Bob Homans August 9

20220810

Ukraine – 8/9 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
August 9, 2022

2 Long-range Ukrainian Strikes

Earlier today, August 9th, during the afternoon in Ukraine, Ukraine conducted 2 long-range strikes against Russian positions, in Crimea and southern Kherson Region. 

The first was against a Russian airbase located in the town of Saky, just south of Yevpatoria on the west coast of Crimea.   Early reports indicated that approximately 40 Russian aircraft were destroyed, both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.   The attack caused a mass exodus of tourists, across the Kerch Bridge back into Russia.   

This is a short video of the blast.  One observer is heard to say, “fuck shit.”  Later in the video, one can see people who had been enjoying a lazy afternoon on the beach deciding to quickly depart.

The second was an ammunition dump in the Kherson Region, located just north of Crimea.  It is likely that the Russians had recently built this facility, thinking that it was out of range of Ukrainian long-range artillery that had been hitting supply dumps closer to Kherson City.

Taken together, these two attacks are the first time that Ukraine has hit Russian installations at distances of over 100km.  This suggests that additional targets in Crimea might be within range, including the Kerch Bridge, the Headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol, and additional Russian airbases in and around the Crimean capital of Simferopol.

The Latest Denys

Key developments from Denys’ latest:

·       The Ukrainian attack toward Izyum, facilitated to some extent by Russians moving troops from Izyum to Kharkiv.

·       Cutting the Nova Khakovka Bridge, over the lock system near the dam.   If true, approximately 2 Divisions of Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper will be completely cut off.   Denys expects these troops to launch a counterattack toward either Mykolaiv or Kryvyi Rih, or both, in an attempt to force Ukraine into peace negotiations.   It seems hard to imagine, that such a small force, 25,000 troops, that have been cut off with a substantial portion of their ammunition supplies destroyed, can launch such an attack.

8/9 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon August 8 to 12:00 noon August 9, 2022

INTERNATIONAL

Partisans are putting up leaflets in temporarily occupied Rubizhne

August 9

11:49 : The former deputy of the State Duma Ilya Ponomarev said that a representative of Putin’s inner circle sent a signal to the West about the desire to negotiate.

●         According to him, the mood of the Kremlin elite is panic. There is no longer a more oppositional-minded among the Russian population than the Russian government.

●        "The signal of a desire to negotiate was sent by a person in Putin’s inner circle. I can’t name him because it will ruin the whole story. But you wouldn’t believe it. It’s one of the "pillars of the regime,” he said.

11:21 Bloomberg:  The states of southern Europe secretly buy Russian oil, citing data on the movement of tankers.

●        “The supply of Russian oil to the ports of Italy and Türkiye has grown globally, as well as in the Mediterranean region has become the highest since mid-June", - said in a statement.

10:51 Former special representative of the US State Department for Ukraine, Kurt Volker:  The Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to conduct a successful counteroffensive by the end of the year, and the upcoming winter for Russians in Ukraine will be difficult.

●        “At the same time, winter will affect the Ukrainian army, but it will also affect the Russian army. The Russian army is stretched, they are now further from their land and it will be more difficult for their military to receive supplies of food, fuel, and weapons. In short, the Russians will have a difficult winter,” – Kurt Volker says.

●        Ukraine must win back of Russia all occupied territories, including Crimea, otherwise Putin may repeat aggression in the future."Five years ago, you could reason, and I did it myself then. Then there was an opinion that Russia does not need Donbas, and therefore it can be returned faster, and the return of Crimea will take more time. But now – the war has shattered all these considerations. Everything is at stake now. Putin’s imperial appetite will not disappear without this. Therefore, it is too risky to leave even Crimea in the hands of Russia,” Volker says.

10:03 Pentagon: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Canadian Minister of National Security Anita Anand discussed security assistance for Ukraine.

00:57 Financial Times: EU insists on imposing sanctions against Türkiye due to cooperation with Russia

●        European officials are shocked by the friendly relations between Erdogan and Putin, as well as the cooperation between Türkiye and the Russian Federation in the field of energy, finance and trade.

August 8

23:31 : UN Secretary General António Guterres is negotiating with the IAEA to organize a visit of agency inspectors to the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

23:24 The Times: Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Oleg Serebrian believes that a wave of fake reports about the mining of important facilities in the country, as well as statements by representatives of "Transnistria" about the desire to reunite with Russia, may be a prelude to a Russian military operation.

22:31 : A Ukrainian doctor Yakiv Hradinar, who has been working in the United States for a long time, together with volunteers created the project ”Prostheses for Ukrainians” - this is free prosthetics for Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs during the war. Thanks to the project, five Ukrainian soldiers can walk again.

21:40 Realitatea: Moldova is ready to send its sappers to Ukraine for demining.

●        The Minister of Defense of Moldova, Anatoliy Nosatii, said at a government meeting today that his department is ready to send a group of sappers to Ukraine to clear mines.

21:25 US Department of Defense: Deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine are not in the near future.

21:13 CCTV 7: China continues training along the coast of Taiwan. Initially, it was announced that the maneuvers would end on August 7, but later the exercises were extended until August 15.

21:01 US Secretary of State: If the United States allows Russia to take over Ukraine, this will lead to the fact that the world will "begin" a season" of such wars.

20:08: The Pentagon announced the allocation of additional military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $1 billion.

●        The package includes:

○        Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);

○        75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition;

○        20 120mm mortar systems and 20,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition;

○        Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);

○        1,000 Javelin and hundreds of AT4 anti-armor systems;

○        50 armored medical treatment vehicles;

○        Claymore anti-personnel munitions;

○        C-4 explosives, demolition munitions, and demolition equipment;

○        Medical supplies, to include first aid kits, bandages, monitors, and other equipment.

It is reasonable to assume that at least some of the C-4 is intended for the partisans.

20:00 Russian Foreign Ministry: Russia has notified the United States that it is temporarily withdrawing its facilities under the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START) from inspection activities.

19:42  Nikkei:  Apple has asked Taiwanese suppliers to label products "made in China."

●        Specifically, manufacturers on the island are being urged to label components destined for mainland China as "Chinese Taipei" or "Taiwan, China". This should avoid possible problems due to the tightening of customs checks caused by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

19:31  Polsat News: The head of the National Security Bureau of Poland, Pavel Solokh, said that the war in Ukraine could go on for years, but the next two months would be decisive.

●        He adds that "a Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected, but this requires weapons immediately, in large numbers," and said that sanctions against the Russian Federation are in place, but "in the long term."

19:27  Reuters:  WizzAir is to resume flights from Abu Dhabi to Moscow from October

●        The Hungarian airline confirmed the move about five months after the carrier suspended all flights to Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.

●        Abu Dhabi-based joint venture WizzAir Abu Dhabi will operate daily flights from 3 October.

19:11 Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut:  The buyer refused Ukrainian grain, which was on the ship Razoni heading to the Lebanese port of Tripoli.

●        The refusal was justified by the delay of the cargo for a period of more than five months.

●        Now the supplier is looking for a new buyer in Lebanon or any other country. The ship itself with 26 thousand tons of corn stopped near the coast of southern Türkiye.

19:10 German Defense Ministry:  A conference of northern European allies to support Ukraine at the level of defense ministers will be held in Copenhagen this week. 

●        The meeting, which will be held on August 11, will be a continuation and expansion of the Rammstein format for military assistance to Ukraine.

17:59 Le Figaro - President's Office:  Ukraine is ready to start peace talks with the Kremlin only after inflicting several important tactical defeats on the Russian Federation

●        "Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach an agreement with Russia today. Russia will refuse or try to deceive the contracting parties. It makes full use of its expansionist capabilities and wants to promote the status quo, which is unacceptable for Ukraine", – Podoliak says.

●        He adds that now there is a dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow only on humanitarian issues: the exchange of prisoners, the bodies of the dead, humanitarian corridors, grain exports.

17:48 Yle - Finnish Prime Minister:  It is unfair that Russians can travel to Europe as tourists.

●        "It is wrong that at a time when Russia is waging an aggressive, brutal aggressive war in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel around Europe, be tourists. This is wrong", – she emphasizes.

16:55: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba demands that the American television and radio company CBS News conduct an internal investigation due to the publication of misinformation that only 30% of the weapons supplied by Ukraine's allies end up at the front. Actually, the Media has already edited the news and admitted the mistake.

16:49 US Secretary of State  : "The United States hopes that the situation in Ukraine will eventually be resolved diplomatically. But for now, it is necessary to defend its sovereignty".

16:35:  Germany is changing the rules of stay in the country for Ukrainians from September 1, – the government website reports.

●        Those who stay in Germany for more than three months must obtain a temporary protection registration, otherwise they will not have the legal opportunity to stay in Germany or leave the country for 90 days.

●        Refugees who arrive in Germany after September 1 will be able to stay in the country on a visa-free basis for only 90 days.

16:18: Germany will help Ukraine to receive the next 8 billion euros of macro-financial assistance from the EU as soon as possible and will take the lead in this process. German Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner assured this during the conversation, – Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says.

15:52: Finland will take part in the UK program to train soldiers of the armed forces of Ukraine, sending about 20 military instructors to the United Kingdom, the country's Ministry of Defense said.

15:42 Latvian portal LMS: The Latvian police will no longer guard the consulates general of the Russian Federation in Daugavpils and Liepaja.

●        The diplomatic workers of these consulates have been declared undesirable persons in Latvia.

15:15 Reuters:  More than 450 foreign-made components were found in disabled Russian weapons in Ukraine. This indicates that Moscow acquired critical technologies from companies from the US, Europe and Asia before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

●        About two-thirds of the components were made by American companies and Analog Devices and Texas Instruments. Other components were produced by companies in Japan, South Korea, the UK, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

14:34 Türkiye Foreign Minister:  After the end of the war in Ukraine,Türkiye is preparing for a "new security architecture in Europe"

●        "This war will end sooner or later. The main thing for us is the protection of common interests. In the process of forming a new security architecture in Europe, it is necessary to act with the utmost thoughtfulness. Türkiye is already preparing for this today”.

NATIONAL

August 9

11:14 The Washington Post:  Volodymyr Zelenskyi calls on the West to ban the entry of Russians. They should "live in their own world until they change their philosophy."

●        The President believes that the sanctions imposed on Russia are weak. Zelenskyi proposes to the West to close the borders to Russian citizens for one year and a full embargo on the purchase of Russian energy.

10:58 Institute for the Study of War: 

●        Russian forces likely seek to establish control over Zaitseve to Bakhmut’s south to set conditions to disrupt Ukrainian control over the T0513 trunk road that supports Ukrainian frontline positions in the northeast Donetsk region.

●        Russian forces may increasingly deploy low-quality, poorly trained units, to control populations in occupied parts of Ukraine.

●        According to analytics, such deployments may reduce the competence of occupation authorities and counter-partisan operations and may increase Ukrainian support for movements that resist Russia’s occupation.

10:41: ️ The families of the "Azovstal" defenders "demand from the UN and the "Red Cross" to prevent the "tribunal" over the «Azov» fighters.

●        The Association of Families of "Azovstal" Defenders posted the relevant statement. They emphasize that the Russians are preparing a propaganda show that will have no force in the legal field.

09:52 Strategic Communications Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: ️The Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated the best Russian helicopter pilot - Colonel Vasily Kleshchenko.  It is reported that a year ago he led the parade of helicopters on Victory Day over Red Square.

08:39 Operational Command "Pivden” (South):

●        The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 23 soldiers of the Russian Army, the anti-aircraft complex "Shell-C1", the T-72 tank, the self-propelled howitzer "Msta-S", and five vehicles in the south direction. 

●        In addition, the Ukrainian air strike struck a cluster of manpower, weapons and equipment of the Russian troops near Snihyrivka, Mykolaiv region.

●        As a result of counter-sabotage measures carried out during the weekend in Mykolaiv, about 20 cases were opened, and five wanted persons were arrested.

●        Also, the Ukrainian military, together with the police, identified equipment that had registered fake accounts.

08:30 Operational report of the General Staff of the AFU:

●        In the Slobozhansk direction, the Russians are fighting to keep previously occupied borders and prevent the offensive of Ukrainian soldiers. Russian army tries to identify the construction of the system of defence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

●        In the Donetsk direction, with the support of operational-tactical and army aviation, the Russians assault in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. They are trying to use artillery fire to drive Ukrainian units out of the occupied frontiers.

●        In the Bakhmut direction, the Russians tried to conduct reconnaissance by combat in the areas of Ivano-Dariivka, Vesele, Yakovlivka and Bakhmut. They had no success, so withdrew. With the same result, the Russian troops launched an offensive near Zaitseve.

●        In the Avdiivka direction, the Russians conducted offensive battles near Krasnohorivka and Avdiivka. They had no success, so withdrew.

●        In the Novopavlivske and Zaporizhzhia directions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces neutralized intelligence groups in the areas of the Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka.

07:56 :In the past 24 hours, 3 warehouses of Russian troops and 1 base have been destroyed* :

●        an ammunition depot in Donetsk;

●        an ammunition depot in Darivka, Kherson region;

●        a base in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region;

●        an ammunition depot in Kozacha Lopan (district), Kherson region.

August 8

23:58 Bloomberg: Investors for the second time refused Naftogaz to defer debt payments.

●        The publication writes that Dechert's legal adviser, representing a group of investors, said that Naftogaz has a strong enough financial position to pay off debts.

23:19 President’s Office: South of Bakhmut, the Russians are trying to arrange a semi-encirclement of Ukrainian troops. The village of Kodema is at the epicenter of this military operation.

●        "The situation here is difficult. The enemy has advanced, but the fighting continues.

●        ”There will be no second Chernobyl and it will not come to blowing up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

○        “They are begging for negotiations - this is obvious to us. It didn’t work out for the grain, well, let’s do it through nuclear blackmail. But it doesn’t work either,”- he said.

22:30: Nearly 60 thousand dollars were collected at a charity auction in Kyiv for victims from Mariupol and Kremenchuk.

22:18: It will soon be possible to obtain permission for a child to travel abroad through "Diya", - Mykhailo Fedorov. Parliament should consider this initiative at the next vote.

21:39 Prime Minister: The priorities of the state budget of Ukraine for 2023 will be maintaining macro-financial stability, funding the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and supporting people.

21:13 State Emergency Service: MineFree, a mobile application for mine safety, has been launched in Ukraine.

●        It allows you to report the discovery of explosive or suspicious objects, view a map of dangerous areas and receive a notification in case of approaching a dangerous object.

21:13: According to Forbes, the total cost of Russian Caliber missiles shot down by Ukraine today is $26 million.

20:47: As part of the #RussiaIsATerroristState flash mob, Ukrainian IT people began to add "terrorist country" next to the word "Russia" wherever possible.*

●        This was announced by the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov and called on the global IT community to support this movement.

20:29 Reuters: The parties to the transaction on the export of grain from Ukraine have issued a manual on the procedures for its delivery.

●        The document says that Ukraine and the Russian Federation agreed not to attack merchant and other civilian ships and port facilities involved in the deal.

●        A vessel moving along the Ukrainian corridor will be protected by a buffer zone - no military vessel, aircraft or drone can be within 10 nautical miles of a vessel passing through the corridor, with the exception of the territorial seas of Ukraine.

20:28 Operational Command Pivden 'South': Russian troops do not have the ability to attack by land in southern Ukraine.

●        Also, commenting on the shelling of bridges on the territory of the temporarily occupied regions, Humenyuk says that the Russians do not have many alternatives to build up forces in the south of the country.

19:47 Reuters - US Agency for International Development:  The United States will provide Ukraine with another $4.5 billion in budget support.

●        Thus, budget support from Washington will be increased to $8.5 billion. The funds will go to the government of Ukraine in stages, in August it will receive $3 billion.

18:43 Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

●        In the Kharkiv direction, enemy units using tanks, cannon and rocket artillery are trying to keep the Armed Forces of Ukraine from advancing deep into the territory temporarily occupied by the enemy.

●        In the Sloviansk direction, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to improve the tactical position near Bohorodychne.

●        In the Donetsk direction, the enemy, using the available means of fire destruction along the line of collision, is trying to inflict maximum losses on the Armed Forces of Ukraine and prevent their transfer to other directions.

●        In the Bakhmut direction, the Ukrainian soldiers repelled enemy assaults in the directions of the settlements of Bakhmut, Zaitseve, Vershyna and Kodema.

●        In the Avdiivka direction, an attempt by the Russians to advance in the directions of Avdiivka and Pisky under the fire of Ukrainian soldiers failed. The enemy has withdrawn.

●        The Russian troops tried to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian troops in the directions of the settlements of Mariinka and Shevchenko, but failed and retreated. They conducted aerial reconnaissance of the areas of the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Pavlohrad.

17:43 First Deputy Interior Minister:  Over the past day, the Russian troops fired on 42 settlements in Ukraine.

●        Most shelling was in the Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. As a result, dozens of victims and wounded are known.

17:42  Center of Strategic Communications and Information Security:  Amnesty International used testimony of people who were interviewed under pressure.

●        The report is mainly based on the testimony of people who were in filtration camps and prisons in territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

●        The testimony was collected by independent journalists and volunteers. At the same time, interviews were conducted only among people who themselves stated this "under obvious pressure" from the security forces of the Russian Federation. In addition, representatives of the Russian Federation checked the collected materials.

17:08:  The SBU (Ukrainian Intelligence) says it has detained a group of killers who were planning to kill Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov.

●        Russian "curators" promised a reward of 100 to 150 thousand dollars for the murder of each of them.

○        22:17: In addition to the Minister of Defense and the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the killers from the special services of the Russian Federation planned to kill a third official.

○        It turned out to be Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs. In the phone of one of them, they found a correspondence discussing the "deal". This is stated in the published SSU materials.

16:23 Permanent Representative of Ukraine to IAEA:  Russia wants to leave the southern regions of Ukraine without electricity. That is why the Russian army is shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. To prevent this, Ukraine is calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the power plant.  The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets sent letters with a corresponding appeal to an international organization.

16:13 Operational Command Pivden 'South': About 10 ships and boats of the Russian Navy are constantly stationed in the Black Sea, and the enemy keeps four carriers of Kalibr-type missiles on combat duty.

15:10 Ministry of Digital Development:  YouTube now has the ability to automatically generate subtitles in Ukrainian. To do this, the function must be enabled in the user settings.

15:06:  The NBU allowed currency exchanges to buy currency from Ukrainians at any rate, - the press service of the NBU said.

●        Earlier in Ukraine there was a restriction on the redemption of cash currency not cheaper than the fixed rate of the National Bank. Today it remains at the level of UAH 36.56 per dollar.

●        Now this restriction has been removed - exchangers will be able to set any dollar and euro redemption rates.

14:47:  The State Bureau of Investigation reported charges against the former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Yezhel with the assistance of the occupation of Crimea.  In 2010, he agreed on the signing of the so-called "Kharkiv agreements", which increased Russian control of Crimea.

14:23 British intelligence:

●        Russia is highly likely deploying anti-personnel mines to protect and deter freedom of movement along its defensive lines in the Donbas.

●        In Donetsk and Kramatorsk, Russia has highly likely attempted employment of PFM-1 and PFM-1S scatterable anti-personnel mines.

●        Commonly called the ‘butterfly mine’, the PFM-1 series are deeply controversial, indiscriminate weapons.

14:04 Prime Minister: 

●        From September 1, privatization should start massively in Ukraine." 

●        At the same time, according to Shmyhal, the state is launching grant programs to motivate businesses and people to create jobs as much as possible.

13:28 Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: 

●        On August 7, Russian troops used Kh-47M Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missiles at military facilities in the Vinnytsia region. 

●        The main carrier of missiles of this type is the MiG-31 fighter, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers can also be used.

●        "The performance characteristics of this missile do not allow the existing air defense systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to effectively detect and destroy it. Since February 24, 2022, only a few combat uses of this type of missiles have been recorded, which the enemy is trying to use on extremely important targets".

●        The Ukrainian military shot down 4 Russian Caliber cruise missiles in the central part of Ukraine. They were released from the Black Sea.

13:32:  Abnormal heat is coming to Ukraine. According to weather forecaster Ihor Kibalchich, abnormally high temperatures are expected in the south and east of the country next week.

●        In particular, tomorrow, August 9, the southern, central and eastern regions will hit the heat up to +38°

12:57: After our publication of the website of the State Border Service of Ukraine, the information about the restriction on the travel of university students abroad for education was deleted.

12:42 Operational Command Pivden (South) :  The first three German anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery mounts "Gepard" are already in Ukraine.  They hit targets at a distance of 100 meters to 4 km.

12:38 Verkhovna Rada:  The Cabinet of Ministers reviewed the project of the President of Ukraine on the confiscation of assets owned by the Russian Federation.

●        There are 903 positions in the list of the project, 804 objects among the property, 79 packages of corporate rights.

12:22:  The SSU has collected an evidence base for charging three more collaborators, whom the Russian Federation "appointed" as the leaders of the Kherson region.

●        Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Russia, the "director" of the Kherson water utility has been actively cooperating with the invaders. Another collaborator took the position of Chief Physician of the Bilozerskyi Center for Primary Health Care.

●        Under suspicion of the SSU is a collaborator who took the position of head of the Nova Kakhovka department for combating economic crimes and actively worked to disrupt the sowing campaign.

12:16 Ukrainian Ambassador to Türkiye:  The Turkish company Baykar will build a plant for the production of Bayraktar strike drones in Ukraine.

●        Baykar has already established a company in Ukraine, acquired a land plot and developed a plant project - the company plans to complete the plan.

●        Said that Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin to encourage him to fulfill "certain agreements".

●        He stressed that "not even one of the European leaders has achieved what Erdogan has achieved", referring to the progress on the "grain agreement".

MORDOR (Russia)

August 9

10:23  Russian political scientist, and publicist Andrei Okara:  «Previously, the main “brand” of Melitopol was the famous black cherries and Kherson - famous watermelons. Now the main brand of these regions is partisans».

10:22 Russian media: ️ A Ukrainian soldier of the “Vedmedi” [Bears] unit, who was captured on "Azovstal" died in the detention center of the so-called «DNR». Russians claim that the cause of the death of the fighter was "complications of chronic diseases due to drug addiction".

00:59: Specialists of "Kasperskyi Lab" accuse the Chinese hacker group TA 428 of organizing attacks on the websites of defense enterprises and government agencies in Russia, Eastern Europe and Afghanistan in early 2022.

●        As noted in the company, in some cases, attackers using phishing emails completely captured the IT infrastructure of enterprises.

00:30: The President of Russia signed a decree that allows Russian banks that have fallen under sanctions to freeze some transactions in the currency of those countries that have imposed these sanctions.

●        Banks will be able to stop the fulfillment of obligations on accounts or deposits of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.

August 8

23:25 Reuters: Russian airlines began to dismantle planes for spare parts due to sanctions.

●        At least one Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 and Airbus A350 aircraft, both operated by Aeroflot, have been stopped and are being dismantled.

21:18: The BBC Russian service has established the names of more than 5.4 thousand Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine.

●        To date, journalists have been able to confirm information about 5424 dead soldiers and officers. Of these, at least 257 are senior officers (including 33 colonels and four generals).

At the same time, the BBC admits that the list of confirmed losses may contain at least two times fewer names of the dead than actually buried in Russia.20:29 Reuters: The Russian Federation has suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, – citing a senior Pentagon official.

17:24 Head of the Donetsk People's Republic:  The tribunal over the fighters of "Azov" will be held in the temporarily occupied Mariupol.

●        Thus, Pushylin confirms the authenticity of the photographs from the Mariupol Philharmonic, on whose stage metal cages were assembled.

14:55:  The Russian Ministry of Defense informed relatives of the death of 23-year-old conscript Ivan Frantin, who served on the missile cruiser "Moskva".

●        The soldier's sister told the channel "We Can Explain" about this. Until that moment, he was officially considered missing."

14:17 former State Duma deputy:  "Why are they shelling Ukraine from the Caspian Sea? Yes, for a very simple reason - half of the missiles that are launched from bombers do not fly. Not only do they not reach, they immediately fall."

●        "Therefore, if they do this over land, someone will be hit, or it will be seen that they have fallen. A blogger will come with a phone and take pictures of everything. We saw how the rockets were launched from Belgorod and fell down. Of the seven rockets, four fell. And so over the sea - and ends in the water."

13:48 Russian media: The so-called "head" of the Zaporizhya region signed an order to hold a "referendum" on the reunification of the region with Russia.

13:09: There are no prerequisites for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky now, the Ukrainian delegation has gone off the radar — Dmitry Peskov

13:09 Russian Borsch:  Musicians of the famous rock band Bi-2 left Russia.  The reason is in the political position, or rather, in their opinion about the "special operation". It is not yet known which country the musicians left for.

●        15:02: The musicians of the rock group "B-2" denied the rumors about their departure from Russia.

13:06: "We will come to you. The existence of Poland threatens our security," - a frequent guest of the programs of propagandist Soloviev, political scientist Alexander Shpakovsky said that Belarus and Russia could raise the issue of Poland's statehood.

KHARKIV

August 9

09:22 Regional Military Administration: The Russians struck Kharkiv again. Previously, with missiles. The law enforcement is identifying the missiles’ type. At 2 a.m Russians struck Shevchenko and Industrial districts.

●        In the Shevchenko district, Russian troops damaged the hotel and restaurant complex.

●        Another strike was recorded in an open area in the Industrial District. The elements of transport and critical infrastructure were damaged. No casualties.

●        Over the past 24 hours, the Russians have shelled the settlements of the Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv, Kharkiv, Lozova and Izium districts of the region.

●        In the Bohodukhiv district, a field of wheat burned due to the Russian shelling, and three hectares of the crop were destroyed. A warehouse with seeds was destroyed in the Chuhuiv district.

●        According to the Regional Center for Emergency Medical Assistance of the Kharkiv region, during the day, one person died from the shelling of Russians, and five civilians were wounded.

07:54:  The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, reported that the city was again shelled at night. There were at least 4 explosions. There is no information about the victims.

August 8

15:47 Regional Military Administration:  "As a result of recent shelling by Russian soldiers, the CHPP-3 in Kharkiv was damaged, which provides heat for about a third of the city."

●        The head of the RMA stressed that now the task is to restore the critical infrastructure as much as possible and prepare the city for the winter period. This is planned to be done through the government's reserve fund.

LUHANSK

August 9

11:22:  Oleksandr Striuk about the situation in the temporarily occupied Severodonetsk:

●        Russians formed brigades to clean the streets, offering food as payment;

●        there is no light or water in Severodonetsk. The sewerage system does not work

●        the city does not have the necessary level of specialists to restore communications.

●        Chains of shops are destroyed, and products for sale are brought from other settlements;

●        When Russian television arrives in Severodonetsk, Russians provide the population with food packages;

●        Almost all the people who tried to return to the city, realized that it would be impossible to spend the winter in these conditions, and left again.

08:56 Regional Military Administration: Russians use all available weapons to deprive Ukrainian Armed Forces of opportunity to strengthen their positions.

●        Just over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military stopped 10 attempts by the Russians to storm cities and villages on the border of Luhansk and Donbas.

●        In addition, the Russian troops launched a missile attack, made two tank attack attempts, and shelled populated areas with mortars.

●        The mines of the Luhansk region are on the verge of closure.

○        It is about coal industry enterprises in cities captured by Russia in 2014. This, Sorokyne (Krasnodon), Rovenky, Dovzhansk (Sverdlovsk). Almost everyone who could be sent to the war from the mines of these settlements, the Russians have already mobilized at the beginning of the invasion.

○        Moreover, now they are inviting men from neighbouring regions of Russia to work [in the mines].

DONETSK

August 9

09:43 Regional Military Administration: On August 8, Russians killed three civilians of the Donbas: in Chasiv Yar, Novoselivka I and Marinka. Another 19 people were wounded.

08:21 : Local media report explosions in occupied Volnovakha. It is reported that there was a fire in the city at night, and residents heard the detonation of ammunition.

●        The Ministry of Emergency Situations of «DNR» writes that the fire affected 5000m². Work on the elimination of fire continues.

07:55: Residents of the temporarily occupied Tokmak, Donetsk Region reported night explosions in the city.

August 8

23:43: The head of the Donetsk RMA Pavel Kyrylenko today on the air of the national telethon said that the most tense situation in the region is in the Limanskyi, Bakhmutskyi and Avdiiskyi directions.

●        Druzhkivka and Konstantynivka were also shelled. Under constant shelling Bakhmut, Sieversk, Soledar, Marinka, Krasnogorivka, Avdiivka, Toretsk, Ugledar. In fact, of all types of weapons, as well as the Russians quite often use aviation

19:10: The smoke rises in Bakhmut, the Donetsk region, as a result of shelling. Photo from social networks. Waiting for more information.

15:57: Explosions are heard in the Petrovsk district of Donetsk. Waiting for more information.

15:22:  The mayor of Kramatorsk Oleksandr Honcharenko reported that Russians have activated shelling of the city.

●        “Yesterday there were four hits: on the industrial zone and one shell fell in a residential area - the store was damaged. Today at 2:15 am, they hit houses in the private sector. One house and partially neighboring ones were seriously damaged, another shell fell without exploding. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The occupiers began to use MLRS more often, which, unfortunately, it is impossible to warn about the strikes - they are not seen by air defense," - Honcharenko said.

●        According to the mayor of Kramatorsk, in addition to constant shelling and the proximity of the front, the region is on the verge of the most difficult winter in Donbas in recent decades.

●        "With a probability of 99%, there will be no usual heating season in Kramatorsk," - he stressed.

ZAPORIZHYA

August 9

10:03: ️Security Service of Ukraine identified all collaborators who joined “The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation”' in the Zaporizhya region.

●        «So, one of the leaders of the pseudo formation is a former guard of the deputy-traitor Yevhenii Balytskyi», - said in a statement.

●        On the instructions of the Russian curators, the so-called «Interior Ministry» suppresses resistance and intimidates the residents of the temporarily occupied territories. They use repressive methods, mass persecution and detention of citizens.

07:28 : The residents of the temporarily occupied Melitopol report that the morning in the city began with an explosion and a drone of equipment.

August 8

22:51 :The mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov reported about explosions in the city.

20:39 Energoatom: The Collegium of the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation recognized the actions of the Russian military at the Zaporizhzhia NPP as an act of nuclear terrorism.

●        It is noted that their actions can lead to severe damage to nuclear fuel with subsequent radiation pollution of the environment.

20:28 Mayor: Collaborators brought 700 people to the temporarily occupied Melitopol as"extras" to announce preparations for a pseudo-referendum.

●        The head of the city claims that even at gunpoint, Russia is supported by no more than 10% of Melitopol residents.

20:09 Energoatom: Zaporizhya NPP will not be able to operate if the last transmission line that supplies it with electricity is damaged. 

●        The transition of ZNPP into a blackout mode in case of damage to all transmission lines is extremely dangerous from the point of view of keeping nuclear fuel in a safe state at the plant.

DNIPRO

August 9

07:59 Regional Military Administration: The Russian army has attacked two districts - Nikopol and Sinelnikov

●        Russians fired three shots at Nikopol from «Grad». 120 rockets arrived in the city. Several residential buildings were damaged. Workshops, administrative offices, and cars were damaged at 3 enterprises. An employee of one of the enterprises was injured. The 46-year-old male was hospitalized with a fracture.

●        In the Sinelnikov district the shelling hit the Velykomykhailivka territorial community. There is destruction of housing. Previously, no casualties.

04:43 Nikopol Regional Military Administration: The Russians fired at Nikopol twice with MLRS. 

Nikopol is located directly across the Nova Khahovka Reservoir from the Zaporizhya NPP.   This is one of several large reservoirs behind dams set up on the Dnieper River.   Some are so big that they are referred to as inland seas.

August 8

23:06: The head of the Nikopol RMA, Yevgenyi Yevtushenko, warned the residents of the area about possible Russian shelling and urged them to observe security measures.

16:54 Regional Council: The Russians during the shelling destroyed the building of the local lyceum in the Zelenodolsk community.

●        Russian troops were in the lyceum located in Velyka Kostromka. As a result of shelling, windows were shattered in the building and walls were destroyed. The gas pipeline was also damaged.

KHERSON

August 9

11:22 Regional council:  Today, the Russian military plans to clear Skadovsk town: they will strengthen checkpoints, check documents and phones, and conduct searches.

07:46  : Residents report the detonation of the ammunition depot in the Henichesk district, Kherson region.

August 8

23:11 Suspіlne: Russians want to bribe parents of preschoolers to force them to take their children to kindergarten.

●        The occupying authorities are offering four thousand rubles to all parents whose children from 0 to 18 or up to 23 years old will study full-time in the Kherson region.

18:05 Ministry of Internal Affairs:  "Ex-Quisling" of the Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo is in serious condition after being poisoned.

●        Yenin also stressed that sooner or later two scenarios await all collaborators. The first is to be arrested "with all the ensuing consequences," and the other, as Yenin said, to leave the world forever.

12:39  : Something is on fire in the occupied Nova Mayachka, Kherson region. Local residents report that the fire started after the missiles were launched. Waiting for more information.

MYKOLAIV

August 9

09:46: General Marchenko reported that about 400 people were detained in Mykolaiv during the "long" curfew.

●        “They passed the information to Russians. I can’t talk about it yet, but the operation was successful. In addition to collaborators, many other offences were found. The weekend was well-spent.»

09:38 Regional Military Administration:

●        On the morning of August 9, at 7 a.m., the Russians shelled the vicinity of Mykolaiv. Previously, no casualties. Details of the consequences are being clarified.

●        Yesterday, Russians opened fire at the Halytsynove village. No casualties. This morning, the Lymany village also was shelled.

●        In the morning of August 8, the village of Shevchenkove was shelled by Russians. No casualties.

●        Bereznehuvate was shelled at night. Russians damaged residential buildings. Information about casualties and injured is being clarified.

●        Yesterday there was shelling outside the village of Poliana. No casualties.

08:37: Residents report explosions in Mykolaiv.

August 8

13:23: The head of Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim published a video from the SSU on the detention of people who are suspected of collaborationism.

OTHER REGIONS

August 8

22:00 Sumy Regional Military Administration:

●        Today, during the day, the Russians opened fire on Myropolska, Seredyno-Budska, Khotynska, Krasnopolska, Shalyginska, Glukhovska, Esmanska and Velykopisarevska communities.

●        In total, more than 130 arrivals - from cannon and rocket artillery, mortars. The Russians also used small arms. In the village of Katerynivka, a local resident died from a shrapnel wound in the neck.

19:42 City Council:  To date, 458 bodies have been found in the Bucha community of the Kyiv region, including 12 children (under 21 years old)

●        "458 bodies were found (366 men, 86 women, 5 unidentified, 1 bag with body parts that cannot be identified as a body); 419 of them were killed by gunfire"

18:12 Cherkasy City Council:  Today, the court released on bail a deputy of the Cherkasy City Council, who supported the occupation authorities of the Russian Federation, a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and wanted to become a Quisling.

●        Activists met him and took him to the monument to the fallen soldiers of the ATO / JFO, so that he apologized to the Ukrainian heroes

15:35 City council of Slavutych:  "Civilians in the Chernihiv region are prohibited from approaching closer than two kilometers the border with Russia.

●        It is reported that measures are being taken on the territory of the Chernihiv region to strengthen the engineering protection of the state border.

14:43:  In Chernihiv, the verdict was announced to the Russian soldier Mikhail Kulikov, who shot from his tank at a high-rise building in February. The offender was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

●        This decision was made by the Desnyansky District Court of Chernihiv. He found Mikhail Kulikov guilty under the article on violation of the laws and customs of war.

Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins.  Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.

●         SOURCES

●         https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/ 

●         https://euromaidanpress.com/

●         fhttps://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis

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