Exclusives
Genocide, assimilation, theft: Kazakh historian reveals Russian colonialism’s ruthless playbook Russian colonialism for centuries has relied on the elimination and assimilation of local peoples to build its empire, says Kazakh historian Botakoz Kassymbekova.
Frontline report: nine Russian aircraft destroyed or damaged in latest attack from Russian territory. More information about the Ukrainian strike on the Rnussian strategic airfield in Pskov on 30 August became available. Previously, the complete destruction of 2 aircraft and possible damage to 2 more were confirmed, but further evaluation was complicated due to the cloudy weather.
Frontline report: Ukrainians surpass Russian fortification in key advance near Robotyne, southern front. Ukrainian forces make a daring move in the southern front, breaching a critical Russian fortification on the Tokmak direction, while Russia scrambles to bolster its military presence in the area.
Military
Satellite imagery suggests Russia tries to protect its aircraft with car tires. New satellite imagery suggests Russia is trying to protect its Tu-95 aircraft based at the Engels air base in Saratov Oblast with car tires, according to Tatarigami_UA military blogger. The images show that Russian forces covered the wing and central part of the aircraft with tires. “Brace yourselves, because russians have once again showcased unparalleled innovation. What you are looking at is a satellite image featuring a TU-95 strategic bomber covered with car tires.
Ukraine blows up cafe used by Russian soldiers as ammo depot. On 2 September, Ukraine blew up a cafe used by Russian occupiers as an ammunition depot in the village of Kinsky Rozdory, in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of southern Ukraine, said the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov. According to him, the invaders were staying in a cafe when the explosion occurred, UkrInform reported. “The place, where they were eating, had been set up by traitors,” Fedorov said.
Defense Minister: Ukraine’s F-16s to perform combat missions starting next spring. The Air Force of Ukraine will start performing combat missions using the American-made F-16 fighter jets in the spring of 2024. Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.
Back in business: Ukrainian Bayraktar destroyed Russian patrol boat (VIDEO). On 3 September, the Ukrainian Navy released a video of the destruction of a Russian patrol boat, reportedly in the north-western part of the Black Sea, by “Navy Aviation.” The video shows a strike of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle. The Russian patrol boat of the KS-701 Tunets type was destroyed while unloading a landing party and equipment.
Russia claims 280,000 contract soldier enlistments this year in military expansion effort. Around 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia’s military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former president Dmitry Medvedev, claimed on 3 September, The Guardia reports. “According to the ministry of defense, since 1 January, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the armed forces on a contract basis,” including reservists, Russia’s state news agency TASS quoted Medvedev as saying.
ISW: Ukraine continued southern counteroffensive, gained ground on September 2. Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and reportedly advanced on September 2, the US-based think tank ISW reported. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhzhia Oblast) direction.
Russia targets Odesa river ports with 25 kamikaze drones, Ukraine downs 22 of those. Overnight on 2/3 September, Russia attacked Ukrainian Danube ports in Odesa Oblast with 25 Shahed “kamikaze” drones. Ukraine’s Air Force says 22 of those were downed.
British intel: Russia recruits foreign nationals against Ukraine, offering payments, fast-track citizenship. In its September 3 intelligence update, the British Defense Ministry highlights Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals, offering payments and fast-track citizenship for fighting in Ukraine. The ministry tweeted : As of late June 2023, Russia has been appealing to citizens of neighbouring countries with recruitment adverts for individuals to fight in Ukraine.
WSJ: Ukrainian troops break through main Russian defensive line on southern front. Ukrainian forces managed to break through the main Russian defensive line in southeastern Ukraine, which may accelerate the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the coming months, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). An unnamed Ukrainian officer told the WSJ that the Ukrainian Army advanced on Russian defensive lines from three directions and started to attack fortified Russian positions on the western flank of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russia redeploys more effective troops from Luhansk Oblast to Ukraine’s south. Head of Ukraine’s Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said in his recent interview with Natalia Moseychuk that in the Kupiansk direction in Ukraine’s Luhansk and Kharkiv oblasts, Russia is not building up its forces for the announced large-scale offensive but instead is conducting rotation to free relatively more effective troops for the southern frontline, in an attempt to stop Ukrainian offensive. Instead, hastily gathered reserves are deployed to Luhansk Oblast without sufficient training.
Reaching targets 1,500 km deep inside Russia is no longer a problem — Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council Secretary. Ukraine’s Secretary of Security and Defense Council (RNBO), Oleksiy Danilov, stated that reaching targets 1,500 km deep inside Russia is no longer a problem, given that Ukraine has successfully tested its domestically produced drones and missiles. “ The nationality of the weapons used on the Russian Federation’s territory is Ukrainian.
Russian losses. As of 3 Sep 2023, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
-
-
- Personnel: 264660 (+600)
- Tanks: 4476 (+5)
- APV: 8649 (+12)
- Artillery systems: 5582 (+22)
- MLRS: 739 (+3)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 502 (+1)
- Aircraft: 315
- Helicopters: 316
- Warships/boats: 18
- UAV: 4444 (+11)
- Cruise missiles: 1447
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 8102 (+59)
- Special equipment: 841 (+6)
-
Humanitarian
Russia kills three Ukrainian civilians near frontline on September 2. On the morning of 3 September, Ukrainian local authorities reported that Russian attacks killed at least three civilians and injured eight more the previous day. Regional Military Administration Head Pavlo Kyrylenko reported that Russians killed two and injured two other residents of his eastern region of Donetsk, in the city of Vuhledar on 2 September.
Russian shelling of Sumy Oblast kills Ukrainian police officer. On 2 September, Russian forces shelled the town of Seredyna-Buda in Sumy Oblast with artillery. At the time, police officers were documenting evidence of the previous Russian attack.
Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast kills one. On 3 September, a Russian shelling of Kherson Oblast killed one and injured four civilians, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. “At around 6 p.m., the occupiers shelled residential buildings in Bilozerka.
Police captain killed while documenting aftermath of Russian shelling. In the aftermath of a hostile attack by Russian forces on the town of Seredyna-Buda in the Sumy Oblast, a 32-year-old police captain has tragically lost his life. The police captain, identified as Ruslan Faraonov, was engaged in documenting the aftermath of previous Russian attacks, Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs reported.
Anadolu: UN suggests integrating Russian bank subsidiary into SWIFT & releasing frozen assets. UN, in collaboration with Türkiye, has formulated fresh proposals for reviving the “Grain Agreement,” including integrating a subsidiary of Rosselhozbank into SWIFT and releasing frozen assets of Russian fertilizer firms in Europe, Turkish agency Anadolu reports.
386 Ukrainian children illegally adopted by Russian families. Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, revealed in a news marathon that 386 Ukrainian children have been confirmed as being adopted by Russian families after being deported to Russia. Lubinets highlighted the importance of precise terminology in this matter, differentiating between adoption and temporary guardianship.
Kharkiv metro was turned into an underground school so that children don’t have to go to shelter every alert. Kharkiv city council decided to create such an underground school for at least part of the pupils, given the constant Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv and the close distance from the city to the border, which shortens the time between air alert and actual missile arrival. There are enough underground offices for 60 groups of kids studying simultaneously.
The Australian company sells its new Slinger anti-drone systems to Ukraine. Australian defense and technology company Electric Optic Systems (EOS) has demonstrated its gun and laser counter-drone systems to shoot down drones. The gun systems will go to Ukraine, while laser ones still need to be finalized, the company said.
Locals bid farewell to the 23-year-old helicopter pilot who died when two helicopters were attacked by a Russian fighter jet. On 29 August 2023, two helicopters crashed near Bakhmut after the attack of the Russian fighter jet.
Ukrainian boy nearly killed by Russian-speaking attacker in Germany for speaking Ukrainian. A man attacked a group of Ukrainian children in Germany because they spoke Ukrainian, the Göttingen Prosecutor’s Office reported, according to Die Welt. A man attacked Ukrainian kids on 26 August at about 6:40 p.m. in the city of Einbeck in Lower Saxony.
Environmental
Fire breaks out at oil depot in Saint Petersburg. Firefighters are working to extinguish a blaze that occurred at an oil depot in Saint Petersburg, according to the Russian emergency service. Local residents reported hearing loud blasts and seeing a black cloud of smoke coming from the Ruchi oil depot located near the railway, wrote Ostorozhno Novosti Telegram channel.
Fire breaks out in Russia-occupied Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve. A fire has erupted within the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, situated in the occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine’s press service reported on their Telegram account that the fire has spread across an area of approximately 7,000 hectares in the “Pivdenna” section.
International Support
Reuters: US to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium munitions. The new US military aid package will include depleted uranium munitions for the first time, according to Reuters. Two unnamed US officials told Reuters that the Biden Administration has already approved the decision to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium munitions, which will be included in the upcoming US military aid package.
Nobel Foundation under fire for inviting Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to banquet. Swedish politicians slam the Nobel Foundation for the decision to invite Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm this year and consider boycotting the ceremony, according to Aftonbladet. According to Aftonbladet, leaders of several political parties have already decided to boycott the Nobel Prize banquet.
US officials meet with leaders of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions, FBI and NABU sign memorandum. On 1 September 2023, the US Departments of State, Justice, and Treasury, FBI, as well as the White House and the USAID, hosted leaders of Ukraine’s main anti-corruption institutions, including the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Semen Kryvonos, Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, and the Chief Justice of the High Anti-Corruption Court Vira Mykhailenko. All these institutions were created in the framework of Ukraine’s post-2014 anti-corruption reforms.
The Australian company sells its new Slinger anti-drone systems to Ukraine. Australian defense and technology company Electric Optic Systems (EOS) has demonstrated its gun and laser counter-drone systems to shoot down drones. The gun systems will go to Ukraine, while laser ones still need to be finalized, the company said.
Vatican removes Pope’s quote about ‘great Russia’ after Ukrainian backlash. The Vatican edited the quote of Pope Francis after facing criticism from Ukraine over positive remarks about imperial “great Russia,” which were considered inappropriate in the context of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine.
New Developments
EU accuses Musk-owned Twitter of amplifying Russian propaganda. According to a recent study by the European Commission, X—previously Twitter, now owned by Elon Musk—has significantly contributed to the dissemination of Russian disinformation on Ukraine, WP reports. The study indicates that such a failure to curb the spread of misleading content could have been a breach of the European Union’s proposed Digital Services Act.
Court orders arrest of US-sanctioned oligarch Kolomoyskyi with bail option. Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi District Court orders detention of prominent oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi for an initial period of 60 days, extending until October 31. The court’s ruling includes a provision for possible release on bail, with a staggering amount of nearly 510 million hryvnias ($19 million).
Top Ukrainian job portal cuts ties with 200 more companies linked to Russian market. Ukraine’s leading job portal, Work.ua, has expanded its roster of brands conducting business with Russia. The job portal severs ties with all companies that have not exited the Russian market.
