Ukraine – 9/8 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
September 8, 2022
Since my Kyiv collaborator isn’t sending today, I am using his transmission of yesterday. Sorry I missed a couple of days, but paying customers go to the front.
As with all Americans I am saddened by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. As a horse racing fan and sometime parimutuel bettor, I shared Her Majesty’s love of horses, the racetrack, and the occasional thrill of cashing a well-placed wager. It is not well-known that every September the Queen would come to Kentucky, as a Commoner, where she attended the Keeneland Yearling Sales as an owner. She stayed with William Farish, former U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James under George W. Bush, at Farish’s Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.
The Battle of Balakliia
The city of Balakliia is located south of Kharkiv and the fulcrum of a continuing Ukrainian offensive. There was a report that during this battle that members of one of the most elite and long-standing units of the Russian Army fled their positions so quickly that they left their unit’s battle flag behind. There is a tradition in the Russian Army that if a unit leaves its battle flag behind while retreating that it is a shameful act, and the unit will be disbanded. This is not just any unit. This is the same unit that in May 1945, ran up the Hammer & Sickle on the top of the Reichstag Building in Berlin. No worries – Putin said recently that the “Special Operation is going to plan.” As of today, Malakliia is now in Ukrainian hands.
The Latest Denys
In his most recent video, Denys covers the progress of the Ukrainian offensive around Kherson and, surprisingly, a second Ukrainian offensive south of Kharkiv that has the potential of collapsing Russian-held territory in much of Donbas. Izyum, a major Russian source of supply is in danger of being encircled by the offensive that Denys describes, and a Ukrainian crossin of the Sverodonetsk River to the south of Izyum. Another Russian strongpoint, the city of Lyman located between Izyum and Lysychansk, may also be in danger.
More Balakliia
This video takes a much more granular approach to what is going on around Balakliia and should be watched in combination with the latest Denys. The Ukrainian breakthrough in the area south of Kharkiv, with Balakliia as the fulcrum, is much larger than anything that has been achieved so far in Kherson, and it makes Putin’s stated goal of taking over Donbas more and more unlikely.
Times Radio
A report by London Times correspondent Askold Kryshelnycky, on the twin Ukrainian offensives and the situation around the nuclear plant.
Lawrence Freedman, “The Economic War”
Freedman calls Russia’s decision to cut off the Nordstream 1 pipeline as “Putin’s last throw of the dice.” The last 2 paragraphs of Freedman’s Substack post is worth quoting in their entirety, “The Ukrainian offensive has been making steady if not spectacular progress. Russia’s position continues to deteriorate as Ukraine methodically takes out ammunition dumps, command posts, air defence systems, and vital bridges. This threatens Russians forces with dwindling supplies and even entrapment. Russian propagandists are starting to go quiet after claiming on a daily basis that this offensive was a catastrophic failure.”
“If Moscow was truly confident that it could hold on to its gains and possibly extend them, it would have kept the gas pipelines open, taking the revenues and giving itself a reasonable chance of holding on to lucrative markets over the long-term. It is a sign of a loss of confidence, even desperation, that as Russia is failing as a military superpower it is jeopardising its position as an energy superpower.”
Timothy Snyder’s Course on Ukraine at Yale
This is the syllabus to Snyder’s course, entitled “The Making of Modern Ukraine,” and a video of his first lecture. As a bonus, this is a link to an article he wrote in a recent edition of “Foreign Affairs.”
9/8 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon September 5 to 12:00 noon September 6, 2022
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration MLRS = Multiple Launch Rocket System
AFU = Armed Forces of Ukraine SBU = State Security Bureau
INTERNATIONAL
September 7
11:58 AR: President Emmanuel Macron called on citizens to reduce the consumption of energy resources by 10% over the coming months in order to avoid the risks of blackouts this winter amid increasing tensions in the EU's relations with Russia.
· "The best energy is the one we don't consume," said the French leader.
11:45: In the port of Szczecin in Poland, the Russian embankment was renamed the Ukrainian embankment.
11:43 mass media: In Hungary, a textbook on geography for the 8th grade was released, in which it is stated that the Carpathians are the only mountains in Ukraine, that is, there are no Crimean Mountains there.
· Also, schoolchildren are convinced that there is a civil war in Ukraine, in which Russia, most likely, is not involved.
11:21: Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasyl Nebenzia, says that the Russian Federation may refuse to extend the "grain agreement" in November, allegedly due to the blocking of Russian food exports through the Bosphorus.
11:00: Russia must immediately withdraw its troops not only from the area around Zaporizhzhia, but also from all of Ukraine, because it has no right to use the Zaporizhzhia NPP in its dirty war, – US representative Jeffrey De Laurentiis says during the meeting of the UN Security Council.
· He also notes that Zaporizhzhia NPP and the electricity it produces belong to Ukraine.
10:28 Bloomberg: The goal of building 6-8 reactors per year may be increased to ten – the China Nuclear Energy Association advocates the introduction of more nuclear energy in the country.
· The association states that a domestic manufacturing base will help China's nuclear ambitions that can supply 90 percent of the components used in the latest third-generation reactors, as well as small modular reactors
10:06 Channel 24 - Former commander of US forces in Europe: The Ukrainian army can repel the Russian troops at the position of February 23 by the end of this year. At the same time, the return of Crimea is possible as early as 2023.
· I am sure that Russians do not have the will to fight. They do not join the army. The Kremlin is looking for reserves in North Korea, Africa, Syria. Even in prisons to force someone to fight in the miserable Russian army. Because people do not want to become a part of it. All this suggests that the Russians are vulnerable and exhausted", – Hodges says.
08:01: “We are ready to immediately start consultations regarding the safety zone at the ZNPP", – Grossi in the UN Security Council
· The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, calls for the creation of a nuclear safety zone around the entire perimeter of the station. "We are ready to immediately start consultations on the creation of such a zone", – Grossi emphasizes.
08:01: US intelligence has detected signs of a possible purchase by Russia from North Korea of "millions of shells and missiles", – the official representative of the National Security Council of the White House, John Kirby. At the same time, according to him, there are currently no signs that deliveries have already taken place. Kirby notes that the US is closely monitoring this.
07:46 Politico: The European Commission proposes to limit the price of Russian gas by setting it at 50 euros per megawatt-hour. A system for distributing gas among countries in case of emergencies is also proposed.
· Currently, contracted gas for a month ahead in the Netherlands costs about 218 euros per megawatt-hour, precisely these contacts are exemplary for the whole of Europe. The cost of the November contract is EUR 234/MW.
00:47 TVC 21: Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Andriy Spinu said that the country is negotiating with Azerbaijan and Romania on the purchase of natural gas.
· According to him, Azerbaijan and Romania are the countries from which natural gas can be imported in a short period of time. Natural gas operators of these countries offer the best price for gas without imposing conditions for Moldova.
00:27 Reuters: Liz Truss had a phone conversation with Joe Biden.
· The new Prime Minister of Great Britain and the President of the United States agreed to strengthen the defense alliance between the countries in their first telephone conversation.
· The leaders also agreed to work on Russia's defeat in Ukraine, Downing Street reported.
September 6
23:10: President Zelenskyі had a conversation with the newly elected Prime Minister of Great Britain Liz Truss: he invited her to Ukraine and discussed further defense and economic support.
22:12: The meeting of the UN Security Council began in New York, which was once again initiated by Russia due to the shelling of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant allegedly by the Ukrainian military.
· UN Secretary General Guterres and IAEA Director General Grossi are expected to speak at the Security Council. The meeting will last two days.
· 22:35 : The Director of the IAEA stated during the meeting of the UN Security Council that the attacks on the Zaporizhia NPP are ongoing.
21:44 Reuters: The European Union and the United States have increased purchases of basic industrial metals from Russia, despite logistical problems caused by the war in Ukraine.
· According to official trade data collected from the United Nations Comtrade database, imports from Russia of aluminum and nickel to the EU and the US increased by 70% in March-June.
21:37: Germany will soon hand over several units of military equipment to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft guns and radars, reports the website of the German government.
· In particular, the German government announced the transfer of five Gepard anti-aircraft guns and the COBRA radar station.
21:17 Deputy Minister of Infrastructure: To solve the problem of kilometer-long queues on the Polish-Ukrainian border, the countries previously agreed on the temporary opening of another checkpoint.
· "A preliminary agreement has been reached on the opening of another checkpoint, which will be temporarily used for the departure of empty cargo vehicles".
17:15 Eurobarometer: Most Europeans are in favour of supporting Ukraine and reducing dependence on Russian gas, shows the results of the opinion survey conducted in June-July 2022.
· 92% of Europeans support provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine;
· 90% support granting asylum to Ukrainians;
· 78% support the imposition of economic sanctions against Russian elites and businesses;
· 68% support financing for Ukraine from the European military aid budget.
17:13 Schengen Visa Info: The Czech Republic has invited the Ministers of the Interior of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to visit Prague to decide on the accession of the three countries to the Schengen area, confirms Romanian Member of Parliament Rareș Bogdan.
16:26: The European Commission has approved the proposal to stop the operation of the agreement on visa facilitation with Russia. The restriction will come into effect on 12 September.
· The European Commission noted that priority Schengen visas for Russian citizens should be issued for humanitarian reasons, and, last of all, for tourist purposes.
· Also, the consulates of the EU countries are advised to check applicants for Schengen visas regarding threats to EU security and international relations.
· Russians expect the following changes:
o The visa fee will rise to 80 euros.
o They will have to wait up for a visa for 6 months.
o Long-term and multiple-entry visas will not be or will be significantly less. "Schengen" will begin to be issued on travel dates.
o Russians with multiple visas will still be able to enter the EU before the expiry of their validity.
15:16 Sky News: Liz Truss officially became the Prime Minister of Great Britain after meeting with Queen Elizabeth II.
15:15 Die Welt: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's request for the supply of additional heavy weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks.
· Scholz did not promise such supplies, but rather remained "general and non-specific" in his conversation with Shmyhal. The chancellor has shown "no desire at all" to change his negative position on the supply of tanks, the newspaper's source said.
15:02 US Embassy in Riga: USS Kearsarge — a warship entered the port of Riga, Latvia.
· "This huge ship has arrived in Riga to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea".
13:49: In Japan, as a sign of support for Ukraine, local fireworks producers in the village of Hakuba created and set off fireworks in yellow and blue colors.
12:59 Delfi: Military conscription, canceled since 2007, is being reinstated in Latvia. The country's government is preparing to decide today on the creation of a state defense service in the country.
· In SDO, it is planned to call men aged 18 to 27 years, and women - on a voluntary basis from 2028, in order to ensure the widest possible call of citizens.
· According to the Latvian Ministry of Defense, about 1,000 people may be called up in the first year, and in five years the number of people ready to defend the country in wartime conditions should reach 50,000.
12:45 Postimees: The Tallinn court approved the decision to fine a woman who transferred 40 euros for the purchase of drones for the Russian army.
· According to the Estonian newspaper, Olga Fedorova sent money to the Russian Volodymyr Shilov, who transported drones for the Russian army and was convicted for this in July 2022.
· In the explanation of the bank payment, which was made at the end of May, the woman wrote: "For our guys".
12:12: The Ukrainian people have been awarded the German award in the field of media for courage and resilience in the fight against the Russian invasion, the board of the M100 Media Award announced.
· Volodymyr Klitschko will receive the award on behalf of the Ukrainian people on September 15.
12:06 The Jerusalem Post: The terrorist group "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the explosion at the entrance to the Russian embassy in Kabulю
· In total, six people died as a result of the explosion, including two employees of the Russian embassy.
NATIONAL
September 7
10:39: The Committee on Economic Policy of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament - ed.) supported the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the head of the State Property Fund, – People's Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak reports.
10:21 Minister of Youth and Sports: "We will do everything to ensure that there are no Russians at the 2024 Olympics” comments on the possible participation of representatives of the Russian Federation at the Olympic Games to be held in Paris.
· "Russians have already been suspended from international competitions in most types of sports. But it is very important for us that until the end of the war they will not be at all at tournaments. Therefore, with the great help of Andrii Yermak, we are working on this issue with international federations, the International Olympic Committee, and the National Olympic Committee".
08:17 Institute for the Study of War: Updated the battle map. The front line now passes near and around Balaklia.
· According to sources used by ISW, the Armed Forces of Ukraine took the village of Verbivka, adjacent to Balaklia from the northwest, as well as the southwestern district of Balaklia itself. Ukraine has since liberated Balaklia, and the Ukraine flag flies in the city’s center.
· Russian President Volodymyr Putin may try to take advantage of the IAEA report on the situation at the ZNPP and create a process similar to the Minsk agreements.
· ISW writes that Putin may try to use the conditions he created at the ZANP to create a parallel international structure that undermines Ukraine's sovereign rights over the much larger territory now occupied by Russian forces.
07:49 Operational Command Pivden "South": The Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in the south and hit three Russian warehouses in Hola Prystan, Tomyna Balka and Snihurivka.
· confirmed the destruction of 83 Russians, 5 tanks, 12 howitzers, 3 guns, 3 units of armored vehicles and the 'Orlan-10' drone.
07:07 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
· During the past day, the Russian Federation launched more than 7 missile and 25 air strikes on military and civilian objects on the territory of Ukraine. They made up to 20 flights to do this. Infrastructure was affected in the areas of Kharkiv, Velyki Prohody, Bilohirka, Kostromka, Sukhyi Stavok and Bezimenne settlements.
· Private military companies of the Russian Federation operating in the temporarily occupied territories near the settlement of Oleksandrivka in the Kharkiv region, are suffering significant losses. Individual units count more than 40 percent seriously wounded and killed. The bodies of many of the dead have not been identified and are counted as missing.
· Units of the Defense Forces are holding their positions and preventing the Russians from advancing deep into the territory of Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers managed to successfully repel enemy attacks in the areas of Hryhorivka, Zaitseve, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Vesela Dolyna and Opytne settlements.
· During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out 27 strikes and destroyed ammunition depots, inflicted damage on almost 40 strongholds and places of accumulation of manpower and equipment of the Russian Federation in order to support the actions of ground groups.
· In general, the air defense units of the Ukrainian forces destroyed: a Su-25 aircraft, a Ka-52 helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and five 'Kh-101' cruise missiles.
· In general, the damage because of fire was caused to 7 control points and 13 objects of concentration of manpower of the Russian Federation. Radar stations and communication stations, bridge and pontoon crossings, 3 warehouses of ammunition and fuel and lubricants of various levels fell into the affected area - thereby significantly reducing the combat and logistical capabilities of the Russians.
September 6
23:52 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: Ukraine expects that the eighth package of sanctions against Russia will be adopted in September.
21:52: There will be no restrictions for women in crossing the border from October 1, - Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar.
19:02 Operational report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
· The enemy has launched more than six missiles and more than ten air strikes against military and civilian targets on the territory of Ukraine today. The threat of air and missile strikes throughout Ukraine continues.
· The situation is unchanged in the Volyn and Polissia directions. In other directions, the enemy fired on military and civilian infrastructure using tanks, combat vehicles, and barrel and rocket artillery.
· Defense Forces’ units hold positions and prevent the enemy from advancing into the territory of Ukraine. Our military successfully repelled the enemy attacks in the areas of Dolyna, Soledar, Novobakhmutivka, Kodema, Zaitseve, Avdiivka, Marinka and Liubomyrivka.
· Air Defence Units destroyed one helicopter, a UAV and five cruise missiles.
· Six enemy command posts, including the corps level, were destroyed. Three Russian bases have been destroyed. Nine anti-aircraft weapons have been hit. The results are being clarified.
18:58 Ministry of Reintegration: From October 1, the Cabinet will double the compensation under the "Asylum" program.
· It includes compensation for persons who have provided temporary accommodation to internally displaced persons. It is expected that homeowners who have accommodated IDPs will receive UAH 900 in compensation for housing services instead of UAH 450 per month for each refugee.
18:46 Ukrhydroenergo: The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant has returned to the Ukrainian power system after the Russians cut off the station a day earlier. Now 4 out of 6 units work at the station.
· "There were repeated short-term blackouts due to the fighting around the station. Such a disconnection took place on September 5", the report says.
18:44 Minister of Digital Transformation: “Sharing auto” works again in Diia.
· Thanks to the sharing service, users of the application can share their own registration card with another person or get his registration card if they take their car into use, he says.
18:43: The Administrative Court of Ukraine rejected the appeal of the pro-Russian political force "Sharii Party" and finally banned its activities in Ukraine.
· The reasons for the ban of the party were the Security Service’s materials on the involvement of the leader and leading officials of the party in:
o destabilization of the socio-political situation in Ukraine;
o dissemination of anti-Ukrainian propaganda to change the constitutional order by violent means, violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine;
o undermining State security;
o propaganda of war, violence in the conditions of military aggression of the Russian Federation.
18:27: Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov held a conversation with French colleague Sébastien Lecornu.
· "We have discussed new steps to foster cooperation aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. A UN+EU mission for Zaporizhzhia NPP should be established”.
18:01 State Bureau of Investigation: At the request of the State Bureau of Investigation, the Desnyansky District Court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 2 months with the right to pay bail in the amount of 416 thousand hryvnia for two soldiers involved in the wounding of children in Chernihiv.
17:51: The IAEA has posted a report on the results of the mission at the Zaporizhzhia NPP:
· All parties need to agree on the establishment of a protective zone around the NPP to avoid damage.
· The shelling must be stopped because of a threat to the physical integrity of the station, the violation of which may result in the risk of a "nuclear incident".
· The IAEA confirmed that Russia has deployed military equipment on the territory of the ZNPP.
· The members of the mission confirmed that Russia has deployed "military personnel, vehicles and equipment at various locations at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, including several military cargo trucks".
17:30: People’s deputy Rustem Umierov became a candidate for the post of Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, says the press secretary of the "Servant of the people" party, Yuliia Paliichuk.
17:26: The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is considering possibilities of cooperation with the largest logistics operators working on the Danube River.
· The UDSC leadership is currently conducting negotiations in Romania, Hungary and Austria.
17:01 Reuters: What is needed to be done is the de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, says the head of "Enerhoatom" Petro Kotin.
· According to him, the establishment of a permanent mission has been a "good" step but that the "root of the problem" remained as Russian troops controlled the site.
· Kotin also says that Kyiv expects to hear more than expressions of concern from the IAEA.
16:50: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has banned the broadcasting of its meetings during martial law, reports deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak. 241 deputies supported the decision.
16:20 President’s Office: 6,786 schools were opened on September 1 in Ukraine.
· 4,599 of schools have shelters and 2,187 have shelters up to 100 meters away.
· At the same time, 3,093 schools are planned to be opened by 15 September. Another 3,998 schools have not yet been opened due to a lack of shelters.
16:08 Office of the Ombudsman: 236 children have been considered missing since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
· The information from the portal for the children’s search "Children of War" as of September 6, 2022: 236 are missing, 7,343 are deported, 5,391 are found, and 55 are returned.
15:33 Operational Command Pivden "South:” The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed another 35 Russians and four infantry fighting vehicles at night.
· During the night, rocket and artillery units carried out more than 150 fire missions with the defeat of manpower, weapons, and equipment, two crossings in the areas of Daryivka and Gola Prystan.
· All crossings are under the fire control of the Defense Forces, the command adds.
15:03: A draft law has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which proposes to dismiss employees of strategic enterprises that have gone to cooperate with Russia.
14:31 Bloomberg - Prime Minister of Ukraine: Granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership is a huge support in our fight against the Russian invasion.
14:26 Operational Command Pivden (South): In the Black Sea, there are 2 enemy carriers of "Caliber" cruise missiles on combat duty, the total salvo is 16 missiles. In the Sea of Azov, the Russian Federation continues to control maritime communications, keeping up to 4 ships and boats on combat duty.
14:03 Verkhovna Rada: Trainers and teachers of kindergartens can be exempted from mobilization.
· It is proposed to grant a postponement from mobilization to teachers of preschool educational institutions, trainers of physical culture and sports institutions of state or communal ownership.
13:57: The Bureau of Economic Security arrested enterprises controlled by a former deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, a colonel of the Russian Army, which were operating on the territory of Ukraine. Their estimated value is over UAH 1 billion.
· A company engaged in publishing activities and the production of paper products was exposed in particularly large amounts of tax evasion. The investigation established that officials evaded payment of income tax and land tax, which resulted in the actual non-payment of over UAH 132 million to the budget.
12:54 Ministry of Defense: The Russians announced the "destruction" of military equipment from the West, which has not even arrived in Ukraine yet.
· Russian propagandists reported that the M2 Bradley IFP and Leopard 2A4 tanks were allegedly destroyed in the south of Ukraine, but this heavy equipment is not yet in service with the Armed Forces.
12:49 Prime Minister: Ukraine has fulfilled 65%, of the requirements for joining the EU.
· "In the near future, by the end of this year - the beginning of next year, we want to proceed precisely to the negotiation procedures that precede our own granting of EU member status”.
12:36: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine commented on the NYT material on the acquisition of shells and missiles in North Korea:
· "Those who cannot switch to NATO standards are switching to North Korean standards: in weapons, policy and level".
12:23: Ukrainian military officer explained why the de-occupation of Kherson and other territories is not happening as quickly as society would like.
· According to him, currently the main goal is to exhaust the Russians with fire, and after the reduction of the concentration of Russian troops, the successive return of all territories of Ukraine will begin
12:12 Ministry of Reintegration: Ukraine returned the bodies of another 25 of its soldiers during another transfer of bodies.
MORDOR (Russia)
September 7
11:51: The SBU announced charges against the new deputy Quizling of the Kherson region, who previously headed the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPR"
· Kateryna Gubareva, a native of Kakhovka, voluntarily assumed the position of the so-called "deputy head in the field of digitalization and social policy" in the illegal authority of the "military-civilian administration of the Kherson region."
10:50: Yurii Sliusar, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation, and Serhii Oleksandrovskyi, General Director of Aeroflot, signed an agreement of intent at the Eastern Economic Forum. According to the document, the UAC will supply Aeroflot with 339 Russian-made aircraft.
· The head of 'Rostech', Serhii Chemezov, notes that domestic planes will have to replace "Boeing and Airbus, which are unlikely to be delivered to Russia anymore." Chemezov says import-substituted components will be used in the production of Russian aircraft.
10:22: Russian President Volodymyr Putin wants to change the direction of grain and other food exports from Ukraine. He plans to discuss this issue with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
· Putin said this during a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum.
10:15 Russian media: The head of the board of "Sberbank of Russia" Herman Gref formulated expectations for the results of 2022. According to Gref's forecasts, Russian GDP will decrease by 4.5%, and the banking sector is expected to be unprofitable.
· Among Gref's other forecasts, which he announced at his press conference, is the growing importance of the ruble and yuan in the economy. The influence of the dollar on the economy of the Russian Federation will never be the same, – the head of 'Sber' believes.
09:45 RIA Melitopol: The hryvnia payment option has disappeared in several shops, in particular in the former "ATB" and "Silpo" supermarkets, in the temporarily occupied Melitopol – local residents are only asked for rubles.
· Also, such stores as "Mira", "Miasorub", "Mira Miaso" and "Central" have completely switched to Russian currency. The townspeople also complain about the assortment of these stores, because the products there are of the worst quality, and the Russians themselves do not want to buy them.
09:13 Spokeswoman of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The Russian delegation partially received visas to participate in the session of the UN General Assembly in New York. However, the head of the delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, is not among them.
· "There is still no answer regarding Lavrov's American visa to participate in the UN General Assembly. Only part of the journalists accompanying the head of the Foreign Ministry have now received US visas to travel to the session.
07:57: The pro-Russian hacker group Killnet announces on social media that it attacks a Japanese government website.
· The group attacked the website of the government-run e-Gov portal. The Cyber Security Center of the Cabinet of Ministers has already started an investigation.
07:51: The impact of Western sanctions on Russia endangers the industries that the Russian Federation has relied on for years in its economy. Europe's plans to stop importing Russian oil products could lead to a sharp reduction in production.
· As a result, there will be no fuel on the domestic market of the Russian Federation, according to the report published by Bloomberg on the assessment of the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy.
00:55 Avtostat: 42,593 new cars were sold in Russia in August this year. This figure is 63.6% less than the figures for the same period last year.
· As for the results of the first eight months of 2022, during this period Russians purchased 430,305 new passenger cars. This is 59.1% less than in January-August last year.
00:20: Russian documentary director Vitaly Mansky, who currently lives in Riga, was charged with defamation and declared a fugitive.
· In an interview with Russian journalist Sobchak, Mansky said that at the Moscow International Film Festival "at least 85 percent of the budget is stolen." Nikita Mikhalkov the director of the Festival filed a defamation claim.
00:02 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Belgorod.
September 6
22:51 Social Networks: Russian mass media shoot propaganda videos about working traffic lights in the temporarily occupied Mariupol.
22:45 Video from local social networks: From the Quarantine Bay in Sevastopol, the Russians removed almost the entire division of missile boats that was based there. Only one boat remained.
22:23 Inform Napalm: 1Xbet has been deprived of its license in Ukraine.
· According to an investigation by Delo.ua journalists, the 1xBet betting company is directly connected to the Russian office 1xStavka. Both companies belong to the same citizens of the Russian Federation.
22:19: Honored Artist of Russia Tatiana Rudina was fined 50,000 rubles for a post on social networks, mass media reports.
· The woman was found guilty under the administrative article on "discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" (20.3.3 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation). At the request of the lawyer, the meeting was held in closed session.
18:13 Luhansk Regional Military Administration: The "mobilization" of men, who are almost no longer there, continues in the temporarily occupied territories. The Russians cancelled the medical commission, because they are not interested in age, and their goal is to collect as much "cannon fodder" as possible.
18:10 Politico: Russia has already faced a shortage of high-tech foreign-made chips, on which the country relied for years in the production of weapons, and is desperately trying to replace them
· Six months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia is facing a technological shortage and must rely on old stocks of primitive Soviet-made ammunition.
18:08: "The war will continue until the complete defeat of Russia," says Igor Strelkov-Girkin, former soldier of FSB RF and ex-defense minister of the so-called "DNR".
17:22 Foreign Policy Research Institute: Russians drove "biathlon" tanks T-72B3 into Ukraine. They are used by the 5th Tank Brigade from Buryatia.
· Unlike conventional military modifications, these tanks have a more powerful engine, a new panoramic sight with laser range finder and thermal imager, and an automatic gearbox.
16:14 Social Networks: Photos of the car of Artem Bardin, the "commandant" of temporarily occupied Berdiansk.
· He was taken to the hospital. Russian media report that he is in serious condition.
15:50: In the temporarily occupied Berdyansk, a car belonging to the city commandant was blown up, after which a shootout took place. At least one person is in the hospital, the so-called "regional authorities" reported.
14:15 Important Stories: Russian soldiers who try to resign or terminate their contracts are sent to concentration camps.
· Officially and formally, this "special operation" is voluntary, and only contractors can participate in it. But so many people have already informed us that 700 people from the 64th brigade are just trying to resign and leave. And for those whose contracts ended in May, they are not released from the front line. And those who try to leave are detained and thrown into real concentration camps, - the journalist said.
13:43 RBC: In the first half of 2022, 419,000 people left Russia for abroad, reports with reference to data from the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).
· This is twice as much as in the same period last year, when 202,000 people left the country.
12:39: H&M stores will close permanently in Russia on November 30, according to the Russian media.
KHARKIV
September 7
10:01 RMA: At night, the Russians fired 2 rockets at the Nemyshlianskyi district of Kharkiv. One of the rockets hit a two-story building, a nearby car wash caught fire, cafes, shops, and cars were damaged. The second missile hit the ground. Preliminarily, there were no casualties.
· Also, 1 missile strike was recorded in the town of Zmiiv, the Chuhuiv district, at around 4 o'clock in the morning, the missile hit the ground near a medical institution. No one was hurt.
01:08 Mayor: Confirmed the shelling of Kharkiv
· According to him, there is damage to the city's infrastructure. Several cars are also on fire at the site of the missile strike.
01:03 RMA: Confirmed the explosions in the city. He reported that there is damage to the infrastructure in one of Kharkiv's districts.
September 6
19:19 Head of the village: The Russians fired two S-300 missiles at the Pechenihy village of the Kharkiv region. There are wounded among the civilian population.
13:23 RMA: As a result of the morning missile attack on the center of Kharkiv, two missile arrivals were recorded, previously from the S-300 air defense system.
· One of the rockets hit the roof of a 5-story residential building, completely destroying three floors. At the moment, work on dismantling the debris is ongoing. Fortunately, most of the residents of this building were absent.
· The second rocket hit the courtyard of the administrative building. Previously, no one was injured. The information is being verified.
LUHANSK
September 6
12:31 RMA: The Armed Forces of Ukraine have made some progress in Luhansk region
· "Several hundred meters have been added to us since yesterday, which our military controls. Because the attacks were repulsed and there were some small advances,'' he noted.
DONETSK
September 7
11:58 Mariupol City Council: There were loud explosions in the temporarily occupied Mariupol. They were heard in different areas of the city.
· As the local authorities inform, residents put forward different versions of what could have caused the explosions - from the work of air defense to demining.
· One thing is clear - staying in the city is becoming more and more dangerous. The front line is shifting. The occupiers understand this, so we can already see the movement of military equipment through the city. We call on the residents of Mariupol to leave for the controlled territories of Ukraine. We urge people to stop being used as "human shields".
10:08 local media: The movement of the equipment of the Russian troops is recorded in Mariupol.
· The "Giatsint" self-propelled gun was spotted moving towards Berdiansk. The equipment is marked with new markings.
09:22 RMA: "The Russians killed 3 civilians of Donetsk region on September 6: in Heorhiivka, Krasnohorivka, and Paraskoviivka. Another 2 people were injured.
08:45 Mayor: The Russian troops launched a missile attack on Sloviansk this morning. The rocket hit a multi-story building, as a result of which one of the entrances "collapsed". There may be people under the rubble.
· In total, according to the mayor, there were two hits in the morning. One of the rockets hit school No. 4, the second hit a high-rise building at Torska Street, 43.
September 6
23:49 Regional Prosecutor's Office: Law enforcement officers announced charges against the chief "military commissar of the "DNR".
· According to the investigators, the man manages the "Military Commissariat of the DNR" located in occupied Donetsk. Being in such a "position", the man involves Ukrainian citizens living in the occupied territory to "military service" and counter the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· "Thus, he supports the regime of occupation of a part of the Donetsk region and the existence of the terrorist organization "DPR" - the report says.
22:56 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Mariupol
19:25 Adviser to Mariupol’s mayor: The "Ї" movement continues, it is gaining momentum in temporarily occupied Mariupol. Russians are running around the city and trying to paint over it.
15:41 Adviser to the mayor: The Donetsk "leadership" has received an order to urgently restore military records in the Mariupol region.
· This means that at least the Manguskyi district is already waiting for official mobilization during September. According to our information, the same order was received in Mariupol, but the implementation was delayed for two weeks, - he said.
15:02 RMA: Published photos of the consequences of the shelling by the Russian troops of Kurakhivska gymnasium No. 2.
14:16: A satellite image of the temporarily occupied village of Afanasivka near Snigurivka is published online.
· In the picture, you can see the absence of solar panels at the local power plant. The "Solar Farm" was commissioned in 2019 with an installed capacity of 13.37 MW.
ZAPORIZHYA
September 7
10:54 Mayor: As of this morning, 1-2 microdistricts of Enerhodar remain without electricity after damage to the "Luch" substation because of numerous shellings.
· People here suffer the most from the consequences of Russian provocations and are actually on the verge of a humanitarian disaster taking into account that there has been no household gas in this part of the city for several months.
September 6
19:21: Local media reports the shelling of the temporarily occupied Enerhodar of the Zaporizhzhia region.
18:06 RMA: The apartment buildings in the Komyshuvaka territorial community were damaged due to yesterday’s evening shelling by Russian troops. The powerful blast wave knocked out most of the windows. No casualties.
17:24 Social Networks: Another explosion in temporarily occupied Berdiansk (Slobidka area).
15:56 Mayor of Melitopol: The so-called "head of the administration of the Zaporizhzhia region" Yevhen Balytskyi fled to Crimea, after which he was returned to Melitopol under an escort on September 1. Then he disappeared again.
15:03: The mass media reports about an explosion in temporarily occupied Berdyansk next to the city administration building.
15:02: Activities of the movement “Yellow Ribbon” posted new leaflets in the lower part of the city (Melitopol), calling out to the people to get ready for the need to evacuate.
13:19 Social Networks: In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the military forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured another group of Russians.
13:02 Mayor: Today at 12:20 residents of Energodar reported that a powerful explosion rang out in the city. After that, the electricity and water supply disappeared simultaneously in the temporarily occupied city.
DNIPRO
September 7
08:54 RMA: Ukrainian defenders shot down another Russian drone in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Russians conducted intelligence with it.
· "Good news from our military. They shot down another Russian reconnaissance drone over the Dnipropetrovsk region", – he writes.
08:44 RMA: The Russian troops covered the Nikopol district in the Dnipropetrovsk region with "Grads" twice during the night.
· The Russian Federation struck Nikopol and the Marganets community. No casualties or injuries. The extent of the destruction is being ascertained.
· In addition, rescuers contained a fire at an oil depot in Kryvyi Rih at night, which occurred after a Russian missile hit. They fought the flames for more than 16 hours.
September 6
23:44 RMA: The military of the Russian Federation struck Kryvyi Rih from the Caspian Sea with an X-101 missile.
· "According to the information of the South Operational Command, it was an X-101 air-to-ground missile launched by enemy strategic aircraft from the northern part of the Caspian Sea," he wrote.
17:40 RMA: The firefighters contained the fire at the oil base, which occurred after the missile strike. The elimination of consequences continues. No casualties.
12:16 RMA: Showed footage of the liquidation of a large-scale fire at an oil depot in Kryvyi Rih after a Russian missile strike.
· The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has already started an investigation within the framework of a criminal case on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war.
KHERSON
September 7
08:28 Social Networks: Explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka.
00:12: The city council of Kupyansk, which has been under occupation since February 27, addressed the city's residents on social media for the first time in six months. People of Kupyasnk are asked to prepare food, water and shelters.
· On the page of the Kupyansk City Council in the evening of September 6, an appeal by the deputy of the city council Vadym Krokhmal appeared: "The state has not forgotten about anyone, Kupyansk will be liberated very soon".
September 6
22:01 Social Networks: In the temporarily occupied Goliya Prystan and the area of temporarily occupied Chornobayivka, Kherson region, explosions are heard
17:48 National Police: The Russian military kidnapped four people in Kherson and Beryslav, their fate is unknown.
· Armed Russian soldiers took construction equipment from the territory of the enterprise. They seized two cars and a motorcycle from the locals in the Arhanhelske village. The police of the Kherson region opened criminal cases under the "violation of the laws or customs of war" article.
17:06 Social Networks: The soldiers of the special unit "Alpha" showed how the village of Vysokopillia in the Kherson region was liberated from Russian soldiers.
16:16 Social Networks: report explosions in the temporarily occupied Kherson.
15:01 Kherson regional prosecutor's office: The so-called "deputy head of the Kherson military-civilian administration" was charged with suspicion for treason.
· According to the investigation, in June 2022, being in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, the suspect voluntarily agreed to the proposal of the Russians and took the position of the so-called deputy chairman of the military-civilian administration of the Kherson region.
13:48 National Police: In the Kherson region, the Russian military stole three official ambulances.
· It is also known that in the Kherson district, the former deputy head doctor of the district hospital cooperates with the occupation authorities and implements the Russian health care system.
· 14:05 As a result of shelling by the Russian military on the settlements of Berislavsky and Kherson districts, local residents were killed and injured, the buildings of a children's health center and shopping mall were destroyed.
MYKOLAIV
September 7
10:07 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Mykolaiv
September 6
13:38 Operational Command Pivden (South): Russia is launching defective S-300 missiles in the Mykolayiv region.
· "At the moment, we can observe that even those pariah weapons, in particular the S-300 missile systems, which are obviously rejected, are being used, because we are observing their "behavior" during the launch," she noted.
OTHER REGIONS
September 7
10:30 RMA: A fire broke out at one of the enterprises located in the city of Boryspil this morning. Residents of the city could hear explosions. According to preliminary information, this is related to the ignition of a container with a solvent located at the enterprise. The fire is not related to the air raid alert.
09:57 Sumy RMA:
· There was a mortar attack (12 rounds) on the Khotyn community late yesterday evening.
· 18 explosions from an automatic grenade launcher from the Russian side occurred in the Znob-Novgorod community almost at midnight.
· 13 airstrikes (approximately self-propelled guns and 120 mm mortars) were recorded in Myropillia community around two o'clock in the morning.
· In all cases, there were no casualties, information about destructions is being clarified.
09:34 Boryspil Mayor: "There is a fire at an enterprise in Boryspil. The emergency services are on site. This is not a missile arrival, everything is under control. We are investigating the causes. There are no casualties.
09:28 Social Networks: There is a strong fire in Boryspil
September 6
23:43: In Odesa, the debate about the fate of the monument to Katherine II has been going on for a long time. According to the latest data, the final decision will be made during public discussions. This was reported by the Odesa City Council.
· "On September 19, 2022, at 12:00 p.m., public discussions will be held in the form of an internet conference on the issue of deciding the fate of the monument to the Founders of Odesa, located on Katherine Square in the city of Odesa," the message reads.
22:39 Sumy RMA: Today the Russians released 140 mines and projectiles on the territory of the region.
· Novoslobidska, Myropilska, Bilopolska, Shalyginska, Seredino-Budska, Znob-Novgorodska, Esmanska communities were under fire.
17:02 Suspilne: The people were evacuated from a mall in Cherkasy, rescuers are looking for explosives.
· People were taken out of the "Liubava" shopping centre after the announcement of the mines building. The services are working on the spot.
15:16: The State Emergency Service recorded the burning of 2.5 hectares of peat deposits in the Kyiv region. Rescuers managed to put out 95% of the burning areas.
· In connection with the extinguishing of peatlands, air deterioration is expected again in Kyiv.
14:32 RMA: In the Sumy region, 11 mines from the territory of the Russian Federation arrived in the village of Manukhivka in the Novoslobodsk community around 10 am. As a result of shelling, a high-voltage substation was damaged.
13:34 Ecologist Ivan Rusev: In the Odesa region, the lakes of academician Zaitsev, located in the reserve, have dried up.
· According to him, the reasons include the fact that almost no water enters the lakes and estuaries from the outside, as well as the drought and the blocking of the Black Sea by the Russians.
13:20 Prosecutor General: A resident of Uman, who collected secret documents for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
· In April-July 2021, for a monetary reward, he collected information with the seal of secrecy "Secret" about the military unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Cherkasy Oblast, which stored artillery ammunition. For this, the man received an advance of UAH 13,000 from a representative of Russian intelligence, and was counting on another $2,000.
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/
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis