Ukrainian forces retake the Izium-Kharkiv area. Ukrainian forces continued strikes on Russian logistics nodes, manpower and equipment concentrations, transportation networks, and command and control points in Kherson Oblast. Russian forces conducted ground attacks north of Kharkiv City, northwest of Sloviansk, northeast of Siversk, south and northeast of Bakhmut, and northwest of Donetsk City. Russian occupation authorities announced November 4 as the potential date for annexation referenda in occupied areas of Ukraine. Putin attempted to deny the IAEA’s report on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant station.
A map of the approximate situation on the ground in Ukraine as of 00:00 UTC 08/09/22. pic.twitter.com/qpAKJopsuF
— War Mapper (@War_Mapper) September 8, 2022
The General Staff’s operational update regarding the Russian invasion as of 06.00 am, September 8, 2022 is in the dropdown menu below.
Military Updates
Russian PMCs in Ukraine suffer heavy losses – General Staff
“…Some [PMC] units count more than 40 % seriously wounded and killed. The bodies of many of the dead are not identified and are counted as missing,” Ukraine’s General Staff reported.https://t.co/bYbnV53FMc
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
Over the course of the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed seven Russian ammunition depots and one HQ base.
Ukrainian soldier posing in front of the entrance sign of Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast
Unconfirmed reports claimed that Ukrainian troops liberated the village of Verbivka near the town of Balakliiahttps://t.co/1ZfMfLYABB pic.twitter.com/mpMzikPGbn
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
Russia may try to seize Kyiv and advance into the western and central regions of Ukraine in 2023, wrote Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny in an article. He considered possible scenarios for Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2023 and what the goals that the Russian Federation will pursue.
- Russia can try to re-capture Kyiv from Belarus.
- Russian troops can advance in the south from the bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnipro in the Kherson Oblast. Then the Russians will have real prospects for capturing iykolaov and Odesa, as well as creating a threat towards Krivyi Ryh and, in the future, the central and western regions of Ukraine;
- The Russian army can advance in the Zaporizhzhie direction, and attempt to capture Zaporizhzhie and the Dnipro.
- The Ukrainian army is considering all possible scenarios.
Regional Updates
Russian troops hit school, residential house in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast – mayor
"#43, Torska St. A section collapsed. There may be people under the rubble. Rescue operations are underway. The number of victims is currently unknown" – Mayor Vadym Liakhhttps://t.co/qGOEsRLQlb pic.twitter.com/rpg5akMlZJ
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
In the Donetsk Oblast, several explosions reported in a temporarily occupied Mariupol. Details TBC. Russian troops shelled Sloviansk, damaging a school and a residential building.
In the Kharkiv Oblast, the Russian invaders attacked Kharkiv three times, several cars and an industrial building reportedly on fire.
In the Kherson Oblast, a pontoon bridge destroyed by the Ukrainian army near Daryevka. Damage is visible on the building near the river pier, where an unidentified vessel has been standing since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. The satellite recorded a cluster of Russian military equipment and a large number of trenches approximately 250 meters from the crossing.
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, no Russian warships left in the bay of the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.
According to British Defence Intelligence, (last 48 hours):
- In Kherson Oblast, Ukrainian brigades continue to conduct offensive operations. Ukraine has probably destroyed a military pontoon bridge at Darivka, which Russian forces had deployed after the nearby road bridge was severely damaged.
- The Darivka crossing is one of the main routes between the northern and southern sectors of Russia’s military presence along the Dnipro river. Ukraine’s systematic precision targeting of vulnerable crossing points likely continues to impose pressure on Russian forces as they attempt to contain Ukrainian attacks: it slows their ability to deploy operational reserves and resupply materiel from the east.
Losses of the Russian army
As of 8 September, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the war to the present day:
⚰️russia's combat losses in Ukraine as of September 8
▪ 51250 killed soldiers (+640)
▪ 4557 APV (+37)
▪ 2112 tanks (+15)
▪ 1226 artillery systems (+32)
▪ 239 aircraft (+2) and 210 helicopters (+2)
▪ 15 boats and cutters#StopRussia #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/3DeMp55pxK— VoxUkraine (@voxukraine) September 8, 2022
Humanitarian
Russia returned body of British volunteer Paul Urey with traces of torture to Ukraine in 1,5 month after death
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that a dead body was missing parts, had numerous cuts.
Prosecutor General launched a pre-trial investigation.https://t.co/2W6vQy66MN— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
UN mission to arrive in occupied Olenivka city, Donetsk Oblast, where 53 Ukrainian POWs were killed at the end of July – UN rep
On July 29, 53 Ukrainian POWs were killed in Russian captivity, and another 75 to 130 were injured.https://t.co/nE0kuEXTvR
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1567599876472557570
Environmental
Blackout in Enerhodar city, Zaporizhzhia Obl. after Russia’s shelling – Enerhodar Mayor
It's unknown when the electricity supply will be restored. Enerhodar's residents are recommended to stock up on drinking water&food that doesn't need to be cooked.https://t.co/bBfugOjXYg
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
Russia threatens to disrupt the “grain deal” which expires in November. The Russian authorities say that under this agreement they could not take out a single ship with food. “We managed to reach an agreement, but nothing works with the Russian side. Not a single Russian vessel has exported Russian grain from Russian ports,” said Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN. According to him, “nothing can be ruled out.” The Russian Federation has signed a separate deal with the UN, which states that the Organization will facilitate the export of its food.
Legal
New #Russia conveyor belt of repression targets #CrimeanTatars, other #Ukrainians abducted from mainland #Ukraine #LetMyPeopleGo #StandWithUkraine #StopRussia #RussiaWarCrimeshttps://t.co/Ldo3YVJmV6 pic.twitter.com/ytUCbrjRUF
— Halya Coynash (@halyapuff) September 8, 2022
Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia’s war has killed at least 383 children, injured over 742 since Feb. 24. The numbers are expected to be higher since they do not include casualties in the Russian-occupied territories or near the front line.
Ukrainian oligarch's companies evade payment of taxes totaling about $3 mln – Bureau of Economic Security
Companies are connected to Ukraine's oligarch Dmytro Firtash, who was included in the NSDC sanctions list last year.https://t.co/fEz45aSYHk
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
Support
The European Commission has offered 5 billion euros of macro-financial assistance for Ukraine – President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen https://t.co/dfBB8Bw77V
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
Germany donated COBRA radar and five more Gepards to Ukraine. German government COBRA (Counter Battery Radar) radar technology is an artillery reconnaissance system that can detect enemy howitzers and mortars of 80 mm caliber. The radar is estimated to be able to detect 40 firing positions in two minutes. Experts estimate the cost of the COBRA system at 50 million Euros. The Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery mount can fire 35 mm projectiles at a speed of up to 1000 rounds per minute. In real conditions, it shoots in short bursts, adapted to the target.
New Developments
Ukraine's MP Trukhin was charged with bribery
In August 2021, Trukhin was involved in a road accident. 6 ppl were injured. According to the investigation, while at the scene of the accident, the MP offered a bribe of about $4000 to the police officers.https://t.co/1XNwQ8PM6v
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2022
The European Commission proposes to limit the price of Russian gas, reducing it by 5 times and setting it at the level of 50 Euros per megawatt-hour. The European Commission also proposes to control the distribution of gas among countries in case of emergency. Putin said that “Russia will not supply anything to anyone: neither gas, nor oil, nor coal if it is unprofitable for us.”
France supports a price cap plan on Russian gas supply put forth by Brussels. An emergency meeting of the EU energy ministers scheduled for September 9.
Export of metal via ports would bring one and a half times more currency than grain, as stated by the head of the OP “Ukrmetallurgprom” Oleksandr Kalenkov. According to him, unblocking the export of metal through ports would be a real gift for the economy, and would help to collapse the dollar. Kalenkov explained that sending metal products to foreign markets gives more than 1.5 times more currency than agricultural products, which began to be exported under the “grain agreement.” According to the most conservative estimates, the metal can provide an additional inflow of 8–10 billion dollars a year into the country.
Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions renewal if 3 Russian oligarchs not exempted. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty citing Hungarian diplomatic sources, Hungary will request the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov, Piotr Aven, and Viktor Rashnikov from the EU sanctions list as a condition for renewing personal sanctions against Russia. The restrictive measures, which target 1,217 individuals and 108 entities, were imposed after Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, reports The Kyiv Independent.
The US and EU increased Russian aluminum and nickel imports since February 24 by 70%, with the total value of imports being $1.9 billion, Reuters reported. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the West has imposed a wide range of sanctions but has largely spared the industrial metals sector.
Assessment
- On the war.
The Institute for the Study of War has made the following assessment as of Saturday 7 Spetember, 2022:
Ukrainian forces in southeastern Kharkiv Oblast are likely exploiting Russian force reallocation to the Southern Axis to conduct an opportunistic yet highly effective counteroffensive northwest of Izium. Ukrainian forces likely used tactical surprise to advance at least 20km into Russian-held territory in eastern Kharkiv Oblast on September 7, recapturing approximately 400 square kilometers of ground. Russian sources claimed that Russian troops began deploying reinforcements to the area to defend against Ukrainian advances, and the Russian grouping in this area was likely understrength due to previous Russian deployments to support ongoing efforts to capture the remainder of Donetsk Oblast and support the southern axis.[1] Ukraine’s ongoing operations in Kherson Oblast have forced Russian forces to shift their focus to the south, enabling Ukrainian forces to launch localized but highly effective counterattacks in the Izium area.[2] Russian milbloggers voiced concern that this Ukrainian counterattack seeks to cut ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to Russian rear areas in Kupiansk and Izium, which would allow Ukrainian troops to isolate the Russian groupings in these areas and retake large swaths of territory.[3] These milbloggers used largely panicked and despondent tones, acknowledged significant Ukrainian gains, and claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south may be a distraction from the ongoing actions in Kharkiv Oblast, which they name as the main Ukrainian effort.[4] The level of shock and frank discussion of Ukrainian successes by Russian milbloggers speaks to the scale of surprise achieved by Ukrainian forces, which is likely successfully demoralizing Russian forces. While it is unlikely that the southern counteroffensive and effort to attrit Russian forces in southern Ukraine is a feint for renewed operations in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian forces likely took prudent advantage of a reallocation of Russian troops, equipment, and overall operational focus to launch localized counteroffensives toward critical points in Kharkiv Oblast.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to deny the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) September 6 report on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Putin claimed that there is no Russian military equipment on the grounds of the ZNPP other than Rosgvardia elements.[5] Rosgvardia elements have carried out both occupation functions and frontline combat operations during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin’s admission that there are Rosgvardia elements on the plant’s grounds further confirms that Russian forces have militarized their presence at the ZNPP despite constant Russian denials. Putin also accused the IAEA of acting under Western pressure to not directly blame Ukraine of shelling the plant. As ISW previously assessed, the IAEA report was a coded yet damning condemnation of Russian activities at the ZNPP.[6]
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian forces are skillfully exploiting Russia’s deployment of forces away from the Izium-Kharkiv area to retake territory and threaten Russian GLOCs in the area, prompting demoralized responses from Russian milbloggers.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to deny the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) September 6 report on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
- Ukrainian forces continued strikes on Russian logistics nodes, manpower and equipment concentrations, transportation networks, and command and control points in Kherson Oblast.
- Russian and Ukrainian sources reported kinetic activity in northern Kherson Oblast and in western Kherson Oblast along the Kherson-Mykolaiv border.
- Russian forces conducted ground attacks north of Kharkiv City, northwest of Sloviansk, northeast of Siversk, south and northeast of Bakhmut, and northwest of Donetsk City.
- Ukrainian forces gained 400 square kilometers of territory northwest of Izium on September 6-7 as part of an opportunistic and highly effective counteroffensive in southeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
- Russian occupation authorities announced November 4 as the potential date for annexation referenda in occupied areas of Ukraine.