Aug 31: E-Stories
Day 553: Mariupol Kyiv Pskov Bryansk Moscow Kaluga Verbove Occupation NATO JP F16Coalition Czech Germany Prigo $250M SK Switz GER TuckerOrban Qakbot ROC Gabon A&P UNICEF UKDef Davis Braw FBI
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
Are your kids going to school? Are there classrooms in subway stations?
More than 1,300 schools have been totally destroyed in government-held areas of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Unicef has said. Only 1/3 of Ukrainian children of primary and secondary age are learning in-person.
Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv has built dozens of classrooms in metro stations to allow some pupils to return to in-person teaching, Reuters reports.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that 60 classrooms have been created in Kharkiv’s metro stations before the new school year in September, creating space for more than 1,000 children to study in-person.
Stories we’re following…
August 30: Two strong explosions were reported in Dzhankoy, occupied Crimea in the morning. Additionally there are also reports that it is loud near Krasnoperekopsk, a little bit more northwest.
August 30: The UAF unleashed a wave of attackson 25 targets in 8 Russian regions in the early hours of the morning on Aug 30, reports InformNapalm:
Pskov airport: four Il-76 military transport aircraft damaged. 10-20 drones were employed during the operation;
Bryansk: Kremniy El microelectronics factory on fire;
Kaluga: oil depot hit;
Moscow - Oryol - Ryazan- Sevastopol (Crimea)
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations admitted that four Il-76 military transport aircraft caught fire in Pskov. Russian media suggest that six aircraft have been damaged or destroyed. In Pskov, the location of the Second Special Forces Brigade of the GRU and it has been hit. Pskov Oblast airport closed after Russia claims drone strike destroyed military aircraft. The Pskov airport is still closed and may open again on August 31st.
There were explosions in the Nakhimovsky district of Sevastopol- continued attacks of water drones and UAVs. Russian air defence was activated.
The headquarters of the "United Russia" Party was blown up in occupied Nova Kakhovka, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko said.
Moscow mayor claims drone shot down outside capital in 'massive' attack attempt. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed a drone bound for the city on the night of Aug. 30 amid a "massive" strike on Russia's western regions.
Noel Reports: In Bryansk, a Ukrainian UAV reportedly hit the Kremniy EL plant. It is one of the largest Russian manufacturers of microelectronics. The Governor of of the oblast, Alexander Bogomaz, said all drones were shot down.
The Russians retaliated with a wave of attacks using drones and cruise missiles: All cruise missiles (28/28) and 15/16 Shahed drones were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force reports. Kyiv and Odesa targets.
Russian attacks on Kyiv kill 2, injure 1. Russian forces attacked Kyiv the night of Aug. 30, killing two people and injuring a third, Kyiv City Military Administration Head Serhii Popko reported.
“Kyiv has not experienced such a powerful attack since spring. The enemy launched a massive, combined attack using drones and missiles,” Serhiy Popko, the head of the city’s military administration, said on Telegram. He said that at the beginning several groups of drones were heading for Kyiv from different directions. Russia then launched missiles from Tu-95 strategic aircrafts.
Helicopter belonging to Russia’s FSB crashes in Chelyabinsk region. An Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) crashed near Chelyabinsk on Aug. 29, killing three crew members, according to Russian authorities.
Ben Hodges: This is Ukraine's counter-offensive: more than just ground assault...it is multi-domain operations delivering effect against RF forces and infrastructure in the air, at sea, special forces, rear area sabotage, on the ground. Noose tightening around Crimea, the decisive terrain.
ISW: Russian Defense Ministry limits coverage of war in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry has changed its reporting system to limit the amount of information it releases about Russia's war in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Aug. 29 report.
Combat Situtation Report:
During the day, the Russian troops launched 30 missile and 52 air strikes, carried out 35 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and settlements of Ukraine. There were 35 combat clashes.
After the liberation of Robotyne, the UAF continue their offensive against the fortified Russian defense line located to the south and east of the village.
To the east of Robotyne, Ukrainian units were already seen a few kilometers southeast, near the village of Novoprokopovka.
Heavy fighting is happening near Verbove, both Russian and Ukrainian sources report. Initial reports suggest that the AFU is entering the western outskirts of the settlement.
Behind the Lines: You will recall posts by Italian and Hungarian pro-Kremlin propagandists on Aug 27, which featured what a great city Mariupol was with its golden beach and relaxed life-style. The Russians made sure that the hashtag, Mariupol, was trending that day with these kinds of false posts. This is the reality of Mariupol under Russian rule.
Ukrainian authorities: Russia preparing new wave of mobilization in occupied Crimea. Russia plans to mobilize up to 30,000 people and call up 10,000 previously conscripted soldiers in occupied Crimea, reported the Mission of Ukraine’s President in Crimea.
SBU: Russian colonel tortured civilians to death in Kherson Oblast. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has found evidence that Russian Colonel Viktor Bedryk tortured and killed two Ukrainian civilians in occupied Kherson Oblast, the SBU reported via Telegram on Aug. 29.
UN records 9,511 civilian deaths in Ukraine since February 2022. The OHCHR added that the true numbers are likely to be "considerably higher," as the UN is unable to confirm information from areas where there are "intense hostilities."
Solovyev’s reaction to the Ukrainian attacks on Pskov on his show “Full Contact”: “Destroy the fucking Baltics”. Z-bloggers and propagandists demanded a response to the drone attack. Solovyov urged the Russian government to attack the Baltic countries. At the same time, calming statements are heard in the pro-war community that one should get used to such attacks, He also said that if the strike was carried out by NATO countries, then this can be considered a declaration of war, "which means that nuclear weapons should be immediately used in response."
Russia’s global aspirations: This is a clip from Julia Davis’s Russian Media Monitor channel on YouTube where a panel of guests discuss Russia’s global reach and how the world is open to Russia. Russia’s war is conceived as a civilizational conflict—Russia must save the world. What’s interesting is the references to imperialism, which remains the main fixture of Russian thought, at least on these kinds of shows.
The first Aeroflot aircraft sent to Iran for repairs has been there for five months. It may be ready in 2024 to be returned to Russia, the Telegram channel "Aviatorshina" reports with reference to FlightRadar24 website information. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union closed the skies to Russian aircraft, banned the supply of spare parts for them, maintenance, support and insurance, and also obliged leasing companies to obtain the return of liners leased from Russian carriers.
Restaurateur Anton Pinsky and rapper Timati acquired Domino’s Pizza in Russia a day after the company abandoned sale efforts and initiated bankruptcy proceedings. They also bought Starbucks in Russia last year.
Please listen to the video…
Prigozhin’s grave site at the Porokhovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg. On Aug 29, a private ceremony was held with the attendance of close family and friends. The site of his burial was cordoned off by Russian security forces. Earlier on Tuesday, Valery Chekalov, the head of Wagner logistics, was buried at another St Petersburg cemetery. Reuters reports:
The private ceremony, if confirmed, was in stark contrast to Prigozhin’s aggressive, self-publicising style. A Russian news outlet, MSK1.RU, quoted cemetery staff as saying that was the family’s wish.
Kuleba, Stoltenberg discuss Ukraine's next steps toward NATO membership. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a telephone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Ukraine's next steps on its path to the Alliance membership, Kuleba said on Aug. 29.
Greece and the Czech Republic have both joined the coalition of countries working together to train F-16 pilots and technicians for Ukraine. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, who is currently attending an EU ministerial meeting in Spain.
Japanese PM, Zelensky discuss grain exports and peace formula in phone call. The two discussed extending the grain corridor as a way to export Ukrainian agricultural products following Russia's unilateral termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and repeated attacks on Ukrainian ports.
Czechia investigates Raiffeisen Bank due to its activities in Russia. Czechia has opened an investigation of the Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) over its ongoing business activities in Russia, the Czech Television public broadcaster reported on Aug. 29.
The US State Dept announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth $250 million.
It contains important capabilities to help Ukraine on the battlefield. It includes AIM-9M missiles for air defense, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, mine-clearing equipment, Javelin and other anti-armor systems and rockets, over 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, ambulances, demolition munitions for obstacle clearing, as well as spare parts, services, training, and transportation. This package of weapons and equipment, which are valued at $250 million, is being executed under drawdowns previously directed for Ukraine.
South Korea will increase its aid to Ukraine to 520 billion KRW ($394 million) next year. The aid package includes 130 billion for reconstruction, 260 billion in humanitarian aid and another 130 billion through international organisations.
Switzerland has announced an aid package for Ukraine that will include a demining machine and spare parts, reports the press service of the Swiss government.
“EU countries and European institutions were able to quickly create a legal framework and are finalizing the definition of industrial projects that will allow to produce more than 1 million artillery shells per year," European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said.
What is Orban doing in the EU? I mean, really: In an interview with Tucker Carlson, broadcast by RT, Orban used threatening language about possible attacks or sabotage on the gas pipeline that runs from Russia to the south of Europe. According to him, Budapest and Belgrade would react immediately if it should be sabotaged at any moment. "Probably you can do with the Germans, but not to this region" he added. Orban also suggested that the West should strike a deal with Russia, which sees Ukraine lose Crimea and its accession to NATO.
"We should make a deal with the Russians on the new security architecture to provide security and sovereignty for Ukraine but not membership in NATO," said the Hungarian Prime Minister.
Majority-Catholic EU member Lithuania has summoned the Vatican's top diplomat in the country after Pope Francis told Russian youths to remember they are the heirs of "the great Russian empire". The Vatican said on Tuesday Pope Francis did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism in the speech, in which he also extolled Russian emperors Peter the Great and Catherine II who expanded the Russian empire.
Spiegel: German company under investigation for selling drone components to Russia. Investigators in Germany suspect a company of selling electronic components used to produce Russian Orlan-10 drones, German media outlet Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 29. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating a man, identified as Waldemar W., for 26 cases of violating the Foreign Trade and Payments Act, according to Der Spiegel. The Orlan-10 is a reconnaissance drone used by the Russian military. The total value of the components the man sold are estimated to be around €750,000 ($811,000).
NABU: Former Odesa mayor, local businessmen charged over misappropriation of communal property. Ukrainian law enforcement has discovered a scheme where local officials and businessmen misappropriated the property and income of the Odesa International Airport. The scheme caused Hr 2.5 billion ($67 million) damage to the city budget, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
Czechia investigates Raiffeisen Bank due to its activities in Russia. Czechia has opened an investigation of the Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) over its ongoing business activities in Russia, the Czech Television public broadcaster reported on Aug. 29.
The FBI and DoJ announced on Aug 29 a multinational operation to dismantle the malware and botnet known as Qakbot. Since its creation in 2008, Qakbot malware has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to individuals and businesses in the U.S. and abroad.
The action, which took place in the U.S., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Latvia, and the United Kingdom, represents one of the largest U.S.-led disruptions of a botnet infrastructure used by cybercriminals to commit ransomware, financial fraud, and other cyber-enabled criminal activity.
Cybercriminals used Qakbot to commit ransomware, financial fraud, and other cyber-enabled criminal activity. This multinational takedown represents one of the largest U.S.-led disruptions of a botnet infrastructure. Find out more here.
Hundreds of spies, antennas, and the Russian Orthodox Church: how Russia сreated a network of agents in Brussels for years—UA Position
Correspondent of 24 Kanal in Brussels, Sofia Nazarenko, learned how FSB agents operate under diplomatic cover, how they are assisted by local “useful idiots”, and also how pro-Russian lobbying occurs among Members of the European Parliament in the European Parliament. 24 Kanal spoke with high-ranking sources in EU diplomatic circles, Members of the European Parliament, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also decided to explore the places related to the “Russian trace” in the capital of the European Union.
As it has been revealed according to data from the Dossier Center, other facilities are also located on the territory of the Russian Embassy in Belgium — a grand castle, a sports field, greenhouses, parking lots, and a building with classrooms. However, this is not the most significant “secret” of Russians.
On the roofs of two buildings, a total of 17 satellite antennas are positioned, and this is the highest number of antennas that Russians have placed on the territory of a diplomatic complex in Europe.
Typically, antennas are used for secure communication, but in Belgium, the number of devices significantly exceeds the actual needs of Russians.
In a comment to De Tijd, Belgium’s Minister of Justice, Vincent Van Quickenborne, stated that operations involving information interception are not new and have been ongoing since the Cold War. However, he acknowledged that the amount of equipment on the roofs of the Russian Embassy is substantial. [continue]
UNICEF Report on Russian attacks on Ukrainian schools
“They are struggling to remember how to read and write, how to do the basic maths and also struggling to cope with their daily life and with the continuous fears.” The U.N. children's fund UNICEF said persistent attacks mean that only about a third of school-age children there are attending classes fully in person.