[Korrespondent] 23:01 The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that the organization has begun negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on the parameters of the security zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, "we are talking about specific aspects." He also said that he plans to visit Kyiv soon, and then Russia.
22:58 The "authorities" of Nova Kakhovka said that Ukrainian troops were shelling the city, "air defense is working", 12 explosions thundered in the sky.
22:55 As a result of today's exchange of prisoners, a serviceman of Azov, Ekaterina Polishchuk, known as Ptashka, was released from captivity, People's Deputy Alexei Goncharenko said. According to him, at least eight more Ukrainian soldiers were also returned.
22:49 "Referendums" in the occupied Ukrainian territories "will hamper efforts" to resolve the situation in Ukraine diplomatically, Turkish Foreign Ministry said: "We are concerned about attempts to organize unilateral referendums in parts of Ukraine under Russian control. Such an illegitimate fait accompli will not be recognized internationally on the contrary, they will hinder efforts to revive the diplomatic process and lead to deepening instability.”
22:17 Washington said it takes Putin's words about the possible use of nuclear weapons seriously, and promised a response. For more details, see the article Russian nuclear strike: how the US and NATO will respond .
22:08 Finland is preparing to introduce a complete ban on entry into the country for Russian citizens, said Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto: "Today we decided to start preparing a national decision on how we can limit or completely prevent this tourist flow." According to him, Finland does not want to be a transit country, even for Russians with Schengen visas issued by other countries.
Earlier today, there were reports that huge queues of Russians formed at the border with Finland.
22:03 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, announced the release of the head of the patrol police, Mikhail Vershinin, from captivity.
21:56 1026 people were detained at protests in Russian cities, the human rights project OVD-Info reported. Most of the detainees were in Moscow (394 people) and St. Petersburg (376 people). Earlier today, the Moscow prosecutor's office said that participants in such actions face up to 15 years in prison.
21:35 Borrell announced that he was convening an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers on Ukraine in New York. According to him, the ministers will discuss new sanctions against Russia. He also said that tomorrow the UN Security Council will discuss a "new scenario" of the situation in Ukraine in connection with Putin's statements about mobilization and "referenda". At the same time, Borrell added that the European Union would not participate in the war in Ukraine.
21:33 The "authorities" of the occupied Kherson region said that Ukrainian troops launched a missile attack from the Himars MLRS on Kherson, "some of the missiles intercepted air defense, some hit civilian objects."
21:29 Announcing the mobilization in Russia, Putin promised to launch a nuclear strike. Experts admit such a scenario. More details - in the material Putin threatens with nuclear weapons .
21:17 The EU is preparing new sanctions against Russia - consultations with member countries on the eighth package will begin on Friday, September 23, writes Politico.
20:39 As a result of today's shelling of Kupyansk, Kharkiv region, five people were injured, including a 13-year-old child. In addition, one person was wounded as a result of shelling from. Streleche, Kharkiv region, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
20:36 Macron called Putin's decision to mobilize in the Russian Federation a mistake - in his opinion, this is bad news for the Russian people. Macron believes that now everyone should exert maximum pressure on Putin in order to stop the war.
20:34 Scholz called Putin's decisions to hold "referendums" and mobilization "an act of desperation." According to him, from the very beginning, the Kremlin "underestimated the will of Ukrainians to resist," and now it has only exacerbated the situation. The Chancellor is convinced that Russia "cannot win this criminal war."
20:30 "Authorities" of Kherson said that Ukrainian troops launched a missile attack on a ferry crossing across the Dnieper in the city center, "there were no casualties, the crossing did not work."
20:17 British Prime Minister Liz Truss and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a joint statement called the mobilization announced by Putin evidence of the failure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They strongly condemned the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and called today's decision "a sign of weakness." Truss and von der Leyen also noted the courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people and stressed their joint commitment to support Ukraine in its struggle for as long as necessary.
20:09 During the day, Ukrainian defenders repelled enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Vesele, Zaitsevo, Kurdyumovka and Bakhmutskoye, the General Staff reports in the evening report .
19:45 Russian media write about a powerful explosion in the KhBK microdistrict in Kherson, black smoke rises above the explosion site. In total, at least four explosions thundered, "preliminarily, the air defense system is working," propaganda media say. Meanwhile, Ukrainian channels report an attack on a cluster of Russian equipment near the Antonovsky railway bridge.
19:36 Kuleba said that the only adequate response to Putin's belligerent threats is to double support for Ukraine: "New sanctions against Russia. More weapons for Ukraine. More solidarity with Ukrainians. More businesses leave Russia. More determination to hold Russia accountable."
19:33 Zaluzhny said that no statements by the military-political leadership of the aggressor country would affect the willingness of Ukrainians to fight for their freedom: "The armed forces of Ukraine have been holding back the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against our state for eight years and seven months. The enemy's full-scale offensive did not frighten us. Moreover, we united and met the enemy with dignity. The announcement of mobilization in Russia is proof of this... We will destroy everyone who comes to our land with weapons - either voluntarily or by mobilization."
19:22 Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov urged men of military age to immediately leave the city, because after Putin signs the decree on mobilization in the occupied territories of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, "the toughest measures will be taken - a real hunt will be arranged for men, and those who refuse to go to death , will have to deal with Chechen detachments."
According to the new "decree" of the local "authority", from October 1, travel outside the occupied part of the Zaporozhye region is allowed only on the basis of a special pass. In turn, the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, also said that the commandant's office had stopped issuing passes for the right to leave the Donetsk region from October 1. At the same time, the occupying "authority" in Vasilyevka announced the restriction of exit from the occupied territory and the introduction of special passes.
19:13 The Russian authorities handed over ten foreigners captured in Ukraine to Saudi Arabia. The plane with them has already landed in an Arab country, writes Al-Arabiya. According to the publication, the mediator in these negotiations was the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who spoke directly with the Kremlin and the Ukrainian side.
The Russians are known to have handed over five Britons, one Moroccan, one Swede, one Croat and two Americans. Their names are not yet known, but their citizenships coincide with the publicly known facts of being captured by foreigners who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The militants in the occupied Donbas even managed to "sentence" some of them to death.
Most likely, the Russians released Mathias Gustavsson, a Swedish citizen, Vekoslav Prebig, a Croatian citizen, John Harding, Andrew Hill, Dylan Healy, Sean Pinner and Aiden Eslin, British citizens, Saadun Brahim, a Moroccan citizen, and two US citizens, Alexander Dryuke and Andy Hune.
19:04 The enemy once again strikes at the Pechenezh dam in the Chuguevsky district of the Kharkiv region. Today, two missiles hit the dam, the upper airlock was damaged. There were no casualties, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. The situation on the dam is fully controlled, there is no threat of the dam breaking and flooding of the territories.
18:31 Biden at a meeting of the UN General Assembly said that Russia "shamelessly violated the basic principles of the UN Charter." He also assured that Ukraine would not be left without the support of Washington and its allies, and expressed the desire that the war end on fair terms.
Biden also proposed expanding the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. According to him, permanent places should be allocated for African countries and Latin America, as well as for "countries that we have long supported."
In addition, Biden stressed that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be unleashed, and the United States is ready to work on nuclear arms control. He called Putin's nuclear threats "reckless" and added that no one threatened Russia and no one but Russia sought conflict.
18:07 The Russians fired at the Krasnogrigoryevsk and Marganets communities of the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. According to preliminary information, one person died and two were injured, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko.
18:02 Zelensky, in an interview with Bild, called on Germany to supply battle tanks to Ukraine "so that we can save more lives." "Armored vehicles are a matter of survival, the survival of our soldiers," the president stressed. He also appealed to the federal government with a request not to justify the refusal to supply tanks by the behavior of the United States or other countries, because they are independent of other states. Moreover, Germany has the strongest economy in Europe, so it can also set a good example for other states.
17:55 Estonia, following Latvia, announced that it would not provide asylum to Russians who want to avoid mobilization.
17:16 Residents of the liberated settlements of the Kharkiv region began to receive 1,200 hryvnias of assistance, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said. Payments are made by Ukrposhta, the lists of recipients are formed by the authorities. It is planned that almost 200 thousand people will receive such benefits.
17:13 An explosion was heard in the area of Soldatsky Beach in Sevastopol today - the "governor" of the city, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said that it was the discovered part of a floating unmanned vehicle that was destroyed.
17:02 The Russians today attacked the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, hit an infrastructure facility and an agricultural enterprise, there is destruction, people were not previously injured, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko.
16:58 Biden is rewriting his speech at the UN General Assembly after Putin's statements today, Politico reports, citing US presidential aides.
16:44 In the eastern part of Russia, a few protests against mobilization have begun, the police are carrying out detentions.
16:42 The OSCE stated that "any elections or referendums on the territory of Ukraine can be announced and held only by legitimate authorities in compliance with national legislation and international standards. Therefore, the planned "referendums" will be illegal."
16:33 Stoltenberg, commenting on the mobilization in the Russian Federation, said that "Russian troops are poorly equipped, they lack proper command and control." According to him, "Putin miscalculated in relation to Ukraine, he made a big mistake." In addition, the NATO Secretary General is convinced that "Russia will not be able to win in a nuclear conflict." He added that the alliance sees no change in the readiness of Russian nuclear forces, but continues to monitor the situation.
16:14 Zelensky said in an interview with Bild that Putin "wants to drown Ukraine in blood, but also in the blood of his soldiers." According to him, the decision on partial mobilization points to Russia's problem with military personnel. The president also does not completely dismiss the risk of Russian use of nuclear weapons, although he does not believe in such a possibility: "I do not believe that he will use these weapons. I do not think that the world will allow him to use these weapons."
16:08 Lithuania will hand over to the Ukrainian military 37 Warmate kamikaze drones purchased with the funds raised as part of the Legion of Boom campaign, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petr Beshta said. Drones should arrive in Ukraine in October-November.
16:06 The Russians fired five missiles at Zaporozhye today, the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh said. Infrastructure facilities and houses of the private sector were hit. Two shells hit a field on the outskirts of the city, three people are known to have been injured.
15:59 Despite the expectations that the Russians, if they did not rebel against a full-scale attack on Ukraine, then after the announcement of mobilization they would certainly take to the streets to protest, raise a riot and overthrow the Putin regime, nothing of the kind is happening. Russian citizens are buying up tickets to countries with which there is still a visa-free regime, signing a petition to cancel the mobilization and looking for ways to avoid conscription. For more details, see the article What is happening in the Russian Federation after the announcement of mobilization .
15:40 The United States takes Putin's words about nuclear weapons seriously, but so far does not see the need to increase the readiness of the strategic deterrence forces, the White House said.
15:26 Britain is ready to allocate $500 million to Ukraine for the purchase of gas, as well as to contribute to the development of Ukrainian gas production, Shmyhal said.
14:57 The Rada adopted a statement on the inadmissibility of holding pseudo-referenda on the territory of Ukraine.
14:52 Zelensky appointed Galina Lugovaya as the head of the Kherson military administration.
14:45 The point in Putin's decree on the number of mobilized is classified, it is likely that we are talking about full, not partial mobilization. However, experts doubt that mobilization in Russia will affect the situation at the front. And, judging by social networks, the Russians themselves, but not the Ukrainians, were afraid of Putin's statements. Read more in the material Russia announced mobilization: what does it change .
14:39 The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted an appeal to the UN General Assembly and the European Parliament about the "threat to peace and stability in Europe posed by Ukraine": "Deputies appeal to the UN General Assembly, sane politicians and parliamentarians of the countries of the world with a call to carefully consider and strongly condemn the dangerous actions of the United States and NATO, prompting the Kiev regime to a large-scale confrontation."
14:34 The EU states are discussing the allocation of the sixth tranche of military assistance to Ukraine, said the representative of the Union's foreign policy service, Peter Stano. So far, the EU has already agreed on five tranches of military assistance to Kyiv for a total of 2.5 billion euros.
14:18 The Russians call the mobilization a moGilization and are already actively fleeing the country, buying up all tickets for flights where they are still allowed - Minsk, Yerevan and Istanbul. In Ukraine, meanwhile, Russian mobilization plans are rather ironic. More details - in the material Utilization of Russians .
14:06 The secretary of the City Council of Zaporizhzhia Anatoly Kurtev reported on rocket attacks on the city. The head of the OVA, Oleksandr Starukh, specified that the strikes were carried out on infrastructure facilities.
13:59 Putin, by announcing partial mobilization, has proved that he is not interested in ending the war and wants to deepen the crisis, European Commission speaker Peter Stano said: "President Putin's statements about referendums and partial mobilization are just one more proof that Putin is not interested in peace. He is interested in the escalation of his war... These statements are also a clear signal to the entire international community, especially during the UN General Assembly, that he only seeks to continue a destructive war that already has many bad consequences around the world, not only in Ukraine."
13:37 In Svatovo, Luhansk region, the occupying commandant's office has been destroyed. The enemy organized a headquarters and an ammunition depot in the city - all this was blown up, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai. According to preliminary data, about 250 invaders were killed or wounded. According to information that has not yet been confirmed, there were Kadyrovites in the commandant's office.
13:30 The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has decided to put its troops on high alert due to mobilization in the Russian Federation, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.
13:12 The Russian bureau of Radio Liberty reports that doctors in Moscow have begun to massively receive summons from military registration and enlistment offices. Local publics also write that young men are handed subpoenas right on the streets and in shopping centers.
13:09 Danilov called the mobilization in the Russian Federation a "disposal program" for Russians: "On recent statements. Putin's plan Bermuda Triangle is a comprehensive program for the disposal of Russians: evasion of mobilization - prison - PMC Wagner. Further: Ukrainian front - liquidation - white fret."
12:58 Yenakiyevo metallurgical plant stops working due to the "mobilization" of workers, and a training camp for "prisoners" was organized in the occupied Torez, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.
12:41 Peskov said that the decision to mobilize was made due to the fact that Russia in Ukraine is facing the military potential of the entire NATO bloc: “President Putin spoke about how the conditions have changed during the special military operation. President Putin said that, in fact, we are now confronted with the military potential of NATO and a number of other countries that are unfriendly to us.
12:29 After the "referendums" and the introduction of the occupied Ukrainian territories into Russia, "there can be no talks about negotiations with Ukraine," said Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, who was a member of the negotiating group with Kiev.
12:27 Putin's decision to partially mobilize indicates that "his invasion is failing," British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: "No threats or propaganda can hide the fact that Ukraine is winning this war, the international community is united, and Russia becomes a global pariah."
12:02 Latvia will not issue humanitarian visas to citizens of the Russian Federation who are fleeing from mobilization. The country's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics explained this decision with security considerations.
12:00 Macron and Scholz called for UN reform .
11:44 U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink called Putin's statement today a weakness: "Fake referendums and mobilization are signs of weakness, Russia's failure. The United States will never recognize Russia's claims to allegedly annexed Ukrainian territory, and we will continue to support Ukraine."
11:18 "Deputy head of the Kherson VGA" Kirill Stremousov said that two settlements of the Nikolaev region under the control of the Russian Federation - the city of Snegirevka and the village of Aleksandrovka - "are included in the Kherson region."
11:07 The SBU exposed the FSB agent group in Kiev, which passed the coordinates of the capital's thermal power plants to the enemy in order to disrupt the heating season.
11:05 The Russian Vesna movement called for an all-Russian protest action No graves . Activists invite citizens to gather today at 19:00 in the center of their cities.
11:02 The Chinese Foreign Ministry, commenting on Putin's appeal, called on the "sides" to achieve a ceasefire through dialogue and negotiations and find a solution as soon as possible.
10:54 The Pentagon announced that it ordered Switchblade 600 long-range kamikaze drones for Ukraine. Currently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are armed with Switchblade 300 - their range reaches 10 km. The Switchblade 600 has a powerful warhead and is capable of destroying heavy armored vehicles at a distance of up to 40 km.
10:33 British Foreign Secretary Gillian Keegan called Putin's statement "an alarming escalation" and accused the Russian president of rewriting history. "Let's be clear - there are Putin's lies. This is Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. And, of course, we will continue to support Ukraine, along with all our NATO allies. We are there, we are on your side - we will help in any way we can," the minister emphasized.
Keegan also commented on Putin's nuclear blackmail: "It's something we have to take very seriously because, you know, we're not in control. I'm not sure he's in control either. Really, I mean it's an obvious escalation." .
10:08 Shoigu explained that partial mobilization is primarily needed "to control the liberated territories and the line of contact": "The line of contact itself, you can call it both the front line and the line of contact - it is more than 1000 km. Naturally, what is behind and what is there, along this line, must be consolidated, these territories must be controlled. And, of course, first of all, this work is being done for this - I mean, partial mobilization."
10:06 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of September 21. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Donetsk direction.
- personnel - about 55,110 (+300) people liquidated,
- tanks - 2227 (+11),
- armored combat vehicles - 4748 (+24),
- artillery systems - 1340 (+17),
- MLRS - 318 (+0),
- air defense systems - 168 (+0),
- aircraft - 253 (+1),
- helicopters - 217 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 932 (+7),
- cruise missiles - 239 (+0),
- ships/boats - 15 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 3610 (+23),
- special equipment - 125 (+0).
09:48 Shoigu said that in general, the mobilization resource in Russia is almost 25 million people, a little more than 1% are subject to partial mobilization. He also said that the front line "needs to be fixed", for which partial mobilization is being carried out.
09:43 Shoigu said that during the partial mobilization, a total of 300,000 reservists will be called up. He clarified that "those who have served, have a military specialty, combat experience" are subject to partial mobilization. At the same time, "there is no question of any mobilization of students, and conscripts are not subject to being sent to a special operation."
09:41 Shoigu said that Russian losses amount to 5937 dead , and of the wounded, "almost 90% returned to duty." Ukraine, according to him, "has already lost half of the army: 61,207 dead, 49,368 wounded."
Shoigu also said that Russia is at war "not so much with Ukraine as with the collective West." According to him, the West supplies Ukraine with weapons "in huge volumes", about 70 military and more than 200 civilian satellites. The entire NATO group, he said, "works in the interests of Ukraine."
09:30 Putin instructed to ensure the security of "referendums" in Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk regions and said that these are "historical lands of Novorossiya."
09:27 British intelligence believes that Putin's decision to urgently hold "referendums" is dictated by fears of an imminent attack by Ukraine and the expectation of greater security after formal accession to Russia. At the same time, the Russian army in Ukraine continues to experience a shortage of personnel, which is the reason for yesterday's vote in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, which expands penalties for non-fulfillment of obligations by military personnel.
Russian civilian and military leaders have come under significant pressure over the past two weeks, analysts say. These new measures, most likely due to public criticism, mark a further development of Russia's strategy. Putin is taking more political risks by debunking the myths that Russia is neither at war nor in a national crisis in the hope of building more combat power.
09:20 Putin said that the main goals of the "special operation" remain unchanged, "LPR" is "liberated" completely, "DPR" - partially. He instructed the government and the Ministry of Defense to determine "the legal status of volunteers and militiamen of Donbass as soon as possible - it should be the same as that of regular Russian military personnel." He also demanded that special attention be paid to the supply of equipment and equipment to "volunteers and militias of Donbass."
09:18 Putin accused the West of nuclear blackmail and said that if its territorial integrity is threatened, Russia will use "all available means - this is not a bluff."
09:14 Putin said he had signed a decree on partial mobilization "to protect Russia, its sovereignty and integrity." According to him, only citizens who are in the reserve will be subject to conscription, "they will undergo additional training, taking into account the experience of the special operation." Mobilization activities will start today.
09:12 Putin said that Russia will support the decision "to be taken by the residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions."
09:10 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, six civilians were killed - two in Bakhmut, one each in Toretsk, Druzhba, Georgievka and Velyka Novoselka. Another 20 people were injured, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
09:03 The enemy launched a missile strike at an infrastructure facility in Zaporozhye at night. There were no casualties, the object was damaged, said Alexander Starukh, head of the OVA.
08:49 At night, the Russians hit residential areas of the Nikopol and Krivoy Rog districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region from barrel artillery. In Nikopol, one person was injured, more than 20 high-rise buildings and private houses, gas pipelines and power lines were damaged. The shells hit a local bakery, a kindergarten, a library and several shops, the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko, said.
08:36 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Putin is seeking to annex the occupied territories in order to deter the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military, declaring it an "attack on Russia." Analysts also note that the Kremlin's plans are aimed primarily at the domestic audience. Putin is likely hoping to improve the possibility of Russian military formation by encouraging Russians to volunteer to go to war to "defend" the newly acquired territories.
Putin can rely on heightened rhetoric in part because the Kremlin cannot afford to incentivize recruits with bonuses and benefits. So he is imposing new and harsher penalties in an attempt to contain the risk of the collapse of Russian military units fighting in Ukraine and draft evading in Russia. At the same time, analysts note that Putin does not have the time or resources needed to create an effective fighting force.
08:11 The Russians fired at least four rockets at Kholodnogorsk district of Kharkiv at night, the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, said. Residents were blocked in one residential building, the State Emergency Service rescued ten people. At another address, one person was injured. Roofs, upper floors, stairwells were destroyed in both residential buildings. Another blow hit a wasteland near private houses, and another one hit an infrastructure facility, where there was a small fire and partial destruction of buildings.
07:40 AFU repelled enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Veseleye, Kurdyumovka, Nikolaevka Vtoraya, Bakhmutskoye, Zaitsevo, Mayorsk, Pervomayskoye, Maryinka and Novomikhailovka, the General Staff reports in the morning report .
07:12 The Russians again fired at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant at night, Energoatom reported. As a result of the shelling, the communication equipment of power unit No. 6 with the ZNPP open switchgear was damaged. The block transformer and auxiliary transformers of the power unit were switched off. Due to the loss of power, an emergency start-up of two diesel generators of the safety systems occurred to ensure the operation of the fuel cooling pumps. Within an hour, the personnel set up power supply for the own needs of power unit No. 6 from the busbar system of other power units of the station. Diesel generators of the 6th power unit were turned off and put on standby.
03:49 Kherson region "will become part" of the Russian Federation within its administrative borders, said "deputy head of administration" Kirill Stremousov.
00:31 Zelensky, in an evening video message, said that Ukraine's position would not change from Russia's intentions: "Today, quite noisy news from Russia. And a lot of questions about this. But what actually happened? What sounded from what did not sound before? .. Our positions do not change due to noise or any announcements from somewhere. And we have the full support of our partners in this."
The president also stressed that the situation on the front line clearly indicates that the initiative belongs to Ukraine: "Our defenders very carefully and very bravely solve the tasks that the command sets before them." Zelensky especially noted the 81st separate air assault brigade for courage in the liberation of settlements in the Donetsk region, as well as the 93rd separate mechanized brigade for the heroic defense of Bakhmut and Soledar.