Ukraine Invasion: Part 44

[MagicFox]

44th thread, all the usual thanks and appreciation

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Holy shit, that's dear! there can't be too many of them lying about...

BILLION?!

oh my goodness me. I think the military facilities in Crimeaare going to see more attacks that get through in the near future.

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡Official: Russia starts https://kyivindependent.com/official-russia-starts-reinforcing-third-line-of-defenses-in-south/ 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.

⚡️Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's infrastructure minister: Russia's attacks on Ukrainian ports damaged or partially destroyed 105 port infrastructure facilities in 2 months. https://kyivindependent.com/minister-russias-attacks-on-ukrainian-ports-damage-105-port-infrastructure-facilities-in-2-months/

⚡️Sky News: Ukraine used https://kyivindependent.com/sky-news-ukraine-used-british-storm-shadow-missiles-to-strike-sevastopol/ British Storm Shadow missiles to strike Sevastopol: unnamed Ukrainian and Western sources.

An attack by Ukrainian drones and Neptune missiles allegedly destroyed a modern S-300/400 Triumph air defense system, worth $1.2 billion, an unnamed SBU source told Ukrainska Pravda. https://kyivindependent.com/media-sbu-navy-destroy-russian-air-defenses-in-yevpatoriia-strike/ (as @DesdamonasHandkerchief said)

Preparations for Ukraine's energy facilities to meet the challenges of the upcoming winter are in the final stage, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a government meeting on Sept. 12. https://kyivindependent.com/shmyhal-energy-infrastructure-ready-for-winter-within-a-month/

⚡️ https://kyivindependent.com/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.
A senior official from the Inspector General's Office is already working with U.S. and Ukrainian team members at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv on evaluation and oversight.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defense units shot down 11 drones over occupied Crimea while a Black Sea patrol ship destroyed five naval drones, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported on Sept. 14 https://kyivindependent.com/russia-claims-11-aerial-5-sea-drones-destroyed-in-occupied-crimea/

⚡️European Parliament recognizes https://kyivindependent.com/european-parliament-recognizes-lukashenko-as-accomplice-to-putins-crimes/ Lukashenko as 'accomplice' to Putin's crimes.

⚡️Musk says (https://kyivindependent.com/musk-says-he-didnt-turn-on-starlink-due-to-us-sanctions-on-russia/) 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 [yeah, so he's moved from 'he prevented nuclear attacks' to 'if I'd let it happen it'd have been like Pearl Harbour (No it wouldn't) to 'sanctions' now.]

⚡️ 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, 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.

⚡️ Bloomberg: Russian https://kyivindependent.com/bloomberg-russian-elite-pulls-50-billion-in-assets-from-unfriendly-countries/ billionaires have pulled assets worth $50 billion from so-called "unfriendly" European countries since the start of the war due to mounting sanctions and pressure from the Kremlin. 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.

⚡️Von der Leyen: Future of Ukraine is in EU https://kyivindependent.com/von-der-leyen-future-of-ukraine-is-in-eu/

Authored by Danylo Mokryk, this film uncovers the killings of Ukrainian children by the Russian army. Dozens of children were shot at close range with small arms, revealing the systemic nature of these war crimes.

The film sheds light on the tragic stories of three children who fell victim to Russian military gunfire in 2022. Among them were 12-year-old Vladyslav Mahdyk — killed in Kyiv Oblast in March, 15-year-old Mykhailo Ustianivskyi — killed in Kherson Oblast in April, and 10-year-old Kateryna Vinarska. She was shot in the liver in Kharkiv Oblast and then, on the way to the hospital, suffered a second wound to the head after another Russian attack.

More Russians killed than average, no les than 42! artillery, 3 MLRS, 15 tanks, 47 UAVs and 5 special equipment.
Oh and one boat claimed.

Wonder if they are unsure if the sub has been permanently destroyed?

Ragnar Gudmundsson

WAR IN #UKRAINE - SEP 14
■ Increased strikes but fewer engagements
■ Troop losses above average, equipment slightly below
■ New naval losses include a new category (subs)
■ Area gains: +7 km²
■ Oryx:losses corrected by +14 (+ 6 new)

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-13-2023

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian forces conducted missile strikes on occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, damaging a Russian landing ship, a Kilo class submarine, and port infrastructure.
• Ukrainian forces advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast and reportedly advanced near Bakhmut amid continued counteroffensive operations on both sectors of the front on September 13.
• Russian forces conducted a series of Shahed-131/136 drone strikes targeting Sumy and Odesa oblasts on the night of September 12 to 13.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely concerned that Russia’s growing relationship with North Korea may endanger Russia’s existing sanctions evasion schemes.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reportedly temporarily disrupted a Wagner Group force rotation to Syria amid reports of the Russian MoD’s ongoing efforts to subsume Wagner operations in Syria.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast but did not make any confirmed advances.
• Reports from Western and Russian independent sources indicate that Russia has circumvented some Western sanctions to increase weapons production but still struggles to produce weapons at the pace required by the war in Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) published footage showing GUR and Ukrainian partisans conducting a drone strike on a Russian occupation passportization office in occupied Enerhodar, Zaporizhia Oblast on September 12.

Oh and one boat claimed.
Wonder if they are unsure if the sub has been permanently destroyed?

@DancesWithDucks this tally chart has added 2 new categories!

UNITED24 Media Telegram

Elon Musk has reportedly made the decision to transfer control of a portion of the Starlink satellite network, which is being utilized in the war in Ukraine, to the Pentagon. This development was disclosed by Musk's biographer, Walter Isaacson, during an interview with the Washington Post.
Isaacson stated that Musk's decision to take this step was influenced by his dissatisfaction with the intense criticism directed at him and a belief that some of the accusations against him were unfair. As a result, Musk no longer wishes to personally oversee the rules and restrictions governing the use of this network.

⚡️North Korea has been supplying the Russian Federation with 122 mm and 152 mm shells, as well as rockets to Grady, for a month and a half, — Budanov.

Bulgaria is in talks with its NATO allies on how to respond to Russia's partial blockade of its exclusive economic zone on the Black Sea. Defense Minister Tagarev said Russia has declared part of Bulgaria's economic zone in the Black Sea closed to shipping until the end of September due to military exercises in the area. He added that Bulgaria considers these actions a provocation.

The large amphibious assault ship "Minsk" and the diesel submarine "Rostov-on-Don" most likely cannot be restored
Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, stated this during the telethon.

The New York Times (NYT) reports that Russia appears to be defying sanctions and increasing its production of missiles, surpassing levels seen in 2022. In response to this situation, the United States is focusing on bolstering Ukrainian air defense capabilities.
It is noted that Russia may be obtaining scarce missile components through an extensive network of smuggling routes that pass through third countries like Armenia and Turkey. American officials are concerned that this increase in missile production could lead to new missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the fall and winter.
The article highlights the difficulty faced by Western countries in fully preventing sanctions evasion, mainly due to the nature of the goods involved. Russia is reportedly seeking commercialized chips that have a wide range of applications, not just in guided missiles, making it challenging for authorities to track and regulate the flow of these components.

The National Guardsmen of Ukraine have successfully destroyed the latest Russian T-90 "Breakthrough" tank in the Kherson region.
The operation was carried out by the fighters of the 11th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine named after M. Hrushevsky.

Armenia will fully ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a speech in the parliament.

Pro-Russian media resources are spreading information about Ukraine's alleged preparation of a terrorist attack in Uman on September 15 during the celebration of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, — Center for countering disinformation at the NSDC of Ukraine.

The United States has expressed concern about the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea following the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

WhatsApp has introduced a channel feature akin to Telegram, and it is now accessible in 150 countries. While not all messenger users currently have the capability to create channels, the company has pledged to extend this option to all users in the coming months.

During the attack on Sevastopol, there was the first ever use of cruise missiles to attack a submarine in history, and even more so immediately effective, — Defense Express

According to Reporting From Ukraine, the UAF are claiming a boat hit at sea, so that's maybe the 1 boat. The picture he used was a small 30ft ish cutter. So maybe they are not yet counting the Sub and Landing Craft from the harbour.

Could be waiting for official confirmation I guess, though at least one official's said they cant be repaired. Hm. Would the sub go under 'special equipment"?

I can't get over the 1billion Triumf air defense being turned into scrap metal ...

It's not a billion-dollar system. The Triumf is the S-400. Wikipedia lists the domestic cost as $200m and the export cost as $500m-$600m. It is Russia's most advanced medium to long-range air defense system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-400_missile_system

Oh, thakns for the clarification. the billion figure is all over Twitter, damn SM eh? :)

@MissConducUS has beat me to it.

That Billion that has been quoted is either a typo or it's out of context or down to a lack of understanding...

One "unit" will be in the hundred million dollar plus range - and for example putting a unit out of action (maybe only for a while) may actual only mean a essential sub component (e.g. radar head, generators, some of the launcher units) costing maybe few million has gone up in smoke.

You can only get into Billions if you are including costs for the whole weapon system programme and then add in the cost for multiple units

What's more significant than the cost is that this is the second S-400 taken out in Crimea in the last few weeks. The first was attacked on 23 August.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraines-spy-agency-claims-strike-on-key-s-400-sam-system-in-crimea

Within days there were reports of Bayraktar drones attacking Russian boats in western Crimea. The Bayraktars need a very permissive environment to operate in. Systematically targeting Russian air defenses in Crimea is shaping the battlefield for more aggressive missile and drone attacks on Russian military targets there.

Live: Ukraine Telegram

🇧🇬Bulgaria's Parliament lifts the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain.

🇷🇴 Romania has once again summoned the head of the Russian diplomatic mission to the Foreign Ministry in connection with new debris found on its territory, allegedly from a Russian drone.
"The Foreign Ministry expresses its strong protest against another violation of Romanian airspace. The Foreign Ministry strongly calls for an end to regular attacks against the Ukrainian population and civilian infrastructure and irresponsible escalation by Russia," the statement reads.

There's a powerful explosion in the Russian city of Saratov
A gas pipeline is on fire. [the clip of the fire was impressive]

🇮🇱 The Israeli Defense Forces attacked https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/two-syrian-soldiers-killed-6-wounded-israeli-air-strike-over-tartous-syrian-2023-09-13/ the Syrian port city of Tartus and the Shuairat military airfield, which is used by the Russian Federation.
This base is one of the main military air bases in the country, which Russia, as Assad's main ally, has fortified and uses to conduct raids against his enemies.
🔹In recent years, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, but has largely avoided attacks on coastal provinces where Russian military forces are concentrated. The port of Tartus, in particular, is home to a Russian naval base.

A Russian pilot tried to shoot down a British Royal Air Force spy plane over the Black Sea last year and fired two missiles, believing he had permission to hit the plane, the BBC reported, citing three sources in Western defense circles. @notimagain
On September 29, the RAF aircraft was conducting a surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace when it was engaged by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets.
As the two Russian Su-27s approached the British aircraft, they received a message from the ground station controller: "You have a target". This ambiguous command was taken by one of the Russian pilots as permission to launch missiles.
Upon hearing the command, the Russian pilot fired a missile, which successfully launched but failed to hit the target. Sources said that the two Russian pilots then had a quarrel.
A leak of classified US intelligence last year showed that the US military spoke of what happened in very strong terms.

⚖️The International Criminal Court has opened a field office in Kyiv, which will be the largest representation of the court outside The Hague. The office will focus on investigating all evidence of Russian war crimes.

Ukrainian prosecutors have recorded 225 cases of sexual violence against Ukrainians by Russian military personnel. But this is only a tiny part of the actual scope of such crimes - the police have information about 93,000 cases, which need to be verified and investigated. [and those are only the reported ones]

A satellite image of the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system in occupied Crimea, which could have been destroyed in a morning attack, has emerged.
The image was taken two weeks ago. The photo shows a Russian air defense system (S-400) battery near Yevpatoriya.
According to OSINT analyst Osinttechnical, the location of this battery was leaked online last year by a Russian tourist.

A Russian pilot tried to shoot down a British Royal Air Force spy plane over the Black Sea last year and fired two missiles, believing he had permission to hit the plane, the BBC reported, citing three sources in Western defense circles.

Yep I recall the (no doubt) deliberately vague reports and statements that were made in places like the House of Commons at the time...

What's more significant than the cost is that this is the second S-400 taken out in Crimea in the last few weeks. The first was attacked on 23 August.

Ha, the cost is no longer accurate. This is a Gerald Ratner moment for Russian arms exporters. The value of the S-400 system has just slumped. An air defence system destroyed from the air indeed.

Notes for Editors:

It was one of the most infamous speeches in corporate history.

On April 23, 1991, Gerald Ratner stood up in front of 6,000 of the great and good and sank his jewellery empire in a matter of seconds.

'We do cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray that your butler can serve you drinks on, all for £4.95,' he told the Institute of Directors event.

'People say: 'How can you sell this for such a low price?' I say: 'Because it's total crap.'

He added: 'We sold a pair of earrings for under £1, which is cheaper than a shrimp sandwich from Marks and Spencer, but probably wouldn't last as long.'

It became known as 'doing a Ratner' and still serves as a warning for top chief executives to this day.

I thought it was a prawn sandwich, but otherwise I remember the original Ratner moment very well.

Yeah and a few weeks or months later the Head of another big low-quality jewellry company did the same, totally dissed the product.

As I listened to the radio and the interviewer questioning this, the marketing manager got away with it by saying "he's Dutch and they are blunt". It was so unfair, and so accurate :D

Slight derail, this morning Monbiot wrote about this (yes, the Graun) and pre 2022 Russian oligarchs were still friends of the UK, but I was still surprised the following had not been more widely reported at the time.

It’s disturbing to know that while sanctions were in place, the Treasury approved Prigozhin’s British lawyers to fly out to Russia and override the sanctions against him, so that he could sue the Bellingcat investigative journalist Eliot Higgins.

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️ General Staff confirms liberation of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast.
https://kyivindependent.com/update-general-staff-confirms-liberation-of-andriivka/

⚡️ Third Assault Brigade: Russian formation lost 3 commanders, most of infantry in Andriivka. https://kyivindependent.com/update-general-staff-confirms-liberation-of-andriivka/

The commander of the Russian 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Vasily Popov, was killed during battle in Ukraine, the Institute of the Study of War stated in their daily report on Sept. 14. https://kyivindependent.com/isw-commander-of-eli/

A Russian overnight drone strike on Sept. 15 was targeting Ukrainian bombers in response to an attack against a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol earlier this week, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.
https://kyivindependent.com/air-force-russia-sought-to-destroy-storm-shadow-armed-planes-in-overnight-strike/

Putin convened Russia's Security Council meeting to discuss ties with Moscow's allies and neighbors, the TASS state news agency reported on Sept. 14. https://kyivindependent.com/putin-convenes-security-council-to-address-relations-with-neighbors-allies/

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko left Belarus on Sept. 14 for an official visit to Russia, according to his press service.
https://kyivindependent.com/lukashenko-visits-russia-for-meeting-with-putin/

The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Sept. 14 that it had imposed about 100 additional sanctions on Russia's elites and industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers. https://kyivindependent.com/us-announces-new-sanctions-targeting-russias-military-linked-elites-industrial-base/

The European Union has ceased sanctions against three Russian businessmen — Grigory Berezkin, Farkhad Akhmedov, and Alexander Shulgin. https://kyivindependent.com/eu-removes-3-russian-businessmen-from-sanctions-list/

⚡️Biden appoints Penny Pritzker as US representative for Ukraine's economic recovery https://kyivindependent.com/biden-appoints-penny-pritzker-as-representative-for-ukraines-economic-recovery/.

The Kherson Oblast Defense Council has ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children from 31 settlements, Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin announced via Telegram on Sept. 14. https://kyivindependent.com/evacuations-order-for-families-with-children-in-kherson-region/

The U.S. "will respond appropriately" to Moscow's decision to expel two U.S. diplomats from Russia on Sept. 14, State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said in a press briefing https://kyivindependent.com/u-s-vows-response-after-russia-expels-diplomats/

⚡️ Prosecutors: Over 500 children killed ⚡️ Prosecutors: Over 500 children killed (https://kyivindependent.com/prosecutors-over-500-children-killed-in-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/) in Russian invasion of Ukraine. in Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report stressed that these figures are not final as work to collect data in the areas of hostilities and in both occupied and liberated territories continues.

The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine issued an arrest warrant against former Health Minister Maksym Stepanov, suspected of embezzling state funds https://kyivindependent.com/ex-health-minister-issued-with-arrest-warrant-in-absentia-for-corruption/

⚡️Zelensky meets rabbis, Jewish soldiers ahead of Rosh Hashanah. https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-meets-rabbis-jewish-soldiers-ahead-of-rosh-hashanah/

The director of Moscow's Bolshoi Theater, Vladimir Urin, admitted in an interview that directors who have spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine are removed from the theater's repertoire, Russian independent media outlet Meduza reported on Sept. 14. https://kyivindependent.com/bolshoi-theater-admits-censoring-performances-if-creator-condemns-invasion/

⚡️Ambassador: Cubans free to join https://kyivindependent.com/media-cuban-diplomat-says-cubans-free-to-enlist-in-russian-military/ Russian military in Ukraine.

⚡️Investigators identify https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-identifies-russian-soldiers-who-killed-bucha-supermarket-security-guard/ Russian soldiers who killed supermarket security guard in Bucha.

The Kyiv Independent’s Editor-in-Chief Olga Rudenko received this year’s special prize of the Hanns-Joachim Friedrichs Award, recognizing excellence in journalism. https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-independents-editor-in-chief-awarded-with-hanns-joachim-friedrichs-special-prize/

⚡️ UK Defense Ministry: Russian landing craft Minsk 'almost certainly' destroyed.

Less troops, still very high numbers of artillery and vehicles gone.

Ragnar Gudmundsson

WAR IN #UKRAINE - SEP 15
■ Strikes & engagements down between days
■ Troop & equipment losses below 7-day average
■ Highlights: Air defence systems, MLRS
■ Oryx: 17:4/(2:3 after corrections)

UNITED24 Media Telegram

❗️ Ukrainian forces hit two Russian patrol ships in the southwestern part of the Black Sea on September 14.
The ships, of the Project 22160 Vasily Bykov class, sustained damage, according to Ukraine's Strategic Communications Directorate. [The Russians ofc deny it, but there seem few other details on it and from the video it doesn't look certain that they were damaged] ]

The project of a gas hub in Türkiye to transport Russian gas to Europe has been suspended, — Reuters citing its sources.
"There are problems with the management, the parties are fighting over who will manage the hub," the interlocutor of the journalists told.

⚡️ Germany is negotiating with other countries (Sweden / Egypt) on the temporary transfer of its "IRIS-T" systems to Ukraine, — deputy member of the Defense Committee of Germany.

Following the Baltic countries, Finland plans to ban the entry of passenger cars with Russian registration, — Yle

The Russians dropped a guided aerial bomb on the housing estate of temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka, there are victims among the civilian population.

A director of "UFO research" appeared at NASA. The administration does not disclose his name.
This is a completely new position for the space agency. The director will handle "centralized communications, resources, and data analysis capabilities to create a reliable base" for evaluating the UFO phenomenon.

The United Kingdom handed Ukraine a batch of heavy Malloy unmanned aerial vehicles, the country's Ministry of Defense confirmed.

⚡️Andriivka, Donetsk region, was liberated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, — The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Live: Ukraine Telegram

Zelensky to travel to US next week to attend UN General Assembly High-Level Week, meet with Biden - NBC News.
Sky News cites an unnamed U.S. official as saying that the presidents of Ukraine and the United States will meet at the White House.

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has begun to examine the national security issues raised by Elon Musk's decision to block his private satellite network Starlink near Crimea.
"Neither Elon Musk nor any private citizen can have the final say when it comes to U.S. national security," said Committee Chairman Jack Reed.

Elon Musk responds with silence after being asked if his ignorance and ego cost Ukrainian lives

🇺🇦🇵🇱 Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Andrzej Duda will meet in New York to discuss the grain embargo.
According to Duda, Warsaw is not interested in selling Ukrainian grain on the Polish market and wants Kyiv to realize this.
Earlier, the Polish prime minister said that Poland would not abandon the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports even if the EU lifts it. At the time, Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal said that Ukraine would take Poland to World Trade Organization arbitration over the issue.

A Russian soldier detonated a grenade for fun in front of children in the courtyard of an apartment building in Kazan, Russia.

This is what the village of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast looks like after fierce fighting for liberation

Okay it's not very scientific but it did make me tear up a bit!

x.com/slavauk30722777/status/1702671777078591875?s=46&t=eNB9C4pL0g2Opkl4oCmOsQ

Aw, lovely <dabs eyes>

That was lovely! What city was she in when this was recorded?

aww!