Military
Ukrainian commander reveals how Ukraine liberated gas rigs in Black Sea and landed in occupied Crimea. Russians fully manned the strategic gas platforms yet offered little resistance to Ukrainian assaults.
Operation Crab Trap: Ukrainian military gives some details on Sevastopol Russian Navy HQ attack. Ukraine’s SOF says their operation Crab Trap enabled the missile strike on Russian Navy HQ in Crimea, while the Ukrainian spy chief claims the strike injured two Russian generals.
Frontline report: Ukrainian forces hit Russian Black Sea Fleet HQ in two-stage air attack. In their daring air attack on 22 September, Ukrainian forces targeted the Russian Black Sea Fleet Headquarters in occupied Sevastopol, utilizing a combination of aerial drones and missiles in a two-stage operation.
British intel: Russia’s 247th Air Assault Regiment sees three commanders resign or die since 2022. Three successive commanders of Russia’s 247th Regiment face death or resignation since 2022, reflecting severe military attrition, according to British intelligence.
Ukraine repels Russia’s drone attack on Dnipro as two Russian missiles hit Odesa Oblast. Last night, Ukraine downed 14/15 Russian explosive drones targeting Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as per the military. Also, 2 Russian antiship missiles hit an open space in Odesa Oblast. No one was injured in the attacks, the authorities and the military say.
General: Ukraine troops broke through near Zaporizhzhia’s Verbove, advances further. The commander of Ukraine’s southern counteroffensive says Ukrainian forces broke through near Zaporizhzhia’s Verbove in the direction of Tokmak, a strategic hub for Russia.
ISW: Ukrainian forces continue to advance south of Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukrainian forces advance near Donetsk’s Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia’s Robotyne on 22 September as their slow daily progress on two main axes of the counteroffensive is substantiated through geolocated footage and reports from the Ukrainian military and Russian media.
As of 23 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: 275460 (+510)
- Tanks: 4655 (+11)
- APV: 8912 (+21)
- Artillery systems: 6210 (+33)
- MLRS: 789 (+4)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 530 (+2)
- Aircraft: 315
- Helicopters: 316
- Warships/boats: 20
- UAV: 4867 (+8)
- Cruise missiles: 1518 (+1)
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 8716 (+26)
- Special equipment: 912
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Intelligence and technology
Estonia says it tipped off Ukraine on pivotal Hostomel assault. Prescient tip-off helped thwart a major Russian airborne op aimed at capturing Kyiv airport and potentially Ukraine’s capital itself in the war’s fateful first hours, outgoing intel chief says
Financial Times: Biden delayed ATACMS announcement to avoid tipping off Russia. In the near future, Washington will send small numbers of the long-range missile armed with cluster munitions rather than a single warhead
“Putin will get upset once again,” Ukraine’s Spy Boss says as Kyiv vows to finish off Kerch bridge. In an uncompromising statement, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov declared that attacks on the strategically critical Kerch Bridge linking Russia to Crimea will continue relentlessly until it is destroyed.
International
Ukraine, Canada sign new Free Trade Agreement. After five years of talks, Ukraine and Canada cemented an upgraded trade relationship that expands market access for companies on both sides.
Inews: UK, Russia engaged in secret talks for 18 months amid Ukraine war. The talks focused on nuclear and grain concerns, not on seeking peace in Ukraine
US appoints chief inspector for oversight of Ukraine aid. Inspector General of the US DOD Robert Storch will be based directly in Ukraine for the first time since February 2022. Storch will lead an on-site monitoring team that will work closely with the State Department and USAID to supervise the allocation of around $113 billion in American assistance that has gone to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Humanitarian and social impact
Injury toll in Russia’s September 22 Kremenchuk strike rises to 32, one killed. The civilian casualty count from Russia’s September 22 missile attack on Kremenchuk rose to 33, including one fatality. The attack caused significant damage to municipal and residential infrastructure, with many individuals hospitalized.
Russian fire attacks kill at least two, injure four civilians in Kherson and Donetsk oblasts on 22 September. Local authorities say that Russian fire attacks on frontline settlements killed two civilians and injured four more in Ukraine’s east and south on 22 September.
Political and legal developments
Zelenskyy discusses Russian paramilitaries with Sudanese leader. Meeting takes place days after reports of Ukrainian intelligence heping to take out Russian Wagner mercenaries in Sudan
New developments
“Leave Crimea now!” warns Ukrainian official, as situation grows increasingly perilous. The Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has urged Ukrainians to temporarily leave occupied Crimea. Since the summer of 2023, Ukrainian missile strikes have become routine for the peninsula.
Read our earlier daily review here
