Ukraine – 9/16/2023 Sitrep
By: Robert Homans & Bohdan Chomiak
September 16, 2023
The Ukraine War Ebook, “The Ukrainian People vs. The Russian Horde”
The Ukraine War Ebook we sent to those who were kind enough to support us, that included all our emails that we sent during the first week of the war, has been very well received. Since early July, when the Ebook was released, we have added several new email recipients. For new recipients, plus existing recipients who would like to receive the Ebook, we would be happy to send you a copy in return for your support for our efforts. If you would like to support us in any amount in any currency, and receive an Ebook as our gesture of gratitude, please click on the link HERE. Your support is greatly appreciated!
The Telegraph – “Ukraine – The Latest”
This is their latest episode -
The last 15 minutes of the podcast contains an interview that the Telegraph obtained with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), given on the day he announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate at the end of his current term. As a major supporter of Ukraine on the Republican side, he will be missed.
Timothy Snyder Interview “Explaining Genocide”/European Pravda
· Snyder talks about why many in the West are reluctant to admit that what Russia is doing in Ukraine constitutes genocide.
· He said that for someone in the West to agree that what Russia is doing in Ukraine constitutes genocide, it implies that they aren’t doing much to stop it.
· He added that if a Western leader agrees that Putin is a Nazi, then that person must ask, “why was I meeting with him a couple of years ago?”
· Snyder said that there is currently a form of genocide going on inside Russia that has nothing directly to do with Ukraine – the use of Russian ethnic minorities to prosecute Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin is obsessed with the notion that Russia is a white nation, “itself a genocidal thought.”
· In terms of Russians taking responsibility for Russian genocide in Ukraine, Snyder said “The best thing to do for Russia, is to make sure they lose.”
African Union (“AU”) Joining the G-20
I’ve concluded that India, as the Host Nation for the most recent G-20 meeting, inviting the AU to join the G-20 was a very shrewd move.
The AU has a stated policy of actively opposing moves by member states to take over territory of neighboring member states. Martin Kimani the Kenyan Ambassador to the UN stated the reason for the policy very clearly, in a speech he gave to the UN Security Council on the night before Russia invaded Ukraine. As Amb. Kimani stated, “this situation (Russia invading a neighboring Slavic country) echoes our own history, where almost every African country was birthed by the ending of empires.” He went on to say, “that had we chose to pursue nations on the basis of religious, ethnic or racial homogeneity, we’d still be fighting bloody wars so many decades later.” He continued, “rather than look backward, we chose to look forward.” “Kenya rejects such a yearning, from being pursued by force.” The AU’s stated policy has held; no AU member state has taken over territory of its neighbors by force.
India has stayed neutral in the Russia-Ukraine War. South Africa is both a G-20 Member and a Member of the AU. Why is South Africa supporting Russia, at least on a covert basis, when S. Africa is a member of an organization, now part of the G-20, that actively opposes territorial takeovers by force?
The AU joining the G-20 brings the hypocritical policies of some members of their respective organizations into sharp focus.
News From the Battlefield
“Reporting From Ukraine” covers Ukraine’s takeover of the town of Klishchiivka, south of Bakhmut, and the evident destruction of one of Russia’s most experienced formations, the 72nd Brigade, and liquidated almost their entire leadership.
Separately, recently Ukraine launched a raid across the Dnipro River, taking prisoner many Russian officers who then proceeded to give away Russian positions. Cracks seem to be appearing everywhere along Russia’s defense lines, at sea, in Crimea, against Russian logistics, and several incursions along the defense line, the most prominent being the area around Robytene.
9/16/2023 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon September 15 to 12:00 noon September 16, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Saturday, September 16
12:56 am: Ukraine will soon receive more than ten Abrams tanks, which will be handed over by the United States.
● This was announced by the Secretary of the National Security Council Oleksiy Danilov.
● "Regarding the supply of Abrams, the heaviest tanks in the world, which weigh 80 tons, they will arrive in our country in the near future. Our strategic partners - the USA - will not let us down in this case. In the near future, these tanks will defend our country," he said.
8:27 am: Canada has imposed a new package of sanctions against high-ranking Iranians responsible for massive human rights abuses. This is reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada.
8:27 am: The Government of Romania expects Ukraine to submit an action plan regarding effective measures to control agricultural exports, - press release of the Romanian government.
9:47 am: The White House has confirmed Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech to the US Congress on Thursday, September 21, - CNN.
Friday, September 15
1:22 pm: Vitaliy Klitschko, along with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and other German and EU politicians, is participating in the Westphalian Peace Conference in Münster.
● "We will discuss, in particular, the importance of Ukraine in geopolitical changes, the prerequisites for the peace that Ukraine is fighting for, and the role of German and European support in this," Klitschko said.
1:39 pm: Germany may decide to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles within one to two weeks.
● This was announced by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, quoted by Tagesschau.
2:36 pm: Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Andrzej Duda will meet in New York to discuss the grain embargo, Office of the President of Poland.
● According to Duda, Warsaw is not interested in selling Ukrainian grain on the Polish market and wants Kyiv to understand this.
3:55 p.m.: The United Kingdom has added "PK Wagner" to the list of terrorist organizations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country announced.
● From now on, London will consider membership of Wagner PMC or active support of its activities a criminal offense with a potential sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
6:00 pm: Belgium will take part in the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets as part of the "aviation coalition" led by the Netherlands and Denmark.
● This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Belgium, Ludovin Dedonder, reports Le Soir.
● "In 2024, the department will send to Denmark two F-16 aircraft - two-seater training and training F-16B - to improve the skills of Ukrainian pilots, as well as a detachment of approximately 50 military personnel, mainly technical personnel, who will be responsible for the deployment of F-16 aircraft." - the message says.
6:49 pm: NAC has listed one of the world's largest diamond manufacturing and exporting companies, Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), on the list of international war sponsors.
● "The Indian company continues to cooperate with the aggressor, purchasing diamonds in Russia, despite the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation in this area. In 2023, the company tripled the purchase of diamonds in the Russian Federation, compared to 2021," - writes the press service of the NAZK.
● About three-quarters of India's diamonds come from Russia, but they are not accompanied by any official documents to prove their origin.
7:50 pm: The European Commission did not extend the embargo on the supply of Ukrainian grain after September 15, according to the European Commission's website.
● The commission concluded that thanks to the restrictions on Ukrainian exports, which were introduced on May 2, 2023, market distortions in five member states disappeared.
● Ukraine also agreed to implement any measures within 30 days to avoid jumps in the market.
8:45 pm: Poland continues the embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain, despite the European Commission's decision to lift the ban.
● This was stated by the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki.
● "Despite the lack of agreement from the European Commission," I say to all farmers throughout Poland, "we will continue the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain," he said.
● According to an interview with the outgoing Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, Poland was supposed to serve as a trans-shipment country for Ukrainian grain going not to Poland, but to be sold in other markets. Instead, according to the Ambassador, Ukrainian grain is being sold in Poland. Why? If true, this would give Poland a legitimate reason to embargo grain imports. Poland is having elections coming up in 2024. Farmers make up a major support base for the ruling Law & Justice Party.
● The outgoing Ambassador also said that Poland is paying for much of the cost of trans-shipping weapons bound for Ukraine, coming from the U.S. and other suppliers. Again, why?
8:54 pm: Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for lifting the embargo on Ukrainian grain.
● "Now it is important for European unity to work on a bilateral level as well. For neighbors to support Ukraine during the war. And if their decisions violate EU law, Ukraine will respond in a civilized manner," added Zelenskyy.
9:05 pm: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and President of the United States Joe Biden will meet on September 21 in Washington.
● This was announced by US National Security Adviser Sullivan during a briefing.
● He added that the US will announce a new aid package to Ukraine next week.
10:25 pm: Slovakia will unilaterally extend the ban on the import of grain from Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Agriculture reports.
● It is also known that Hungary has introduced a ban on the import of 24 types of agricultural products from Ukraine, including grain, vegetables, meat and honey.
11:09 pm: Romania will shoot down Russian drones if necessary. This was announced by the Deputy Chief of Defense Staff of Romania. This is reported by Digi24.
● Romania has deployed about 600 military personnel and radar systems in the Danube Delta region.
● The defense headquarters also answered the question of whether Romania will use its anti-aircraft defense against Russian drones.
● "Depending on the level of the threat, we are ready to use all available military means to protect the territory of Romania," General Giorgica Vlad said.
11:25 pm: Poland has indefinitely banned the import of agricultural products from Ukraine since midnight.
● The Minister of Development and Technology of Poland Waldemar Buda on Friday signed an order on the indefinite ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine, including wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds.
11:41 pm: The US plans to increase the monthly production of 155 mm artillery shells to 100 thousand pieces in 2025.
● This was stated by Bill Laplante, the Pentagon's chief weapons purchaser, Reuters reports.
● "We are going to reach the level of 100,000 per month in 2025. 6-8 months ago, we produced 14,000 shells per month, today - 28,000," he said.
11:54 pm: In Berlin, a protest against the performance of Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko took place under the state opera house. GOOD!
NATIONAL
Saturday, September 16
12:29 am: Activity of enemy tactical aircraft in the eastern direction. The threat of using aviation weapons. - reported the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
12:42 am: Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue to fight in the temporarily occupied territories and show the invaders that Ukraine will definitely liberate these territories.
1:04 am: Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk regions - the threat of using ballistic weapons. - reported the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
7:22 am: The defense forces were successful in the Klishchiivka area of the Donetsk region as a result of the offensive operations, - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
● As a result of the assault actions, the Defense Forces have partial success in the Verbovoy and Novoprokopivka districts of the Zaporizhzhia region, dislodge the Russians from their occupied positions and secure themselves at the achieved boundaries.
● During the past day, the aviation of the defense forces made 3 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the Russian Federation - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
● Units of missile troops and artillery and unmanned systems affected 3 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment.
7:26 am: Attention! Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk region - missile danger! - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Friday, September 15
12:16 pm: The government approved the draft budget for 2024 with own revenues of the general fund of the budget in the amount of 1.56 trillion hryvnias and expenditures of the general fund in the amount of 3.108 trillion, announced Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
● They are going to allocate 1 trillion 658 billion UAH for defense, which is 113 billion more than what was included in the 2023 budget.
● According to the procedure, the project must be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by September 15.
1:56 pm: The SBU exposed millionaire blogger Yuriy Podolyak, who "pointed" Russian missiles at Mykolaiv, the SBU press service.
● In order to target the enemy's weapons on the city, the suspect received intelligence from his informant, an ex-head of the Mykolaiv District Prosecutor's Office, who is currently serving a life sentence for treason.
● On the basis of the collected evidence, the investigators of the Security Service additionally notified the blogger of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason committed under martial law).
2:16 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on the eve of Savior's Day
● "You have much more than just a job. You support the real viability of our entire society, our cities and villages. Wherever your courage and honesty are needed, Ukrainians trust you," the president said.
2:50 pm: The SBU found "schemes of autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk regions" in Nestor Shufrych's possession during searches.
● The document envisages renaming these regions to so-called "regions", wide autonomy, holding elections, forming a separate government and parliament. Under the document, dated July 2014, are the signatures of the traitor Medvedchuk and Shufrych.
3:09 pm: According to SBU materials, people's deputy Nestor Shufrych was suspected of treason, SBU press service.
● According to the investigation materials, Shufrych closely cooperated with and fulfilled the tasks of former NSDC secretary Volodymyr Sivkovich, an FSB agent whose task is to coordinate the Russian agency in Ukraine.
● Currently, 45 searches are being conducted at the places of residence of the suspect and his close entourage.
3:28 pm: Ukraine has returned the bodies of another 51 dead Ukrainian servicemen, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
● In total, the bodies of 1,832 soldiers have already been returned.
4:48 pm: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhnyi met with American and British partners
● "We discussed the Ukrainian army's need for shells, weapons and military equipment. We are waiting for good news. We discussed the situation in the Black Sea as a separate topic," said the head of state.
● He also said that during the meeting they discussed issues of strengthening Ukrainian air defense, additional transport for evacuating the wounded, finding ways to repair equipment and restore the combat capability of military units.
8:07 pm Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on September 15:
● "During the day, 17 combat clashes took place.
● Also, the Russian Federation carried out another airstrike by Iranian strike UAVs "Shahed-136/131".
● As a result of successful combat operations [...] all 17 enemy "shaheeds" were destroyed."
● "In total, the enemy carried out 54 airstrikes and fired 20 rocket salvo fire systems at the positions of our troops and populated areas.
● As a result of the Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are victims among the civilian population."
● "According to the results of the assault operations, the Defense Forces have partial success in the Klishchiivka area of the Donetsk region."
● "In connection with the catastrophic losses of the occupiers [...] on the territory of the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions of the Russian Federation, mobilization measures of the local population are being carried out.
● In particular, active campaigning activities involving Russian servicemen of the newly formed 25th Army of the Soviet Union, who graduated from these educational institutions, are being conducted in vocational and technical schools, technical schools and among the graduates of boarding schools.
● When entering military service, occupation agitators offer a one-time payment of 600,000 rubles and financial support of 200,000 rubles.
9:56 pm: The Pechersk Court of Kyiv took People's Deputy Nestor Shufrych under arrest without the possibility of posting bail. He was given 60 days - "Grate".
10:10 pm: Shufrych's lawyers said they will appeal the judge's decision. People's deputies were detained in the courtroom and handcuffed.
10:56 pm: The Cabinet of Ministers plans to significantly increase excise duty rates on cigarettes in 2024 — the price per pack may rise by approximately UAH 14-18.
● This is stated in the relevant draft budget.
● It is proposed to increase the specific excise tax rate on cigarettes with and without a filter in 2024 by 20% - from UAH 1,567.64 to UAH 1,881.17 per 1,000 pieces.
● In addition, the minimum tax liability for payment of excise duty will also increase by 20% - from UAH 2,097.12 to UAH 2,516.54 per 1,000 units.
11:55 pm: The court re-elected the preventive measure of the oligarch Kolomoisky, - Public.
● The judge changed the preventive measure in terms of bail, setting its amount at 3 billion 891 million hryvnias.
MORDOR - ruZZia
Saturday, September 16
8:55 am: Special operations forces published a new video of the attack on Sevastopol and Russian ships
● According to them, SSO fighters received information from several sources about the location of the ships "Minsk" and "Rostov-on-Don" at the ship repair plant in Sevastopol.
● On boats, the defenders approached a safe place, after which the underwater vehicles reached the shore. The operators identified the target and opened fire, and later corrected the strike and confirmed the destruction of the Russian canisters.
11:39 a.m.: A photo of the Samum missile ship, on which the SBU struck yesterday with a Sea baby drone, appeared online.
● It is known in advance about the penetration in two places and the flooding of two premises.
Friday, September 15
5:14 pm: Thanks to the SBU, 6 Russian militants who captured Mariupol and stormed Bakhmut were jailed for 15 years.
● Among them are soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Southern Military District of the USSR, as well as traitors who were in the ranks of the terrorist organization "DNR" back in 2015.
● The intruders shelled the positions of Ukrainian troops in the Yasynuvata and Piskivy areas, stormed Bakhmut and Krasnohorivka, and set up Russian fortifications and firing points near Avdiyivka and Lysychansk.
7:09 pm: The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed information about the critical condition of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
● "Yes, indeed, there is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition, and the diseases that were there have worsened and caused such a serious condition," said Andriy Yusov, a representative of the GUR.
● He added that data on the critical condition of the head of Chechnya are confirmed by various sources, and the cause of the illness is not an injury.
REGIONS
SUMY
Saturday, September 16
9:32 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Sumy region.
KHARKIV
Saturday, September 16
9:28 am Kharkiv RMA: During the past 24 hours, the Russians shelled the settlements of Kharkiv, Chuguiv, Kupyan and Izyum districts.
● As a result of a guided aerial bomb attack on the village of A private residential building in Kopanky, Izyum district, was completely destroyed, and 2 more houses were partially destroyed. In the village An educational institution was damaged by Russian shelling in Siminivka. No casualties among the civilian population were recorded.
11:11 am: "The occupiers are striking Kharkiv. Stay in shelters!" - Oleg Sinegubov, head of OVA.
11:12 am: Attention! Kharkiv region - missile danger! - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
11:23 am Kharkiv RMA: "The occupiers struck at least 4 times in the city of Kharkiv. Emergency services went to the places of hits."
● The RMA urges people to stay in shelters until the air warning signal goes off.
Friday, September 15
12:48 pm Kharkiv RMA: In the Kharkiv region, during the day, the Russians shelled the villages of Strilecha of the Kharkiv district, Pletenivka of the Chuguyiv district, Stepova Novoselivka, Kotlyarivka of the Kupyan district.
● In the city of Vovchansk, Chuguyiv district, 5 private houses were damaged. In the village A private homestead was damaged in Podyla, Kupyan district. There was no information about the victims.
DONETSK
Saturday, September 16
8:56 am: Attention! Donetsk region - the threat of the use of attack UAVs by the Russians! - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
11:47 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region.
Friday, September 15
12:30 p.m.: A photo of Andriivka, freed from the Russians in Donetsk region, appeared online.
ZAPORIZHIA
Saturday, September 16
10:19 am Zaporizhia RMA: Over the past 24 hours, Russian military personnel have carried out 54 strikes on 20 settlements in the Zaporizhia region.
● 71 and 53-year-old women were injured as a result of the airstrike on Orikhov - they were taken to a medical institution. There were 31 reports of the destruction of residential buildings and commercial buildings.
11:02 am: In the direction of Zaporizhzhia, a border guard landed a Russian drone with a plastic bottle filled with homemade explosives, State Border Service.
● This is already the fifth drone that the border guards have hunted in this direction during the week.
11:21 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in temporarily occupied Tokmak.
Friday, September 15
6:22 pm Social Networks: Explosions are heard in temporarily occupied Berdyansk.
DNIPRO
Saturday, September 16
9:11 am Dnipro RMA: In the evening, the Russians shelled Nikopol. Heavy artillery opened fire on the city. People were not injured.
● And from the very morning, the Russian army struck the Marganets community of the Nikopol district. The consequences of the attack are being clarified.
10:45 am: On September 14 and 15, the Ukrainian military forded the Dnipro, probably to consolidate positions and prepare for an offensive on the left bank of the Kherson region, - ISW.
● It is emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have intensified their presence on the unspecified islands of the Dnipro River Delta near the Antoniv Bridge.
Friday, September 15
7:27 pm Dnipro RMA: Russians shelled Nikopol six times a day with heavy artillery.
● "Russian occupiers damaged an educational institution in the city. An economic building and a private enterprise were also damaged. The power line was cut off," the report says.
● Previously, there were no injured or dead.
KHERSON
Friday, September 15
7:41 pm: Footage of a Russian aerial bomb hitting a residential building in temporarily occupied Novaya Kakhovka. Video from social networks.
MYKOLAIV
Saturday, September 16
5:07 am: Mykolaiv region - missile danger, - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
ODESA
Saturday, September 16
12:10 am: Another, already the fifth, merchant vessel - the bulk carrier Puma, carrying 16,000 tons of metal and 14,000 tons of rapeseed on board - left the port of Odessa.
CHERKASY
Friday, September 15
4:22 pm: 32,332 Hasidic pilgrims arrived in Uman. During the day, 10,88 pilgrims crossed the state border at checkpoints, the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
● Law enforcement officers deployed checkpoints for thorough inspection and registration of pilgrims in Uman.
6:26 pm: Thousands of Hasidim in Uman prayed for Ukraine at the same time.
● At noon, the pilgrims stopped and held a prayer for peace in Ukraine, which sounded from loudspeakers on the streets of the quarter.
KHMELNITSKY
Friday, September 15
12:05 pm: The first deputy head of the Khmelnytskyi OVA Serhiy Tyurin published the consequences of the fall of the wreckage of the "Shaheda" in one of the villages of the region.
● 12 houses, windows in the boiler room, 28 windows in the school and power lines were damaged. Restoration work is already underway. There are no casualties.
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://espreso.tv/
https://t.me/uawarinfographics
https://t.me/svoboda_radio