Ukraine – 9/8/2023 Sitrep
By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
September 8, 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!
NOTE: In the Sitrep, there is a very good analysis of the destruction of the Nova Khakovka Dam. Don’t miss it!
“The Ukrainian Campaigns of 2023”/Gen. Mick Ryan via Substack
Unlike the Pundits who rely on leaks and focus on only 1 aspects of Ukraine military & civil operations, namely the land campaign whose major component is the counteroffensive in the south, Gen. Ryan focuses on what he refers to as multiple campaigns:
· The Land Campaign, consisting of operations along the entire Contact Line;
· The Operational Strike Campaign, largely consisting of Ukrainian strikes against Russian targets located inside temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory;
· The Strategic Strike Campaign, largely consisting of Ukrainian strikes against Russian targets inside Russian territory;
· The Air, Missile & Drone defensive campaign, largely focused on denying Russia strategic and tactical air superiority in the skies over Ukraine;
· Strategic Influence Campaign, consisting of Pres. Zelenskyy’s meetings with world leaders, especially relating to increasing the level and timing of military and non-military support for Ukraine.
Ryan argues that it is impossible to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of Ukraine’s performance, as the Pundits try to do, without taking into account all 5.
Ryan then proceeds to highlight 4 variables that will drive events in 2024:
· Variable No. 1 – Strategic disposition of both sides once the “Mud Season” begins, usually in mid-November. In Ukraine’s case they’ll want to establish fire control over the entire expanse of southern Ukraine and northern Crimea. To do that they need to reach at least the outskirts of Tokmak, about 12 miles from Robotyne.
· Variable No. 2 – Respective levels of munitions holding going into the Winter.
· Variable No. 3 – Respective abilities to train & deploy more troops.
· Variable No. 4 – “The willingness of external supporters to continue providing military, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian assistance.” On Ukraine’s side, “the West has often taken a stepped, too-slow approach to providing sophisticated weapons, providing tanks, fighter aircraft and long-range missiles. And there are still some in the U.S. and Europe who see the provision of more advanced weapons as escalatory. But Ukraine can’t win this war by defensive operations only.” (my emphasis)
“As Ukraine’s recent strategic strike campaign has shown, long range strike can affect the war without major Russian escalations. This should permit Western politicians to double down on their support to move from a defensive approach to supporting a decisive Ukrainian victory.” (also, my emphasis). As mentioned yesterday it was encouraging to hear Sec. Blinken incorporate the word “win,” as part of his remarks during his recent visit to Kyiv.
On Russia’s side, Variable No. 4 applies to future support from China and North Korea
and, to a lesser extent, continued neutrality from many countries in Latin America, south
Asia and, especially, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
News From the Battlefield
Both “Reporting From Ukraine” and the “Latest Denys” report on recent significant Ukrainian advances south of Bakhmut. This bears watching, as there are reports, from the Daily Telegraph and other places, of Russia moving troops from the Bakhmut area to help shore up Russian defenses around Robotyne. This is also another example of how the Pundits got it wrong, when they criticized the Ukrainian General Staff for not taking advice from their Western advisers, and instead focusing on only 1 attack vector. Movements of troops offer tempting targets for long-range artillery strikes, not to mention the possibility of creating opportunities in places like the area south of Bakhmut.
9/8/2023 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon September 7 to 12:00 noon September 8, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Friday, September 8
12:00 am: Residents of border areas may be evacuated in Romania due to Russian attacks on the port infrastructure of Ukraine - Digi24.
● Plaura is just 300 meters from the port of Izmail, residents see drones launched by the Russians fly over their houses and some fall not far from the village.
12:17 am: Depleted uranium projectiles handed over to Ukraine do not pose a radioactive threat.
● This was stated by John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the National Security Council of the White House, at a briefing.
● According to him, the armies of other countries, except the United States, use such shells.
12:43 am: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sharply responded to critics of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
● "The starting point is that the Russian army was the second strongest in the world. Now the Russian army is the second strongest in Ukraine... The reality is that Ukrainians actually exceed expectations time and time again. And we have to remember what our responsibility - our responsibility to help them."
8:00 am: The US Senate remains committed to continued aid to Ukraine, including military support - the US President's national security adviser Jake Sullivan commented on the possibility of senators approving the White House's request for an additional $24 billion for Ukraine.
Thursday, September 7
2:29 pm: The wreckage of a Russian kamikaze drone in Romania is "not a deliberate attack by Russia," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
● The Romanian authorities informed the Alliance about the investigation. Now all the members are waiting for its results.
2:54 pm: Ukraine started exporting grain through Croatian ports. The countries agreed to develop this direction of partnership.
● This was stated by Yulia Svyridenko, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy of Ukraine. In Bucharest, she discussed the export of grain with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic.
● According to Svyridenko, the parties also agreed to accelerate the production of demining equipment.
4:35 pm: Ukraine offered Turkey to restore the "grain corridor" without Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said.
● "The proposal to work without Russia has been forwarded to the Turkish side. There is no final confirmation yet. But since the ships (with grain - ed.) already go through the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria, as well as Turkey and pass through the straits without restrictions, it is actually a rational way." - said the ambassador.
5:52 pm: In 2022, Elon Musk secretly ordered the shutdown of the Starlink network near Crimea to thwart a Ukrainian attack on the Russian Navy.
● CNN writes about this with reference to the published excerpt from the biographical book "Elon Musk" by Walter Isaacson.
● It is claimed that Musk's decision was dictated by "an acute fear that Russia will respond to an attack with nuclear weapons."
9:59 pm: The US allocates a new $600 million aid package to Ukraine.
● This is stated on the website of the Pentagon.
● The package includes equipment for demining and air defense system support, ammunition for HIMARS, 105-mm projectiles and EW devices.
10:20 pm: Austria will not extradite Ukrainian men of military age if Ukraine makes such a request.
● This was reported by the Express publication with reference to the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country.
● "It would be a massive encroachment on our statehood, we would never do it," the message reads.
NATIONAL
Friday, September 8
1:40 am: Observed enemy tactical aircraft activity in the eastern direction.
● The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports the threat of using aviation weapons for front-line areas.
4:53 am: Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia regions - missile danger, - Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
7:16 am General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Tonight, the Russian Federation launched another air and missile attack on Ukraine. Information regarding the consequences of this terrorist attack is currently being clarified.
● During the past day, 39 combat clashes took place. The enemy launched 7 missile strikes, 74 air strikes, and fired 46 rocket salvo fire strikes at the positions of our troops and populated areas.
● The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol direction, destroy the enemy and step by step liberate the occupied territories.
● They are successful in the area south of Robotynoy, and are established at the achieved boundaries.
● During the past day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces carried out 10 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and on the positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems.
● 1 ammunition depot, 6 artillery pieces, 2 control points, and 2 enemy anti-aircraft missile systems were hit by units of missile troops and artillery.
8:00 am: Ukraine is preparing for new possible attacks by the Russian Federation on the energy infrastructure. It is expected that the latest air defense system complexes will help minimize losses, - Reuters.
8:20 am: At night, Russia released 20 Shahed-136/131 drones over Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, - Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
● The forces of the air defense system destroyed 16 such UAVs.
11:40 am: Defense Minister Umerov and Pentagon chief Austin will talk in the near future, - spokeswoman for the US Ministry of Defense Sabrina Singh.
● According to her, the ministers will be able to meet at the next "Ramstein", which is scheduled for September 19 and will be held offline in Germany.
Thursday, September 7
12:34 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced the new Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umyerov. And the tasks facing him now.
● "We need a new entity of the Ministry of Defense. This is the ministry that is responsible for coordinating the entire defense sector," said the President of Ukraine.
12:55 p.m.: Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the rank of lieutenant general to the head of the GUR Kyril Budanov.
● The corresponding decree was published on the website of the president.
1:13 p.m.: Departure from Ukraine for women on military registration will be limited, because from October 1, women doctors must register for military service, - Fedir Venislavskyi, the president's representative in the Council.
● "If they remain on the register, then they acquire the status of conscripts. And conscripts go abroad in the same order as established for conscripts. That is, if there are separate documents that give the right to temporary departure - then yes , they will be able to go. If there is not, then they, like men, will be limited in their right to leave," Venislavsky noted.
1:53 pm: Any restrictions against Ukrainian exports are an escalation of the destruction caused by Russian terrorists, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
● "If it is necessary to fight on the platforms of international organizations, we will fight there too... But we hope for unity," the president said.
3:56 pm: NABU reported that Ihor Kolomoiskyi, the former beneficial owner of PrivatBank, and five members of the group organized by him were charged with embezzlement of the bank's funds in the amount of over 9.2 billion hryvnias.
4:39 pm: Considerable activity of enemy tactical aircraft is observed in the eastern and southeastern directions! The threat of using aviation weapons for front-line areas! — Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
4:55 p.m.: The SBU informed about the suspicion of a Crimean traitor who fired from a grenade launcher at the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Robotyn, the SBU press service.
● Military counter-intelligence officers of the SBU and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured him during a skirmish near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region this spring.
● The detainee turned out to be a resident of the temporarily occupied Crimea, who in November 2022 joined the ranks of the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation.
5:46 pm: Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia regions - missile danger, - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
6:05 pm: Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk regions - ballistic threat, - Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
6:10 pm: The US plans to transfer 190 mine anti-ambush vehicles (MRAPs) to Ukraine.
● This was stated by the US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.
7:45 pm: Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated the Ukrainian military on Military Intelligence Day.
● "We are proud of each of your operations, your heroism, and your talent to strike just such blows at the enemy that really weakens him," the president writes.
8:20 pm Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on September 7:
● "34 combat clashes took place during the day.
● The enemy launched 4 missile strikes, 62 air strikes, carried out 26 attacks from rocket salvo systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas.
● "During the day, the Air Force of the Defense Forces carried out 9 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as on the positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems.
● 1 ammunition warehouse, 5 artillery means, 2 control points, 2 anti-aircraft missile systems of the enemy were hit by units of missile troops and artillery.
9:02 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyi had a conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.
● "He raised the issue of increasing the number of refusals for Ukrainian citizens to enter Israel in the conditions of the visa-free regime between the two states and emphasized the need to correct this situation," the president wrote.
10:01 pm: The launches of several "Shahed" type strike UAV groups from Chauda (Crimea) and several "Shahed" groups from Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Kuban, Russian Federation) were recorded - the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
10:57 pm: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny held a telephone conversation with the Chief of the Joint Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkar.
● "In the conversation with General Burkar, we separately focused on the needs of the Ukrainian army and on the issue of training our servicemen on the territory of France," Zaluzhny noted.
11:13 pm: The Ministry of Health and law enforcement officers will check the decisions of the VLK on limited fitness for military service issued after the war began.
● This was announced by the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko.
● "We will check those VLCs where problems were found, we will check medical facilities where a high percentage of unfitness decisions were made. Now we are developing an algorithm," Lyashko said.
MORDOR - ruZZia
Friday, September 8
12:27 am: Explosions are heard in Kursk. This is reported by local social networks.
12:30 am: The Federal Customs Service is on fire in Moscow. This is reported in local social networks.
8:00 am: The Armed Forces of Ukraine are successfully wearing down the Russian army during counteroffensive operations in the south of the country and may achieve operational success by the end of this year, - ISW.
Thursday, September 7
2:43 pm: In Moscow, a fire broke out at the "Salyut" plant, a laboratory where flammable sodium was stored caught fire, rosZMI reports.
● The Salyut plant produces ship radars, aviation gas turbine engines and power plants. Since 2022, the company has been under US sanctions.
5:33 pm: Russia withdrew almost all its units from the territory of Belarus as part of the rotation.
● This was stated by the spokesman of the State Border Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko.
● "On the other hand, new units were not established there," Demchenko noted.
9:33 pm: Drones attacked an industrial facility in Bryansk, the governor of the region reported.
REGIONS
KYIV
Thursday, September 7
4:17 pm: Vitaliy Klitschko visited one of the military units, to which Kyiv allocated almost UAH 15.5 million from the city budget.
● "With these funds, the military from the Demining Group of the State Special Service of Transport of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine purchased 6 new cars and equipment for the needs of the engineering and sapper unit and personnel performing combat missions. Also, with the capital's funds, the administrative building in the military unit was completed and the premises for the military were renovated ", the mayor of Kyiv said.
SUMY
Friday, September 8
6:55 am Sumy RMA: In Sumy, the Russians launched a missile attack on the private sector.
● A private house was destroyed. All services are on-site. People are given the necessary help.
9:20 am: In Sumy, two people were injured by the morning rocket attack, they were pulled out from under the rubble, - the State Emergency Service.
● According to preliminary information, a two-story residential building was destroyed, more than 20 houses and 8 cars were damaged. The fire has already been extinguished.
Thursday, September 7
5:17 pm Sumy RMA: "Shahed" hit a residential quarter in Sumy at night. A private house, 2 shops and 20 apartments in a high-rise building were damaged.
● One enemy drone was also shot down in the Sumy region at night.
KHARKIV
Friday, September 8
7:13 am: Kharkiv region – missile danger, warns the command of the Air Force Base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Thursday, September 7
6:35 pm: Soldiers of the "Steel Border" raised the Ukrainian flag in Stroivka and Topola, Kharkiv region, — DPSU.
● The settlements are located on the border with the Russian Federation in the so-called "gray zone".
● "After the de-occupation of the Kharkiv region, no one entered this territory due to landmines, but now the border guards have paved a safe way and raised the State Flag of Ukraine," writes the DPSU.
DONETSK
Friday, September 8
8:48 am Donetsk RMA: The number of wounded due to shelling of Kostyantynivka on September 6 has increased again.
● It became known about 4 more wounded. A total of 37 people were injured.
ZAPORIZHIA
Friday, September 8
6:26 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Zaporizhzhia.
6:29 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Zaporizhzhia.
6:42 am Social Networks: Repeated explosions in Zaporizhzhia.
7:25 am Zaporizhia RMA: In Zaporizhia, the Russians hit the objects of the civil infrastructure of the regional center with rocket attacks.
● "All relevant services are working on the spot. There is information about at least one injured person," the official said.
● He added that the enemy's missiles were probably ballistic.
Thursday, September 7
12:11 pm Zaporizhia RMA: Over the past day, the enemy has carried out 99 attacks on 31 settlements in the Zaporizhia region.
● A 68-year-old man was killed and a 70-year-old man was wounded as a result of artillery shelling in Stepnohirsk. A 34-year-old man was injured during the shelling of Preobrazhenka. 64- and 85-year-old women were injured in a rocket attack on Tavriyskyi, and a married couple was injured in Zaporizhzhia.
● 40 reports were received about the destruction of residential buildings and infrastructure facilities.
2:12 pm: Ukrainian military destroyed almost a platoon of Russians in the Melitopol direction, National Guard representative Mykola Urshalovych said.
● According to him, the soldiers of the "Offensive Guard" together with other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were successful in the Melitopol direction, advanced both in the depth of the defense of the Russian troops and along the front.
11:40 pm Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Berdyansk.
DNIPRO
Friday, September 8
6:26 am: Dnipropetrovsk region - missile danger, - Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
9:03 am Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kryvyi Rih.
9:05 am: Head of the Defense Council of Kryvyi Rih Oleksandr Vilkul confirmed the explosions in the city.
9:46 am Dnipro RMA: A missile hit the administration building in Kryvyi Rih. Previously, 1 dead and 9 injured. 3 were taken out from under the rubble.
● Garages were busy. The fire covered 200 square meters. The information is being clarified.
9:59 am: One of the police administration buildings was destroyed in Kryvyi Rih, the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarifies.
● A policeman was killed as a result of a Russian attack. Rescuers of the State Emergency Service pulled out three more from under the rubble.
10:03 am: The number of wounded in Kryvyi Rih reached 25.
● This was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko.
10:20 am Dnipro RMA: Russian troops launched a heavy artillery attack on the Pokrovsky community of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
● According to him, the transport company was damaged. There are no dead or injured.
10:37 am: In Kryvyi Rih there are already 26 injured as a result of the attack by the occupiers - the prosecutor's office of the Dnipropetrovsk region reported.
● A fire broke out as a result of an enemy attack. The blast wave and debris knocked out windows in nearby high-rise buildings, cars and other civilian infrastructure. Rescue and search operations are ongoing.
10:50 am: Already 32 people have been injured by a rocket attack in Kryvyi Rih. Most of them are in a medium or "satisfactory" condition, but there are also severe ones, says Serhiy Lysak, head of OVA.
● 3 administrative buildings and 7 residential buildings were damaged, including a high-rise building. The fire that broke out in the garages was contained.
11:02 am: 41 injured in Kryvyi Rih, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's Defense Council.
● According to him, 19 people were hospitalized. Three of them are in serious condition.
11:21 am: The number of people injured due to shelling in Kryvyi Rih has increased to 44, the State Emergency Service reported.
Thursday, September 7
3:15 pm: A resident of the Dnipropetrovsk region who illegally sold weapons in Ternopil and other regions of Ukraine was uncovered - Prosecutor General's Office.
● During the searches, law enforcement officers seized:
o more than 40 artillery shells;
o Kalashnikov hand machine gun;
o 2 AK-12 and AK-74 assault rifles;
o 8 grenade launcher shots;
o 9 cases of hand grenades with fuses;
o 2 VOG-25 grenade launcher shots and 5 VOG-17m shots;
o the edge of a hunting rifle;
o a revolver of the Nagana system;
o more than 1100 cartridges of various calibers
o explosives (oxfol, hexane, gunpowder) with detonators.
9:23 pm Dnipro RMA: Today, the Russians fired artillery at Nikopol three times.
● "A 52-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man received shrapnel wounds. They were given help and will be treated on an outpatient basis," the report says.
● In total, 8 local homes, 5 farm buildings and a car were damaged.
KHERSON
Friday, September 8
1:31 am: "Shahed" UAV group in the north of the Kherson region, moving in a western direction - the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
Thursday, September 7
1:28 pm Kherson RMA: The Russian army twice attacked Odradokamyanka in the Kherson region.
● The first time with artillery, the second time with drones. One person died, two others were injured.
7:32 pm: In the temporarily occupied Oleshki in the Kherson region, a car with Russian FSB officers and military personnel was blown up, media reports.
● "As a result of the explosion, one FSB soldier died immediately. The second is still in intensive care in a serious condition. Three soldiers who accompanied them in the car were injured," the report says.
● It is noted that the blown-up FSB officers "worked" in the temporarily occupied Skadovsk.
8:45 pm: Russians shelled a residential quarter of Kherson, hitting one of the apartments of a nine-story building.
● "Fortunately, no one was in the apartment. Rescuers quickly arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire in one of the rooms of the apartment," reports the State Emergency Service.
11:25 pm: Photo of the newest Russian radar "Pryedel-E" worth $200 million.
● This mobile coastal radar of over-the-horizon detection with increased stealth entered service with the Russian Federation this year. It was destroyed in Zaliznyi Port in the Kherson region.
ODESA
Friday, September 8
1:07 am: A group of strike UAVs is approaching Odesa - the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports.
2:17 am: The next group of strike UAVs is moving towards Odesa from the Black Sea - the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports.
9:35 am: Russian troops attacked Odesa region with attack drones for the fifth time in a week, - RMA.
● Debris of a downed drone damaged a non-residential building. There was also a fire outbreak of dry grass. The fire was extinguished promptly. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Thursday, September 7
3:36 pm: The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published photos demonstrating the effectiveness of anti aircraft robot "Gepard" in Odesa on September 7, 2023, the enemy "Shahed" was destroyed.
11:47 pm: Odesa region - missile danger. A group of strike UAVs is approaching the mouth of the Danube - the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports.
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://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
https://t.me/uawarinfographics
https://t.me/svoboda_radio