Military
Ukrainian maritime kamikaze drones attack Russian corvette in the Black Sea. Ukrainian maritime drones continue to attack Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Stratcom: Ukraine damages two Russian patrol ships in the Black Sea. Ukrainian strikes continue to inflict damage on the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Explosions in occupied Crimea’s Yevpatoria: Russians claim air and sea drone attacks (Updated). In the early hours of 14 September, locals reported powerful explosions heard in the occupied Yevpatoria on the western coast of Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claims it has neutralized attacking Ukrainian aerial drones. Additionally, Moscow says that underwater drones attacked the Russian patrol ship “Sergey Kotov” in the Black Sea but were also destroyed.
Media: Ukraine destroys Russia’s S-400 Triumf SAM complex in occupied Crimea.Using a combination of aerial drones and Neptune domestic missiles, Ukraine destroyed Russia’s most advanced S-400 anti-air missile system in occupied Crimea, according to Suspilne security sources.
Frontline report: Ukraine’s sophisticated drone and missile attack destroys two Russian Navy ships in Sevastopol shipyard. Ukrainian forces employ a multifaceted strategy to target the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol Bay, inflicting severe damage on two ships – landing ship Minsk and Kalibr-capable submarine Rostov-na-Donu – and maintenance facilities
General Staff: Ukrainian troops advance south of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces keep pushing forward in the Bakhmut sector, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces liberate Andriyivka in Donetsk Oblast (UPDATED). Ukraine is gradually increasing pressure on the flanks around Bakhmut, threatening to encircle the town.
Military: Ukraine aims for a 10-15 km Russian-free zone on Kherson’s Russian-controlled Dnipro River bank for civilians safety. Ukraine’s Defense Forces push Russian troops away from the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, aiming for a 10-15 km Russian-free zone to safeguard civilians on the Ukrainian-controlled eastern bank, the military says.
Ukrainian air defenses destroy 17/22 Shahed drones Russia used to attack Ukraine. Russia launched another nighttime aerial attack on Ukraine using Shahed-type drones, resulting in minor damage but no reported casualties, with the majority shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, officials say.
ISW: Ukraine continue advancing near Zaporizhzhia’s Robotyne and Donetsk’s Bakhmut. Ukrainians keep advancing in the regions of Robotyne in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and the area surrounding Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, ISW says.
As of 14 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:
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- Personnel: 270970 (+620)
- Tanks: 4599 (+15)
- APV: 8810 (+18)
- Artillery systems: 5944 (+42)
- MLRS: 769 (+3)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 517
- Aircraft: 315
- Helicopters: 316
- Warships/boats: 20 (+1)
- UAV: 4697 (+47)
- Cruise missiles: 1455
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 8458 (+14)
- Special equipment: 889 (+5)
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Intelligence and Technology
Radio Sweden: Ukrainian pilots test-flew Gripen fighter jets. Ukrainian pilots have completed orientation training on Swedish Gripen fighter jets, local media report. Everything reportedly went well, and the results may influence Sweden’s decision to transfer these aircraft to Ukraine.
British intel: Energoatom shifts to Western nuclear fuel, moving away from Russian dependence. Energoatom refuels the Rivne NPP reactor with Western-produced fuel. The decision showcases Ukraine’s continued movement away from Russian energy sources.
Ukrainian intelligence on potential new wave of mobilisation in Russia: “End of September, decision to be made in autumn”, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence. Yusov added that this does not mean that these mobilised troops will appear at the front soon, because the process of training and coordination takes a lot of time. He also reminded us that Putin did not deny the possibility of a new wave of mobilisation on Tuesday.
NATO prepares industry plan to boost arms production, Defense News reports. “NATO nations have agreed to a new action plan for bolstering the alliance’s industrial base, as governments scramble to restock their weapon arsenals while simultaneously sending military aid to Ukraine. The plan will initially focus on land munitions, the communique states, and serve to help understand the inner workings of the alliance’s vast defense industry, including small- and medium-size enterprises.
International
Biden appoints US special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery. US President Joe Biden appointed former US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker as the new US Special Representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery, according to Reuters.
Russia already uses North Korean weapons against Ukraine, South Korean official says. North Korean weapons have been spotted on the battlefield in Ukraine, South Korea’s senior presidential official confirmed.
General Staff chief of Czechia calls on West to brace itself for long war in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing Reuters. “Lieutenant General Karel Řehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, believes that the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine will last a long time. Lieutenant General believes that none of the parties in the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is able to achieve its final declared goals in the near future. […]
Assessing Ukraine’s counteroffensive, he noted that this is exactly what a military offensive looks like, as it does not look like a film about the Second World War and takes time. Believe me, we are going through different storages and plans and concepts and trying to identify what more we can provide. We still have some, including some heavy equipment, Řehka assured.
Putin talks military cooperation with Kim as North Korean leader endorses Russia’s war on Ukraine, CNN “Vladimir Putin has said Russia is considering and discussing some military cooperation with North Korea, following a summit at which that country’s leader Kim Jong Un appeared to endorse Moscow’s war on Ukraine….The meeting came after US officials warned that Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” in a potential arms deal that could see Pyongyang provide weapons for Moscow to use in its faltering Ukraine war in exchange for sanctioned ballistic missile technology.”
US sending experts to Ukraine to monitor aid use, CNN reports. “The Pentagon is deploying experts to Ukraine to monitor the use of US defense and security assistance. It is noted that this is due to the calls from some GOP Congressmen to strengthen control over the use of American taxpayers’ money. The Department of Defense’s inspector general said a high-ranking US representative began work in Ukraine at the end of August, and additional personnel are expected to arrive by the end of September.
Humanitarian and Social Impact
Bulgaria lifts ban on Ukrainian grain starting 15 September. On 14 September, the Bulgarian Parliament lifted the ban on importing Ukrainian grain after 15 September, according to local media. Bulgaria had been considering extending the ban for a while, but on the eve of the decision, the government announced a change in its stance based on “macroeconomic indicators.”
Russians damage grain warehouses and sunflower oil tanks during attacks on Reni and Izmail ports, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure. “On the night of 12-13 September, the Russian forces attacked the cities of Reni and Izmail in Odesa Oblast with assault drones; administrative buildings, warehouses for grain cargo, sunflower oil storage tanks and vehicles were damaged.
Political Developments
NBC News: Zelenskyy to attend UN General Assembly and meet with Biden. Whether Zelenskyy and Biden will meet in the White House or New York is currently unknown.
European Parliament’s resolution brands Lukashenka regime “accomplice” in Russia’s war crimes, and Belarus Russia’s “satellite state”. The European Parliament’s resolution categorizes Belarus as Russia’s “satellite state” and its leadership as “an accomplice” to Russia’s war crimes, calls on mirroring Russia-related sanctions against Belarus.
New Developments
Ukrainian female journalists awarded Hanns Joachim Friedrichs Prize. Three Ukrainian female journalists were awarded the Hanns Joachim Friedrichs Award 2023, a prestigious annual award for excellence in journalism.
In the other news
Media: A new stage of the secret import of nuclear weapons into Belarus has begun, Charter97 reports. “Components of tactical nuclear weapons and related equipment continue to be imported into Belarus by rail. The next stage has been taking place since the beginning of September, reports the “Community of Railway Workers of Belarus”. To maintain maximum secrecy, deliveries are carried out in small groups of 5-6 cars with a separate locomotive. The number and index assigned to the train at the starting station change when passing through connecting points and before crossing the Russian-Belarusian border.”
Blinken outlines main strategic objectives of US in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports, citing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview with Pod Save The World. “The ultimate objective, really, (…) is two-fold. First, of course, is to deny Russia any kind of strategic success in Ukraine, because if we don’t then, as I said, it’s open invitation for aggressors everywhere, the head of American diplomacy noted. […] And we want to stand with them to maximize their ability to take back the remaining territory that Russia seized, Blinken noted, adding that Russia still controls about 17% of Ukraine’s territory. In addition, the United States wants Ukraine not only to survive, but also to thrive, and to this end the US continues to back the country economically and support its democratic emergence. In this context, the objective is to make sure that Ukraine can stand on its own feet.”
Read the daily review for Thu Sep 14 2023 here
