President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that officially increases the number of personnel in Russia’s armed forces to almost 2.4 million people, including 1.5 million servicemen, RT reported.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 20:47 Zelensky said in an evening video address that he discussed the Kursk operation with Syrsky and also signed several decrees on awarding participants in the Kursk operation with state awards.
15:41 In the Kursk region, a decision has been made on the mandatory evacuation of settlements in the Rylsky and Khomutovsky districts, which are located in the 15-kilometer zone near the border, reported Governor Alexey Smirnov.
11:03 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has asked the UN and the ICRC to take part in humanitarian response measures in the Kursk region. At the same time, the department emphasized that during operations in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces comply with all norms of international humanitarian law, and pay special attention to the protection of the civilian population, providing humanitarian aid and the possibility of evacuation from combat zones.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:45 Following the talks between Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the United States is not ready to announce the lifting of restrictions on Ukrainian long-range weapons strikes deep into Russia, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
20:59 Scholz called for exploring the possibilities of starting a peace process in Ukraine: "It is clear to us that at the same time, it is also necessary to continually explore the possibilities for starting a peaceful development." According to the Chancellor, "now is the time to see what is possible."
20:27 Most of the fighting since the beginning of the day is in the Kurakhovsky and Pokrovsky directions, Zelensky said in an evening video address. In addition, the president said that he discussed the Kursk operation with Syrsky, and also signed several decrees on awarding participants in the Kursk operation with state awards. They also discussed the provision of drones - "this is not just something tactical, it is a strategic priority."
Zelensky also held meetings during the day to prepare a Ukrainian victory plan: "The steps necessary for Ukraine have already been defined, absolutely clearly. For each step, there is a clear list of points. There are no impossible things there, more than 90% of everything has already been written out. We are already preparing a victory plan for presentation to the allies next week."
20:08 Another assassination attempt may have been prepared against Donald Trump. On Sunday, law enforcement officers detained a man hiding in the bushes on the territory of the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. An AK-47 assault rifle with a telescopic sight, two backpacks and a GoPro camera were found near where he was. American and international media identified this man as Ryan Wesley Routt, who ardently supported Ukraine in the war with Russia, visited Kiev and tried to get into the International Legion. More details in the article New assassination attempt on Trump .
18:56 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran had not transferred any weapons to Russia. At the same time, he noted that Iran and Russia have the right to maintain relations. Speaking about the war in Ukraine, Pezeshkian stressed that it was allegedly provoked by NATO countries, since they violated their promise not to expand to the east.
18:44 Ukrainian intelligence has noted a noticeable deterioration in discipline in Russian units, Zelensky said following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters. In addition, the meeting participants discussed the readiness of engineering protection at critical infrastructure facilities and the work of combat training centers. "In conclusion, drones. Some of the largest states exporting components for drones are introducing export restrictions. We know how to ensure that these restrictions do not become critical for us," the president assured.
17:58 Stoltenberg said that there will be no peace in Ukraine until it joins NATO. At the same time, he acknowledged that there is no consensus among the Alliance countries on inviting Kiev. The Secretary General also noted that NATO does not observe any actions by the Russian Federation in the nuclear sphere that would require its response.
17:13 War criminal and propagandist Alexander Korobov, nicknamed Krab, has been liquidated in Belgorod. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, his skull was fractured. The propagandist worked for the Rossiya 1 channel, headed its Belgorod office, and also created products for the Russian Defense Ministry's resource - the Zvezda TV channel. Korobov worked, in particular, in the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and personally participated in the commission of serious war crimes against Ukraine.
16:17 In the Kursk region, a decision has been made on the mandatory evacuation of settlements in the Rylsky and Khomutovsky districts, which are located in the 15-kilometer zone near the border, reported Governor Alexey Smirnov.
16:11 Since 2022, Russia and its partners have sold grain stolen from the occupied territories of Ukraine for almost $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal writes.
16:00 Russians shelled Kupyansk, one person was wounded. In addition, in the village of Petrovpavlovka, as a result of enemy shelling, one person was killed and two were wounded, reported the head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
15:39 Zelensky will address the UN General Assembly at the end of September, Voice of America reports. Next Tuesday, September 24, the UN General Assembly will begin a general debate, the main topics of which will be the war in Ukraine and support from the international community. Biden will deliver a speech on the first day, and Zelensky on September 25.
15:08 Zelensky signed a law providing for the inclusion of a new structure in certain branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the Unmanned Systems Forces.
14:37 Putin, by his decree, increased the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces to 2 million 389 thousand people, including 1.5 million military personnel. The previous increase in authorized strength was in December 2023, when it was 2,209,130 people, including 1,320,000 military personnel.
14:32 Ukraine will receive another batch of F-16 fighters from Denmark before the end of the year, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. According to him, the exact date and number of aircraft in the new deliveries remain classified for security reasons.
14:25 Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a meeting with Scholz that Russia is "invincible" militarily and that further escalation would lead to "irreparable consequences." He said a good chance to achieve a truce was missed with the cessation of work on the Istanbul Agreement, but that there is an opportunity to achieve peace.
13:43 Italy will soon send Ukraine a second battery of SAMP-T air defense systems, the country's Foreign Ministry reported.
13:22 Beijing hosted the first official event in China to highlight the tragedy of the deportation of Ukrainian children - an exhibition of the Bring Kids Back project and a presentation of the book Living the War, the Office of the President reported. Diplomats from 40 countries, representatives of the media and think tanks witnessed real stories about children who survived the horrors of war and were returned home.
11:54 Russians have attacked their own units near the Aggregate Plant in Volchansk, the Kharkov operational-tactical group reports. The enemy used multiple launch rocket systems to shell areas adjacent to the plant, causing damage to their own units.
In addition, in Volchansk, in the evening, in the northern part of the city, the Russians attempted to deliver personnel using vehicles, but suffered losses due to fire damage from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy is also evacuating medical losses and logistical support.
11:03 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has asked the UN to take part in humanitarian response measures in the Kursk region. At the same time, the department emphasized that during operations in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces comply with all norms of international humanitarian law, and pay special attention to the protection of the civilian population, providing humanitarian aid and the possibility of evacuation from combat zones.
10:58 In the draft state budget for 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers refrained from making predictions regarding the duration of the war: "It is not yet possible to make a final, even approximate assessment of the negative impact of the war on the economy of Ukraine due to the uncertainty of the scenarios of military actions both in terms of their duration and intensity, and, consequently, the consequences."
10:51 Latvia will transfer to Ukraine combat reconnaissance tracked armored vehicles CVR(T), which it had previously purchased from Britain, the country's Defense Ministry reported. The quantities of equipment are not being disclosed for security reasons.
09:35 In Donetsk Oblast, on September 15, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed - in Pokrovsk. Another seven people in the region were injured in the past 24 hours, reported OVA head Vadim Filashkin.
09:24 In the Kherson region, over the past day, six people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, reported the head of the OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin.
08:58 The number of victims of yesterday's Russian strike on a 12-story apartment building in the Nemyshlyansky district of Kharkiv has risen to 43, including four children. One person was killed, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. 22 apartment buildings were damaged. In addition, three people were injured as a result of enemy shelling by Kubyansk and one more in the village of Peski-Radkovsky in the Izyumsky district.
08:51 In the Kiev region, as a result of falling debris from a downed drone, one person was injured, reported the head of the OVA Ruslan Kravchenko.
08:33 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 16:
personnel - about 634,860 (+1060) people,
tanks - 8683 (+3),
combat armored vehicles - 17,071 (+8),
artillery systems - 18,123 (+14),
MLRS - 1187 (+1),
air defense systems - 947 (+0),
aircraft - 369 (+0),
helicopters - 328 (+0),
Operational-tactical level UAVs - 15,263 (+29),
cruise missiles - 2592 (+0),
ships/boats - 28 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 24,712 (+28),
special equipment - 3090 (+6).
08:27 Air defense destroyed 53 out of 56 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs at night, the Air Force reported. Three more enemy drones were lost in several regions, preliminary - without casualties and consequences. The main direction of the attack was the Kiev region. Drones were shot down in the Kiev, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Sumy, Zaporizhia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Liptsy and Volchansk directions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the 36th Naval Onfantry Brigade, 125th and 127th Territorial Defence brigades near Liptsy, Izbitskoye, and Volchanskye Khutora (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops and two motor vehicles.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 43rd, 44th, 67th Mechanised brigades of the AFU, 103rd, 110th, 117th Territorial Defence brigades, and Azov Special Operations Brigade near Staroverovka, Petropavlovka, Kucherovka, Novoosinovo, Kruglyakovka, Vishnyovoye (Kharkov region), Rozovka, Makeyevka, Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.
Eight counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the 14th, 63rd, 116th Mechanised brigades, 3rd Assault Brigade of the AFU, and 1st National Guard Brigade were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 600 troops, one Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, 10 pickup trucks as well as UK-made 155mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, a 155mm FH-70 howitzer, and a 105mm L-119 howitzer. Three electronic warfare stations and four field ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the 54th, 93rd Mechanised brigades, 143rd, 144th Infantry brigades, 5th Assault Brigade, 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 77th Airmobile Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, 114th, 119th, 124th, and 125th Territorial Defence brigades near Seversk, Verkhnekamenskoye, Zvanovka, Pervomaysky, Nikolayevka, Predtechino, and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 550 troops, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, one UK-made 155mm FH-70 howitzer, two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, and three 152mm D-20 howitzers. One electronic warfare station and two field ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 23rd, 24th, 47th, 63rd Mechanised brigades, 152nd Infantry Brigade, 68th Jaeger Brigade of the AFU, 122nd Territorial Defence Brigade, and 15th National Guard Brigade near Petrovka, Shcherbinovka, Dzerzhinsk, Nelepovka, Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk, Grodovka, Gnatovka, Selidovo, Lesovka, and Ukrainsk (Donetsk People's Republic).
Nine counterattacks launched by assault detachments of the 30th, 32nd, 100th, 151st Mechanised brigades, 25th Airborne Brigade of the AFU, 3rd and 12th National Guard brigades, and Lyut Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 530 troops, three armoured personnel carriers, including one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, three pickup trucks, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on formations of the 61st, 72nd Mechanised brigades, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, and 118th Territorial Defence Brigade near Dobrovolye, Zolotaya Niva, and Uglesborochnaya railway station (Donetsk People's Republic).
One counterattack launched by an assault detachment of the 116th Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 115 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, and one electronic warfare station.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU, 37th Naval Infantry Brigade, 121st, and 123rd Territorial Defence brigades near Novoaleksandrovka, Gavrilovka, Kamyshany, Pridneprovskoye, Veletenskoye (Kherson region), and Pyatikhatki (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 troops, two motor vehicles, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one U.S.-made 105mm M-119 gun, and one field ammunition depot.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces delivered strikes at infrastructure of one military airfield, one UAV production workshop, four UAV depots, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 144 areas.
The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Air defence units shot down one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, 20 Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles, and 13 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, 646 airplanes, 283 helicopters, 31,622 unmanned aerial vehicles, 579 anti-aircraft missile systems, 18,150 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,454 MLRS combat vehicles, 14,658 field artillery guns and mortars, and 26,127 units of support motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are repelling an attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the territory of the Russian Federation.
In the course of offensive operations, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Uspenovka and Borki.
Losses were inflicted on formations of the 22nd, 41st, 115th Mechanised brigades, 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd Air Assault Brigade of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade, 112th and 129th Territorial Defence brigades near Lyubimovka, Novoivanovka, Daryino, Nikolo-Daryino, Tolsty Lug, Plekhovo, and Pokrovsky.
Over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces repelled five enemy counter-attacks in the direction of Byakhovo, Bolshaya Obukhovka, Viktorovka, Lyubimovka, and Malaya Loknya.
As a result, the AFU losses amounted to up to 40 troops killed and wounded; four armoured fighting vehicles were destroyed.
Over the past 24 hours, with the support of Army Aviation and artillery fire, three attempts of the enemy to break through the border of the Russian Federation in the direction of Krasnooktyabrsky, Vesyoloye, and Medvezhye were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 troops killed and wounded; one tank and three armoured fighting vehicles were destroyed.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue reconnaissance and search operations in forestry areas to locate and eliminate enemy sabotage groups attempting to get to the depth of the Russian territory.
Air strikes, artillery fire, and actions of the troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware clusters of the 22nd, 42nd, 61st, 115th Mechanised brigades, 80th, 82nd, 95th Air Assault brigades, 112th and 129th Territorial Defence brigades near Bogdanovka, Guyevo, Daryino, Zeleny Shlyakh, Kruglenkoye, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Nikolo-Daryino, Novaya Sorochina, Novoivanovka, Pravda, Russkoye Porechnoye, and Yuzhny.
Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops delivered strikes at concentration areas and reserves in Sumy region of the 22nd, 41st, 115th Mechanised brigades, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade, 1004th Security and Service Brigade, 101st and 103rd Territorial Defence brigades near Bondaryovshchina, Belovody, Iskriskovshchina, Mazevka, Novaya Sloboda, Obody, Rechki, Rudnevo, Ryzhovka, Pavlovka, Khoten, Esman, and Yunakovka.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 350 troops and 13 units of armoured hardware, including two tanks and 11 armoured fighting vehicles, as well as two artillery guns, three mortars, two MLRS launchers, including one U.S.-made M270 MLRS launcher, and eight motor vehicles.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost more than 13,800 troops, 115 tanks, 44 infantry fighting vehicles, 91 armoured personnel carriers, 729 armoured fighting vehicles, 439 motor vehicles, 98 artillery guns, 28 MLRS launchers, including seven of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, eight SAM launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, 26 electronic warfare stations and seven counter-battery radars, two air defence radars, 13 engineering vehicles, including seven counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:04 Another prisoner of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told about "street mobilization"
Dmitry Pavlyuk recalls that on his way to work, a patrol with TCC workers approached him and handed him a summons. Most of his company, which consisted of 94 people, were called up in the same way.
The prisoner of war mentioned the large number of dead and wounded, as well as captured Ukrainian servicemen. This, according to him, leads to a decline in the fighting spirit of Ukrainian units.
“When the losses began, people became afraid for their lives,” he noted.
21:00 Explosions have occurred again in the Kyiv-controlled city of Kherson, Ukrainian media reported.
19:50 Tankers destroy enemy strongholds and manpower.
The crews of T-80BVM tanks of the separate guards motorized rifle unit of the "Southern" group of forces provide fire support to the actions of assault units in the Donetsk direction, destroying strongholds and observation posts, ammunition depots, manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
19:20 The Russian Armed Forces have made significant advances on the flank of Chasov Yar.
Assault groups managed to force the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and take control of the land "canal isthmus" (the place where water flows through underground pipes). This creates a threat to the rear of the Chasovoyarsk group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and will allow us to talk about the beginning of battles for Konstantinovka in the foreseeable future.
18:55 Russian paratroopers destroyed a group of Ukrainian militants in the border area of the Kursk region.
Having suppressed the enemy's exposed firing points and disrupted its control system, the 120mm 2S9 Nona-S self-propelled gun units allowed the airborne assault groups to enter the stronghold and carry out a cleanup.
18:32 Servicemen from the 18th Army have identified and destroyed the location of Ukrainian militants in the village of Dneprovskoe in the Kherson direction.
17:54 Kursk region: fighters of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade “caught up” with an enemy tank using an FPV drone –video.
16:45 Today, eight FAB-500 were dropped on Petropavlovka. The antitank missiles of the 14th and 116th brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed.
Assault units of the Russian Armed Forces, with the support of aviation, have become more active in this area.
16:30 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the area of Chasov Yar and Dzerzhinsk –map.
16:20 Destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces radar in the Kherson direction –video.
15:56 Losses of Ukrainian army casualties near Ugledar DPR in a few days are going to dozens, evacuation groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot cope with the flow of wounded and dead soldiers, captured serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Robert Pogorelov told TASS.
15:07 Armed Forces of Ukraine lost another tank.
During reconnaissance operations in the border area of the Kursk region, servicemen of the "North" military group, using UAVs, identified a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank in a closed firing position.
As a result of a direct hit by a guided munition, the tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants was destroyed.
14:50 Russian servicemen of the 810th Marine Brigade "captured" a Ukrainian Tunguska anti-aircraft missile and gun system in the Kursk region –video.
14:45 Su-34 crew struck a concentration of personnel and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of ??the Kursk region. The strike was carried out on reconnoitered targets using aerial bombs from the UMPK.
14:30 Russian military launches missile strike destroyed MLRS launcher in Sumy Oblast and up to 10 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
14:20 UAV operators of the Dnepr group of troops destroyed enemy observation post on the right bank of the Dnieper.
13:49 Calculation of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" destroyed accumulation of Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower and equipment in the Donetsk direction, ensuring the advancement of assault units of the “Southern” group of forces.
13:10 Summary of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the progress of the special military operation (as of September 16, 2024):
Units of the North group of troops in the Liptsov and Volchansk directions defeated formations of the 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, the 125th and 127th Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Liptsy, Izbitskoye and Volchanskie Khutor in the Khar'kov region.
The military personnel of the West group of forces improved the tactical position, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 43rd, 44th, 67th Mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 103rd, 110th, 117th Territorial Defense brigades and the Azov* special forces brigade in the areas of the settlements of Staroverovka, Petrovpavlovka, Kucherovka, Novoosinovo, Kruglyakovka, Vishnevoe in the Khar'kov region, Rozovka, Makeyevka, Nevskoye in the Luhansk People's Republic, Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as the Serebryanskoye forestry. Eight counterattacks of the assault groups of the 14th, 63rd, 116th Mechanized, 3rd Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 1st National Guard Brigade were repelled.
Units of the Southern group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, inflicted defeat on the formations of the 54th, 93rd Mechanized, 143rd, 144th Infantry, 5th Assault, 10th Mountain Assault, 77th Airmobile, 95th Airborne Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 114th, 119th, 124th and 125th Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Verkhnekamenskoye, Zvanovka, Pervomaysky, Nikolaevka, Predtechino and Kurakhovo of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The fighters of the "Central" group of forces continued to advance deep into the enemy's defense, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the 23rd, 24th, 47th, 63rd Mechanized, 152nd Infantry, 68th Jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 122nd Territorial Defense brigade and the 15th national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Petrovka, Shcherbinovka, Dzerzhinsk, Nelepovka, Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk, Grodovka, Gnatovka, Selidovo, Lesovka and Ukrainsk of the Donetsk People's Republic.
They repelled nine counterattacks by assault groups of the 30th, 32nd, 100th, 151st Mechanized, 25th Airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 3rd, 12th brigades of the National Guard and the "Lyut" assault brigade of the national police of Ukraine.
The "East" group of forces improved the position along the forward edge, defeated the formations of the 61st, 72nd Mechanized, 58th Motorized Infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Dobrovolye, Zolotaya Niva and the Uglesborochnaya railway station of the Donetsk People's Republic. Repulsed a counterattack by the assault group of the 116th Territorial Defense brigade.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on concentrations of manpower and equipment of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the 37th Naval Infantry Brigade, the 121st and 123rd Territorial Defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Gavrilovka, Kamyshany, Prydniprovskoe, Veletskoye in the Kherson region and Pyatikhatki in the Zaporizhia region.
Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups damaged the infrastructure of a military airfield, a workshop for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles and four warehouses for storing them, as well as concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 144 areas.
The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Air defense systems shot down a French-made Hammer guided bomb, 20 Czech-made Vampire rockets, and 13 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:50 Crews of T-80BV tanks of the tank army of the "West" group of forces during fire missions in the area of the special military operation destroyed identified camouflaged positions, trenches, dugouts and anti-aircraft posts with electronic warfare equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
11:57 The Ukrainian Armed Forces group in Ugledar of the DPR is almost completely “cut off” from supplies.
According to the security forces, the last route accessible to Ukrainian troops has been effectively “cut off.”
It is noted that the movement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along dirt roads is also extremely difficult due to the fact that they are all under fire control of the Russian forces.
11:34 Soldiers of the 18th Army knock down enemy drones that are deliberately used to attack civilians in the Kherson region.
10:56 Destruction of positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces howitzer by artillerymen of the North group of forces in the Khar'kov region.
10:47 Zaporizhia region - fighting has intensified on the eastern bank of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
The Russian Armed Forces have improved their positions in the area of the settlement of Kamenskoye. There is movement to the south of the settlement and within its boundaries.
10:35 Ukrainian channels reported explosions in Sumy region.
09:49 Fighters of "Vostok" stopped the strengthening of the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, conducting rotation and moving reserves near Vodyanoye, Shakhtyorskoye, Oktyabr, Vremyevka, Charivnoye, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
09:44 In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces took the Kovsharovka-Borovaya highway under fire control. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to look for new logistics routes.
09:05 Special forces of the Vostok group in the Ugledar direction adjust the fire of tankers of the 29th Army –video.
08:17 Enemy reports:
“The Russian Armed Forces are close to cutting off the road between Borovaya and Kupyansk.
The Russian army will soon reach the Oskol River in the Khar'kov region"
08:14 Destruction of a stronghold and manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by servicemen of the "North" group of troops in the border area of ??the Kursk region.
08:12 Tos 1-A “Solntspek” SOUTHV exactly “covers» positions of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Seversky direction
08:07 Strikes were carried out in the Kyiv region and suburbs, warehouses on the railway were hit, the pro-Russian underground reported.
08:04 Calculations of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" have applied fire damage to enemy locations, strongholds and observation points, routes of movement of military equipment and nomadic fire weapons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
08:00 The Russian army has completely taken control of the territory of the Yuzhnodonbasskaya No. 3 mine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Russian army units are advancing in several directions at once in Donbass. In the eastern part, the offensive continues along the entire front, stretching for tens of kilometers from Pokrovsk to the south to the Kurakhovskoye Reservoir.
After a series of local defeats and the threat of the front collapsing, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command sent reinforcements to the area to stop the Russian army's advance. But they failed to do so. Russian forces liberated the village of Zhelannoye Pervoye, which was confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry.
In addition, according to reports from the field, the offensive continues in the direction of the settlement of Ukrainsk. Ukrainian sources fear that the liberation of Zhelanny Pervy will allow Russian troops to liberate a large area on the right bank of the Volchya River and north of Krasnogorovka.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces units located in this area are in an extremely difficult situation and are trying to escape from the emerging encirclement, a source for Regnum news agency in the Pokrovsk direction reports.
"Now in the area of the village of Zhelannoye Vtoroye, where the river crossing is, soldiers from separate formations have gathered, mixed up, everyone wants to retreat. They have no command to hold this area, someone will definitely be "forgotten" there. But, most likely, they will retreat across the river in the near future," the source predicts.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces Command is trying to establish a front along the highway along a number of large settlements: Kurakhovo - Gornyak - Ukrainsk - Selidovo - Pokrovsk. According to Ukrainian sources, fierce fighting continues in the Ukrainsk area. Russian troops have taken the city in a semi-ring and are advancing in the direction of the highway, trying to cut the Ukrainian Armed Forces defense into several parts.
Further north, the offensive is developing in the area of Mirnograd. However, Ukrainian sources suspect that all military actions are now just preparations for a large-scale operation, the ultimate goal of which is the liberation of Pokrovsk, the last regional center under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the eastern part of Donbas.
EXCHANGE OF FIGHTERS FOR A WHILE
The day before, it became known that Russian troops began to destroy key objects of the enemy's transport infrastructure in the Pokrovsk area. In particular, the strike was carried out on the "Eastern Overpass" - a key transport artery connecting Pokrovsk and Mirnograd. Strikes are also being carried out on bridges in the rear of the Ukrainian group.
At the same time, Ukrainian sources report that the units being transferred to the front line are unable to contain the advance of the Russian army. The servicemen, recruited from among those forcibly mobilized, have not undergone proper training, therefore they often suffer losses and abandon their positions, said Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezugla.
“These are mostly middle-aged people, primarily those who were unable to ‘decide’. <…> The vast majority of training centers [have] instructors without combat experience – those who ‘decided’, ” the deputy said.
However, sources of the Regnum news agency note that the reinforcements sent to the front allowed the Ukrainian command to gain some time to prepare a defense in the rear. In essence, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are exchanging unprepared fighters for the time needed to turn Pokrovsk into a "fortress city."
"We must understand that for our troops the task of liberating Pokrovsk is the most difficult since Avdiivka. Even more difficult, because the city is much larger, and they are now compensating for the lack of fortifications with construction work. The industrial zone there is also powerful. In short, there is a lot of work ahead, and first of all, preparatory work," the source notes.
Russian troops may try to encircle the city instead of a frontal assault on the urban development and industrial zone. However, to do this, it is necessary to break through the front line south and north of Pokrovsk, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently holding the line.
The Russian army's offensive also continues south of Pokrovsk, in the area of the city of Ugledar.
Over the past few years, the city has remained the main hub of Ukrainian defense southwest of Donetsk. Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the area take advantage of the terrain: the city is located on a commanding height in a predominantly flat area.
This location of the settlement makes a frontal assault impossible, so Russian troops are trying to encircle the city. According to local reports, they have advanced from the settlement of Vodyanoye to the highway connecting Ugledar and the settlement of Bogoyavlenka, through which supplies are supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces garrison.
The fighting is taking place in the area of the Yuzhnodonbasskaya #3 mine north of Ugledar. With the highway under the control of Russian troops, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command will have to solve the eternal question: hold the city at any cost or withdraw forces. Given the experience of previous battles, it can be assumed that in this case the second option will most likely be chosen.
"We will work to squeeze them out of Ugledar. If we take control of the city, especially the five-story buildings that are partially destroyed but can be used to adjust the fire, the entire area will be ours. For now, they still have a highway, dirt roads, but with the muddy season, all this will come to a standstill. We will press," a source located in the Ugledar area told IA Regnum.
UKRAINE'S BLEAK OUTLOOK
Washington is taking the situation at the front very seriously, realizing that the Ukrainian Armed Forces front may soon collapse. Politico notes : The White House believes that Ukrainian troops may be defeated as early as the winter of 2024/25.
In this regard, the US is reviewing its position on the use of long-range weapons on Russian territory. Previously, Washington constantly refused its allies who requested permission to use ATACMS missiles on Russia, but the unofficial ban may be lifted in the near future, the media reports.
Washington also plans to announce the largest military aid package in the past year, after which the United States will take a pause for the period of the presidential elections and the change of the White House administration.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces thus have very little time left to seize the initiative and try to organize their own counteroffensive. However, for now Kyiv is using up its reserves, throwing them into patching holes in the front line in Donbas.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The main goal of increasing the regular number of the Russian Armed Forces, which is planned to be increased mainly by contract soldiers, is to protect the borders of the Motherland. This was stated on September 16 in a conversation with Lenta.ru by Viktor Zavarzin, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee.
He stressed that it is now necessary to strengthen the positions of Russian forces. According to Zavarzin, the new staff numbers will be sufficient to keep the borders locked.
"Considering what the enemy is doing, it means they decided that we need to add personnel. The General Staff has calculated everything," the parliamentarian noted.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, earlier on September 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the staffing level of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,389,130 units, including 1.5 million military personnel.
The last time the head of state increased the size of the army was in December 2023 - by 170,000 people, to 2 million 209,000, including 1 million 320,000 military personnel. Commenting on the document, the Ministry of Defense emphasized that all further measures will be carried out in stages, at the expense of Russians who personally expressed a desire to serve under contract. The department noted that the increase in the number of the Russian Armed Forces is due to increased threats from the NATO bloc.
In March, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev reported that Russia needs a mixed, contract-conscription army of at least 1.5 million people, based on the country's needs. According to him, in the first half of 2024, about 190,000 citizens signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
There is an opinion that this is not the last increase in the number of the Russian Armed Forces in the coming years. The war in Ukraine, the staffing of two new military districts, the general increase in the capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces in various areas, all this requires an increase in the size of the army.
At the same time, we see in practice what the fantasies of the 2000s and part of the 2010s about a "small compact technological army" actually cost, which in modern realities would not meet the challenges of the time at all.
[RT] US tech giant Meta has “discredited itself” by banning Russian media outlets, including RT, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. The move further complicates the prospects for “the normalization of relations” with the Facebook and Instagram owner, Peskov added.
The California-based corporation said in a written statement on Monday that it was deplatforming Rossiya Segodnya, RT, and other related entities from its apps due to “foreign interference activity.” The measures will be implemented globally over the next several days.
Commenting on the move, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said Meta “discredits itself with actions of this kind. Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable. We have an extremely negative attitude towards this.”
Last week, the US State Department announced fresh sanctions on Russian state-funded media outlets, accusing them of close ties with the Russian military. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that RT was “functioning as a de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence.”
RT has mocked the sanctions and accused Washington of trying to prevent it from operating as a journalistic organization.
Commenting on the State Department’s move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it amounts to a declaration of war on free speech, also describing the sanctions as “repressions unprecedented in scale.”
Meta was branded an extremist organization in Russia shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Its social media apps were blocked in the country for allowing hate speech against Russian nationals and for distributing false content about Moscow’s military. WhatsApp was the only app that avoided restrictions due to its classification as solely a communication tool.
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.
