[Kyiv Post] French researchers have scrutinized thousands of Russian satellite photos and corporate records and concluded that if rate of attrition goes on, Moscow could run out of tanks by 2025.
A recent French in-depth survey of Russian Federation tank production and losses has concluded the level of losses is such that it will be unable to conduct major armored operations for years to come, and that its army could effectively run out of tanks in Ukraine in 2025.
The Marseilles-based "Institut Action Resilience (IAR)" used satellite images, published Russian sources, battlefield data, and research into Russian commercial archives to develop a detailed estimate it made public on Aug. 31.
IAR’s conclusion is that Russian tank reserves are dramatically lower than the Kremlin would have outsiders believe. It contends that a realistic evaluation of Moscow’s tank stockpiles and its lack of industrial capacity to replace battlefield losses has resulted in a widening and impossible-to-close gap, the report found.
Wester analysts agree that any major Russian offensive in Ukraine would be expected to rely on its conventional tactic of massed tank assaults, but the IAR report suggests that Russia no longer has that option and the situation is worsening.
IAR figures show, that since the start of the war, Russia’s seven main tank repair and maintenance facilities have delivered 180-360 tanks of all types to the field. Western sanctions have effectively ended Russian capabilities to produce new tanks of any type and is currently used, without exception, to refurbish old Soviet armor.
The institute’s evaluation was that Russia still holds a substantial stock of older tanks suitable for refurbishment, probably around 6,000 vehicles, which contradicts the assessment by other research groups, such as GlobalFirepower which put Russia’s total stocks at 12,566 vehicles.
The IAR findings, however, indicated that a significant percentage of these supposed tank reserves are mere hulks stored in open fields. Even more critically, Russia’s tank production chain suffers a huge bottleneck as it has only seven major bases capable of installing modern communications, optics and defense systems on even well-stored tanks.
According to the report, the whole of Russian industry is currently only delivering 390 tanks a year to combat formations. This is in stark contrast with Moscow’s official claims that just one of Russia’s tank factories, Uralvagonzavod, is producing 200 tanks a month and increasing production levels.
Ukrainian reports from the battlefield tend to confirm the IAR findings and bely the Kremlin’s bravado. Public statements by Ukrainian military sources, many interviewed by Kyiv Post, highlighted that since the spring Russian forces have rarely committed tanks into battle and when they do no more than five or six. Russian tank crews avoid moving into the open, preferring to hide behind hills and use their armored vehicles as indirect fire platforms, those accounts say.
The IAR report cited thermal sights for night vision observation and firing, have been standard on NATO tanks since the 1980s. IAR sees this as a definitive indicator that Russia is sacrificing tank quality for the sake of maintaining a flow of replacement vehicles. It says "While [prior to the war] T-72B3 and T-80BVM main battle tanks were initially fitted with Sosna-U visible and thermal multi-channel sights, models from November 2022 are now fitted with an old [Soviet era] generation 1PN96MT-02 sight with half the range."
#1
"could run out of tanks by 2025"
Considering it will likely be over with in 2024, that's reassuring.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/19/2023 8:52 Comments ||
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#2
Russian industry is currently only delivering 390 tanks a year
Russia cannot and never has built armor on this scale. They are drawing on their Soviet inheritance. And with losses at 5-20 per day, they are using up Soviet era stocks pretty quickly.
#3
The Russians tend to use tanks more for quickly moveable indirect artillery than actual assault, which is why they've resurrected the old T-62's and T-55's from storage.
They're not looking for maneuverability or modern electronics, just something to send shells in a general direction.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/19/2023 9:52 Comments ||
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#4
French researchers have scrutinized thousands of Russian satellite photos and corporate records and concluded that if rate of attrition goes on, Moscow could run out of tanks by 2025.
What? By that time they will have rolled into Kiev.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/19/2023 13:14 Comments ||
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#5
The institute’s evaluation was that Russia still holds a substantial stock of older tanks suitable for refurbishment, probably around 6,000 vehicles, which contradicts the assessment by other research groups, such as GlobalFirepower which put Russia’s total stocks at 12,566 vehicles.
Quantity is a quality. If they throw 10 old Soviet tanks against one new Leopard, the Leopard is going down.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/19/2023 13:17 Comments ||
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#6
Quantity is a quality. If they throw 10 old Soviet tanks against one new Leopard, the Leopard is going down.
#10
The IAR findings, however, indicated that a significant percentage of these supposed tank reserves are mere hulks stored in open fields.
I'm pretty sure the American word for such a place is called a boneyard. Great place to find, for instance, a fuse box for a 1974 VW Rabbit; I'm not so sure about tanks, though.
[AP] Mariana Katzarova, the special rapporteur on Russia’s rights situation mandated by the Human Rights Council, chronicled the domestic crackdown that has largely targeted critics of Putin’s war as well as other opposition voices in Russia.
Her report, made public on Monday, is separate from another probe by U.N.-backed investigators that has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine.
The report cited figures last month from OVD-Info, which tracks human rights violations, indicating that more than 20,000 people were detained between February last year and June for participating in anti-war protests. More than 600 criminal lawsuits were initiated against "anti-war activity," it said.
The report said over half of all protesters who were arrested for what it called "peaceful anti-war activism" were women.
Katzarova said she had received "credible reports" of a litany of rights violations including torture, allegations of rape and sexual violence, and threats of sexual abuse by law enforcement officers against both men and women. None of those cases had been officially investigated, she said.
Russians have other things to worry about like: torture, allegations of rape and sexual violence, and threats of sexual abuse by law enforcement officers against both men and women. None of those cases had been officially investigated, she said.
#4
^Because Russia is a dictatorship run by Vlad the Terrible, whereas USA - where every white hetero male is a criminal what haven't been caught YET - is a Republic envisioned by its founders.
#11
IMHO, the human rights of all Americans were trampled under Joe Biden's foot in November 2020. Now he's sending Ukrainians and Russians into a meat grinder in hopes that he can win a US Naval base in Sevastopol. You think all those Ukrainians volunteered for that? Did they even get to vote on it? So, yeah, you wanna talk about human rights? What about all those "unaccompanied minors" who get smuggled across our southern border? What happens to their human rights? What about all the schools, businesses and churches that were shut down in this country for the Wuhan flu?
We could go on like this all day.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/19/2023 13:32 Comments ||
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[X 16 part thread] 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.
The relatives say in a pair of videos that their men are from Barnaul and Slavgorod in the Altai Krai region, serving in the 1307th and 1442nd Motorised Rifle Regiments and the 89nd Tank Regiment. They appeal to Vladimir Putin to help their men and punish their commanders.
It's likely that the men are in the area around Berkhivka and Klishchiivka near Bakhmut, where previous mobik videos from the same units have spoken of heavy casualties, a lack of supplies, no artillery support, and no evacuation of the wounded.
[X 23 part thread] Russian soldiers say hundreds of their number are being killed trying to retake newly liberated Andriivka. Even artillerymen are being sent in as infantry in 'meat assaults', "literally [armed] with shovels" and without artillery support.
The Russian Army's 94th regiment is said to be taking the brunt of the fighting as Ukrainian forces advance south of Bakhmut. The wife of one soldier serving with the regiment, a man called Denis, says they are suffering huge casualties.
"He called on Thursday and said that the Ukrainian armed forces were taking Andriiivka and breaking through to Bakhmut," his wife Vera says.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Odesa, and Donetsk, Sumy regions were attacked.
Explosions were heard in the Khmelnytsky region this morning during an air raid warning - air defense forces were working. As a result of the shooting down of the missiles, debris fell and two explosions occurred on the territory of the production enterprise. The fire has been extinguished. In addition, the debris damaged the railway track.
Restoration work has begun. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties, according to the summary from OVA as of this morning.
There were six shellings (34 explosions) in the Chernihiv region during the day. The enemy fired mortars, artillery, and two cases of the use of kamikaze drones (copter type) in the Novgorod-Siversky district. No information was received about losses among the local population or damage to civil infrastructure. Data on the consequences are being clarified.
In Dnipropetrovsk that night, the aggressor continued to attack the Nikopol district - four shellings. With heavy artillery, the enemy hit Nikopol, Myrivska and Marganetska communities. Damaged utility company. One farm building was destroyed, six were mutilated. Five private houses and solar panels were also damaged. Other consequences of the attacks are being clarified. Fortunately, people are whole. In the morning, two cruise missiles were shot down over the region. During the day yesterday, Nikopol region was attacked four times. The Russian invaders directed three kamikaze drones to the district center and the Marganets community. On Myrivska - gatils from heavy artillery.
In Sumyat night, the Russians shelled the Krasnopil community with artillery. Three explosions were recorded. Yesterday, during the day, the Russians carried out 34 shelling of the border. A totla of 179 explosions were recorded. Krasnopilsk, Novoslobidsk, Bilopolsk, Khotinsky, Velikopysarivsk, Yunakivsk, Esmansk, Vorozhbyansk, Znob-Novgorodsk communities came under fire. Velikopysarovsk community: artillery shelling (18 explosions) was recorded. As a result of one of the shellings, one resident of the community was killed, another resident was wounded, he was hospitalized in a medical institution. Vorozhbyan community: artillery bombardment (nine explosions). A local resident was injured during the shelling. Also, as a result of shelling, four private residential buildings, two shops, a gas pipeline for domestic street gas supply, and power lines were damaged.
In Luhansk, the village of Nadiya in Svativ district was hit by an airstrike. The enemy's artillery was aimed mainly at Bilogorivka and Nevsky. There were 56 explosions in Nevsky. During the day, the enemy fired 145 rounds (539 shells).
In Kharkivska yesterday, the enemy fired at Petropavlika, as a result of which a cargo crane of the State Emergency Service was damaged. As a result of the shelling of the village of Podoli, a house was damaged. No casualties. As a result of the shelling of Kupyansk, two residential buildings, farm buildings were damaged, and a fire broke out. There are no injured or dead. The Rashists also shelled Vovchansk, damaging a house and an outbuilding.
In Zaporizhzhya, the enemy has carried out 90 attacks on 21 settlements in the past day. Artillery shelling fell on the territory of Zaliznychny, Robotyny, Novoandriivka, Olhivskyi, Malaya Tokmachka, Temyrivka, Poltavka, Kamianskyi, Plavniy, Lobkovo and other towns and villages in the line of fire. Four airstrikes were recorded on Orikhov, seven UAV attacks on Malynivka, Biloghiri, Kamianskyi, Maly Shcherbaki and Pyatikhatky, six anti-aircraft missile attacks on Gulyaipol, Novodarivka and Maly Shcherbaki. A 31-year-old man was wounded as a result of the shelling on Malia Tokmachka. He was sent to a medical institution. Eight reports were received about the destruction of residential buildings and property of citizens.
In Donetsk, the Russians carried out 11 attacks on populated areas: KAB-250 airstrikes, Smerch, Grad missile systems, artillery. Eight settlements were under the fire of the Rashists: Avdiyivka, Kurdyumivka, Ocheretine, the village of Komar, Novoukrainka, Lastochkine, Dilyivka, Kurakhove. 18 private residential buildings, power lines, two farm buildings, and a civilian car were damaged. One person died and four were injured in the region during the day.
In Mykolaivska, the Snigurivska community was attacked by the "Shahed-136/131" type UAVs at night. Debris from the downed drone caused a fire in a two-story building that was not in use. The fire was extinguished promptly. Nearby buildings were damaged by the shock wave. There are no casualties. Yesterday afternoon, air defense forces and means destroyed a cruise missile launched by an enemy Su-35 from the Black Sea. Yesterday, the enemy also fired artillery at the waters of the Ochakiv community. There are no casualties.
Odesa was attacked tonight by the enemy with attack UAVs of the "Shahed-136/131" type. A total of 24 strike UAVs were recorded in the direction of the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. 18 attack drones were destroyed by air defense. Detailed information is being clarified
In Khersonskathere are dead and injured as a result of night strikes. As a result of the "arrival" in Kherson, a 72-year-old man died. Another one was injured, he was given help on the spot. A private house was hit in Kizomys. The elderly woman died on the spot from her injuries. A 60-year-old man was taken to the hospital in moderate condition. Over the course of a day, the enemy launched 92 shellings (502 shells) in the region, including five shellings (13 shells) at Kherson. Yesterday afternoon, the occupiers shelled Sadov. A law enforcement officer received a back injury as a result of the shelling, he was given the necessary assistance in the hospital.
Yesterday, the occupiers stormed Tomina Balka of the Belozersk community. A man born in 1954 caught fire in his yard. The injuries received turned out to be too severe. The medics who arrived at the scene only declared death. Olhivka of the Beryslav district was also under fire. A 63-year-old woman was injured. She was hospitalized. In the village of Maksym, Beryslav District, a tractor driver hit a Russian mine in a field. Due to numerous injuries, the man died on the way to the hospital. A 26-year-old man was also hospitalized in moderate condition.
We will remind you that last day the enemy struck Ukraine with air-launched cruise missiles and "Shahed-136/131" type UAVs. As a result of combat operations, air defense units destroyed six cruise missiles and six Shaheds. Unfortunately, as a result of such terrorist actions of the Kremlin, there are wounded among the civilian population, destroyed residential buildings and damaged civil infrastructure.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] The offensive in the Bakhmut direction is carried out by the forces used for defense - without the use of additional resources.
by Iryna Gamalii
Last week, the Armed Forces de-occupied two square kilometers of territory in the Bakhmut direction. In total, the freed area under Bakhmut is 51 square kilometers.
Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar reported this in Telegram.
In the Kupyan direction, the enemy is searching for weak points in the defense of the Armed Forces. The armed forces successfully repelled enemy attacks in the Novoselivsky district of Luhansk region. In the Lyman direction, the enemy continues to regroup troops, and has not taken offensive actions.
On the Bakhmut direction, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to break through our defenses in the areas of Orihovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Klishchevka, and Kurdyumivka of the Donetsk region.
"In this direction, our troops liberated Andriivka and Klishchiivka. But the enemy is trying with all their might to regain the lost positions. Therefore, our fighters are holding back the enemy's attacks there and entrenching themselves at the achieved boundaries," said Malyar.
She added that the offensive in the Bakhmut direction is being carried out by the forces that are conducting the defense. That is, without the creation of an offensive group, without the use of additional resources and material means.
"For a week, two square kilometers were freed in the Bakhmut direction. The total freed area near Bakhmut is 51 square kilometers," the deputy minister concluded.
In the Avdiivka and Marinka directions, the enemy is unsuccessfully trying to establish full control over Maryinka and surround Avdievka in the Donetsk region. The enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Keramik, Avdievka, Severna, Marinka, Donetsk region.
It will be recalled that since the beginning of the offensive, the Defense Forces have freed 260 square kilometers of territory in the southern direction, five square kilometers were deoccupied in the last week.
#1
With the casualties taken, NYT reports the Ukrainian Counter Offensive Deaths were close to 70,000, with 100,000 to 120,000 wounded, so you'd expect some gains. The question is if UKR can hold it and capitalize from it.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:53 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he had arrived in New York and immediately from the airport was going to see Ukrainian soldiers who were undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in the United States. “Next are important and busy days. The UN General Assembly, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the Security Council. Significant bilateral meetings have already been scheduled,” the president said. He clarified that negotiations are planned in Washington with Biden, with the leaders of the chambers and parties of Congress, with the military leadership, American business, journalists, and the community.
22:47 South Korea will give Ukraine two K600 Rhino minefield traversing vehicles in addition to the previous batch of old mine detectors, the country's government announced.
22:35 A global restructuring has been launched at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The new Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov initiated the dismissal of all deputies that he inherited from Alexei Reznikov. According to media reports, Umerov personally convinced Zelensky to replace the entire team in the ministry, and none of the fired officials would be able to return to their positions. For more details, see the Ministry of Defense's material from scratch .
21:34 Zelensky will hold a meeting with Brazilian President Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday, September 20, the Brazilian presidential administration said.
21:26 Germany has prepared a new package of military assistance to Ukraine worth 400 million euros, but Taurus missiles are not included in it, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. He clarified that the package will include ammunition, vehicles and mine clearance systems, as well as warm clothing and generators.
20:37 The number of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in the EU since the beginning of the war has reached almost 10 million people, said Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. According to him, in the Czech Republic alone the number of migrants from Ukraine is 440 thousand - this is 4% of the country's population.
19:48 Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that he flew to Germany for the 15th meeting in the Ramstein format. According to him, representatives of almost 50 countries will take part in the meeting.
18:13 There is evidence that the health of the head of Chechnya has sharply deteriorated. According to one information, he fell into a coma, and according to another, he died altogether. Read more in the article What happened to Kadyrov .
17:07 The next council of EU foreign ministers will most likely be held in Kiev in early October, the Italian agency Ansa reports, citing sources. At this meeting, the EU intends to “continue the path of Ukraine’s integration” and express support for Kyiv.
16:55 Ukraine returned two more children from the temporarily occupied territories, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said.
16:39 In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian forces broke through the enemy’s defense line, which he tried to close, throwing all available reserves into battle. In the battles in this direction, some of the most trained and best units of the enemy were defeated and completely lost their combat capability - the 72nd separate motorized rifle brigade, the 31st and 83rd separate air assault brigades, said the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Syrsky.
According to him, there are fierce battles in the Bakhmut area. After the loss of Andreevka and Kleshcheevka, the enemy carried out numerous counterattacks from different directions, unsuccessfully trying to regain positions. Syrsky explained that these small settlements were important elements of the enemy’s defensive line, stretching from Bakhmut to Gorlovka.
The Russian army is also actively preparing to resume the offensive in the Kupyansky and Limansky directions, the commander added.
16:05 The EU is preparing for a “fight” in the process of preparing the 12th package of sanctions against Russia, writes Bloomberg. According to the publication, the G7 countries are moving forward on the issue, in particular, of banning the purchase of diamonds from the Russian Federation. New restrictions could be introduced as early as October. According to sources, they may include a proposal for a mechanism for using profits from frozen assets of the Russian Federation to help Ukraine. Some EU members, including Poland and the Baltic states, are calling for additional sanctions, particularly on IT services.
15:26 The Russians fired artillery at the village of Severnoe in the city of Toretsk, Donetsk region, one person was killed. In addition, the Russian military carried out an air missile strike on Avdeevka, killing one person, the prosecutor's office reported.
15:18 Russian media report shelling of the building of the “head of the DPR administration” in the center of Donetsk. Ukrainian troops allegedly fired three MLRS rockets at the city center, causing minor damage to the building.
14:44 CIT investigative journalists published photos of damage to the Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don, which Ukraine struck last week while it was at a ship repair yard in Sevastopol:
14:11 The US Congress maintains a high level of support for continued assistance to Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the National Security Council. He dismissed concerns that funding could be cut because congressional support for Ukraine's defense funding "remains very, very strong."
13:45 The Russian Federation has encountered problems obtaining Chinese drones, reports the Russian publication Kommersant. From September 1, China limited the export of drones, which complicated their deliveries to Russia and resulted in a shortage of components. Sellers of Chinese drones are trying to establish parallel imports, but are facing opposition, including in Kazakhstan, which recently tightened the import procedure.
At the same time, large Russian drone manufacturers have managed to stockpile spare parts and are now hoping that their suppliers in China will be able to obtain all permits. However, obtaining such permits can take up to a year - to do this, you need to prove that the drone will not be used for military purposes and provide information about the final recipient.
13:07 In Bulgaria, ammunition was found and neutralized, which was found along with the wreckage of a drone near Tyulenovo, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. According to the department, an 82 mm mortar shell was attached to the found drone. It is not yet known whether the drone fell from the air or was carried by the current.
12:20 There is a lull in the Liman-Kupyansk direction, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces Ilya Yevlash: “In particular, we see the transfer of the 25th Army in the Liman-Kupyansk direction. Now there is some calm there, in the sense that there are no direct combat events there clashes. The enemy is now placing more emphasis on artillery... He is not moving on to military clashes after he has been pretty much bullied by our Defense Forces, in particular near Novoegorovka and other populated areas."
11:56 The Cabinet of Ministers dismissed all deputy ministers of defense and the ministry’s secretary of state, said government representative in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnichuk. In particular, Anna Malyar, Vladimir Gavrilov, Andrey Shevchenko, Vitaly Deinega and others were fired.
11:43 The third separate assault brigade raised the flag of Ukraine over Andreevka, Donetsk region. The recently liberated village is under constant shelling and enemy attempts to storm it, but it was important to raise the Ukrainian flag here - this means that Andreevka has been completely liberated and has come under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the soldiers said.
11:24 On September 17, the Russians fired artillery at the civilian infrastructure of the city of Vorozhba, Sumy region: one person was wounded, three private households, an electrical network and an elevator were damaged, the prosecutor’s office reported.
11:20 Ukraine will be able to powerfully break through Russian defenses, and it is already known where this will happen, Zelensky said in an interview with CBS: “Everyone wants us to break through the defense lines. We really want this... It will happen, I’m sure of it. And "I can't say where it will be faster. I can't say that, I don't want to share information, sorry, because I know where we are going to break through - and break through powerfully. I really hope and believe in our warriors that this will happen."
10:47 During the draw attack on Ukraine, an unprecedented amount of Russian aviation was recorded in the airspace, said Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat: “Tonight there was an unprecedented amount of aviation. Several dozen aircraft, which is unusual for night time, were in the airspace. This and drones and tactical aircraft that attacked Ukraine along with cruise missiles and suicide bombers.
10:32 Russian troops attacked Berislav in the Kherson region from a drone in the morning, four local residents were injured. The enemy deliberately attacked a crowded place, dropping explosives near the local bus station, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. There was also a report of yesterday evening shelling of Nikolaevka, as a result of which one person was killed and one was wounded.
10:04 In the Khmelnitsky region, during a night attack as a result of missiles being shot down by a blast wave, roofs and windows in several households were damaged, falling debris and two explosions were also recorded on the territory of a production enterprise. The railroad tracks were damaged by debris, but no people were injured, said Sergei Tyurin, first deputy head of the OVA.
09:45 British intelligence reports that over the past two weeks Russia has additionally strengthened the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is in a difficult situation, in the Orekhovsky direction in the Zaporozhye region with additional airborne units. In total, at least five airborne regiments, drawn from the 7th and 76th divisions, are believed to be now concentrated within a few kilometers of the front-line village of Rabotino.
At full strength, such forces should amount to about 10 thousand elite paratroopers. However, almost all units are in critical condition, analysts believe. In their opinion, the current situation will be perceived by the leadership of the Airborne Forces as extremely unsatisfactory. Throughout the war, the Russian command sought to revive the Airborne Forces as a highly mobile strike force for offensive operations, but they are again being used as line infantry to replenish depleted ground forces.
09:12 Anna Malyar clarified that the Ukrainian offensive in the Bakhmut direction “is carried out by the forces with which we are defending, that is, without creating an offensive group, without the use of additional resources and materiel.”
09:04 The Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service arrested a Defense Ministry official accused of exporting aircraft parts to the Russian Federation through third countries, despite EU sanctions, Euractiv reports.
09:02 Ukrainian troops liberated 2 quarters last week. km near Bakhmut, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. In total, 51 square meters have been liberated in this area since the beginning of the Ukrainian offensive. km.
On the southern front, the Defense Forces liberated 5.2 square meters over the past week. km, in total during the offensive - more than 260 sq. km. The Ukrainian military is advancing in the Melitopol direction and has had successes south and east of Rabotino, Zaporozhye region.
08:55 During the night attack, the Russian Federation attacked the Danube region with drones. A hit was recorded in the recreational infrastructure of the Vilkovsky community, a fire broke out, which was promptly extinguished, OK Pivden reported. Also, as a result of falling debris, an unused two-story building in the Snigirevsky community of the Nikolaev region caught fire. The fire was extinguished, no people were injured.
08:39 At night, air defense destroyed 18 of 24 Shahed drones and all 17 X-101/X-555/X-55 cruise missiles , the Air Force command reported. Enemy UAVs were flying from two directions: Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russian Federation and Cape Chauda, Crimea. They were launched in the direction of the Nikolaev and Odessa regions. The cruise missiles were launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the Volgograd region. The missiles were destroyed within the Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava and Khmelnytsky regions.
08:36 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Russia from 18 to 21, and the day before he held consultations with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Malta, including on Russia’s war against Ukraine, writes Reuters.
The White House said Chinese and American officials discussed, among other things, "key issues in the US-China bilateral relationship, as well as global and regional security issues, Russia's war against Ukraine and China-Taiwan relations."
08:27 Zelensky, in an interview with CBS, commented on the slow progress in the counter-offensive: “We must liberate as much of our territory as possible and move forward, even if it is less than a hundred meters, we must do it. We must not give Putin a break.” The president said that now the front line has turned into an artillery duel, where the Russians and Ukrainians are firing 40 thousand shells a day. The drone war has also slowed progress.
“This is a difficult situation. I will be absolutely frank with you. We have the initiative. This is a plus. We stopped the Russian offensive and launched a counteroffensive. And despite this, it is not very fast. It is important that we move forward every day and liberate territories.” , he emphasized.
08:15 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 18:
personnel - about 272,940 (+620) people,
tanks - 4623 (+3),
armored combat vehicles - 8834 (+6),
artillery systems - 6027 (+24),
MLRS - 776 (+0),
air defense weapons - 525 (+2),
aircraft - 315 (+0),
helicopters - 316 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 4769 (+27),
cruise missiles - 1462 (+7),
ships/boats - 20 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 8571 (+34),
special equipment - 901 (+5).
08:03 The Russians shelled the Kherson region all night, there are dead and injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. In particular, in Kherson one person was killed and one was injured. In Kizomys, one person was also killed and one was injured as a result of a hit in a private house. Another person was wounded during the shelling of Olgovka. And over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling in the region, two people were killed and four were injured.
07:44 Over the past 24 hours, more than 35 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled enemy attacks in the Belaya Gora and Andreevka areas of the Donetsk region. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue assault operations in the Kleshcheevka area and consolidate on the achieved lines.
In the Maryinsky direction, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to advance in the Marinka area of the Donetsk region, and in the Avdeevsky and Shakhtarsky directions the Defense Forces held the initiative and carried out assaults. The Ukrainian offensive also continues in the Melitopol direction.
06:36 Budanov said in an interview with The Economist that Ukraine may have time to break Russia’s land corridor with occupied Crimea before the onset of winter. He also noted that Russia is now desperate and has deployed insufficiently strong reserves, which it did not plan to deploy until the end of October. “Contrary to what the Russian Federation declares, it has absolutely no strategic reserve,” the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate emphasized.
Speaking about the pace of the counteroffensive, Budanov pointed out that the slow pace of advance against a dug-in and well-prepared enemy is simply a reflection of reality: “Is the pencil strong or weak? It depends on how you look at it. The counteroffensive continues. Ukraine still has time. Until "The dirty season is still more than a month away. And that's a fact."
In addition, Budanov said that Ukraine is using drones on the territory of the Russian Federation in order to deplete the Russian air defense system, disable transport and bomber aircraft, and also cause damage to military production facilities. In addition, the secondary purpose of such attacks is psychological. “We want to take them out of their comfort zone,” said the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate. “Drones certainly facilitate operations to liberate our territories. We are not afraid of drones, and we don’t mind losing them,” he added.
The chief intelligence officer admitted that a long war is dangerous for Ukraine, since the country depends on external players, while Russia “largely depends on itself.” But, according to his forecasts, the Russian economy will only last until 2025, and the flow of weapons will dry up in 2026, “perhaps earlier.”
Text taken from Russian ministry of defense website (available only through a VPN)
[EngMilRu] Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (18 September 2023)
Last night, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group strike with long-range airborne precision weapons and strike drones against places where the Kiev regime is storing Storm Shadow cruise missiles and depleted uranium ammunition, as well as centres for radio-technical reconnaissance and the training of sabotage groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The goal of the strike has been achieved. All the targets have been engaged.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces in cooperation with aviation and artillery repelled six enemy attacks near Kleshcheyevka, Veseloye, Mayorsk, Mar'yinka, and Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Up to 255 Ukrainian personnel, three armoured fighting vehicles, and seven motor vehicles have been neutralised.
In counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 110th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been obliterated close to Avdeevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In Zaporozhye direction, coordinated efforts of the Russian Group in combination with air strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flame-throwing systems defeated a cluster of manpower and hardware of the 71st Jaeger Brigade near Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).
Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three pick-up trucks, two
122mm D-30 howitzers, one U.S.-made M119 gun, as well as one AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station have been eliminated.
In Krasny Liman direction, two attacks launched by assault detachments of the 67th Mechanised Brigade and the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Chervonaya Dibrova and Serebryansky forest were repelled by professional efforts of the Tsentr Group of Forces, helicopter strikes, and artillery fire.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 50 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, as well as one 152mm D-20 howitzer.
In South Donetsk direction, the Vostok Group of Forces, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrowers inflicted a complex defeat on manpower and hardware of the 31st Mechanised Brigade and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 180 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, three armoured fighting vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, as well as one D-20 howitzer.
Also, an ammunition depot of the AFU's 38th Naval Infantry Brigade was destroyed near Prechistovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In Kupyansk direction, air strikes and artillery fire of the Zapad Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of the 14th, 30th, 92nd Mechanised and 25th Airborne Brigades of the AFU, as well as the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Sin'kovka, Berestovoye (Khar'kov region) and Novosyolovskoye and Artyomovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
Up to 20 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and two 152mm Msta-B howitzers were destroyed.
In Kherson direction, over 80 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, and two D-30 howitzers have been destroyed during the day.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 123 areas during the day.
Also, four command posts of the 67th and 110th Mechanised Brigades of the AFU and the 100th and 112th Territorial Defence Brigades were hit near Torskoye, Serebryanka, and Avdeevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian air defence forces have intercepted five HIMARS MLRS shells during the day.
Moreover, 27 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were downed close to Spornoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Chervonopopovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Mirnoye, Proletarskoye, and Skelevatoye (Zaporozhye region), and Kokhany (Kherson region).
In total, 472 airplanes, 249 helicopters, 6,865 unmanned aerial vehicles, 437 air defence missile systems, 11,931 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,151 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,426 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,121special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 09/18/2023 to 00:00 09/19/2023
Over the past 24 hours, the Representative Office reported 31 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
Information was received about the death of two civilians in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk and Staromikhailovka.
A man was seriously injured in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
Residential buildings were damaged in the Kievsky district of Donetsk, as well as one civil infrastructure facility.
Areas of five settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district), Zaitsevo, Yasinovatsky district, the capital city of Donetsk (Voroshilovsky, Kuibyshevsky, Kirovsky, Kievsky, Petrovsky districts), Makeevka (Chervonogvardeysky district).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 23 attacks from MLRS and 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
At Gorlivske there were six artillery attacks from 152mm and 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
On Yasinovatsky there were two artillery attacks from 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
A total of 104 units of various ammunition were produced.
In the previous day, 50 artillery attacks were recorded from the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces.
21:02 Pantsir-S1 air defense system works out against air targets in the NWO zone
19:34 Zaporozhye direction, the junction of the Zaporozhye region and the DPR, reports the Northern Military District:
A powerful battle is reported in the area of the village of Priyutino. The enemy is launching a large-scale attack. All types of weapons work. It's a tough fight.
18:58 The crew of a reconnaissance and attack helicopter with a missiledestroyedarmored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction.
18:20 A man was killed when Ukrainian terrorists shelled the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
17:27 Another terrorist shelling in Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to terrorize the capital of the Donetsk People's Republic. As a result of the artillery attack of the Voroshilovsky district, the administration of the acting Head of the DPR was damaged. According to updated data, the missile attack on the center of Donetsk was carried out using the American Himars MLRS
17:25 Situation in the Kupyansk direction: enemy maneuvers:
In the Kupyansk area, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are active - units are being rotated in a truncated format; the enemy, understanding the complexity of the current situation, is transferring additional forces here, which are clearly not enough. The reason is that the most combat-ready units are deployed in the Zaporozhye (in the Rabotino area), South Donetsk (Vrem'evsky salient), and Soledaro-Bakhmut directions.
Logistically, these sectors of the front are tied to a single rear base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Dnepropetrovsk region. The transfer is carried out along the front line from Krivoy Rog (exit to the Nikolaevo-Kherson direction) to Pavlograd (exit to Pokrovsk - former Krasnoarmeysk), from where the line diverges further to Slavyansk, Kurakhovo and Konstantinovka. There is no railway connection with Kupyansk, which creates serious difficulties in terms of transferring reserves. The main rotation forces are concentrated in the area of Staroverovka, Blagodatovka, Grushevka and Nechvolodovka, with a minimum of equipment.
As before, the main enemy forces are concentrated on the right bank of Kupyansk - the industrial zone in the area of the Sugar Factory, as well as Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. Headquarters units and logistics support are concentrated in the Internat area (northwestern part of the city). Units performing the functions of barrier detachments are also based here - the National Guard and groups of foreign mercenaries represented by the Germans. On the right bank, in the forest area in the village of Kovsharovka, artillery was mainly concentrated, while the greenery allows for the secret placement of guns and MLRS installations. The enemy also has a stray M142 HIMARS, as well as one Caesar self-propelled gun.
In the event of our frontal attack from the direction of Sin'kovka, there is a chance to run into the enemy’s layered defense in the area of Promka and Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have equipped a chain of fortifications and firing points in multi-story buildings. It has no shortage of 120mm mortars. At the same time, the moral and psychological state of the Ukrainian troops here is at a low level.
The majority believes that the right bank will be able to hold out no more than 2 weeks from the beginning of the offensive of the Russian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, we still believe that pressing the right bank is reasonable, but an assault on fortified positions occupied by even weakly motivated units will lead to unreasonable losses on our part.
The enemy's communication via Oskol has been disrupted. The crossing is not operational in the area of the TV tower; traffic from the city center to the sugar plant is also limited. The bridge is seriously shabby, they are constantly trying to patch it, but it is only suitable for small-tonnage vehicles. The crossing to Uzlovaya from the Kantsedalovka side (the so-called Western) operates more reliably, but its capacity is not high, and the descent from the mountain leads through open terrain, which makes the transfer risky due to the possibility of fire control on our part.
In the city itself (as the locals call the left bank part) there are no fortification works; the enemy is building the main lines of defense to the west - outside the city. If we discard the assumption that the enemy is deliberately creating the impression of a weak defense of Kupyansk, then it is quite logical to assume that he does not count on our further advance - even if the city is taken.
17:05 Situation at the front on September 18:
Flanks of Artyomovsk:
Andreevka - Kleshcheevka in the gray zone. Statements about the complete control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces over Kleshcheevka are still untrue. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have too few forces to control and hold the village.
Russian artillery has been actively attacking units of the Ukrainian troops for the second day: the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to accumulate troops in the south and closer to the center of Kleshcheevka, but retreated under artillery fire from the Russian Armed Forces and aviation.
Equipment is not used in large quantities, the Ukrainian infantry travels most of the way on foot, losses are heavy, full control of the village was not discussed initially, now the situation is gradually starting to worsen: the low-lying village is in ruins, it is difficult to gain a foothold in this area. In the Andreevka area, the situation is similar to Kleshcheevka: most of the village is in the gray zone, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to accumulate in nearby plantings, Russian artillery is actively working.
Zaporozhye:
A difficult situation for the units of the 82nd Separate Airborne Brigade and the 47th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Magura" in the plantings in the Rabotino - Verbovoe - Novoprokopovka section. There was an attempt to move forward, but the minefields were activated. The equipment was lost, the infantry was scattered throughout the plantings.
After several days of continuous grinding of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ manpower in the area of the village of Rabotino, several counterattacks followed, as a result of which the neck of the fire bag into which the Ukrainian Armed Forces fell began to gradually shrink, which complicates the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this area. In the Pyatikhatki area the situation does not change: the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffer losses and retreat, regroup and suffer losses again.
South Donetsk direction:
The situation is steadily tense. The 36th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to occupy several forest belts and carried out at least four serious assaults, three of which the infantry carried out without equipment cover, and during the fourth they lost two Finnish armored personnel carriers and a T-80 tank. Priyutnoye, Novodonetskoye, Novomayorskoye - the situation is unchanged.
16:25 Consequences of artillery attack of the Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk by Ukrainian militants -photo.
16:15 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for September 18, as of 16:00, additional information was received about civilian casualties in the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Petrovsky district): - on the street. Velyaminova, 46, a man born in 1991 was injured as a result of an explosion on the PFM “Lepestok” mine.
As of September 18, 133 cases of bombing of civilians were registered, incl. Eleven children, on PFM-1 Lepestok mines. Three of the victims died as a result of their injuries.
Information has been received about damage as a result of artillery attack by the AFU in the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk:
Voroshilovsky district: – direct hit on the roof of the administrative building on Blvd. Pushkin.
Kyiv district: - st. Vzletnaya, 85 – direct hit on a private residential building, followed by fire.
15:40 According to preliminary data, there were no dead or injured during the artillery attack of the center of Donetsk. About itstatedActing head of the republic Denis Pushilin.
15:25 Explosions in the border areas of the Sumy region.
15:15 The mayor of Donetsk, Alexey Kulemzin, confirmed the information that the city center, in particular the administration, is under fire - Pushkin Boulevard is in the risk zone.
15:10 A shell from Ukrainian militants hit the DPR Administration building. There is no information about casualties -video.
15:05 Control of villages as of 09/18/2023
Zaporozhye direction:
– Pyatikhatki is a gray area.
– Rabotino – the north and part of the center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the southern outskirts – the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Part of the gray area.
– Verbovoe – RF Armed Forces.
– Priyutnoe – RF Armed Forces
– Urozhaynoye – APU
– Staromayorskoe – 2/3 for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the rest is a gray area
– Novodonetskoe – RF Armed Forces
– Novomayorskoe – RF Armed Forces
Artemovsk direction:
– Kleshcheevka – south and part of the center under the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the remaining part is a gray zone, positions of the Russian Armed Forces on the northern outskirts and behind the railway.
– Andreevka – most of the destroyed village is a gray zone. Our positions are near the railway. APU in adjacent plantings and on the western outskirts.
– Kurdyumovka – RF Armed Forces.
– Berkhovka – RF Armed Forces
– Zheleznodorozhnoe – RF Armed Forces
14:58 Ukrainian militants fired three MLRS missiles at the Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk - representative of the DPR JCCC.
14:55 Explosions were heard near the administration building of the head of the DPR in the center of Donetsk - RIA Novosti.
14:40 Sumy region and the border region in the report of the channel Paratrooper’s Diary:
“Since the morning, the enemy has been artillery attack the Kursk region, in particular, artillery attack the settlement. Tyotkino and settlements of the Sudzhansky district. Our artillery and aviation did not delay long in responding, and are processing military facilities behind enemy lines in the Sumy region. The defeat of the enemy's military arsenal by UFABs has been confirmed.”
14:00 Destruction of armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by aviation of the Southern Group -video.
13:21 Scary personnel consequences of the artillery attack of Svetlodarsk in the DPR.
Eyewitnesses report that artillery attack has become much more frequent. In addition to the tire shop and market, the building of the city Ministry of Emergency Situations and a residential apartment building were damaged. Several floors were destroyed.
12:58 Another Ukrainian Armed Forces armored vehicle has become a pile of metal in the South Donetsk direction –video.
The crew of a reconnaissance and attack helicopter destroyed enemy armored vehicles with a precise hit from a guided missile.
12:34 Live hit into an Ukrainian Armed Forces tank with an unguided artillery shell, and even in motion.
The fire was carried out by the crew of the 152mm Msta-B howitzer of the GADn 228th Regiment in the Krasnolimansk direction.
12:27 Situation in the South Donetsk direction:
Calm remains at the Vrem'evsky site. The enemy is regrouping forces and, according to radio intercepts, units of the 37th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already beginning to fall under artillery strikes north of Novomayorsky, although recently at the same positions their “brothers” from the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade were asking for help and evacuation on the air.
To the east of Urozhayny, the 37th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade discovered an attempt by the 36th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to occupy a forest belt in the “gray zone”, after which artillery and tanks with PDO effectively worked on the enemy.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces again tried to attack units of the 5th Combined Arms Army southwest of Staromayorsky, and again lost people without achieving success.
North of Priyutny, the enemy suffered serious losses and, as far as can be judged, is again going on the defensive, having failed to recapture what the soldiers of the 5th Army occupied at the beginning of the month.
In the Ugledarsky sector north of Vladimirovka, an attempt to rotate the enemy was stopped, as a result of which a pickup truck and three units of manpower were destroyed. The artillery of the Russian Armed Forces is still actively working along the front of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Ugledar to Novomikhailovka.
12:15 Deflected Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on Crimea:
Yesterday, Ukrainian formations again tried to attack Crimea. Since noon, there was an active transfer of troops on boats to Zmeiny from Vilkovo, which at around 15-16 hours headed towards the Crimea through gas production installations and fields.
The movement of the landing forces of the Ukrainian main steering and special forces on 14 boats was detected in advance. Su-24 naval aviation aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet were sent to the area of their movement, which at 19.39 and 19.40 struck with four RBK-500 cluster munitions.
As a result, several watercraft were damaged, and the rest turned around and departed in the opposite direction. At the same time, the DRG sortie was planned to be coordinated in time with the launch of drones on the peninsula.
Units of the 31st Air Force and Air Defense Division, together with electronic warfare crews, shot down and suppressed five aircraft-type drones: two were landed by electronic warfare at Cape Fiolent, two were destroyed on approach to the Belbek airfield, and another one was over the southwestern part of Sevastopol.
12:10 The widely publicized Ukrainian counter-offensive has been going on for three and a half months. Briefly about "successes» APU for the last 1.5 months:
– Zaporozhye Front:
– Pyatikhatki/Lobkovoe section: 0.9 sq. km.
– Rabotino site: 34.8 sq. km.
– Donetsk Front
– Bolshaya Novoselka plot: 15.7 sq. km.
– South Bakhmut front section: 8.4 km.
In total, in 1.5 months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to recapture about 59.8 square meters, which is slightly less than the successes achieved during the second month of the counteroffensive. Many Ukrainian and Western media outlets are triumphantly reporting on the Ukrainian army's achievements this month, declaring that Russia's defense line has been breached and our troops are in a "difficult situation."
Judging by the general appearance of the front, it has not changed significantly; the Armed Forces of Ukraine never reached the Sea of Azov, the borders of Crimea and the city of Tokmak in the Zaporozhye region.
The depletion of the Ukrainian army shows that achieving the goals of this summer counteroffensive was impossible. Although it cannot yet be said that the Ukrainian army has lost its offensive potential, it has enough resources to maintain the pace of hostilities for several more months.
The defenses built on the southern flank (and which even today are still being built) were prepared specifically to stop this type of attack; in fact, between the main lines of defense there are numerous trenches and defensive lines, making up a complex system that cannot be overcome so easily .
Forecast for the remainder of the fourth month of the offensive: the Ukrainian army will continue to be depleted, launching attacks in the southern and Bakhmut directions, but without significant advances. The Russian army will be on the defensive for some time, mobilized soldiers and volunteers will continue to gain experience.
12:05 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for September 18, as of 12:00, information was received about civilian casualties in the cities of the Republic:
n.p. Staromikhailovka: - on the street. Chkalova, 18 “b” a man born in 1952 was killed as a result of the detonation of a previously unexploded cluster submunition.
11:27 The enemy reported that last night, in addition to attacks on Kherson and the Odessa region, the Russian Aerospace Forces againbombedguided bombs on Zmeiny Island, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces remain active.
10:44 Situation in the Zaporozhye direction at 10:00:
At night the enemy tried to advance in the area of the settlement of Rabotino with the help of heavy equipment in the amount of two tanks and a platoon of infantry. The tanks were blown up on pre-equipped minefields, the infantry, without the support of equipment, immediately scattered across the plantings and were covered with mortar fire.
In the area of the village of Verbovoe paratroopers entered the battle and attempted to advance the Azov MTR and the Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry.
10:24 Businessman David Sachs posted map of military operations in Ukraine and noted that the territories occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the counteroffensive are so small that they are barely visible.
10:00 During the day, the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC recorded 50 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian Federal Unitary Forces, and 166 ammunition were fired.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 35 attacks from 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
On Gorlovsky - 15 artillery attacks from 122mm and 155mm artillery, incl. with a cassette warhead.
On Svetlodarsky - One artillery attack from 155mm caliber artillery. The enemy fired at Donetsk, Makeevka, Gorlovka, Mironovsky.
Over the past 24 hours, information has been received about one person being injured in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk. Seven residential buildings and two civil infrastructure facilities in Donetsk were damaged.
09:29 The Ministry of Defense published personnel destruction of armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction. The crew of a reconnaissance and attack helicopter destroyed an armored vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a guided missile strike.
09:24 The Russian Armed Forces are striking targets in the Sumy region. Earlier, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired at the border village of Tetkino (Kursk Region) from the territory of the region.
09:20 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired cannon artillery:
-- in the village of Kardashinka nine rounds;
-- n.p. Peschanivka eight rounds;
-- n.p. Novaya Zburevka nine rounds;
-- n.p. Krynki six rounds;
--o n.p. Solontsy 12 rounds;
-- n.p. Dnepryan seven rounds;
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlement of Novaya Kakhovka, settlement. Kakhovka, Podstepnoe, Korsunka, Sagi, firing a total of 30 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:13 Due to artillery attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novaya Kakhovka, a water pipe in one of the residential buildings was broken
An enemy shell hit the basement of a house at 134 Zaporozhtsev Street. As a result of the attack, a water pipe was broken.
In addition, due to artillery attack by Ukrainian militants, some settlements were urgently cut off from power supply. There is currently no electricity in the villages of Raiskoye and Topolevka.
All operational services continue to work and eliminate the consequences of inhumane artillery attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces militants.
09:07 The Armed Forces of Ukraine may lose five to six units of wheeled vehicles per day in the Rabotin-Verbovoy area. The commander of an intelligence unit with the call sign Bekas, who is now working in this sector of the front, told RT military correspondent Vlad Andritsa about this.video.
08:35 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the battles for the village of Kleshcheevka near Bakhmut continue.
Let us recall that yesterday the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Ermak, followed by President Vladimir Zelensky, announced the capture of this settlement by Ukrainian troops.
08:17 Frontline summary on the morning of 09/18/2023:
In the Zaporozhye direction, Ukrainian troops, after artillery preparation, attacked at Novoprokopovka and Verbovoy. No success. The Russian Armed Forces attacked positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the settlements of Orekhov, Rabotino and Malaya Tokmachka. They themselves found themselves under fire in Kopany, Tokmak, Il'chenkovo and Novopokrovka.
In the Ugledarsky sector, Russian troops counterattacked from Priyutnoye. The Russian Aerospace Forces worked on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Staromayorsky and Prechistovka. Ukrainian artillery hit Russian troops in Zavetny Zhelanie, Staromlynovka and Novodonetsk.
On the Donetsk front, the Russian Armed Forces again carried out assault operations in Marinka and tried to recapture previously lost positions in the Opytnoye area. Under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Novomikhailovka, the city of Krasnogorovka, Severny (a settlement west of Avdeevka) and Avdievka. Ukrainian artillery worked on Russian positions in Donetsk and Opytny.
In the Bakhmut direction, the Russian Armed Forces counterattacked near Andreevka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to oust Russian troops from positions near the railway line, and the Russian Armed Forces are counterattacking. The enemy also carried out offensive operations along the M-03 highway in the Dubovo-Vasilievka area, trying to seize the initiative in this area.
08:15 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are almost no chance to approach Artemovsk (DPR) undetected, since it is surrounded by fields and forest belts for several kilometers, and the likelihood of a direct attack by Kyiv on the city is extremely low. This was reported by an intelligence officer from the Southern Group of the Russian Armed Forces.
08:06 Summaryon the morning of September 18, 2023:
At night, the Russian Armed Forces hit the port of Kiliya in the Odessa region on the border with Romania with “Geraniums”. Two waves of missile attacks are reported on a military airfield in Starokonstantinov (Khmelnitsky region), where carriers of Storm Shadow missiles and their analogues are based.
To the south of Artemovsk (Bakhmut), battles continue at Kleshcheevka and Andreevka. Populated areas have been wiped off the face of the earth; neither side controls these villages, near which there are critical heights. However, a small group of enemy infantry stood in the ruins with a flag so that Zelensky could make statements about the “capture” of one of the villages.
In the Vremevsky direction, enemy attacks were repelled at Novodonetsky and Staromayorsky.
In the evening, an enemy UAV attack on Crimea was repelled, and information was received about the destruction of two surface targets off the western coast of the peninsula. Preliminarily - high-speed boats with landing forces.
In the Belgorod region, the Valuysky and Grayvoronsky urban districts were under fire, and an aircraft-type drone was shot down in the Belgorod region. In the Kursk region, in Uspenovka, Korenevsky district, three wounded civilians (one seriously), a village was shelled. Tetkino.
07:37 Regular trophies of western production:
“We again got samples of AT4 and NLAW anti-tank grenade launchers from the enemy...” says the serviceman.
“They shot everything Russian, but they simply didn’t even touch the foreign stuff, because they simply don’t know how to use it,” noted our fighter.
07:10 Explosions were heard all night in Ukraine - Russian Geraniums and missiles worked on strategic targets
The Russian army worked at facilities located, including in the Odessa and Khmelnytsky regions. Explosions were heard in Kiliya and Izmail, where port facilities are located.
In the Khmelnytsky region, a possible target for our fighters could be the military airfield in Starokonstantinov - according to some sources, the carriers of Western Storm Shadow and SCALP EG missiles are located there.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Enemy units in the Zaporizhzhya direction are suffering heavy losses and require the command of the Armed Forces to carry out a rotation, said the leader of the Zaporizhzhya movement “We are together with Russia” Vladimir Rogov on September 18 . According to him, the demand was made by soldiers of an elite unit - the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Magura Armed Forces of Ukraine. The brigade was given the task of breaking through to Crimea, but in reality, elite enemy fighters are dying near the village of Rabotino, Rogov told RIA Novosti.
Reports that the enemy is having difficulties with rotation on the LBC (line of combat contact) were also cited by other sources, in particular Ukraine. ru in his Telegram channel. If earlier the withdrawal of fighters to the rear and delivery from the second echelon worked like clockwork, now the enemy’s reserves have ceased to cover the losses, the report states.
Earlier it became known that the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces nevertheless decided to withdraw to the rear the 82nd Air Assault Brigade (ASB), which had previously been kept in reserve, but was transferred to Rabotino.
Individual enemy units indeed suffered heavy losses, but the general exhaustion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in this sector of the front should not be overestimated, says the source of the news agency Regnum, who is now in the Zaporozhye direction. Part of the enemy forces was withdrawn to the rear for strategic reasons, the interlocutor indicated.
“In general, their tactics boil down to the rule: push everywhere, and where it breaks, push even more,” the source noted. According to him, the enemy is also trying to take advantage of the rotation of Russian units.
“In the Rabotino area they caught us changing units,” said a combat participant. — They threw the 82nd Brigade into battle, and it was able to advance. Then reinforcements arrived, they stopped and dug in . The 82nd Airborne Brigade did not suffer devastating losses; rather, it returned to reserve. They will be waiting to see where they can advance.”
To a greater extent, the enemy is saving not so much manpower as NATO armored vehicles - that’s why they are trying to use infantry, the source of IA Regnum is sure . He explained: “Somewhere at their headquarters they assessed the losses of the previous few months and came to the conclusion that the previously chosen tactics were not working.”
Instead of a “breakthrough” - a breakthrough in populated areas with the participation of a large number of armored vehicles - the Ukrainian Armed Forces returned to their old tactics: landing troops from armored vehicles, “then the landing force tries to either gain a foothold on some line or move forward, the equipment leaves. If tanks work, then only from closed positions, and even then they don’t stay long,” the publication’s interlocutor said.
“IN THE FIELDS BETWEEN RABOTINO, VERBOV AND NOVOPROKOPOVKA”
In general, in the Zaporozhye direction, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is introducing more and more reserve units into battle, trying to expand the small bridgehead occupied at the end of August. According to the IA Regnum source , in fact, the enemy’s offensive has stopped, but there is no talk of any lull.
“If we talk specifically about the Rabotino region, then on our part it all comes down to preventing the enemy from further advancing forward, and, if possible, pushing them out of previously occupied positions in the fields between Rabotino, Verbov and Novoprokopovka,” the interlocutor said. He added that in some places the Ukrainians were pushed back.
“They continue to try to advance, identify firing points, and work on them,” the source noted, emphasizing that the enemy is already working “without much enthusiasm.”
Fighting also continues on other sectors of the front in the Zaporozhye region and the DPR, where the enemy is carrying out diversionary strikes. However, the direction of Rabotino remains a priority for the Ukrainian Armed Forces as the shortest route to Melitopol and the Sea of Azov.
“If we talk about the hospital as a whole, then in different sectors of the front such attempts to “break in” with small forces continue. There is activity in the Urozhainy area, and there is activity further east in the Novomayorsky area,” a source told IA Regnum . “There, the naval infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are once again banging their foreheads against our defenses. They also try to bypass fields and vegetable gardens. When trying to enter a populated area, we demolish any shelters where they can hide. Just like in Novomayorsky, actually. Armored vehicles are burning in the fields. So the situation is rather stable . "
Judging by the interlocutor’s words, fighters in the Zaporozhye direction believe that now the main activity of the “counter-offensive” has shifted to the DPR, more precisely to the areas west of Artyomovsk - where the enemy is trying to break through our defenses in the Kurdyumovka-Andreevka-Kleshcheevka area.
PUDDLES, MUD AND STRATEGIC DEAD END
From that side of the front line there are reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are going to pause the “offensive” due to the approaching autumn thaw, and then winter. In any case, a publication in The Wall Street Journal dated September 17 tries to convince us of this. Ukrainian fighters told the American publication that due to bad weather, the armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces could not move forward.
“The rain will make our work very difficult, and the mud will seriously limit the maneuverability of armored vehicles. Logistics routes are already limited, and the further you go, the fewer options there will be. Opportunities for armored vehicles to operate will be limited ,” one of the Ukrainian military officers complained in a conversation with WSJ.
In fact, the implementation of the enemy’s plans is hampered not so much by the vagaries of the weather as by the strategic impasse in which the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine finds itself, a Regnum news agency source believes.
“They can probably try to launch a counter-offensive again,” the interlocutor noted. “ But, to be honest, I can’t imagine what they can do about this.” They tried to break through the ranks, but it didn’t work. Now we have gone into a “positional position”, success is also variable. Unless you gather together the remaining “Leopards” in a specific area and move forward with great force. But this can also end quickly, given our superiority in aviation and artillery.”
Earlier , Vladimir Zelensky said that the offensive would continue, even despite the weather conditions.
The Pentagon is driving the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a new offensive
“Forget about the weather and stuff like that. We will fly to those places where armored vehicles cannot travel. If we can’t fly, we’ll send drones,” the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with CBS.
In any case, you shouldn’t forget about the weather, the interlocutor comments. “Bad weather differs from bad weather. We sit in the same mud, we fight under the same rain. Probably, it may be more difficult for them in some ways, and it will be for us too. The equipment needs to be “changed” for the winter; for some, the tires will not be enough - the equipment will skid in the mud. Both ours and not ours,” a source told IA Regnum.
It is quite expected that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will attribute their future failures to bad weather. “Like, now you can’t attack, it’s dirty. “Why is there no success? Go yourself and fight in the mud.” This is how they usually silence those who ask questions. And somehow they will cool down for a while,” summed up the publication’s interlocutor.
Commentary by Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets
Well, they can, Andrey, and they will...
The brotherhood is rushing from all corners...
Kiev filed claims with the WTO against three EU countries (Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) because of their ban on the import of Ukrainian products.
But it’s more interesting that there, in this community, there is a much bigger quarrel going on under the glorious slogan “every world” than briefly mentioned above. I'll tell you now.
In response to the Myzdabuls’ threat to roll out the “cart” into the WTO against “European friends”, Hungary blocked imports from Ukraine MORE!!! for 25 types of agricultural products.
Poland threatens to boycott all negotiations on the entry of the “Nezalezhnaya” into the EU until the Myzdabuls comply with the strict entry rules that Poland itself has passed (and the Poles now don’t even have the right to make Krakow sausage, the Hungarians make it :))).
Romania also extended the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain for 30 days, with a possible extension.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin.
This is interesting due to the entirely deserved Russian reputation for fielding an armed rabble.
Link goes to an undated document which was written in 2023.
[ColonelCassad] The American military academy US Army War College (which accepts military personnel with the rank of lieutenant colonel or higher) published a short analytical note based on lessons learned from combat operations in Ukraine.
The main idea is that losses in a large-scale war are expected to be so large that the current formula of a fully professional army will not cope with them and it is necessary to think about the partial return of compulsory military service.
Daily casualties are expected to be approximately 3,600. The American army in its current form is categorically not ready for this. Over 20 years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has lost 50,000 personnel, and in a war like in Ukraine, these losses will be suffered in just two weeks.
Decades of graft, corruption, and failure to train, train, train demonstrates that what writers define as 'professional' is pretty much on the line of 'qualified' college graduate is here these days.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Zaporozhye direction.
1. Pyatikhatki is a gray area.
2. Rabotino - the north and part of the center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the southern outskirts - the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Part of the gray area.
3. Verbovoe - RF Armed Forces.
4. Priyutnoye - RF Armed Forces
5. Urozhaynoye - Armed Forces of Ukraine
6. Staromayorskoye - 2/3 under the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the rest is a gray zone
7. Novodonetskoye - RF Armed Forces
8. Novomayorskoye - RF Armed Forces
Artemovsk direction.
1. Kleshcheevka - south and part of the center under the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the remaining part is a gray zone, positions of the RF Armed Forces on the northern outskirts and behind the railway.
2. Andreevka - most of the destroyed village is a gray zone. Our positions are near the railway. APU in adjacent forests and on the western outskirts.
3. Kurdyumovka - RF Armed Forces.
4. Berkhovka - RF Armed Forces
5. Zheleznodorozhnoe - RF Armed Forces
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/97862 - broadcast of military operations in Ukraine, whoever is interested, subscribe
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
Translation note: Google Translate continues to translate the word advance (продвижения) into promotion. The translation has been corrected here and elsewhere.
[ColonelCassad] The highly publicized Ukrainian counteroffensive has been going on for three and a half months. Briefly about the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the past 1.5 months:
1. Zaporozhye Front:
- Pyatikhatki/Lobkovoe section: 0.9 sq. km.
- Rabotino site: 34.8 sq. km.
2. Donetsk front
- Bolshaya Novoselka section: 15.7 sq. km.
- South Bakhmut front section: 8.4 km.
In total, in 1.5 months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to recapture about 59.8 square kilometers, which is slightly less than the successes achieved during the second month of the counteroffensive. Many Ukrainian and Western media outlets are triumphantly reporting on the Ukrainian army's achievements this month, declaring that Russia's defense line has been breached and our troops are in a "difficult situation."
Judging by the general appearance of the front, it has not changed significantly; the Armed Forces of Ukraine never reached the Sea of Azov, the borders of Crimea and the city of Tokmak in the Zaporozhye region.
The depletion of the Ukrainian army shows that achieving the goals of this summer counteroffensive was impossible. Although it cannot yet be said that the Ukrainian army has lost its offensive potential, it has enough resources to maintain the pace of hostilities for several more months.
The defenses built on the southern flank (and which even today are still being built) were prepared specifically to stop this type of attack; in fact, between the main lines of defense there are numerous trenches and defensive lines, making up a complex system that cannot be overcome so easily .
Forecast for the remainder of the fourth month of the offensive:
The Ukrainian army will continue to be depleted, carrying out attacks in the southern and Bakhmut directions, but without significant advances. The Russian army will be on the defensive for some time, mobilized soldiers and volunteers will continue to gain experience.
[RT] Russian forces conducted a long-range strike on Ukrainian warehouses storing Western-supplied weapons, including long-range missiles and depleted uranium shells, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said. I guess we'll get confirmation - in a week, or so - from the Ukrainian side. When they accuse Putin of poisoning Ukrainian children with depleted uranium.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry said the military had conducted an overnight high-precision attack on Ukrainian facilities using air-launched assets and drones. The strikes targeted "the Kiev regime’s sites storing Storm Shadow cruise missiles, depleted uranium ammunition," the statement said.
The ministry added that the barrage and the drone raid also hit Ukraine’s signals intelligence centers and facilities that train sabotage groups. "The strike’s objective has been achieved. All facilities have been hit," it added.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian authorities reported several explosions in the western Khmelnitsky Region, which they said damaged a production facility. Local media also reported blasts in the port city of Izmail in the southern Odessa Region.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective ||
09/19/2023 00:00 ||
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[Breitbart] Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) has written to top Biden administration officials demanding the White House reveal if Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a transgender individual claiming to be a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, has ties to American intelligence services and if U.S. funds are currently subsidising Ashton-Cirillo’s apparent role in Ukraine after the personality went viral vowing that Russian "propagandists will be hunted down".
In a letter, seen by Breitbart News, to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance has requested any information the U.S. government has on apparently American-born former freelance journalist Sarah Ashton-Cirillo — born Michael John Cirillo — who reportedly became a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military earlier this year.
Appearing before a backdrop featuring the logo for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine (TDF) — a branch of Kyiv’s military — Ashton-Cirillo posted a video message earlier this week on social media declaring that Ukraine will "hunt down" alleged allies of the Kremlin operating in Ukraine as "propagandists".
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/19/2023 00:00 ||
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#1
Like cats following a laser pointer.
This is obviously theater, but boy did it get all the right people riled up. The left excels at this kind of theater.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mikhail Zakharov
[Regnum] Berlin must continue to increase defense spending “as tensions rise.” This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview published in the newspapers of the Funke editorial group. Continued on Page 49
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects that the International Court of Justice in The Hague will decide by the end of this year or early next year whether it will consider Ukraine’s claim against Russia for violating the genocide convention in connection with the special operation, the ambassador at large told RIA Novosti on September 18 Foreign Ministry Gennady Kuzmin , defending the interests of the Russian side in court.
“In light of existing practice, a decision can be expected before the end of the term of office of the current composition of the court, namely at the end of this year or the beginning of next year ,” he said.
Kuzmin added that if the claim is accepted for consideration on the merits, this issue will also include the commission of genocide by Ukraine in the Donbass.
As Regnum reported , hearings on Ukraine's claim began in The Hague on September 18 . They are planned to last until September 27. In addition to the Russian and Ukrainian sides, the court will hear representatives from Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Slovakia, Finland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands and other countries.
Kyiv filed the lawsuit in The Hague on February 26, 2022, citing the 1948 Genocide Convention. At the same time, the Ukrainian side denies that it carried out genocide in the Donbass, to prevent which Russia had to launch a special operation.
On June 10, 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment that the International Court of Justice allowed 32 countries that support Ukraine to proceed with the lawsuit . The ministry also called the accusations from Kyiv absurd.
[Regnum] European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said he was surprised by Ukraine's decision to file complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia over a dispute with these countries over their ban on importing Ukrainian grain. He spoke about this following a meeting of the Council on Agriculture of the EU countries in Brussels.
Kiev filed these claims on September 18. Wojciechowski promised that the European Commission will study the situation and consider next steps.
The official also noted that the countries against which complaints were filed “made great efforts” to export Ukrainian agricultural products. The European Commissioner believes that instead of court proceedings, it is necessary to seek “friendly solutions.”
As Regnum reported, on September 15, the European Commission did not extend restrictions on the import of four types of Ukrainian agricultural products into a number of EU countries, but obliged Kiev to introduce export control measures. In response to this decision, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia imposed an embargo on grain and other goods from Ukraine.
On September 18, these countries announced that they were ceasing to participate in the work of the European Commission’s coordination platform on grain problems due to Kiev’s threats to file a claim with the WTO. Warsaw, Budapest and Bratislava explained their move by fears that Ukraine could use the information provided through the platform.
The Slovak authorities, in turn, also declared their readiness to defend their position at the WTO on the ban on the import of Ukrainian food into Slovakia.
Slovakia, within the framework of interaction with the World Trade Organization (WTO), is ready to defend the country’s ban on the import of Ukrainian grain, Slovak Minister of Agriculture Josef Bires said following a meeting in Brussels, the teraz portal reports.
Earlier, Kyiv filed complaints to the WTO against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia due to the food embargo in force in these countries from Ukraine.
According to Bires, Bratislava does not intend to abandon its position without receiving appropriate guarantees that imports will be brought under control. He stressed that Slovakia is ready to provide the WTO with justification for its decision.
The minister also clarified that studying the proposed mechanism for controlling the import of Ukrainian grain may take up to two months.
As reported by IA Regnum , earlier the director of the Institute of Socio-Economic Research of the Financial University under the Government, Alexei Zubets , said that a number of EU countries are restricting grain imports from Ukraine, since Kiev had previously violated its obligations. The economist recalled that the Ukrainian side deceived Poland by promising that its food would go in transit and would not settle on Polish territory.
He also expressed the opinion that Ukraine’s threats to sue these countries in an international arbitration court will end in nothing. On September 7, Croatia, after negotiations with Kiev, decided to begin exporting Ukrainian grain through its ports.
On September 18, the representative of the European Commission (EC), Miriam García Ferrer , said that the European Commission is aware of the decision of some EU countries to introduce unilateral measures regarding Ukrainian agricultural products. She added that the EC will evaluate the actions of these states.
Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, in response to Ukraine’s threats to file a claim with the World Trade Organization (WTO), are stopping their participation in the work of the European Commission’s coordination platform on grain problems, the RAP agency reported.
“Poland, Hungary and Slovakia refuse to work within the framework of the platform,” the message said.
The text of the material notes that the countries made this decision out of caution and the fact that Ukraine could use the information provided within the coordination platform against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary during proceedings at the WTO.
As Regnum reported , Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said in September that Ukraine would file a claim with the WTO against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for extending the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain after September 15, contrary to the decision of the European Commission. He called open defiance of Brussels by these three countries a systemic problem.
According to him, for many years it was the European Commission that acted as a trade negotiator and trade policy institution for the entire European Union. The bans imposed by three Central European countries are designed to protect local farmers from a sharp increase in Ukrainian grain exports.
The European Commission announced on September 18 that it would evaluate the decision of a number of EU countries to maintain the embargo on agricultural products from Ukraine. The EC expects to discuss controversial issues regarding Ukrainian grain at a meeting of the coordination platform on September 25.
On September 15, the European Commission did not extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain supplies. In turn, Ukraine pledged to take measures to prevent surges in grain supplies to the EU, and also to present an action plan to control grain exports to the EU by September 18.
The European Commission introduced a ban on the export of Ukrainian grain to Eastern European countries - Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria - on May 2, 2023.
The proposals for the import of grains that Ukraine put forward to the European Union do not suit Poland and other neighboring countries. The Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported this with reference to sources .
The material notes that the EU countries bordering Ukraine considered this proposal, which involves a system of export permits, to be insufficient.
“At a meeting in Brussels, Poland criticized Ukraine’s new grain proposal,” the report notes.
According to Warsaw, this does not solve the issue of influx and control of Ukrainian grain.
As Regnum reported , on May 2, the European Commission introduced a ban on the export of Ukrainian grain from Ukraine to Eastern European countries - Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Previously, these countries independently stopped the import of Ukrainian agricultural products.
After this, the head of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky threatened the EU with an international arbitration court if the European Union extends the ban on grain imports from the republic. He appealed to the European Commission, declaring zero tolerance for violations of the association agreement and free market conditions.
On September 15, the European Commission did not extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain supplies. In turn, Ukraine pledged to take measures to prevent surges in grain supplies to the EU, and also to present an action plan to control grain exports in the European Union by September 18.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Ukrainian grain should not be allowed into Polish markets. Later, on September 12, he put forward an ultimatum to the European Commission to extend the ban on the import of grain from Ukraine into the country. He noted that if the EC does not extend this measure, the Polish authorities will do it themselves.
As a result, Warsaw, Bratislava and Budapest extended restrictions on grain supplies from Ukraine with their own decisions, while Sofia completely opened its market to Ukrainian agricultural products, and Bucharest said it would make a final decision after familiarizing itself with Kiev’s action plan on export control measures.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said on September 18 that Kiev will file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for extending the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain contrary to the decision of the European Commission.
#2
The rascally Russians enraptured:
"A few Wunderwaffen were captured,
Fit only for monkeys...
But wait for our flunkies'
Crap copies not yet manufactured!"
So help me, only clicked Pic-a-Nic once, not feeling very Solomonic this lovely Tuesday. No offense intended.
[X 72 part thread] ATACMS. What is it? Why does it matter so much? How many are there? How many will Ukraine get? Every question you could possibly have, answered. It's the thread you've all been waiting for.
I can't TL;DR this. You're going to want to read all of it, but the key takeaway is, 🇺🇦 needs ATACMS to destroy time sensitive targets & reduce expenditure rates of Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG. Without it, certain high value Russian assets are largely safe from destruction.
The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a quasi-ballistic, manoeuvring tactical missile. It is a product of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Assault Breaker program, which began in the 1970s and sought to develop new deep strike capabilities.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
