general manager for the public sector at Intel; Eileen Vidrine, Air Force chief data and artificial intelligence officer; Zach Whitman, chief data officer at the General Services Administration; Oliver Wise, chief data officer of the Commerce Department https://events.nextgov.com/data-and-analytics-summit/ | | | "At the end of the day, the issue here is we have a responsibility to ensure equitable healthcare access for all of our service members, no matter where they are living. And that's just something that we can't compromise on."
| Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, rejecting Sen. Tommy Tubervilles's (R-AL) demands over abortion travel funding.
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