BY JAMIE MCINTYRE

ZELENSKY: WAR ‘MUST END WITH CRIMEA’: The explosions that sent huge plumes of smoke in the bright blue skies over an air base on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula Tuesday caused widespread damage, killed at least one person, and were blamed by Russia on “violation of fire safety requirements.”

In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implied the explosions were a strike against Russian forces but did not claim responsibility. “Today, there is a lot of attention to the topic of Crimea. And rightly so. Because Crimea is Ukrainian, and we will never give it up,” he said.

“The Black Sea region cannot be safe as long as Crimea is occupied. There will be no stable and lasting peace in many countries on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea as long as Russia is able to use our peninsula as its military base,” Zelensky said. “This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — with its liberation.”

EXPLOSIONS ROCK RUSSIAN AIRBASE IN CRIMEA

TROLLING ON TWITTER: Ukraine has pledged to avoid using U.S.-supplied long-range weapons to strike targets in Russian territory, but the U.S. — like Ukraine — does not recognize Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, as Russian territory.

Social media showed Black Sea beach-goers scrambling as the multiple explosions detonated at the nearby base. “The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine would like to remind everyone that the presence of occupying troops on the territory of Ukrainian Crimea is not compatible with the high tourist season,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry trolled Russia on Twitter.

The ministry also mocked the Russian explanation of an accidental detonation of munitions, saying that while it could not establish the cause of the fire, it “once again recalls the rules of fire safety and the prohibition of smoking in unspecified places.”

RUSSIA DOWNPLAYS THE ATTACK: “The Kremlin has little incentive to accuse Ukraine of conducting strikes that caused the damage since such strikes would demonstrate the ineffectiveness of Russian air defense systems, which the Ukrainian sinking of the Moskva had already revealed,” said the Institute for the Study of War in its latest battlefield assessment.

The Washington-based think tank noted that while the Russian Defense Ministry said the incident did not result in any casualties or damage to Russian aviation equipment, “social media footage also showed firefighters extinguishing a burning plane.”

“The apparent simultaneity of explosions at two distinct facilities likely rules out the official Russian version of accidental fire, but it does not rule out either sabotage or long-range missile strike,” the ISW said in its analysis.

“Ukraine could have modified its Neptune missiles for land-attack use (as the Russians have done with both anti-shipping and anti-aircraft missiles), but there is no evidence to support this hypothesis at this time.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Good Wednesday 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 Victor I. Nava. 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 us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

ADVERTISEMENT

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: In a ceremony in the White House East Room at 10 a.m., President Joe Biden will sign into law the bipartisan "Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022," which expands health benefits to veterans exposed to toxic agents during their service.

“Named in honor of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a decorated combat medic who died from a rare form of lung cancer, this historic legislation will help deliver more timely benefits and services to more than 5 million veterans — across all generations — who may have been impacted by toxic exposures while serving our country,” the White House said in a statement.

Also attending the signing ceremony will be the secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Interior, Transportation, and Homeland Security.

SENATE PASSES VETERANS TOXIC EXPOSURE HEALTHCARE BILL AFTER CONTENTIOUS DELAY

BIDEN SIGNS NATO ACCORDS: With the ambassadors of Finland and Sweden looking over his shoulder, President Joe Biden signed the formal Instrument of Ratification, making the U.S. the 23rd NATO member to approve the addition of the two Nordic countries to the 30-nation alliance.

“I think this is a pretty big day,” said Biden, calling the decision of the two formerly neutral countries to join NATO “a watershed moment …for the greater security and stability not only of Europe and the United States, but of the world.”

“Sweden and Finland have strong democratic institutions, strong militaries, and strong and transparent economies,” said Biden. “They'll meet every NATO requirement, we're confident of that, and we will make our alliance stronger and will make America and the American people safer in the process.”

SENATE APPROVES NATO MEMBERSHIP FOR SWEDEN AND FINLAND AMID RUSSIA THREAT

AUSTIN IN LATVIA: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Latvia, where he met with Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks to discuss NATO’s positioning of more forces in the east to deter Russia.

“I look forward to working with Sweden and Finland as members of the most powerful defensive alliance in history,” Austin said today in Riga, while urging the remaining seven NATO countries to ratify the expansion “quickly.”

“Let's be clear, we seek no confrontation and pose no threat to Russia,” Austin said, calling NATO a defensive alliance. “Our updated posture simply reflects our ongoing and solemn commitment to Article 5 — an attack on one NATO ally is an attack on every NATO ally.”

Austin’s news conference, which was streamed live at 5:30 a.m., will be replayed at 10 a.m. on the Pentagon’s website.

RISCH: STOP COUNTING ON START: In the wake of Russia declaring a freeze on nuclear inspections under the New START treaty renewed by the Biden administration in 2021, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it's time to admit the treaty is an ineffective way of deterring Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry argues that sanctions on Russian flights imposed in the wake of the Ukraine war are keeping Russian inspectors from visiting U.S. nuclear weapons sites, so it is imposing a temporary suspension of inspections.

“Russia’s suspension of NST inspections should come as no surprise given its long-standing pattern of violating both the spirit and letter of the law of arms control agreements,” said Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) in a statement. “A year ago, I told the Biden Administration it was a bad idea to extend NST for five years. This week, Russia proved why I was right.”

“The Biden Administration pledged to reduce the role of nuclear weapons and to restore America’s leadership in arms control. However, America’s enemies — Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran — are not reciprocating,” Risch said. “Rather than soliciting unwilling regimes to join us in arms control, the administration should focus on strengthening our defense and deterrence through the fielding of missile defenses and the full modernization of our nuclear weapons enterprise. Anything less signals weakness, not resolve.”

RUSSIA ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY WITHDRAWAL FROM NEW START TREATY

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Explosions rock Russian airbase in Crimea

Washington Examiner: Biden signs ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO bid

Washington Examiner: Pelosi ‘absolutely’ stands by Taiwan trip despite escalating tensions with China

Washington Examiner: Over 400 civilians in Bucha shot, tortured, or bludgeoned: Report

Washington Examiner: ACLU wants US border officials to stop helping Abbott remove illegal immigrants

Washington Examiner: Army says two soldiers killed in 'weather-related' incident in Georgia

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Why Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley should step down

Wall Street Journal: Taiwan Starts Military Drills

AP: Taiwan warns China drills show ambitions beyond island

Washington Times: Navy To Continue Operating In Taiwan Strait Amid Tensions With China

Yonhap: S. Korea, U.S. To Begin Preparatory Drills Next Week Ahead Of Major Combined Exercise

AP: Veteran emissary Richardson hopeful for Griner, Whelan swap

AP: One year after Afghan war, Biden struggles to find footing

Red Snow: Austin to US troops: be ready to defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory

Washington Post: Kremlin sharply critical of Ukraine’s call for travel ban on Russians

New York Times: How Russian Propaganda Is Reaching Beyond English Speakers

Reuters: Exclusive: Russia Starts Stripping Jetliners For Parts As Sanctions Bite

Air Force Magazine: Alaskan Commands Gird for Threats

Defense News: Pentagon Eyes Broader Missile Defense Amid Calls For More Advanced Countermeasures

Air Force Magazine: Multiple Air Force Units Buy SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Internet Service

Defense One: New ‘Influence Triad’ Will Fuse SOF, Cyber, and Space Command Satellite Intelligence

Air Force Times: Pentagon reviewing how DC Guard is called up for duty

New York Times: Final’ Nuclear Deal On Table For Iran And U.S. To Weigh

Military Times: Renaming 9 Confederate-honoring Army posts will cost $21M

19fortyfive.com: Taiwan Might Have to Fight China with World War II Submarines

19fortyfive.com: China’s Supersized Marines Could Invade Taiwan

19fortyfive.com: China's Military Was Built to Defeat America in a Taiwan War

19fortyfive.com: The Drills Make It Clear: China Is Getting Ready to Invade Taiwan

19fortyfive.com: The X-37B Makes Russia and China Freak For a Reason

The Cipher Brief: Today’s Realities of Doing Business with China

The Cipher Brief: Xi’s Paradox: Flexible, Ideological or Both

Forbes: Will The FTC Try To Unwind Northrop Grumman’s 2018 Merger With Orbital ATK?

Calendar

WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 10

8:30 a.m. Huntsville, Alabama — Space and Missile Defense Symposium with Army Brig. Gen. Joseph M. Lestorti, director of operations U.S. Northern Command; Army Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, director, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office; and Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, director, Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition Full agenda at: https://smdsymposium.org/agenda

8:30 a.m. — Federal Computer Week virtual workshop on "Emerging Tech," with Barbara McQuiston, deputy chief technology officer for science and technology in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and Korie Seville, technical director of the Defense Information Systems Agency's Hosting and Compute Center https://events.fcw.com/emergingtech

2:30 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Defense,” with Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of the Global Strike Command and commander of Air Forces Strategic-Air at the U.S. Strategic Command https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/nuclear-deterrence

THURSDAY | AUGUST 11

9:30 a.m. Huntsville, Alabama — Space and Missile Defense Symposium with Adm. Charles "Chas" Richard, commander, U.S. Strategic Command; Gen. Edward Daly, commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel; and Vice Adm. Jon Hill, director, Missile Defense Agency Full agenda at: https://smdsymposium.org/agenda

MONDAY | AUGUST 22

4 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. — American Enterprise Institute in-person book forum event: “A New Approach to US-China Relations,” with Aaron Friedberg, nonresident senior fellow, AEI and author of Getting China Wrong; and Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies, AEI https://www.aei.org/events/a-new-approach-to-us-china

ADVERTISEMENT