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Ukraine Invasion: Part 44

981 replies

MagicFox · 20/08/2023 12:43

44th thread, all the usual thanks and appreciation

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341
DesdamonasHandkerchief · 20/09/2023 13:44

If we can support Ukraine with millions of £/€$ I don't understand why some of this can't be diverted to ensure Ukrainian grain is exported to where it needs to go using the new (admittedly convoluted) routes that have been established.
Whilst this may mean small or no profit margins - or even a loss, it has a two fold effect of feeding the people who need it most and stopping the very public falling out of the Baltic states just when they need to be showing a United front.
Putin must be rubbing his hands together with glee that one of his despicable schemes has finally started to sow the seeds of disunity.

BringBackCoffeeCreams · 20/09/2023 14:54

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 20/09/2023 13:44

If we can support Ukraine with millions of £/€$ I don't understand why some of this can't be diverted to ensure Ukrainian grain is exported to where it needs to go using the new (admittedly convoluted) routes that have been established.
Whilst this may mean small or no profit margins - or even a loss, it has a two fold effect of feeding the people who need it most and stopping the very public falling out of the Baltic states just when they need to be showing a United front.
Putin must be rubbing his hands together with glee that one of his despicable schemes has finally started to sow the seeds of disunity.

3 fold, it'd stop Russian grain filling the void and thus filling Russian coffers.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 20/09/2023 16:00

Ukrainian StratCom confirmed it launched a successful attack on a command post of the Black Sea Fleet near Verkhnesadovoe

x.com/noelreports/status/1704509778007884023?s=12

MissConducUS · 20/09/2023 20:43

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 20/09/2023 16:00

Ukrainian StratCom confirmed it launched a successful attack on a command post of the Black Sea Fleet near Verkhnesadovoe

x.com/noelreports/status/1704509778007884023?s=12

This is why Ukraine has focused on degrading Russian air defenses in Crimea. In addition to destroying some very expensive equipment, it opens the door to strikes like this.

It will worsen for the Russian military in Crimea when Ukraine gets ATACMS.

DancesWithDucks · 20/09/2023 21:00

Which isn't, apparently, happening in the latest package :(

Igotjelly · 20/09/2023 21:55

Breaking News - Poland to stop supplying Ukraine with Weapons (Sky)

DancesWithDucks · 20/09/2023 22:36

Oh Shit no :(

Greenshake · 20/09/2023 22:42

Not yet confirmed though

Igotjelly · 20/09/2023 22:52

No, seems to be based on comments from the Polish Prime Minister saying the focus will switch to Polish rearmament.

DancesWithDucks · 20/09/2023 23:07

Presumably the repair centres in Poland wont be affected.

blueshoes · 20/09/2023 23:42

Yes, the repair centres in Poland are also very important. I hope Poland and Ukraine can bridge their differences. Poland has been such a staunch supporter.

Igotjelly · 21/09/2023 07:28

Seems that the Polish PM has doubled down on his comments about stopping sending weapons following Ukraine's Ambassador to Warsaw being summoned over Zelensky's comments at the UN.

On grain, last night the Polish PM was also quoted as saying: "I am warning Ukraine's authorities... because if they are to escalate the conflict like that we will add additional products to the ban on imports into Poland"

Seems the relationship really is strained to breaking point.

Zelensky's comments that seem to have caused the fall out are:

"And it is alarming to see how some in Europe play out solidarity in a political theatre – making thriller from the grain. They may seem to play their own role but in fact, they are helping set the stage to a Moscow actor."

DancesWithDucks · 21/09/2023 09:01

I wonder if the extraordinary strain on Zelenskyy is starting to show. It's not a comment he'd have made in the early days.

@notimagain from the Kyiv Independent

"unknown saboteurs" have seriously damaged two planes and a helicopter at Chkalovsky Military Air Base in Moscow Oblast, Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Sept. 20.
Russia is investigating how saboteurs managed to enter the "closely guarded" airfield, which is 25 kilometers northeast of Russia's capital, and damage an An-148 transport jet and an Il-20 surveillance aircraft.
A second An-148 that was parked in the vicinity received "minor damage," military intelligence said.
One Mi-28N attack helicopter was also seriously damaged, military intelligence said, adding that this helicopter was "actively involved in shooting down attack drones over Moscow region."

Military intelligence: Russian airbase hit by sabotage attack

"Unknown saboteurs" have seriously damaged two planes and a helicopter at Chkalovsky Military Air Base in Moscow Oblast, Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Sept. 20.

https://kyivindependent.com/military-intelligence-russian-airbase-hit-by-sabotage-attack/

notimagain · 21/09/2023 09:14

Hi..started seeing reports on that about 24 hours back…I think a lot of people are withholding comment until the fog of war clears and/or/if some more info such as verifiable imaging gets into the public domain.

It would certainly be highly significant if partisans or Special Forces were roaming to within 25 km of Moscow itself.

DancesWithDucks · 21/09/2023 09:18

Kyiv Independent Telegram

⚡️Poland to stop https://kyivindependent.com/poland-to-stop-supplying-ukraine-with-weapons-as-grain-dispute-grows/ supplying Ukraine with weapons.

⚡️ Poland threatens further import bans, summons Ukrainian ambassador https://kyivindependent.com/poland-summons-ukraines-ambassador-threatens-further-import-bans-over-grain-dispute/ over grain dispute.

Polish European Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said that Kyiv's steps in the ongoing grain import dispute undermine Polish public support for aid for Ukraine, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported on Sept. 20 https://kyivindependent.com/polish-official-grain-disputes-undermine-public-support-for-ukraine-aid/

⚡️Nagorno-Karabakh authorities surrender https://kyivindependent.com/nagorno-karabakh-authorities-surrender-in-apparent-russia-brokered-deal/ in apparent Russia-brokered deal.
Authorities in the breakaway state of Nagorno-Karabakh declared that they had “no choice but to cease hostilities” with Azerbaijani forces, Reuters reported on Sept. 20, one day after Baku launched a renewed offensive against the region in the name of "anti-terrorist operations.”"

⚡️Putin discussed https://kyivindependent.com/putin-discussed-karabakh-offensive-with-prime-minister-pashinyan/ Karabakh offensive with Prime Minister Pashinyan.

⚡️Ukrainian military claims successful strike on Black Sea Fleet command post https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-reported-in-occupied-sevastopol-ukrainian-military-claims-successful-strike-on-black-sea-fleet-command-post/ near Sevastopol

Russian https://kyivindependent.com/putin-confirms-trip-to-china-in-october/ President Putin will visit China to attend the Belt and Road Forum in October in his first official visit abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him, the Kremlin's press service said on Sept. 20.

⚡️StateWatch: German-made shell production machine https://kyivindependent.com/statewatch-german-made-shell-production-machine-en-route-to-russia/ en route to Russia.
A complex German processing machine used to produce tank shells is en route to Russia, reported the Ukrainian sanctions accountability project, Trap Aggressor. [what?!]

U.S. President Joe Biden will soon announce a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $325 million, including more cluster munitions but not the much-desired ATACMS long-range missiles, Reuters reported on Sept. 20, citing a U.S. official. https://kyivindependent.com/reuters-coming-325-million-us-military-aid-package-to-ukraine-not-to-include-atacms/

⚡️ Ministry: Slovakia considers Ukraine's grain import plan acceptable https://kyivindependent.com/ministry-slovakia-considers-ukraines-grain-import-plan-acceptable/ talks continue.

⚡️ Zelensky proposes restricting UN Security Council members' veto rights, arguing that Russia has been abusing its veto rights. https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-proposes-to-restrict-un-security-council-members-veto-rights/

⚡️Zelensky, Scholz meet https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-and-scholz-meet-to-discuss-aid/ in New York.

⚡️Zelensky met https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-met-with-us-special-representative-to-discuss-reconstruction/ with US special representative to discuss reconstruction.

⚡️Reuters: Sweden hopes to finish https://kyivindependent.com/reuters-sweden-hopes-to-finish-investigation-into-nord-stream-explosions-by-the-end-of-year/ investigation into Nord Stream explosions by the end of the year.

⚡️Military intelligence https://kyivindependent.com/military-intelligence-crowdfunded-satellite-had-very-important-role-in-attack-on-sevastopol/ Crowdfunded satellite had 'very important role' in Sevastopol attack. The ICEYE satellite allows Ukraine "to receive critically important intelligence for combat operations on a daily basis," HUR reported.

The possibility of an impending government shutdown in the U.S. may threaten to disrupt the flow of military aid to Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesman stated to Politico in an article published on Sept. 19. https://kyivindependent.com/official-potential-us-government-shutdown-could-put-ukraine-aid-at-risk/

⚡️Poll: Majority of Americans support https://kyivindependent.com/poll-majority-of-americans-support-continued-aid-for-ukraine/ continued aid for Ukraine. Ukrainian grassroots organization Razom has recorded 63% of respondents in the U.S. express support for continued military aid to Ukraine. A vast majority (87%) of self-reported Democrat respondents articulated their support for the continuation of aid, compared to 48% of Republican respondents.

⚡️Parliament approves https://kyivindependent.com/parliament-approves-amended-law-on-asset-declaration/ public access to asset declarations, amends controversial law. On Sept. 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky vetoed the bill the Verkhovna Rada had previously passed on Sept. 5, due to an amendment to that would block public access to officials' asset declarations for one more year. [this is big; it was a real stumbling block for the EU and for the ongoing, intense battle to root out corruption]

Media: Norway to restrict entry for Russian cars. https://kyivindependent.com/media-norway-to-impose-restrictions-on-russian-registered-cars/

⚡️ Military intelligence: Sudan strike on Wagner https://kyivindependent.com/military-intelligence-does-not-confirm-ukraines-role-in-sudan-strike-on-wagner/ signals Russia's decreasing influence in Africa.

⚡️ Air Force downs 36 of 43 Russian missiles https://kyivindependent.com/air-force-36-out-of-43-russian-missiles-downed-this-morning/ launched overnight. Russia used 10 Tu-95 planes to launch the Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, starting at around 3:40 a.m. local time, the Air Force said.

https://kyivindependent.com/air-defense-at-work-in-kyiv-4/ Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said via his official Telegram channel that an 18-year-old and a 9-year-old girl were taken to the hospital after Russia unleashed a missile attack against Kyiv in the early hours of Sept. 21.

Lower personnel losses but sheesh, 41 artillery and 37 vehicles plus 2 MLRS and 2 anti-aircraft.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
DancesWithDucks · 21/09/2023 10:21

notimagain · 21/09/2023 09:14

Hi..started seeing reports on that about 24 hours back…I think a lot of people are withholding comment until the fog of war clears and/or/if some more info such as verifiable imaging gets into the public domain.

It would certainly be highly significant if partisans or Special Forces were roaming to within 25 km of Moscow itself.

Yes! Apart from anything else, Russia's increasing repressiveness is going to get even worse.

Vague reports of another airfield attack too, but not sure of the details.

DancesWithDucks · 21/09/2023 10:53

UNITED24 Media Telegram

💥 In the temporarily occupied Crimea, explosions rang out in the afternoon, in particular in the area of the Belbek military airfield near Sevastopol. The occupiers claim that they shot down drones

In the ATACMS issue, we are at the finish line, I am sure, — Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with CNN.
He once again added that Ukraine undertakes not to use ATACMS to attack objects on the territory of the Russian Federation.

An essential meeting took place between President Zelenskyy and President Lula da Silva of Brazil, characterized by an open and constructive dialogue. Diplomatic teams have been assigned the responsibility of developing the next steps in bilateral relations and initiatives aimed at restoring peace.

According to Crimean media sources, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation has withdrawn all submarines, including those carrying ‘Kalibr’ missiles, from Sevastopol. Reportedly, there are currently no submarines in the South Bay parking area. The sole submarine remaining near the pier is the captured Ukrainian submarine ‘Zaporizhzhia.’ Previous reports had indicated that the majority of these submarines were relocated to Novorossiysk.

⚡️Tonight’s attack marks the first attack in over 6 months that targeted energy infrastructure.
398 settlements are currently without electricity in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.

The Ukrainian state budget has received a sum of 1.25 billion dollars in grant funds from the United States, via the World Bank's Trust Fund supported by various donors.

Biden could use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to transfer frozen Russian reserves to Ukraine
A group of experts led by Professor Larry Tribe came to this conclusion, writes New York Times columnist Bret Stevens.
American presidents have already resorted to this practice. For example, after the invasion of Kuwait, George W. Bush froze Iraqi assets in the United States and transferred them to the UN Commission for the Victims of Saddam Hussein's Aggression.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, emphasized that Russia’s aggressive war is not only against Ukraine but also against Ukrainian children. She called on the international community to remain vigilant until all forcibly deported Ukrainian children are reunited with their families and ensure that those responsible for these crimes are held accountable.

During the night, Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine.

Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted and destroyed approximately 20 targets in Kyiv and its vicinity. Falling debris ignited a fire at a service station in the Darnytskyi district, resulting in damage in Solomyanskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts. Seven people, including a child, were injured, as reported by Mayor Klitschko.

In the Kyiv region, two individuals were injured due to falling debris.

In Kherson, Russian troops struck a dormitory. Three people killed and four hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.

Eight individuals were injured in Cherkasy due to a rocket attack on a hotel building. Ten more people were evacuated, and one person was successfully rescued from the rubble.

Russian forces launched three missile strikes on Drohobych in the Lviv region. An industrial facility was damaged on two occasions, including a workshop and a warehouse building. No casualties.

In Kharkiv, a warehouse building was destroyed as a result of shelling, leading to the hospitalization of two individuals.

There were additional hits reported in the Rivne region, and air defense forces were activated in the Khmelnytsky region. Currently, there is no available information regarding casualties.

DancesWithDucks · 21/09/2023 11:02

Live: Ukraine Telegram

Currently, 822 Ukrainian nuclear workers work at the occupied ZNPP. The occupiers do not allow another 2,083 workers to enter the plant.
The president of Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said that Ukrainian personnel are still being detained and tortured to force them to cooperate with Rosatom.

🇺🇦🇵🇱 Ukraine's Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry over Zelensky's statement at a UN General Assembly meeting, Poland's PAP news agency reports.
Zelensky said that "some of our friends in Europe are undermining solidarity with political theater, making a thriller out of grain. It may seem that they are playing their own role, but in fact they are helping to prepare the stage for the Moscow actor."

At night, the SBU and the Navy struck at the Saki military airfield in occupied Crimea. Sources in the Security Service told that the occupiers' equipment was seriously damaged. [tiny bit more info now @notimagain ]
There were at least 12 Su-24 and Su-30 aircraft at the airfield. Mojaher UAV operators are also being trained there.
The airfield was attacked with drones and a Neptune missile.

🇪🇸 Spain will provide Ukraine with new military aid. It includes armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft launchers, anti-aircraft missiles, military trucks, ambulances and inflatable boats. The Spanish Defense Ministry did not disclose the number of vehicles or their names.

🇺🇦🇵🇱Commenting on the Ukrainian ambassador's summons to the Polish Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called for a constructive resolution of the situation with the import of agricultural products.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev said that the army had "fulfilled all the tasks" in one day after the announcement of the anti-terrorist operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
He emphasized that the country had restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Zelensky addressed the UN Security Council. Here are his main statements:

▪️The organization is in a deadlock on aggressions. Humanity no longer pins its hopes on the UN when it comes to protecting the sovereign borders of nations. But Ukraine has a solution.

▪️It is Russia that makes the UN incapacitated and takes its seat there illegally through backroom manipulations after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The veto in the hands of the aggressor is what has brought the UN to a standstill.

▪️Ukraine has a solution - reforming the UN, including the use of the veto so that it is not used by aggressors.

▪️Russia must fully withdraw all troops from Ukraine, including the Black Sea Fleet, within the internationally recognized 1991 Ukrainian borders.

▪️Ukraine's proposed Formula for Peace is fully based on the principles of the UN Charter and resolutions adopted by the General Assembly.

A German Spinner machine for the production of Russian ammunition is on its way from Turkey to Russia, according to a statement (https://trap.org.ua/publications/nimetskyy-verstat-spinner-dlia-vyhotovlennia-rosiyskykh-boieprypasiv-prosto-zaraz-priamuie-do-rf/) by the Trap Aggressor project of the StateWatch think tank.

"We have no doubt that this device is critical to Russian aggression in Ukraine. We call on our German and Turkish partners to stop this delivery," said Agiya Zagrebelska, head of the NACP's corruption risk minimization section in the sanctions policy.

Family.

Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
DesdamonasHandkerchief · 21/09/2023 11:14

Speech from Blinken at the UN:

x.com/statedept/status/1704593775513739348?s=46&t=eNB9C4pL0g2Opkl4oCmOsQ

Today @SecBlinken outlined Russia’s multiple violations of @UN Security Council resolutions and the UN Charter. “Russia is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine on an almost daily basis.”

blueshoes · 21/09/2023 18:48

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-20-2023

Key Takeaways:

  • Ukrainian forces continued offensive actions near Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhia Oblast on September 20.
  • Russian servicemen and milbloggers revealed that the Russian military command orders Russian troops to carry out “ill-conceived and unsupported” counterattacks on Bakhmut’s southern flank to urgently regain lost ground.
  • Russian forces conducted another round of Shahed drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on September 19-20.
  • A Russian milblogger outlined Russian reconnaissance groups’ drone operator training and operation tactics in Ukraine.
  • Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that unspecified saboteurs damaged Russian strategic aircraft at Chkalovsky airfield near Moscow on September 18.
  • Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov claimed on September 20 that he is in good health amidst continued speculations about his possible illness or death.
  • Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu met with Iranian Chief of the General Staff Mohammad Bagheri in Tehran, Iran to discuss Russian-Iranian military cooperation on September 19, a day after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi denied Iran’s provision of drones to Russia.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized Russian peacekeepers’ humanitarian actions in Nagorno-Karabakh as the Russian information space continues to observe that Russia is losing influence in Armenia.
  • Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast but did not make confirmed gains.
  • The Russian Red Cross (RKK) indicated that the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, particularly partial mobilization efforts in autumn 2022, caused a decline in mental health among many Russians.
  • Russian and occupation authorities continue efforts to deport Ukrainian children to Russia and integrate Ukrainian children into Russian culture.
Ukraine Invasion: Part 44
MMBaranova · 21/09/2023 19:14

>I wonder if the extraordinary strain on Zelenskyy is starting to show. It's not a comment he'd have made in the early days.

He's also too prone to dismissing others.

MMBaranova · 21/09/2023 19:15

Bulgarians charged.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66879181

I asked a British Bulgarian friend with BSP links what was going on here but didn't get a clear reply.

Orlin Roussev, Katrin Ivanova, Bizer Dzhambazov and Vanya Gaberova have lived in the UK for years

Five to be charged in UK with spying for Russia

Three men and two women are to be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage, UK prosecutors say.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66879181

blueshoes · 21/09/2023 19:31

MMBaranova · 21/09/2023 19:14

>I wonder if the extraordinary strain on Zelenskyy is starting to show. It's not a comment he'd have made in the early days.

He's also too prone to dismissing others.

He does look exhausted. I wish there was some way to give him a break. It has been and in all probability will be a long war. He must be burnt out. I would cut him a lot of slack but I guess politics and war does not work like that.

Re: Poland, disputes with neighbours tend to be the fiercest because of the past history of slights and skirmishes. Look at UK and France ...

MMBaranova · 21/09/2023 23:51

Spotted via ChrisO_wiki Twitter.

You're a Russian (well you have Russian citizenship, you might be Buryat for instance) who has been mobilised and sent to the front. When are you going to be killed?

This suggests you plan for death in 4 or 5 months. Could be more, could be less.

Click translate as I don't see an English translation up yet.

https://storage.googleapis.com/istories/stories/2023/09/21/ot-povestki-do-pokhoronki/index.html

Год мобилизации унес жизни тысяч россиян

Сколько мобилизованным удавалось оставаться в живых и где они чаще всего погибали

https://storage.googleapis.com/istories/stories/2023/09/21/ot-povestki-do-pokhoronki/index.html

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