Sept 15: E-Stories
Day568: RUattacks CombatSit Yevpatoria BehindLines 105 Eyupov BulletHoles RUelites BEL NorKor EULukashenko AlliedAid Armenia ChinaEV RUcars Starlink A&P UKDef ISW KyivIndie SkyNews KremlnFile TimesRad
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.
War hero Petro Buryak moved to tears of joy at Super Humans Center when gifted a cutting-edge knee prosthetic. The Genius X3 will transform Petro's life, showcasing the power of prosthetics.
Paul Niland: I was in the room when they surprised hero Petro with his upgraded new prosthesis. A man of strength, determination, character. Honoured to be there.
Stories we’re following…
A total of 22 Shahed drones were launched by the Russian forces in the direction of the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Sumy regions last night. Ukrainian air defense shot down 17 of them.
MoD Ukraine: Russian troops shelled the territories of 9 regions in Ukraine, Military Media Center reports on Sept 14. Using different types of weapons, 138 settlements and 74 infrastructure facilities were attacked. There are dead and wounded civilians, the number of casualties is being determined.
Suspilne reports that a 6-year-old boy was killed and 4 injured by Russian shelling in the village of Novodmytrivka, which is located in Kherson region. It cited the local prosecutors office.
Russian drones struck the Danube river port of Izmail in southern Ukraine, the region’s governor has said, as Moscow continued to pound Kyiv’s vital export routes. Oleg Kiper said on social media:
A total of seven civilians were injured as a result of Russian attack drones in the Izmail district. Six people in Reni and one in Izmail. Damage to port and other civil infrastructure was recorded.
Zelenskyy’s address to Dutch students on Sept 12:
Every country has its own amount of freedom, which is higher for some and lower for others. Some inherited it. Others fight for it.
But, regardless of the country, freedom is never free. It must be protected at all times. There must be an understanding of what empowers freedom. Freedom should also be backed up by guarantees.
Combat Situation Update
Hanna Malyar on the fighting in Andriivka:
"I am clarifying the information about the liberation of Andriivka. I do not release such information without coordination and approval from the military. Currently, there is a communication failure between several sources of information reporting directly from the scene. There has been some success in Andriivka and heavy fighting is still going on."
Official: Russia starts reinforcing 'third line' of defenses in south. Russian forces have started to strengthen the "third line" of defense in Russian-occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, said on Telegram on Sept. 13.
The measures include new trenches around Polohy, currently around 15 kilometers from the front line, as well as anti-tank obstacles and roadblocks in villages near Tokmak.
Tokmak is over 20 kilometers to the southwest of Robotyne, a settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast that Ukraine confirmed was liberated at the end of August.
The AFU is succesful in their offensive south of Bakhmut, General Staff Spokesman Andriy Kovalev said during a briefing. "They had partial success in the districts of Klishchiivka, Andriivka and Kurdyumivka, inflicting significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment," he said.
NATO still sees no signs of intentional Russian attack on Romania after drone fragment discovery. NATO said again it sees no signs of an intentional attack by Russia against Romania after Bucharest found drone fragments on its territory for the third time, Romanian Ambassador to NATO Dan Neculăescu said on Sept. 13, citing the alliance's spokesperson.
"The Romanian authorities remain on alert and are conducting a full investigation," the NATO spokesperson reportedly said.
"NATO has no information indicating any intentional attack by Russia against Allied territory."
H.I. Sutton reports that the Ukraine’s attack on Sevastopol also targeted important arms ships crossing Black Sea Two ships of interest currently heading to Mediterrean via Bosporus.
Behind the Lines
Crimea Bridge closed again: Vehicle traffic has been suspended on the bridge that connects the Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia, state media has reported. It was closed on Sept 13 for a few hours as well. A message on bridge operations on the messaging app Telegram said:
Those on the bridge and in the inspection area are asked to remain calm and follow the instructions of transport security officers.
Ukrainian drones attacked a military facilities near Yevpatoria in occupied Crimea. Multiple explosions were heard in occupied Yevpatoriia, Crimea, on the night of Sept. 14, local residents told Suspilne news.
A Ukrainian source told Reuters drones blinded a Russian “Triumf” air defence system by attacking its radar and antenna. The navy then fired two Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles at the system’s launch complexes, the source said. The cost of the destroyed complex was estimated by the Ukrainian special service at $1.2 billion.
Suspilne had reported that “Yevpatoria residents do not understand what is happening. The occupation authorities do not explain and ambulances and the police are driving around the city.”
Mark Krutov: The Ukrainian forces discovered the position of the S-400 positions, which were revealed earlier last year by tourists taking photos near the beach close to the city of Yevpatoria. Thank you, Russian bikini guy!
On Sept 14, Russian media report that a gas pipeline is on fire near Saratov, Russia.
Roman Starovoyt, governor of the Russian region of Kursk, has reported on his Telegram channel one person has been killed by Ukrainian cross-border shelling on the village of Tyotkino. The water supply to the village of Gordeevka has been disrupted after cross-border shelling by Ukrainian forces.
In the morning Sept 14, 5 naval drones tried to attack Project 22160 patrol ship Sergey Kotov in the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports. They claim all 5 were destroyed.
Russia MoD claims 4 drones shot down over Bryansk Oblast on Sept 14.
The Russian ministry of defense claims that today at about 16.30, the UFA attempted to attack the Bora-class corvette “Samum” of the Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea with a naval drone. They say the drone was destroyed.
Warplane crashes in Russia. The Su-24M tactical bomber went down in Russia’s Volgograd region, reports the Baza Telegram channel. According to tentative reports, the bomber had two pilots on board. The cause of the disaster is being investigated. The Russian MoD confirmed the crash during a training flight on Sept 13.
Sky News: Ukraine used British Storm Shadow missiles to strike Sevastopol. Ukraine used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a Russian naval shipyard in Sevastopol overnight, British Sky News reported on Sept. 13, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western sources.
Minister: Russia's attacks on Ukrainian ports damage 105 port infrastructure facilities in 2 months. Since Russia pulled out of the grain deal with Ukraine, its attacks on Ukrainian ports have damaged or partially destroyed 105 port infrastructure facilities, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's infrastructure minister, said on his official Facebook page on Sept. 13.
A Russian-installed court in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region jailed two Ukrainian soldiers for 29 years each, Russia’s investigative committee has said, after it accused them of killing three civilians. Moscow has repeatedly sentenced captured Ukrainian soldiers to long jail terms, in court proceedings that Kyiv does not recognise on Russian-occupied territory.
The Russian military has already killed more than 500 Ukrainian children during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent’s findings point to the systemic and deliberate nature of child murders by the Russian military in Ukraine. Our in-depth investigation allowed us not only to establish clear circumstances of the murders but also, in one instance, to identify those responsible for the killing of a child.
Meanwhile in Russia
Belarusian dictator Lukashenka has arrived for talks with Putin on Friday, Reuters reports, citing the Belarusian state news agency Belta. Lukashenka’s visit (cap in hand) is being billed by the Russian media as some sort of ‘negotiation’. Lukashenka had requested a meeting with Putin after Prigozhin’s mutiny but was waved off at the time.
European Parliament recognizes Lukashenka as 'accomplice' to Putin's crimes. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Sept. 13 officially recognizing Belarusian dictator Lukashenka as an accomplice to the crimes of Russian dictator Putin. Lukashenka has enabled "Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine" and therefore carries direct responsibility "for the destruction and damage caused to Ukraine," according to the resolution. In the resolution, the EU Parliament called for finding legal ways to seize the assets of the leadership of Belarus and associated Belarusian organizations involved in the war. The deputies called for these assets, if possible, to be used for the restoration of Ukraine.
Bloomberg: Russian elite pull $50 billion from 'unfriendly' European countries. Russian billionaires have pulled assets worth $50 billion from so-called "unfriendly" European countries since the start of the full-scale war due to mounting sanctions and pressure from the Kremlin, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 14. The outlet said that Russia's wealthy are transferring their funds from locations like Cyprus, Switzerland, or the U.K. island of Jersey back to Russia or to places that Moscow considers friendly, such as Kazakhstan or the United Arab Emirates.
ISW: Putin fears North Korea deal will threaten sanctions evasion schemes. Putin is likely worried that an arms deal with North Korea may expose Russia to new economic penalties and endanger current efforts to evade sanctions, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Sept. 13 report
Kim Jong Un praises Russia's war, toasts to future 'victory.' North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told Russian officials during his visit that he is confident in Russia's victory over Ukraine, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Sept. 13.
Monique: What transpired on Sept 13 was a well planned (always) Kim-Putin photo-op—a propaganda campaign to render the Russia-North Korea relationship public. Russia and North Korea have been collaborating for years. The North Korean missile programme is supported and funded by Russia. North Korea could not develop the technology necessary for its armaments, communications and just about everything else unless Russia came to its aid. As we said on Wednesday’s Lounge, nothing will change. What needs to change is the framing our legacy media gives to these events.
Budanov confirms that “North Korea has been supplying Russia with weapons for a month and a half”. According to him, the Russian Federation receives 122-mm and 152-mm projectiles as well as missiles for Grad MLRS.
South Korea has expressed “deep concern and regret” over the meeting between Kim and Putin that was apparently focused on expanding military cooperation. Lim Soo-suk, South Korea’s foreign ministry spokesperson said:
Any science and technology cooperation that contributes to nuclear weapons and missile development, including satellite systems that involve ballistic missile technologies, runs against U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Steve Rosenberg from Moscow for the BBC: Kim Jong Un told Vladimir Putin that Russia will win a "great victory" over its enemies. But will he be supplying munitions to help Moscow achieve that?
Allied Support
The USA has expanded sanctions against Russia. An additional 20 people and dozens of companies have come under new restrictions. AvtoVAZ, Moskvich, Transmashholding, Rosavtodor, NPO Saturn are on the list. The official readout reads as follows:
The Departments of State and the Treasury are imposing further sanctions on over 150 individuals and entities in connection with Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine. As part of today’s action, the U.S. government is targeting individuals and entities engaged in sanctions evasion and circumvention, those complicit in furthering Russia’s ability to wage its war against Ukraine, and those responsible for bolstering Russia’s future energy production.
The Department of State is imposing sanctions on over 70 entities and individuals involved in expanding Russia’s energy production and export capacity, operating in Russia’s metals and mining sectors, and aiding Russian individuals and entities in evading international sanctions. The Department of State is also designating one Russian Intelligence Services officer and one Georgian-Russian oligarch whom the FSB has leveraged to influence Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia. Additionally, the Department is designating numerous entities producing and repairing Russian weapon systems, including the Kalibr cruise missile used by Russian forces against cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, and an individual affiliated with the Wagner Group involved in the shipment of munitions from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the Russian Federation.
Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is imposing nearly one hundred sanctions on Russia’s elites and its industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers, including one official of the Wagner Group for advancing Russia’s malign activities in the Central African Republic. This action comes after the Wagner Group helped ensure the passage of a July 30 constitutional referendum that undercut the country’s democracy.
ICC opens office in Kyiv to investigate Russian war crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a field office in Kyiv, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin announced on Sept. 14. The office has been set up to "increase the effectiveness and efficiency of responding to the crimes that Russia continues to commit against Ukraine and Ukrainians every day," Kostin said
Ukrainian pilots have now been allowed to test fly the Gripen fighter plane, Defense Minister Pål Jonson wrote. The pilots have undergone orientation training which includes test flights in both aircraft and simulator and briefings for ground personnel.
Estonia’s PM Kaja Kallas and Min of Internal Affairs Lauri Läänemets commented on the ban on the entry of cars with Russian license plates.
“Russia does not intend to stop the war, and we decided that as of yesterday, cars with Russian license plates will no longer be able to enter the country - this is in accordance with the sanctions. These cars will be allowed to leave the country, but we are also discussing what to do with those cars that are already here,” Kallas said.
“My position is that the sanctions must be implemented and the cars must be confiscated. I have a question, why should a person living in Estonia own a car with Russian license plates and drive it here? But when this will become clear, I don’t know yet. Various authorities are working on this issue,” Läänemets said.
Ukraine received a $1.25 billion grant from the US. The funds will be directed to support vulnerable groups of the population, as well as those who work to ensure the performance of state functions and the provision of educational and medical services.
US General: First Ukrainian pilots to likely complete F-16 training in 3 months. The first set of Ukrainian pilots could complete their initial training on F-16 fighter jets at the end of the year, although it will take longer before they are engaged in combat, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 12, citing General Michael Loh, the director of the U.S. Air National Guard.
US sends monitors to Ukraine to track military aid. The U.S. is sending personnel to Kyiv to evaluate the use of American military aid, the U.S. Defense Department Inspector General's Office said in a report released on Sept. 13.
Rheinmetall transfers mobile field hospital to Ukraine: In September 2022, the German Federal Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Rheinmetall Group’s subsidiary, Rheinmetall Mobile Systeme GmbH, or RMS, for the hospital and related training support. The order is worth around EUR 9 million.
Romania summons Russian ambassador following discovery of more drone debris. Romania has summoned the head of the Russian mission in the country and is "closely consulting with NATO allies" following the discovery of more drone debris on its territory, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 13.
UK Defense Ministry: Ukraine's turn to Western nuclear fuel 'major' step against Russia dependency. The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Sept. 14 that the refueling of a reactor in Ukraine's Rivne Nuclear Power Plant using Western supplies signifies a major step in the country's energy sector's decoupling from Russia. On Sept. 10, Ukrainian state-owned nuclear energy operator Energoatom announced that a reactor in the Rivne plant was loaded with the first batch of nuclear fuel produced by the Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB company.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that he hopes the war can end within 7-8 months. "I hope that within the next 7 or 8 months an attempt will be made to resolve the war in Ukraine," he said during a trilateral meeting in London.
Bundestag members Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), Anton Hofreiter (Greens) and Andreas Schwarz (SPD) have called for further support for Ukraine in a letter to Chancellor Scholz and Defense Minister Pistorius. They urge to provide Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Boris Johnson has attacked the UK government over its policy on Ukraine, saying it should urgently provide more weaponry requested by Kyiv and asking the west: “What the hell are we waiting for?” Johnson said Ukrainians did not want warm words but “weaponry to finish the job – and so I simply do not understand why we keep dragging our feet”. He called on the UK to provide howitzers, Storm Shadow cruise missiles and “as much help as we can give them with drone technology”.
Julia Davis: Why Russian elites are still supporting Trump—the Kremlin’s view.
After Putin expressed his "concerns" about Trump's prosecution, Andrey Sidorov, Deputy Dean of world politics at the MSU, explained why he continues to root for Trump, describing him as "the destroyer" that has the potential to dismantle the US.
Around the World
Armenian prime minister confirms Yerevan will fully ratify Rome Statue, recognizing jurisdiction of ICC.
Politico: China accused the EU of "naked protectionist behaviour" on Thursday after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched an investigation into state subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles.
"China expresses its high concern and strong dissatisfaction" over the probe which "will have a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations," the commerce ministry said in a statement.
I guess Taiwan’s independence and its strategic importance for the West means nothing to Musk. What is important to him are his business interests with China and with other nations that are trying to establish a ‘new world order’ devoid of the principles of peace, democracy, and international law.
Musk says he didn't turn on Starlink near Crimea due to US sanctions on Russia. U.S. sanctions on Russia meant that Starlink satellite connection near Crimea could not be turned on for a Ukrainian military operation without permission from the U.S. president, Elon Musk said at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on Sept. 12.
Monique: The article below dates back to June 1, 2023 and provides some information about the Pentagon’s purchase of Starlinks from SpaceX. There are no details about the contract in the article.
Musk’s framing of the issue has flip-flopped because of Ukrainian and allied push back on his unilateral foreign policy decision-making. In his latest reiteration, he intimates that Crimea is part of Russia and therefore, because of US sanctions, he cannot turn on Starlink over Crimea. This contrasts with his first version, which said that the Ukrainians were attempting a ‘Pearl Harbour’ operation, and that would push the Russians to retaliate with a nuclear strike.
In this clip, the Sky News reporter is doing his job by asking Musk about his decision: “Has your ego and ignorance cost Ukrainian lives?”
Pentagon awards SpaceX with Ukraine contract for Starlink satellite internet—CNBC
The Pentagon said Thursday it has agreed to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals from Elon Musk’s SpaceX for use in Ukraine as Kyiv continues to defend itself against a full-scale Russian invasion.
“We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine’s overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type,” the Pentagon said in a statement to CNBC.
The Pentagon declined to offer additional contract details, including the price, scope and timeline of the delivery.
“For operational security reasons and due to the critical nature of these systems — we do not have additional information regarding specific capabilities, contracts or partners to provide at this time,” the statement added.
Musk reportedly told the Pentagon in October he would no longer finance the Starlink terminals in Ukraine as the country prepared to fight through the harsh winter months. However, the billionaire reversed course and did continue to fund the service.
Earlier this year, Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer, said SpaceX has been “really pleased to be able to provide Ukraine connectivity and help them in their fight for freedom,” but she emphasized that Starlink “was never intended to be weaponized.”
“Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement, so we have to work on that at Starlink,” Shotwell said in February.
Shotwell added that Ukraine using Starlink as a communications system “for the military is fine, but our intent was never to have them use it for offensive purposes.”
She specifically noted reports about Ukraine using Starlink “on drones.” Ukrainian soldiers have described using it to connect drones and identify and destroy enemy targets, the Times of London reported in March 2022.
“I’m not going to go into the details; there are things that we can do to limit their ability to do that ... there are things that we can do and have done,” Shotwell said.
Programming note…
Olga and I spoke with Francis Farrell, a war reporter at the Kyiv Independent about Ukraine’s counteroffensive and what he had seen on his trip to Bakhmut. Hop over to our podcast channel or YouTube to see other clips.