Ukraine Invasion: Part 29

[MagicFox]

Welcome all, part 29

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant...how worrying is this situation? I can't tell if it's extremely serious as Ukraine's leaders are saying it is or if they are overstating the issues as a means to garner international intervention.

Yes, normal criminals still do business! more so maybe. People are heavily stresssed

I believe the situation at the plant is pretty dire. Ukrainian staff are leaving in droves for fear it will explode because of Russian antics or they will be killed by retreating Russian troops if Ukraine military try to take back control

Oh god. That's not good, not good at all.

And the Russians are burning $10 million worth of gas per day (near Nordstream 1) rather than store it or let the EU have it.

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/26/russian-plant-portovaya-burning-off-8m-of-gas-a-day-as-supply-to-germany-is-limited

@Hillsmakeyoustrong let's hope it is exaggerated. I can understand why Ukraine's leaders might want to do that. It grabs international attention if people think a nuclear plant will explode. Don't want to worry folks unnecesarily.

That said, I did see some photos of what is supposedly Russian military vehicles inside the turbine hall of the plant with the symbol Z. Apparently it is dangerous because the vehicles will add fuel for explosions if a fire broke out and also blocks access to rescue vehicles.

mobile.twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1563117346675273734 Bayraktars will never be sold to Russia

Not sure if Haluk Bayraktar is looking for Western investors but this gives it strong ESG credentials for a military drone manufacturer.

There is bound to be a long game.

Yay! Americans get a hard time generally but their support for Ukraine has been the most sustained and substantial. Feels like the backbone of Ukraine's defence and offence. They must be so grateful. Just hope Ukraine gets to achieve all its military objectives before a shift in US politics.

We do get a hard time generally, and specifically on MN. It's almost driven me off the platform a few times.

I think there are reasons to think that US support for Ukraine will be durable. It's broadly popular in both major political parties, it wears down one of our major geopolitical adversaries and most importantly, it's the right thing to do. As it says in the Bible, "To whom much is given, much will be required".

The cynic in me says that Turkey see the way the wind is blowing, what with this and Erdogans statement about Crimea being Ukrainian

⚡️Belgium allocates 8 million euros of non-lethal assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, – B

📌 The left wing of the party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz "warns" against the rearmament of Ukraine, writes SPIEGEL. They insist on a "diplomatic offensive" and demand a "modus vivendi" – a truce with Russia.elgian Federal Council of Ministers

❕The visit of the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Zaporizhzhia NPP is scheduled for next week, at present, the occupiers are artificially creating all conditions so that the IAEA does not get to the plant

📍A Russian blogger accidentally showed the positions of the Pyatnashka base in Donetsk, it was destroyed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine

⚡️Zaporizhzhia NPP is connected to the grid and produces electricity for the needs of Ukraine
Today, August 26, 2022, at 14:04, one of the power units of the ZNPP, which was completely stopped yesterday, was connected to the power grid, and power is being commissioned.

🎪 Lukashenka now also threatens the West with nuclear weapons
He said that the re-equipment of Belarusian military aircraft for the ability to carry nuclear weapons has been completed.

🚛 Ukraine to join EU "customs visa-free" from October 1 – Shmyhal
This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal.

⚡️Against the backdrop of increasing explosions in Crimea, which are likely to be Ukrainian forces, Russia has decided to withdraw ten of its fighters from the temporarily occupied Crimea.
This is stated in a secret NATO report obtained by Business Insider.

🛻 German Mercedes-Benz wants to sell its car assembly plant in the Moscow region, according to sources, the deal is in its final stages.

🔺Russia has started using Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine. And Iran, according to Western Intelligence, offered its financial networks to help Russia bypass the sanctions. The union of these two countries can change the course of the war against Ukraine, writes the Washington Post.

🖥 One of the largest computer manufacturers DELL is leaving Russia for good – Tadvise

🔔 The Kremlin has decided on a preliminary date for holding a "referendum" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This was reported on September 14, citing sources, by the Russian edition of Verstka. They want to hold pseudo-referendums on the territory of only two Ukrainian regions – Luhansk and Donetsk.

⚡️Hungary allows Russia's Rosatom to expand nuclear plant.
According to Hungarian media outlet Telex, the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority has issued a permit to Russian state nuclear monopoly Rosatom for expanding the Paks nuclear power plant.

⚡️Governor: 1.3 million people evacuated from Ukrainian-held part of Donetsk Oblast since Feb. 24.

⚡️Bayraktar manufacturer ‘will never’ supply drones to Russia.

⚡️Deputy PM: Ukraine plans to launch mandatory evacuation from parts of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv oblasts.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Aug. 26 that all evacuated people would be provided with free housing and social support. “People will have everything needed to survive the winter,” she said.

⚡️Russian media: Russian collaborator killed by explosion in occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russian state-controlled RIA Novosti news agency reported that Oleksandr Koliesnikov, a Russian-installed proxy in occupied Berdiansk, was killed by an explosion on Aug. 26. Russia accused Ukraine of the attack. Kyiv hasn't yet commented.

@Ijsbear thanks for more Key Takeaways.

Russia has started using Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine. And Iran, according to Western Intelligence, offered its financial networks to help Russia bypass the sanctions. The union of these two countries can change the course of the war against Ukraine, writes the Washington Post.

Is this true? Never thought Iran was that significant. Does the Washington Post have an agenda?

mobile.twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1563207836645347328 video made by the wives of the Azovstal defenders on independence day so that they will not be forgotten

They won't be forgotten.

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
‘To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods,

‘And for the tender mother
Who dandled him to rest,
And for the wife who nurses
His baby at her breast,
And for the holy maidens
Who feed the eternal flame,
To save them from false Sextus
That wrought the deed of shame?

‘Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,
With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
May well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?’

Then out spake Spurius Lartius;
A Ramnian proud was he:
‘Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,
And keep the bridge with thee.’
And out spake strong Herminius;
Of Titian blood was he:
‘I will abide on thy left side,
And keep the bridge with thee.’

Poignant video. I am heartbroken for them. Could barely watch through the tears. Do the wives know whether the men are alive? Who can possibly forget their bravery and sacrifice.

Turkey is a member of NATO.

Now whether or not its political goals and beliefs are otherwise aligned with the other NATO countries, it does mean its got a fantastic ready made market there.

It also knows its free to do what it wants in its own sphere of influence without too many questions because its NATO.

Syria hasn't gone away.

Have I missed this here, or has anyone come across any information about the US Department of Defence putting their aid to Ukraine onto a more formal footing, with an operation name and a general in command of it? This would seem to me to be an escalation, but I can't find out what is going on (if it is) and the name doesn't seem to have been selected yet.

www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2022/08/25/is-the-us-mission-to-support-ukraine-getting-a-named-operation/

Would make sense to me if just from a admin and coordination POV....gives you a single responsible official and something to stick in the subject line of things like e-mails and memos

Given the context I don't think naming it would be much, if anything, in the way of an escalation unless somebody chose to see it in those terms....

Yes they are, a 2 or 3 star general.

@PerkingFaintly It's years since I read that poem. Thank you :)

ill do an update later

Would make sense to me if just from a admin and coordination POV....gives you a single responsible official and something to stick in the subject line of things like e-mails and memos

Given how things work at the Pentagon, it can also be a challenge to resolve bureaucratic impediments without a GO (General Officer) running things. My guess is that CENTCOM is currently running it, which would put it in GEN Mike Kurilla's lane. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets the mission.

Is he a good'un, @MissConductUS ? fingerscrossed

ISW Key Takeaways

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that elements of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) reconnected to the Ukrainian power grid on August 26.

Russian occupation authorities remain unlikely to successfully conduct sham referenda to annex Ukrainian territory into the Russian Federation by early September, despite reports of advancing preparations for referenda.

Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks southwest of Izyum, northeast and south of Bakhmut, and on the northwestern outskirts of Donetsk City.

Ukrainian forces continued targeting Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCS) and military infrastructure in Kherson Oblast which support operations on the west bank of the Dnipro River.

Russian federal subjects (regions) continued additional recruitment drives for volunteer battalions, which continue to deploy to Ukraine.

Ukrainian partisans and internal division continue to pose threats to Russian control of occupied territories.

+++

⚡️Lithuania to purchase 37 kamikaze drones for Ukraine.

⚡️Ukrainian forces hit Dariivskyi bridge near Kherson.

⚡️ EBRD to provide Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator with a 97 million euro loan.
Finance Minister Marchenko said that allocated fund will ensure the stability of Ukrenergo's work. This is “extremely important support of the country during the military aggression,” he said.

Belarus Weekly: Minsk helps Moscow restore its combat aircraft, circumvent Western sanctions (kyivindependent.com/regional/belarus-weekly-minsk-helps-moscow-restore-its-combat-aircraft-circumvent-western-sanctions)

⚡️Zelensky: Ukraine has shipped first million tonnes of agricultural products

⚡️Washington Post: Stoltenberg warns about Russian military build-up in Arctic.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Canada and warned about Russia’s new Arctic Command, as well as hundreds of its Arctic military sites, which include “airfields and deep-water ports,” the Washington Post reports. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has changed the way we need to look at the Arctic,” which reflects Canada’s promise to allocate billions of dollars to modernize its military. [with global warming, the ice-bound problem of northern ports might not be a problem in the same way, any more]

Ukrainian military hits Russian air defense facility in Kherson.

⚡️RFE/RL: Eyewitnesses report Russia moving heavy military equipment to Crimea.

⚡️Pentagon awards contract to procure NASAMS Surface to Air system for Ukraine.

U.S.-based Raytheon Missiles and Defense was awarded a $182 million contract to procure the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine. This mid-range air defense system is highly adaptable and provides defense against drones, cruise missiles, helicopters and aircraft.

⚡️SBU: Russia created intelligence network in Kherson Oblast pre-war.
Russian Security Services member Vitaly Korol arrested on suspicion of espionage. In July 2021, the SBU exposed a network of local law enforcement officers in Kherson Oblast who were collecting intelligence for Korol. The network collected and transferred secret information on the Ukrainian special forces, as well as on the socio-political situation in Ukraine’s Black Sea regions. The Security Service’s data shows that Korol is participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

⚡️Prosecutors: 9 law enforcement officers in Zaporizhzhia Oblast notified of suspicion of treason.

⚡️The Guardian: Russia blocks final document at UN nuclear treaty conference.
After a four-week review of the UN treaty on nuclear disarmament, the Russian delegation blocked an agreement that aimed to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) on Aug. 26, the Guardian reports. Russia objected to a clause regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant because the UN draft text reads that “Ukraine’s competent authorities” should ensure control in such facilities.

❗️A collaborator, deputy head of state automobile inspection of the "police", Oleksandr Kolesnikov, was blown up in the occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia region & killed

⚡️Norway has joined the seventh package of EU sanctions against Russia — the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

❗️The Russians brought 10 chemical laboratories to Melitopol to save their military leadership from radiation in case of an accident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reported this. The laboratories were placed on the territory of one of the city hospitals. [fuck the soldiers, eh?]

‼️Russian spies have been monitoring the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. Der Spiegel, citing data from the German Military Counterintelligence Service, reported this.

‼️Secretary General of NATO expressed concern about the increase of Russia's military presence in the Arctic and called it a strategic challenge for the Alliance

👎The profits of Russian companies increased by 25% in the second quarter, despite the sanctions imposed by the West, which pushed the Russian economy into recession.

‼️Olena Naumova, a blogger and kindergarten teacher, was kidnapped in Kherson
She had a TikTok account where she talked about life in occupation and expressed support for Ukraine.
According to her son, armed soldiers kidnapped her from her own home. For two days now, he knows nothing of his mother's fate [this is apparently common]

‼️The second of the units, shut down at the Zaporizhzhia NPP on Thursday, is connected to the power grid, the collection of capacity continues.

🤝Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement on liberalization of cargo transportation — the website of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Moldova

💡By the end of the year, Ukraine can regain the occupied territories – if the West supplies weapons properly. Putin's army has already passed the peak of its strike power, US Army General Ben Hodges said in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

❗️The Montenegro security service said the country is "in a state of hybrid warfare"
Russian hackers carried out a powerful cyberattack on the government and public services.

bah

Is he a good'un, @MissConductUS ? fingerscrossed

Absolutely. Previous commands include the 82nd Airborn Divison and a Ranger regiment. His nickname is "Gorilla". 😁 Lots of combat awards, West Point class of '88. This is from his senate confirmation hearing.

But there are lots of two or three star GO who could be selected, so it may well not be him.

"China calls on Putin to end Russian roulette at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine after disaster near-miss. When China is speaking up, you know it’s serious. They barely have peeped a word about Ukraine until now."

@billbrowder twitter.com/billbrowder/status/1563343748792078340?s=21&t=99YzflvgB3WiH-u55pnHaw

Sounds like a significant intervention. And interesting its apparently directed towards Russia not Russia and Ukraine.

Than, @MissConductUS

Huh, good point RTB.