Ukraine Invasion: Part 44

[MagicFox]

44th thread, all the usual thanks and appreciation

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Thread from Chris O regarding the morale of Russian troops:

x.com/chriso_wiki/status/1703438680453439752?s=46&t=eNB9C4pL0g2Opkl4oCmOsQ

Relatives of mobilised Russians say that their men are being "forced to defend themselves not only from the enemy, but also from their own side who should be helping, not killing them." They say that medical and logistical troops are being sent to fight on the front line.

When I read this sort of commentary I'm always amazed that Russian troops continue to fight with such passion. They really must be brainwashed.

From what I read there seem to be wildly differing levels of morale. Some units basically would rather be anywhere else at all, but some of the elite units are still very committed.

"if you don't fight we'll shoot you in the back" is a terrible motivator if you want hearts and minds, but it will actually get your troops moving!

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️CNN: Zelensky to speak https://kyivindependent.com/cnn-zelensky-to-speak-to-senators-during-his-official-visit-to-us-next-week/ to senators during upcoming visit to US next week.

⚡️Chinese Foreign Minister visits https://kyivindependent.com/chinese-foreign-minister-visits-russia/ Russia.
The Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, will visit Russia on Sept. 18 following a meeting with US officials in Washington on Sept. 17, Reuters reported on Sept. 17.

Ukraine announces liberation of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-liberates-village-of-klishchiivka-in-donetsk-oblast/
With the liberation of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian forces have created a bridgehead for further counteroffensive operations in the area, Ukrainian military spokesperson Illia Yevlash said on Sept. 17.

Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Sept. 17 that Canada will provide $33 million Canadian dollars ($24.4 million) to a U.K.-led partnership delivering much-needed air defense equipment to Ukraine. https://kyivindependent.com/canada-pledges-25-million-to-bolster-ukraines-air-defense/

⚡️CBS: Each side fires https://kyivindependent.com/cbs-each-side-fires-40-000-shells-a-day-on-front-line/ 40,000 shells a day on front line.
Ukraine and Russia each fire 40,000 shells per day across the front line, which stretches over 1,000 kilometers through Ukrainian territory, CBS reported during a "60 Minutes" interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 17.

⚡️AP: Slovak election frontrunner vows https://kyivindependent.com/ap-slovakia-election-frontrunner-vows-to-stop-support-for-ukraine/ to stop support for Ukraine.
Robert Fico, a former prime minister of Slovakia and frontrunner in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections, said that he would stop support for Ukraine if he returns to power, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 17.

⚡️ National Resistance Center: Russia plans to bring https://kyivindependent.com/national-resistance-center-russia-plans-to-bring-north-korean-workers-to-occupied-ukraine/ North Korean workers to occupied Ukraine.
The Kremlin intends to bring North Korean workers to occupied regions of eastern Ukraine, the National Resistance Center reported on Sept. 17.

⚡️Government dismisses https://kyivindependent.com/government-dismisses-all-deputy-defense-ministers-and-state-secretary-for-defense/*) all deputy defense ministers. *
The Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine has dismissed all six deputy defense ministers and the state secretary for defense, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers announced on Sept. 18.
Hanna Maliar, Volodymyr Havrylov, Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, Denys Sharapov, Andrii Shevchenko, and Vitalii Deineha, have been dismissed from their posts as deputy defense ministers.
Kostiantyn Vashchenko has also been dismissed as State Secretary for the Defense Ministry.
On Sept. 6, Rustem Umerov became Ukraine's new defense minster following the dismissal of Oleksii Reznikov on Sept. 3. [flipping heck!]

On Sept. 16, Ukrainians marked the 23d anniversary of the murder of Georgiy Gongadze, prominent investigative journalist and co-founder of online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
Gongadze, who was critical of then-president Leonid Kuchma, was kidnapped on Sept. 16 in 2000. Two months later, his headless body was found in a forest some 70 kilometers outside Kyiv. https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainians-mark-anniversary-of-journalist-georgiy-gongadzes-murder/

⚡️Former governor of Kherson Oblast Hennadii Lahuta dies at 49. https://kyivindependent.com/former-governor-of-kherson-oblast-hennady-lahuta-dies-at-49/

Ragnar Gudmundsson

WAR IN #UKRAINE - SEP 18
■ Strikes on both sides & engagements above average
■ Troop losses well above 7-day average
■ Double-digit vehicle, drone & artillery losses
■ 7x missiles intercepted
■ Oryx: 50added (30-day ratio)

Quite surprised by the dismissal of Hanna Maliar, she’s been a very prominent voice in the Zelensky administration.

Yes me too, she's been high profile and good.

Sometimes I wonder if the frequent changes of official are a good thing. It takes -time- to learn a job.

UNITED24 Media Telegram

🇨🇬 A coup d'état is taking place in Congo, — Les News.
The country's president, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, is currently in New York, meanwhile, the military is taking control of key facilities in the capital, Brazzaville, the agency writes with reference to eyewitnesses.

The United States and China have agreed to conduct a series of talks in the upcoming months involving senior officials to discuss security and efforts to stabilize their relations, as reported by Bloomberg.
These agreements were reached following a meeting between US presidential adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta over the weekend.

The EU is urging Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia to adopt a constructive approach concerning grain imports from Ukraine.
"It is crucial that all countries engage in a cooperative and constructive manner at this point. Our primary focus is on effectively implementing the newly introduced system," stated the spokesperson for the European Commission.

The first ships entered the port of Chornomorsk after Russia withdrew from the grain agreement
As the Associated Press reports, bulkers Resilient Africa and Aroyat arrived at the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk in the Odesa region via an alternative grain corridor.
They should take about 20 thousand tons of wheat for the countries of Asia and Africa.

💥 Air defense forces destroyed all 17 cruise missiles and 18 out of 24 Shahed attack drones that the enemy used to attack Ukraine with at night

⚖️ The UN International Court of Justice resumes hearings on Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia — it is about the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide.
Ukraine is asking the court to hold Russia accountable for distorting the concept of "genocide" because the Kremlin used it as a basis for the invasion on February 24, 2022.

On yesterday in 1939, the USSR initiated its aggression against Poland. The catalyst for this invasion was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, inked in August of the same year, where representatives from the USSR and Germany agreed to carve up spheres of influence in Europe. This pact effectively served as a blueprint for the subsequent expansion of aggression.
During the night of September 17th, Soviet forces crossed Poland's western border, occupying territory designated in the agreement with Germany. Moscow's actions violated numerous treaties established with Poland over previous years and decades.

The location of the 475th separate radio-electronic warfare center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

Live: Ukraine Telegram

Defense forces may be able to sever Russia's land corridor with occupied Crimea before winter sets in, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Budanov tells The Economist.
"Contrary to what Russia declares, it has absolutely no strategic reserve," he emphasized.

❗️Poland will block Ukraine's accession to the European Union unless a solution is found to the grain export issue, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus has said.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat assures that the process of training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets has "gained momentum" and has made great progress.

The 3rd separate assault brigade raised the flag of Ukraine over the liberated Andriivka. The soldiers note that Russia is still trying to storm the village and is constantly covering it with fire.

SBU detains FSB agent posing as a military man in Dnipro to spy on the Armed Forces of Ukraine

President of Finland on the war in Ukraine: The risk of using nuclear weapons is huge
"We are in a very sensitive situation. Even small things can change the situation very much, and, unfortunately, for the worse. This is the risk of such a large-scale war. The risk of using nuclear weapons is enormous," said Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
He also defended the cautious policy of such countries as the United States and Germany in providing Ukraine with certain weapons, in particular for strikes on the Russian-occupied Crimea.

Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolykhayev, who was reported missing, is in Russian captivity on the territory of Russia.
His son told Suspilne that he had received confirmation from the Red Cross that the Russians had included Kolikhayev in the list of prisoners. It is unknown where he is being held.
Since June 28, 2022, no one has heard anything about Kolykhayev. He remained in Kherson despite the occupation, allegedly to fulfill his obligations to his constituents. Eventually, the mayor was kidnapped.

Western countries have promised to provide Ukraine with 830 tanks, and have already delivered 785.
Poland has delivered the most - 324.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-17-2023

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian forces liberated Klishchiivka, south of Bakhmut, on September 17 and continued successful offensive operations elsewhere in the Bakhmut direction.
• Russian forces launched another series of Shahed-131/136 drone and cruise missile strikes at southern Ukraine on the night of September 16-17.
• North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un concluded his trip to Russia on September 17 and received several pieces of military technical equipment from the governor of Primorsky Krai.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense’s (MoD) effort to subsume the Wagner Group is prompting Russian officials to more openly back military juntas in West Africa.
• Prolonged concern about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov’s health in the Russian information space highlights Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dependence on Kadyrov for continued stability in Chechnya.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast area on September 17 and advanced in some areas.
• Ukrainian forces also continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Recent Russian claims that small contingents of former Wagner Group personnel are returning to fight in Ukraine do not indicate that a fully reconstituted Wagner fighting force will return to Ukraine anytime soon if ever.
• Russian occupation administrations continue to forcibly deport Ukrainian children to Russia and erase Ukrainian cultural identity.

Russia needs to work out if this is a war of acquisition or if they're fighting Nazi's/Satanists/liberating the oppressed. The latest recruitment advertising would suggest they haven't completely given up on their dream of occupying and subjugating the whole of Ukraine:

Naked Russian imperialism on display: the latest Russian army recruitment advert makes clear that the invasion of Ukraine is an old-fashioned war of colonial conquest. It features Russian soldiers discussing where they plan to live in a conquered Ukraine

https://x.com/bizukraineemag/status/1703797232925818988?s=61&t=NaIdJhpeHJ7BCXblc3CMg

Unless you're fighting in the tropics, only an idiot would wear a boonie hat instead of a Kevlar helmet in combat.

Peter Zeihan has imagined the scenario whereby Russia does pursue a war of acquisition (unsuccessfully.) Sorry to raise the nuclear issue again but I do find Zeihan's thought process interestingly terrifying here. And it's yet another big massive drum to bang when people suggest that support to ukraine should be withdrawn: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-peter-zeihan-podcast-series/id1702067155?i=1000628281572

@MissConductUS lol, I had to google images of boonie hat. I suppose if the Russians were fighting in Vietnam. It looks somewhat Crocodile Dundee. It is unclear what sort of war the Russians are fighting. Doubt they know either.

I can’t seem to get it to work, can you briefly summarise?

Potted history of arms control with the relevant bit transcripted below:

"And then obviously, under Biden relations of 10 torpedo completely because the Russians are on a genocidal war path. Where this leaves us is that the Cold War post cold war treaties for all intensive purposes are gone. As of a few years ago, no one was really abiding by them. And now everyone’s pretty much officially withdrawn from them, about the brightest spot we’ve gotten that is that the Russians very clearly are having industrial issues in maintaining their conventional weapons. It’s an open question whether or not they’re capable of maintaining their nucular weapons.

Now. This puts the Biden administration, really all administrations for countries that have nukes, which includes the French, and the British as well, in kind of an awkward spot - we now need to entertain scenarios where the Russians would actually be willing to hit the big red candy button. They probably wouldn’t do it unless regular Ukrainian or god forbid, NATO forces crossed the international recognized board into Russia proper, in which case it would be defensive use. Or if the Russians do manage to subdue Ukraine, that doesn’t really solve their security issues - they have to continue on into Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in order to narrow the apertures of approach for foreign forces to Russia, Russian lands- that’s what this has always been about. But we now know that Russian forces are kind of hot crap. And in that scenario, where they’d face off against NATO regular forces, they’d probably be obliterated - casualty ratios would be extreme on the Russian side, and that would only leave them with nukes in order to compensate.

Which is one of the reasons why that’s the primary reason why Washington, London, Berlin, Paris, and the rest have been so gung ho in helping Ukraine in order to forestall that possibility. But it also raises what could potentially be the nightmare scenario. We know that the Russians are having problems maintaining everything. And we know the Russians have lacked the industrial capacity to build new stuff. So everything they have is old in the case of these missiles, things that were built in the 70s in many cases. So what happens if Putin hits that big button, and nothing happens? What do you do to someone who just tried to kill a half a billion people but failed? No criticism of the Biden ministration here that’s a tough call that no one has ever faced when they’re sitting in the big chair before. It’s not done. destined to happen. But I would say from an arms control slash nucular point of view, that is my single biggest concern right now, what do you do when the intent is there, when all the pieces are there, but on the day that you hit the button, it just doesn’t happen to work because you know, they’re going to hit that button again, again, again, again, again very, very quickly. And we no longer have the procedures in place to try to defuse that situation, largely because the Russians have ended them. So if you want to stress about something, I give you permission to stress about that.

I doubt those were real soldiers in that propaganda video. In addition to the boonie hats, their uniforms were perfectly clean.

I recently heard on Ukraine: The Latest that another Russian conscription cycle is starting. It's a real problem for Putin. I doubt that there are many men left in Russia who are stupid enough to join voluntarily, thinking they'll wind up with a flat in Odessa.

And we know the Russians have lacked the industrial capacity to build new stuff. So everything they have is old in the case of these missiles, things that were built in the 70s in many cases. So what happens if Putin hits that big button, and nothing happens? What do you do to someone who just tried to kill a half a billion people but failed?

Presumably what happened with Japan.

It's a bit of an extreme hypothesis though I have to say. I would always be more stressed about a conventional war with a regime that never backs down even when driven back to its own borders. Putin's stupid cornered rat story was always something he invented to describe how he wants to be. It was never something he witnessed as a young teenager that gave him strength. He is no Robert the Bruce, just Hitler reincarnated. I don't know why the world isn't calling him out on that comparison. Rather than shout in front of crowds, he delivers articulate sermons to politicians, statesmen and the press. But behind the scenes he is driving genocide in Ukraine and wants to do that to the whole of Europe too.

Totally agree @Seychal

Is it conceivable that we end up with a Demilitarized Zone partially in both countries? Similar to the one splitting Korea into RNK and SK.

I guess one of the things that Putin was saying last Feb was just that, but the DMZ would be Ukraine (and would be immediately REmilitarized by Russian Armed Forces)

hm. Seems possible doesn't it, if there is a stalemate. Yes, Russia would use it to rearm and reinvade.

I would like to agree with you but I never cease to be amazed by what the Russian people are believing these days.

I am sure you are right that the pool of potential volunteers is very much smaller than it was thought.

Sorry, though not thought.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-18-2023

Key Takeaways:

• Ukraine’s liberation of Klishchiivka and Andriivka south of Bakhmut may have degraded the Russian defense in the area south of Bakhmut and could have rendered combat ineffective as many as three Russian brigades according to Ukrainian military officials.
• Ukrainian counteroffensive operations may have resulted in the particularly severe degradation of critical elements of the Russian elastic defense in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Recent Ukrainian advances south of Bakhmut may correspond with the similar degradation of defending Russian units in the area.
• Russian forces conducted a series of Shahed-131/136 drone and cruise missile strikes on coastal and rear areas of Ukraine on the night of September 17-18.
• An organization with alleged ties to Russian First Deputy Presidential Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko is reportedly responsible for disseminating pro-war propaganda and false information about Ukraine to prominent figures in the Russian information space.
• Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhia and advanced in some areas on September 18.
• Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in at least two sectors of the front and advanced in western Zaporizhia on September 18.
• Some Russian sources claimed that former Wagner Group personnel are working closely with Rosgvardia (Russian National Guard) in order to return fighting in Ukraine.

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️Commander: Ukrainian forces breach https://kyivindependent.com/commander-ukrainian-forces-breach-russian-defensive-line-near-bakhmut/ Russian defensive line near Bakhmut.

⚡️UK Defense Ministry: Thousands of Russian airborne troops redeployed https://kyivindependent.com/uk-defense-ministry-thousands-of-russian-airborne-troops-redeployed-to-robotyne-as-infantry/ to Robotyne as infantry.

⚡️https://kyivindependent.com/the-telegraph-biden-to-suggest-expansion-of-un-security-council/ Biden will "call for the UN Security Council to be expanded to counter Russia and China during the upcoming UN General Assembly," the Telegraph reported on Sept. 17.

⚡️ Media: Brazil's President Lula to meet Zelensky https://kyivindependent.com/media-brazils-president-lula-to-meet-zelensky-in-new-york/ in New York.

Denis Pushilin, the head of Russia's proxies in Donetsk Oblast, claimed that a Ukrainian strike hit the center of occupied Donetsk on Sept. 18, allegedly damaging civilian infrastructure. Kyiv hasn't commented.

⚡️Trade chief: Ukraine to sue https://kyivindependent.com/trade-chief-ukraine-to-sue-poland-hungary-and-slovakia-over-agricultural-restrictions/ Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over agricultural restrictions. [I can't help thinking that that's a really bad idea]

⚡️ Romania may extend ban on Ukrainian grain https://kyivindependent.com/romania-may-extend-ban-on-ukrainian-grain-imports-by-30-days/ imports by 30 days.

⚡️Azerbaijan strikes targets in Nagorno-Karabakh https://kyivindependent.com/azerbaijan-declares-local-anti-terrorist-measures-in-nagorno-karabakh/ launches military operation. Azerbaijan has launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh with the claimed "goal of restoring the constitutional order," the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said on Sept. 19.

Ukraine denies involvement in alleged 'coup plot' in Georgia.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-denies-involvement-in-alleged-coup-plot-in-georgia/ The State Security Service of Georgia claimed that figures close to the imprisoned Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili are preparing mass protests in October and December at the time when the European Commission is set to announce its decision on Georgia's EU membership application.

Berlin is preparing an aid package worth 400 million euros ($430 million) for Ukraine, including munitions, armored vehicles, and clothes and generators for the upcoming winter, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Bild on Sept. 18. https://kyivindependent.com/german-defense-minister-germany-readies-new-aid-package-for-ukraine-worth-430-million/

⚡️ https://kyivindependent.com/austin-says-ukraine-will-receive-abrams-tanks-soon/

Ukraine will "soon" receive M1 Abrams tanks committed by the U.S., Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said while delivering opening remarks at the 15th Ramstein summit.

⚡️Minister: Denmark to send Ukraine https://kyivindependent.com/minister-denmark-to-send-ukraine-45-more-tanks-in-cooperation-with-partners/ 45 more tanks in cooperation with partners. These are 15 T-72EA tanks and 30 Leopard 1 tanks, Poulsen reportedly said at the 15th Ramstein meeting.

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects to invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) into Ukraine annually for the coming two years, Reuters reported on Sept. 18. https://kyivindependent.com/reuters-ebrd-expects-to-invest-over-3-billion-into-ukraine-over-next-two-years/

⚡️NYT reports Ukrainian missile might have accidentally struck Kostiantynivka market, Kyiv still investigating. https://kyivindependent.com/nyt-reports-ukrainian-missile-might-have-accidentally-struck-kostiantynivka-market-kyiv-still-investigating/

In an overnight Russian attack on Lviv Oblast, industrial warehouses in the city were hit by three strikes, causing fires to break out. Caritas Internationalis, in its report, confirmed the complete destruction of one of its humanitarian aid warehouses.
"The warehouse, along with its entire contents, was consumed by flames," stated Fr. Vyacheslav Grynevych SAC, CEO of Caritas-Spes Ukraine. Caritas also reported that the fire resulted in the loss of 300 tons of humanitarian supplies, including essential items such as food, hygiene kits, generators, and clothing.

⚡️ Top US general: Russia has 'well over 200,000' troops https://kyivindependent.com/us-top-general-russia-has-well-over-200-000-troops-in-occupied-ukraine/ in occupied Ukraine.

⚡️ UK intelligence: Russian operations near islands https://kyivindependent.com/uk-intelligence-russian-operations-near-islands-in-kherson-oblast-likely-energized/ in Kherson Oblast likely 'energized.'

Latvia will close one of its two border crossing points with Belarus due to the ongoing Minsk-engineered migrant crisis, the Latvian government announced on Sept. 19. https://kyivindependent.com/latvia-closes-border-crossing-point-with-belarus/

At the onset of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine had only around 1,500 soldiers defending the south against 20,000 invading Russian troops, General Andrii Sokolov, who led the southern defense in 2022, told Ukrainska Pravda on Sept. 18. https://kyivindependent.com/russian-state-media-strike-on-donetsk-damages-building-of-occupation-administration/

The bridges connecting occupied Crimea in Kherson Oblast were mined but were not destroyed at the start of the full-scale invasion, and bridges over the Dnipro River in Kherson and Nova Kakhovka were not mined at all, General Andrii Sokolov said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on Sept. 18. https://kyivindependent.com/general-chonhar-bridges-were-mined-bridges-over-dnipro-river-not/ The former commander of the southern grouping of forces said that Russia was actively preventing these efforts [to blow them up]

⚡️Dutch Defense Ministry employee arrested for exporting aircraft parts to Russia. https://kyivindependent.com/commander-1-500-ukrainian-soldiers-faced-20-000-russians-in-south-at-invasions-start/

Two men in the Netherlands, one of whom works for the Dutch Defense Ministry, have been arrested on suspicion of evading sanctions against Russia, the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) announced on Sept. 15. [klootzak]

12-year-old Vladyslav Mahdyk is one among many Ukrainian children killed by the Russian military since the full-scale invasion. s

⚡️President Zelensky visits Ukrainian soldiers https://kyivindependent.com/president-zelensky-visits-ukrainian-soldiers-in-new-york-hospital/ in New York hospital.

WAR IN #UKRAINE - SEP 19
■ Strikes on both sides & engagements above 7-day average
■ Troop losses slightly below, equipment well above
■ Double-digit artillery, vehicle, missile, APV & drone losses
■ Oryx: 13Ru:Ukr 3added (ratios unchanged)

Here's a good discussion of Ukraine's options for retaking Crimea.

https://www.newsweek.com/how-ukraine-could-take-crimea-back-russia-1827137

The short answer is that an invasion isn't practical. They can, however, make it impossible for the Russian military occupation to continue at the current level.

UNITED 24 Telegram

Lloyd Austin, speaking at the opening of "Ramstein," emphasized that Kyiv's counteroffensive is maintaining a steady advance.

Populist former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose Smer party is asserting victory in Slovakia's early parliamentary elections, intends to discontinue both military and political support for Ukraine.

Reports indicate that Russia has initiated the use of a new airbase, the "Sovietsky" airfield in Vorkuta, for conducting missile strikes on Ukraine. At a distance of 2,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, it takes approximately 3 hours and 25 minutes for aircraft to reach the launch zone from this base.
As of September 17, the Sovietsky airfield housed five Tu-95MS aircraft. During the night of September 18, two of these bombers took off from the base.

South Korea will donate two K600 Rhino armored mine-breaking vehicles to Ukraine
Technically, they are not lethal weapons, so they are not subject to restrictions under South Korean arms export laws.

The situation on the borders of Armenia is currently relatively calm, — the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.

❗️Tonight, near Romania, on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, the wreckage of a drone was found, reports the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria. An object similar to ammunition is attached to the drone.

There may be a shortage of diesel fuel in the world, — Bloomberg
The world's oil refineries are unable to produce enough diesel fuel. The situation could worsen in the future as Saudi Arabia and Russia cut production of diesel-rich crude oil.

On August 15, Great Britain arrested 3 Russian deep-cover spies who lived and in London suburbs for a decade. The espionage scandal brought back into the spotlight the hybrid warfare the Kremlin leads against other countries.