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August 11, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news
By Chris Lau, Helen Regan, Amy Woodyatt, Ed Upright and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 7:54 p.m. ET, August 11, 2023
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Ukraine appears to be making marginal gains on the southern front. Here are other headlines
From CNN staff
Social media video and images indicate that Ukrainian troops have entered the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region — a location that has seen heavy fighting for several weeks.
Ukraine's military has not confirmed that it holds the village. One photograph purports to show a Ukrainian soldier standing in front of a road sign at the entrance to the village.
The image could not immediately be geolocated.
Here are other headlines you should know:
- Drone latest: Another drone was seen flying over the Russian capital Friday, with Moscow authorities saying it has been "eliminated." Also, the Russian Sig tanker struck by a maritime drone last week has been towed to the village of Aksai in the Rostov region for repairs, according to a statement published by the Russian Marine Rescue Service on Friday.
- On the ground developments: Most of the residents under evacuation orders still need to be escorted out of the city of Kupiansk and surrounding areas near the front lines in northeastern Ukraine, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration. A Russian missile targeted at the Ivano-Frankivsk region of western Ukraine early Friday killed an 8-year-old child, the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine has said. Russia also launched advanced Kinzhal missiles at Ukrainian pilots who will soon go for training on US-made F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed Friday.
- US support for Ukraine: Ukraine backers on Capitol Hill are itching for President Joe Biden to step up his case for why the US should send more money to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, as warning bells sound about the American public’s support for Kyiv. White House officials are confident the $24 billion dollars for Ukraine the president requested Thursday will ultimately get the congressional backing it needs to make it to his desk, and administration officials say they have no plans to change their message about the urgency of fighting Russian aggression against its neighbor. Also, the United States is “certainly open” to training Ukrainian F-16 pilots on US soil, the White House said Friday, but officials cautioned that the process is complicated and will take time.
- Ukrainian military controversy: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that all officials in charge of all regional military recruitment centers have been dismissed amid widespread corruption. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating 112 criminal proceedings on abuses by military officials, according to a statement from the bureau published this week.
Ukraine and UK start talks on security guarantees
From CNN'sYulia Kesaieva, Radina Gigova and Mariya Knight
Ukraine and the United Kingdom have begun “initial working-level negotiations” on security guarantees, Ukraine’s Presidential Office said in a statement on Friday.
The countries are using the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine signed by countries of the G7 last month as a basis for the negotiations, according to the office.
“The United Kingdom became the second country after the United States with which Ukraine started relevant negotiations,” the statement read, noting “the United Kingdom has consistently demonstrated its leadership and example in making and implementing the boldest decisions to support Ukraine.”
Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, who is leading the Ukrainian delegation in the negotiations, called the UK “one of the main strategic partners.” He added that the negotiations are aimed at strengthening the countries’ “common security in the entire Euro-Atlantic region.”
Yermak said Ukraine already has agreements to start consultations with almost all of the countries that have joined the declaration on security guarantees.
The United Kingdom is the second country after the United States with which Ukraine has started relevant negotiations, according to the statement.
Some background on the declaration: The Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine was announced on July 12, 2023, by the G7 leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, as well as the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.
Belgium, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Latvia have asked to be added as signatories to the declaration, according to the statement.
British troops train hundreds of Ukrainian marines as Kyiv develops new military branch
From CNN's Radina Gigova
About 900 Ukrainian marines are returning home after being trained by British Royal Marines and Army Commandos as part of a six-month program, the United Kingdom's defense ministry said in a statement Friday.
The training, delivered by elite British commandos, will help Ukraine develop its own distinct marine force and make it more formidable in fighting around bodies of water, the UK defense ministry said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in May that his military's marines would become an independent military branch and that he would be expanding the new Ukrainian Marine Corps.
British Commandos trained Ukraine’s forces on amphibious operations, which included beach raids using inflatable boats, the ministry said.
"It is the first program of amphibious training delivered by the UK to Ukraine, culminating with the Ukrainian marines planning and conducting raids by both day and night," the ministry said.
Additionally, the Ukrainian marines were trained on how to use shoulder-fired missile systems called Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapons, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, mortars and reconnaissance drones, the UK said. They also received explosive demolition training for obstacles such as Dragon’s Teeth anti-vehicle fortifications.
"Trainees came from a variety of backgrounds, with many being civilian volunteers with no prior military experience, while others have transferred from other sections within the Armed Forces of Ukraine – some having already been engaged in combat on the frontline," the UK defense ministry said.
"The training I have received from the UK Royal Marines has been far more intense than I expected. I have learned so much and never expected to be doing the things I have done," one of the recently trained Ukrainian marines said, according to the statement.
Each training cohort underwent "a rigorous five-week program," with sessions ranging from battlefield first aid to close quarters combat and unit planning, according to the ministry.
More than 20,000 recruits have already received training in the UK since the start of 2022.
"At the start of 2023, the UK committed to train a further 20,000 Ukrainian recruits," the ministry said, effectively doubling its commitment.
Instructors from the Netherlands Marine Corps were also part of the most recent training program, and other countries have also contributed to the UK program.
Thousands of civilians still need to evacuate the city of Kupiansk in northeast Ukraine, official says
From CNN's Josh Pennington and Radina Gigova
Most of the residents under evacuation orders still need to be escorted out of the city of Kupiansk and surrounding areas near the front lines in northeastern Ukraine, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration.
"The evacuation is organized and is being carried out along designated safe routes. Currently, 63 people have been evacuated, including 9 children," Syniehubov said Friday, adding that about 12,000 people remain in the city.
Officials are considering requiring children to evacuate from settlements within about 10 kilometers (roughly 6 miles) of the front line, according to Syniehubov.
Accommodations for the evacuees have been arranged in Kharkiv and other Ukrainian regions that are farther from the front lines, Syniehubov said.
Some background: Kupiansk, which lies close to the Russian border, was claimed by Moscow's forces in the early stages of its full-scale invasion, then taken back by Kyiv's troops in September.
Now Russia has intensified its shelling and built up significant numbers of troops in the area, attempting to seize the territory once again.
Authorities issued a mandatory evacuation Thursday, saying about 12,000 people would be affected.
Evacuations of this scale are infrequent. Ukrainian authorities have not ordered one this large since October last year, when they launched an offensive to reclaim territories captured by Russian forces in Kherson and sought to protect civilians by removing them first.
CNN's Tim Lister, Olga Voitovych and Christian Edwards contributed reporting to this post.
White House says military is open to training Ukrainian F-16 pilots in the US
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal and Natasha Bertrand
The United States is “certainly open” to training Ukrainian F-16 pilots on US soil, the White House said Friday, but officials cautioned that the process is complicated and will take time.
“The reason we're doing this is part of a longer, broader effort to make sure that we are continuing to improve Ukrainian self-defense and military capabilities for the long term,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said Friday. “It's going to be a while before the jets can show up in Ukraine, and for them to be integrated into the air fleet.”
Kirby said in addition to transferring planes and training pilots, Ukrainian allies also had to set up "all the maintenance logistics and sustainment efforts that go into having modern aircraft like the F-16 in your fleet." He emphasized that "all that takes some time," and said there was an English language component to the training.
“We're going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he said. “We've been eager to move forward providing Ukraine that long term capability, and eager is a good word for it.”
“If the capacity for training in Europe is reached,” he added, “we are certainly open to doing the training for Ukrainian pilots here in the United States.”
Some background: CNN previously reported that the US is still waiting for European officials to submit a final plan for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, which the US will have to authorize before the program can actually begin.
European officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said publicly last month that they expected the training to begin in August, but that timeline has been pushed back as officials work to hammer out logistical details, including how many pilots the Ukrainians will ultimately send to the training.
Zelensky has long urged Western allies to provide him with modern fighter jets, pitching the F-16 in particular as a potential game-changer in the war against Russia.
Russian Sig tanker damaged by drone has been towed for repairs, Russian Marine Rescue Service says
From CNN's Katharina Krebs and Radina Gigova
The Russian Sig tanker struck by a maritime drone last week has been towed to the village of Aksai in the Rostov region for repairs, according to a statement published by the Russian Marine Rescue Service on Friday.
"The rescue party of the Azovo-Chernomorsky branch of the FSBI Marine Rescue Service completed the main measures to eliminate the consequences of the emergency with the tanker 'Sig'," according to the statement.
Marine Rescue Service specialists used more than 800 kilograms (about 1,763 pounds) of biosorbents to repair the tanker and did not get any pollution into the water while towing and working on it, according to the statement.
Some background: On the night of August 5, the Sig tanker was hit by a drone carrying 450 kilograms (992 pounds) of TNT while on its way to the Kerch Strait. The strike created a hole in its engine room, forcing the 11-person crew to fight water going into the vessel, Russian authorities said. The flooding eventually stopped.
Following the attack, Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport said no casualties were reported and that the tanker was not carrying oil when the drone crashed into the ship. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said some crew members were injured and that the tanker was carrying fuel for the Russian military.
CNN has not been able to independently verify those claims.
Ukraine investigates 112 proceedings against recruitment and social support center officials
From CNN's Yulia Kesiaieva and Radina Gigova
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating 112 criminal proceedings on abuses by military officials, according to a statement from the bureau published this week.
"In total, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the SBI has been investigating 112 proceedings against officials of regional recruitment and social support centers. Based on the results of this work, 15 indictments have already been sent to court," SBI said in a statement Tuesday.
"The motives for the 'popular' offenses of military enlistment office officials are their own profiteering, for which they neglect both their conscience and responsibility for the fate of the country," SBI said. "The SBI is stepping up its efforts to combat crimes at military enlistment offices and warns that any schemes will be exposed and the perpetrators brought to justice."
Inspections of "the activities and lifestyle" of employees of regional recruitment and social support centers are ongoing, SBI said.
"All violations will be assessed in a principled and uncompromising manner in accordance with the Criminal Code," it added.
SBI has listed a number of cases of abuse in military enlistment offices, including a military commissar accused of organizing an "enrichment scheme" and an official accused of "facilitating illegal border crossing," among others.
This week's statement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that all officials in charge of all regional military recruitment centers have been dismissed amid widespread corruption.
Russia targets Ukrainian airfield with advanced Kinzhal missiles, Air Force spokesperson says
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
Russia launched advanced Kinzhal missiles at Ukrainian pilots who will soon go for training on US-made F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed Friday.
Military officials say one of the four Russian missiles, also known as KH-47, was shot down. The other three missiles hit near on of Ukraine's military airfields, which have been consistent Russian targets for several months, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told Ukrainian television.
While Starokostiantyniv airfield in western Ukraine has been most frequently targeted, Friday's early morning attack targeted the Kolomyia airfield — also located in western Ukraine, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
"This time our youth was targeted," Ihnat said. "Our young pilots who will soon go for training."
Ihnat claimed Russia "wanted to hit our youngsters, depriving us of the prospect for our further re-equipment with the latest Western technologies. But as we see they did not succeed in this."
One of the missiles was downed over the Kyiv region. It's unclear what happened to the others.
CNN is unable to verify any battlefield claims.
About Kinzhal missiles: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian military have touted the Kinzhal, or Kh-47, as an example of Russia’s modernized missile arsenal, claiming that its hypersonic speed makes it extremely difficult to intercept.
Ukraine has acknowledged that the missiles are tough to defend against, though it has knocked at least one out of the sky using a US Patriot defense battery.
