Ukraine updates in English

[N0TZU]

Wlad, what you describe at night is unimaginable. I have a hard enough time sleeping when there are mere fireworks displays outside, though they are far away (as occurs during July 4th celebrations in the USA). May God bless you, and also the Swedish radio club for lifting your spirits at times!

Well said.

[US7IGN]

The ability of our power engineers to restore objects destroyed by the russians causes surprise and admiration. They fixed everything again and the electricity has not been turned off for several days. However, air attacks continue every night. https://focus.ua/uk/voennye-novosti/667331-10-grup-shahediv-atakuvali-ukrajinu-vibuhi-prolunali-u-kilkoh-oblastyah-detali

Last night there was a strong thunderstorm, thunder and lightning could not be distinguished from the work of air defense.

In the morning it was already warm and I went to the clinic to put sensors for a Holter examination. The doctors already remembered me and asked how I was doing. I lived to be 45 and in my case it's not bad. I remember when I was a child one doctor said to me that I would be lucky if I lived to be 40. However, some technologies appeared only 20 years ago and even now are not available to everyone. I always feel special support from God, which helps me successfully pass all the tests.

It is reported that three airports in Moscow are not working due to drone attacks. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-world/3903910-cerez-ataku-bezpilotnikiv-u-moskvi-zakrito-tri-aeroporti.html

But the situation in the Kursk region remains uncertain, as the russians have launched their own assaults. https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/nastup-zsu-u-kurskiy-oblasti-rosiyani-ropochali-shturmovi-diji-deepstate-50449972.html

The russians destroyed all thermal power plants that supplied heat to the city of Kharkiv, forcing the city to look for alternative options for providing heat. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, announced that small mobile boiler stations, which will be installed by local authorities, will be delivered to Kharkiv in the near future. https://24tv.ua/economy/tets-harkova-znishheni-rosiya-znishhila-usi-tets-yaki-obslugovuvali_n2638158

I doubt it will help, considering how easy a target it will be for the russians.

As a result of the pollution of the Desna River, Kyiv may be left without water supply. Therefore, in this case, the capital planned to switch to alternative sources of water supply. https://kyiv.novyny.live/zabrudnennia-desni-kiyivvodokanal-poperediv-pro-zagrozu-dlia-stolitsi-199005.html

So far, the number of advertisements of water filter sellers has increased. First they made money on masks, vaccines and tests during the pandemic, then on batteries and generators during blackouts, now it's time to make money on water filters. If you know what will be in demand tomorrow, you can become a millionaire.

[US7IGN]

Today I saw interesting information about the fact that the residents of the Irpin (near Kyiv) community have already received more than 2.6 billion hryvnias under the program "eVidnovnelnya" to date.

These are 3,873 applicants who received a total of UAH 532,054,000 for current and major repairs (the level of processing is 92.7%);

These are 614 owners of certificates for the purchase of new housing for the total amount of 1 billion 839 million hryvnias (level of processing – 96.2%);

These are 83 owners of destroyed housing, who received monetary compensation for reconstruction on their own land for a total amount of 288 million hryvnias (level of processing - 95.9%). https://mykyivregion.com.ua/news/meskanci-irpinskoyi-gromadi-otrimali-ponad-26-milyarda-za-programoyu-jevidnovlennya
Glad that some part of the victims compensated for the losses, but it would be interesting to see the figures for the country as a whole.

The Hungarian energy company MOL announced the conclusion of an agreement for the uninterrupted supply of russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through the territory of Ukraine. According to the agreement, MOL, which controls oil refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, will take over the supply of crude oil on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border from September 9. The updated documents, as noted, fully comply with all sanctions, including European and Ukrainian ones. https://biz.censor.net/n3509110

"The Cabinet of Ministers is not involved": Prime Minister Shmyhal placed responsibility for the future transit of gas and oil from the russian rederation on the Office of the President. He also noted that Ukraine is satisfied that the transit of russian oil will be carried out by the Hungarian company MOL, which will buy oil from Lukoil on the border with Belarus and pay for its transit through Ukraine. Source: https://biz.censor.net/n3509194

That is, Europe continues to buy russian oil and sponsor russia to continue the war. This is understandable. What is the benefit for Ukraine - it is not clear. Although Ukraine is very different - while some Ukrainians die, others earn. In this regard, I did not understand people’s expectations that the US and Great Britain would provide a lot of missiles and allow them to be used on russian territory.

The heads of the US and British diplomatic departments, Anthony Blinken and David Lammy, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday. It was reported that the parties will discuss further support for Ukraine to protect against russian aggression, as well as ways to ensure the prosperity of Ukraine in "military, economic and democratic terms in the long term". Blinken said Tuesday that his trip is partly to see "how exactly the Ukrainians see their needs at this moment, what the goals are and what we can do to support those needs." https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2024/09/11/7193953/

Maybe we will see the results of the meeting later, but I am sure that like the previous help, it will come too little and too late to matter.

Germany will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor, but at the same time calls for finding ways to end the war politically with a just peace. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this in the Bundestag on Wednesday during a debate on the country's budget for the next year. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-world/3904397-solc-obicae-pidtrimuvati-ukrainu-ale-vvazae-nastav-cas-dla-peregovoriv.html

Turkey's support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine remains unchanged, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video address to the participants of the 4th Crimean Platform summit, reports Anadolu Agency. "Turkey sincerely wishes to end the war with a just and lasting peace based on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," Erdogan emphasized. https://interfax.com.ua/news/political/1013179.html

Many words and few weapons. It is obvious that the main players are interested in ending the war, which everyone will pass off as a victory. Perhaps the main thing now is to preserve what is left of Ukraine, and in the event of an end to the war, there will be an opportunity to hold elections and try to change the government while the processes in the country are still under control. If the destruction of Ukraine's energy system continues in winter, it may lead to collapse and complete chaos.

[US7IGN]

Saturday evening, and I'm tired. I had to do some work, a lot of household chores had piled up during the week, the repair of another radio was delayed due to numerous corrosion - after I fixed one problem, another one was discovered. However, I didn't miss "English lessons" with Colin.

Kate was at the student initiation yesterday. Their oldest royal lyceum in Krakow used the royal castle for ceremonial events. It seems Kate got into the company of the upper class. In Europe, this still has a great meaning.

https://krakow.naszemiasto.pl/wyjatkowe-slubowanie-licealistow-2-lo-im-sobieskiego-w/ar/c5-9794455

Again, no news in Ukraine that would make me happy.

The Toronto International Film Festival said Thursday it is suspending upcoming screenings of the controversial documentary russians At War due to “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.” The announcement came a day after TIFF stood by the film, which is helmed by a russian-Canadian director and received Canadian public funding, amid growing backlash from the Ukrainian community and government officials for both Ukraine and Canada. A large protest was held outside Tuesday’s debut screening and another was planned for Friday. The protests were organized by Ukrainian-Canadian community leaders who have called the film “russian propaganda” — a charge denied by the filmmaker and festival organizers — and called for government and criminal investigations and for TIFF to cancel screenings of the film. https://globalnews.ca/news/10752951/tiff-suspends-russians-at-war-screenings-threats/

The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was in Ukraine from September 4 to 10, preliminarily approved the allocation of a new tranche in the amount of $1.1 billion. By the end of 2024, Ukraine expects to receive another $13.5 billion in external financing, in addition to $24.5 billion, which have already arrived. But the IMF worsened the macro forecasts for Ukraine and hinted that our country should focus on internal sources of filling the budget, and not wait for help from the outside.

For its part, the National Bank added pessimism and stated that it is currently not ready to continue the easing of monetary policy, and now warned that hopes for maintaining the growth rate of Ukraine's GDP in 2025 may not come true. https://mind.ua/publications/20278824-shche-odin-transh-na-11-milyarda-ta-pogani-prognozi-dlya-vvp-ukrayini-chim-zavershilasya-misiya-mvf

The head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radoslaw Sikorsky, called for an end to aid payments to Ukrainian refugees, believing that this reduces Ukraine's mobilization potential. Sikorsky said that in Poland, Ukrainian refugees receive only 200 euros per month for each child, but additional payments in other countries encourage them not to return home. He is convinced that financial support for refugees in Western Europe is an incentive for young men and women to stay abroad instead of returning and defending their country.
https://24tv.ua/radoslav-sikrovskiy-zayaviv-shho-dopomoga-bizhentsyam-znizhuye_n2640160

Poland was ready to start training recruits on August 1, but recruitment never took place. There is no information about recruiting to the "Ukrainian Legion" on the websites of the Ukrainian embassy and consulates. In response to the journalists' request, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied that the Polish Ministry of Defense would comment on the situation.

The Ministry of Defense of Poland reported that the responsibility for recruiting lies on the Ukrainian side. At the same time, at the time of publication, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense did not provide any comments.

The creation of the legion was announced by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during the signing of the security agreement with Poland in early July. https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/swiat/artykuly/9599138,legion-ukrainski-na-razie-na-papierze-opoznienia-nawet-w-rekrutacji.html

The "military" personal income tax was withdrawn from the budgets of communities in 2023, but for January-July of this year, the main managers of budget funds used only 45% of the actual income of personal income tax, the Ministry of Finance reported. In addition, in 2023, 65% of the funds withdrawn from communities were used.
https://www.volynnews.com/news/all/asotsiatsiia-mist-ukrayiny-minfin-vyznav-shcho-vyluchennia-viyskovoho-pdfo-u-hromad-vyiavylosia-neefektyvnym/
There is an opinion that the reason may be that the unused funds, which are intended for the defense of the country, if not used by the end of the year, go to the general budget.

Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainians have spent more than 1.6 billion dollars on the purchase of new cars, which is 19% more than in the same period last year. Among the leaders are Toyota, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen. https://mind.ua/news/20278076-protyagom-cogo-roku-ukrayinci-vitratili-67-mlrd-grn-na-novi-avto

[US7IGN]

Information about the Kursk offensive appears. Ukraine’s Kursk offensive was seen as a major success, but it came at a huge cost https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/13/world/ukraine-kursk-offensive-cost/index.html

The Kursk operation has given the Ukrainians a huge morale boost, being Kyiv’s first big strategic gain since the liberation of Kherson in November 2022.

In an exclusive interview with CNN last week, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky gave what was the most detailed explanation yet of the rationale behind the incursion. He said its aim was to stop russia from using Kursk as a launchpad for a new offensive, to divert Moscow’s forces from other areas, to create a “security zone” and prevent cross-border shelling of civilians, to take prisoners of war and – indeed – to boost the morale of Ukraine’s troops and the nation overall.

Zelensky, meanwhile, said that another goal of the operation was to show Kyiv’s Western allies that with the right support, its military can fight back and eventually win the war.

But soldiers involved in the operation who spoke with CNN said it was a difficult undertaking.

Ukraine has been under pressure on its eastern front for most of this year and is still struggling to recover from the huge setbacks caused by delays in the delivery of US military assistance last winter and in the spring. russian attacks on the northern territories of Ukraine have not stopped, and the evacuation of the population continues.

I noticed that it involved soldiers who were taken from the front, and not the mythical "new brigades" that were talked about so much. It turns out that tens of thousands of new soldiers who became victims of the intensive mobilization six months ago have disappeared like water in the sun. Apparently, this explains the ongoing retreat of the Ukrainian army in the east.

Several units have told CNN that navigation and communication between units and their commanders were a major problem in Kursk. With GPS and cellphone signals jammed, the Ukrainians have been relying on the Starlink internet service. But they are finding the service doesn’t work at all in certain parts of the Kursk region.

It turns out that the mistake of the counteroffensive of the summer of 2022 was repeated and the Ukrainian army still does not have reliable special military radio communications, for example, radio stations like those made by Harris. I understand that all the attention of the population is focused on the F-16 and other spectacular things, but the effectiveness of communications is much more important. It turns out that for the third year, the Ukrainian army has been fighting using civilian GPS, mobile communications and the Internet, and this raises even more questions about the competence of the leadership of the army and the country.

[US7IGN]

A little about what document verification looks like in Ukraine. If you have documents, you go further, if not, you go to the army. And then they will wonder why no one else wants to fight for this country. However, this is all just the consequences of the 2019 elections.

https://www.stroimdom.com.ua/uploads/monthly_2024_09/VID_20240915_081916_093.mp4.c271687ce247e365b8ffa728ec9f4f48.mp4

[N0TZU]

J.D. Vance revealed the Trump plan for Ukraine peace. It would allow Russia to keep all seized territory, establish a “demilitarized” zone at the border, require Ukraine to stay neutral and never join NATO.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/politics/vance-trump-ukraine-russia-war.html

In other words, give Putin what he wants. I’m not surprised at all.

[US7IGN]

J.D. Vance revealed the Trump plan for Ukraine peace. It would allow Russia to keep all seized territory, establish a “demilitarized” zone at the border, require Ukraine to stay neutral and never join NATO.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/politics/vance-trump-ukraine-russia-war.html

In other words, give Putin what he wants. I’m not surprised at all.

There are different points of view on this in Ukraine. Some talk about the 1991 borders and are ready to fight until victory. Usually, neither these people nor their loved ones personally fight. They also do not take into account the economy or demography and do not think about the fact that every day of a war like this brings thousands of deaths and destruction, loss of territory. They are generally not very interested in anything that does not concern them personally.

Others believe that with such mobilization and arms supplies as now, Ukraine will not only not return the occupied territories, but will also continue to slowly lose people and territory until collapse occurs. It is already clear that while the war is going on, there will be no elections, Ukraine will not join NATO and the EU, so Trump's position looks like what happens when a business gets a crisis. You can continue to do the same thing that led to the crisis, or you can fix the losses, change the management and try to change something in the strategy. The question now is not what pootin will get, but what Ukraine risks losing. On the other hand, for some people every day of war means huge profits and these people make decisions that are not in favor of those who are dying and will continue to die.

According to a confidential Ukrainian estimate made this year, the number of dead Ukrainian soldiers is 80,000, and the wounded - 400,000, writes the WSJ with reference to informed sources. Western intelligence estimates of russian casualties vary, with some putting the number as high as nearly 200,000 dead and around 400,000 wounded. https://www.wsj.com/world/one-million-are-now-dead-or-injured-in-the-russia-ukraine-war-b09d04e5

But we must not forget that all figures are relative and that russia has compensated for all its losses in people and resources many times over through the occupied territories, while Ukraine has additionally lost about 6 million people who left the country.

Lately, you can often see men with prosthetics. They shine in the sun and catch the eye. As a rule, these are young men. Probably, when an old man's leg is torn off at the ass, his chances of survival are minimal. Even if it only gets torn off at the knee, that won't be easy either.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Kursk region began to change. The russians launched a counteroffensive and the situation became very complicated. The peculiarity of the russian counteroffensive is that, firstly, the russians have engaged in active battles so far only up to 10,000 of the 40,000-strong group of the russian Armed Forces gathered in the Kursk region.
Secondly, the russians almost do not use artillery and aviation directly on the line of battle, because the war is a maneuver and cases of "friendly fire" occurred almost every day from the very beginning of the Ukrainian offensive. Therefore, the russian generals decided to do without massive artillery and air raids for the time being. https://gazeta.ua/blog/62205/kurskij-nastup-vazhki-boyi-a-rosiyani-ne-zadiyali-j-polovini-svoyih-sil

At the same time, the russians are actively shelling the Sumy region, through which the supply of the Kursk group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine passes. Also, due to shelling in Sumy region, many energy facilities were destroyed. https://suspilne.media/sumy/838069-armia-rf-vdarila-raketami-po-sumah-artuh/

Some of Ukraine’s top army commanders questioned the cross-border assault into russia, Ukrainian military officials tell POLITICO.
Zaluzhny’s objection to the incursion, meanwhile, was that there was no clear second step after the border had been successfully breached by elite Ukrainian units drawn from four brigades, according to these officials. Zaluzhny queried: once you have the bridgehead, what then? “He never got a clear answer from Zelenskyy,” said one of the officials. “He felt it was a gamble,” he said. https://www.politico.eu/article/kursk-russia-incursion-objections-war-in-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy/

russia did not wait for the allies to allow Ukraine to use its missiles on the territory of the russian Federation, and in advance moved its aviation away from the front. This process has been going on for several months. The very existence of the threat forces the Russians to reduce the intensity of combat aviation. On the other hand, since this threat is stretched over time, russian forces are adapting to it and developing new methods of strikes. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c148l04044eo

[US7IGN]

But it all always comes back to money.

West funding potin’s soldiers with growing russian fuel purchases. Western allies bought roughly $2 billion in fuel made from russian oil in the first half of 2024, using a sanctions loophole that enables Moscow to pay its soldiers in Ukraine, an upcoming report seen by POLITICO has found. The shipments of gasoline, diesel and other products made from Russian crude oil have grown in recent months as a result of imports from just three Turkish refineries. https://www.politico.eu/article/west-funding-vladimir-putin-soldier-russia-fuel-oil-ukraine-war/

US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months, as the stockpiles of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon is willing to send Kyiv from its own inventory have dwindled. The shift comes amid concerns about US military readiness being impacted as US arms manufacturers play catchup to the huge demand created by the war against russia.

The shortage means the Biden administration still has $6 billion in funds available to arm and equip Ukraine, but the Pentagon lacks the inventory it is willing to deliver more than two years into the war, two US officials told CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/17/politics/us-reducing-military-aid-packages-ukraine/index.html

Some of Ukraine’s allies are starting to talk about how the fight against russia’s invasion might end, raising concerns in several other Western capitals that these efforts could lead to Kyiv being forced into a premature cease-fire. As part of their discussions of strategy for the next year, officials are more seriously gaming out how a negotiated end to the conflict and an off-ramp could take shape, according to people familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity to discuss private deliberations. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-17/ukraine-russia-ceasefire-kyiv-s-allies-start-to-look-at-how-it-could-work?srnd=phx-politics

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reacted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's criticism of the Sino-Brazilian "peace plan" and his call to his colleague to work together to end the war. Lula da Silva said that Ukraine had to speak before the start of a full-scale war with russia. https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/lula-apos-fala-de-zelensky-poderia-ter-conversado-antes-da-guerra

The recent talks in Kyiv between Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis were said to have taken place in a very tense atmosphere. During the talks, the Ukrainian president was supposed to express numerous reservations about Poland's attitude. According to Onet, there was supposed to be a clash there. "Poles were surprised by Zelensky's style" https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/scysja-sikorskiego-z-prezydentem-ukrainy-polacy-byli-zaskoczeni-stylem-zelenskiego/jpppe4v

Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly had reservations, among other things, about the weakening of Poland's military support for Ukraine, or about Poland's weak involvement in supporting Ukraine in accession talks with the European Union. The issue of the Volhynian massacre was also supposed to be a point of contention.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summed up Radosław Sikorski's three-day visit in a special statement. "The head of the MFA emphasized that during the conversation he raised historical issues in relations between Poland and Ukraine, including those concerning the truth about the Volhynian Massacres. The minister emphasized that reconciliation between nations is one of the conditions for Ukraine's entry into United Europe, and the issue of exhumation and burial of 100 thousand victims is not a political issue — only a civilizational one," it was noted. https://www.fakt.pl/polityka/napiecie-pomiedzy-sikorskim-a-zelenskim-nowakowski-mowi-jasno/c0lhy56

While Ukraine continues to "win" one victory after another on the international stage, the question of where to get money is being decided within the country.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that provides:
• increase in military levy from 1.5% to 5%
• increase in taxes for entrepreneurs
• advance payments at gas stations
• 25% of profit to financial institutions
• monthly income tax reporting (for economy booking)
• 50% tax on bank profits in 2024.
https://agro-business.com.ua/agrobusiness/item/30613-rada-skhvalyla-zakonoproiekt-pro-pidvyshchennia-podatkiv.html

The government has also submitted a draft budget for 2025, which foresees a drop in economic growth, a weakening of the hryvnia against the dollar and high inflation. In 2025, defense spending will increase even more and exceed two trillion hryvnias. This is more than a quarter of the entire Ukrainian GDP and more than half of all budget expenditures. The need for external financing, according to the draft budget, amounts to 38.4 billion dollars (approximately the same as in 2024), but so far half of this amount is not guaranteed.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cr544pmrj98o
I doubt that the government will be able to collect the required amount of taxes, so they will most likely print money.

On Sunday I saw a message from Oleg UR8LV from Kharkiv, who is collecting money for materials for antennas again. Previously, he made antennas for radio amateurs, but recently there is no demand for them and he began making them for the military. I know him personally and think he deserves support. Last year we already helped him and his small efforts have a big effect compared to the billions that international organizations transfer to our authorities, but which never reach ordinary people. During the day, the necessary 500 dollars were collected, enough to manufacture 40 antennas. https://ur8lv.com/1621830712

[N0TZU]

I enjoyed watching the video of initiation ceremonies at Kate’s school! There is nothing like that here, in general, though some private schools might.

When will you learn the results of the Holter monitor, and about any changes indicated?

Glad that Oleg had good monetary support for making more antennas. I recall donating last time, and will again, if it’s needed. Please let us know.

[US7IGN]

I enjoyed watching the video of initiation ceremonies at Kate’s school! There is nothing like that here, in general, though some private schools might.

When will you learn the results of the Holter monitor, and about any changes indicated?

Glad that Oleg had good monetary support for making more antennas. I recall donating last time, and will again, if it’s needed. Please let us know.

Thank you Bob!

Kate really likes her lyceum, but unfortunately she caught a cold at that ceremony and is staying home this week. Nothing serious.

Today I saw a few sick people today who were carrying their snot on the bus. I'll probably go to the office less often to avoid infection.

My doctor still hasn't answered me and if he doesn't make an appointment tomorrow, I'll remind him about myself on Monday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that his "Victory Plan", intended to bring peace to Ukraine while keeping the country strong and avoiding all "frozen conflicts", was now complete after much consultation. Zelensky pledged last month to present his plan to U.S. President Joe Biden, presumably next week when he attends sessions of the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-victory-plan-is-ready-2024-09-18/
Unfortunately, this plan, which should decide the fate of millions of Ukrainians, is unknown to the Ukrainians themselves. Authoritarianism as it is.

Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow, according to 11 Indian and European government and defence industry officials, as well as a Reuters analysis of commercially available customs data. The transfer of munitions to support Ukraine's defence against russia has occurred for more than a year, according to the sources and the customs data. Indian arms export regulations limit the use of weaponry to the declared purchaser, who risks future sales being terminated if unauthorised transfers occur. https://www.reuters.com/world/ammunition-india-enters-ukraine-raising-russian-ire-2024-09-19/

At the same time, India is going to modernize its T-72 tanks, of which there are more than 2,500 thousand, in cooperation with russia for subsequent export. https://www.indiandefensenews.in/2024/09/india-to-upgrade-t-72-tanks-for-export.html
I would not be surprised if these tanks then end up in russia. War is a very profitable business, provided that it is not on your territory.

A major Ukrainian drone attack on russia triggered a giant blast and forced the partial evacuation of residents near the site of a large russian arsenal in the Tver region on Wednesday, war bloggers and some media reported. According to a RIA state news agency report from 2018, russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets. The arsenal was built in 2015 at a cost of $39 million, according to rossiyskaya Gazeta, the russian government's official newspaper. It was equipped with cold and heated rooms, electrical substations, treatment facilities, water and fuel storage tanks, and more than a hundred fire ponds, rossiyskaya Gazeta said. The full load of each storage facility of the arsenal is up to 240 tons. The arsenal also has facilities to accommodate up to 200 servicemen.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/what-do-we-know-about-ukrainian-attack-russias-tver-region-2024-09-18/

Despite the sanctions introduced by the West against the russian federation, the russian military-industrial complex is actively functioning. Forbes Ukraine writes about this with reference to the data of an interlocutor in one of the intelligence structures. https://forbes.ua/war-in-ukraine/rosiya-viroblyae-vid-130-dalekobiynikh-raket-ta-ponad-500-droniv-na-misyats-forbes-ukraine-diznavsya-detali-17092024-23667

According to him, the pace of missile production in russia is 132-171 units per month, for which the occupiers spend 1.1 billion dollars. They used approximately the same number of missiles during the massive attack on Ukraine on August 26. Every month, the russian federation produces from 42 to 56 ballistic missiles and from 90 to 115 long-range cruise missiles. They can be used for deep strikes on Ukrainian territory, in particular on the energy infrastructure of our country. The pace of production of Shahed drones is even faster - more than 500 units.

For the third time since the beginning of the full-scale war with Ukraine, the leadership of the russian federation has issued a decree to increase the size of the army. This time it is planned to increase by 180,000 people, so the total number will be 1.5 million people. https://x.com/DefenceHQ/status/1836688896941260849

At the same time, there is growing concern about the possible consequences of an adventurous attack and seizure of part of the Kursk region on the eve of winter and a total shortage of resources in the Ukrainian army. https://www.ft.com/content/a22f7d1f-605b-42fc-ac76-98f59b5497a6 However, as the results of the 2022 counteroffensive show, in the worst case, commanders will receive awards and a well-deserved rest in a foreign embassy, ​​and the new commander-in-chief will again be able to say that he needs even more people and a tougher mobilization for success.

Ukrainian soldiers sometimes disassemble a malfunctioning FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile in order to remove the warhead and equip an FPV drone with it. Some believe that such videos are made for the sake of hype. https://defence-ua.com/news/koli_i_chomu_u_zsu_vimusheni_rozbirati_javelin_zaradi_bojovoji_chastini_dlja_fpv_droniv-16632.html

[US7IGN]

Since recently Ukrainian citizenship means only duties and no rights and their protection, more and more people are deciding to abandon it. This primarily applies to men.

MP Mykola Knyazhytsky said that hundreds of thousands of people have submitted applications to renounce Ukrainian citizenship. According to him, the country is witnessing a real demographic catastrophe, in particular due to the fact that some Ukrainians have dual citizenship and are trying to get rid of Ukrainian passports. https://prm.ua/ukraintsi-masovo-vidmovliaiutsia-vid-hromadianstva-lezhat-sotni-tysiach-zaiav/

The Supreme Court recently concluded that the current legislation of Ukraine does not provide for a clear prohibition of dual citizenship. Although dual (multiple) de jure citizenship in Ukraine is not provided for at the legislative level, it does exist via facti (for example, simultaneous acquisition by a child of Ukrainian citizenship and citizenship of another state or states). https://sud.ua/uk/news/sudebnaya-praktika/310980-bp-vs-vyskazalas-o-vozmozhnosti-prekrascheniya-grazhdanstva-ukrainy-pri-nalichii-pasporta-drugoy-strany

In this regard, the detention of the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBO super heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk at the Kraków airport on Tuesday, September 17, caused a vague reaction in society. Perhaps no one would have found out about this and paid attention to it, if not for the reaction of Zelensky, who personally intervened and instructed the Ministers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make every effort to save the boxer. "The Ukrainian side categorically does not accept the attitude shown in the video towards its citizen and champion. In addition, Minister Andriy Sybiga will already contact his Polish colleague with the aim of immediately resolving this situation. The Minister also instructed the Consul General to express his protest and indignation at such an attitude," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tyhiy. https://sud.ua/uk/news/video/310835-ukrainskogo-boksera-aleksandra-usika-zaderzhali-v-aeroportu-krakova-video

In my personal opinion, no one detains anyone for no reason, let alone handcuffs. Unfortunately, such concern does not extend to ordinary Ukrainians in Ukraine. I'm not talking about another deterioration of relations with Poland. And then they wonder why people don't want to be citizens of this country.

Meanwhile, air attacks on Kyiv and other cities continue every day...
https://ukranews.com/ua/news/1035057-u-kyyevi-vnochi-bulo-chutno-zvuky-vybuhiv-bilya-mista-pratsyuvala-ppo
https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/obstril-harkova-17-veresnya-kilkist-postrazhdalih-zbilshilas-do-dev-yati-50451734.html

And the fact that russian cities are also occasionally attacked does not make life in Ukraine any easier. https://tsn.ua/svit/bezpilotniki-atakuvali-kilka-regioniv-rosiyi-vnochi-v-odnomu-z-mist-ogoloshena-chastkova-evakuaciya-2661879.html

[UT7UX]

The ability of our power engineers to restore objects destroyed by the russians causes surprise and admiration.

This amazes me even more since I'm somewhat familiar with power grid, what are they made of, and how they work. The problem is that any given part of the grid is unique custom made. Even in good times one should first design a thing that would fit its place - say a transformer, then place an order to make it, and wait for delivery and installation for months.

[US7IGN]

Last night I woke up from the smell of smoke and decided that there was a fire somewhere nearby, but it turned out that the peat bogs near Kiev were burning again. Air pollution was five times higher than normal and the city authorities called for closing the windows and not being outside for long. I listened to them and stayed home to work. It was the right decision. The air had an orange tint and smelled strongly. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-zabrudnennya-povitrya-kmda/33127747.html

The National Coordination Center for Cyber ​​Security (NCCC) decided to limit the use of the Telegram messenger in state bodies, military formations and critical infrastructure facilities. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, provided substantiated data regarding the availability of russian special services to the personal correspondence of Telegram users, even deleted messages, as well as their personal data. Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that Telegram is actively used by the enemy for cyber attacks, the distribution of phishing and malicious software, establishing the geolocation of users, correcting missile strikes, etc. https://www.facebook.com/rnbou/posts/pfbid02XozkEVd5JWi4G9p3z8L1VHjzoM6aq1Fm6VpuppjYfMtB76muUmTfjaiiZrHQZ3tfl

russia’s military command had anticipated Ukraine’s incursion into its Kursk region and had been making plans to prevent it for several months, according to a cache of documents that the Ukrainian army said it had seized from abandoned russian positions in the region. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/20/revealed-russia-anticipated-kursk-incursion-months-in-advance-seized-papers-show

The first 400 million euros from the tranche, which consists of revenues from frozen russian assets, will go to finance Ukrainian defense enterprises, in particular to the production of self-propelled guns "Bohdana". In August, the authorities of the European Union allocated 1.4 billion euros to Ukraine from the income from russian frozen assets. The initiator of this scheme was Denmark, which also became the first country to sign a contract and pay for the production of "Bogdana" for the Armed Forces. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Maternova told about this in an interview with "European Truth". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZsmKjme1x4

It was proposed to create the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism (ULCM), which will provide an irreversible form of macro-financial assistance. The decision of the European Commission is part of the G7 initiative (not an alternative) regarding the mechanism of additional loans to increase revenues to the budget of Ukraine (Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine). Ukraine itself will determine where to direct the funds. Macro-financial assistance will not be tied to specific expenses, while at the same time it will allow to provide the most urgent needs. https://news.telegraf.com.ua/ukr/ukraina/2024-09-20/5872358-ukraina-ne-budet-vozvrashchat-kredit-es-v-minfine-obyasnili-kogda-i-kuda-napravyat-35-mlrd-evro?traffic_source=ukr.net

[US7IGN]

Recently, local media have started reporting on arson of cars belonging to the military. Usually these are old cars that volunteers have been bringing in from abroad en masse since the invasion in 2022. They are usually painted green and have foreign license plates or no license plates at all. Sometimes these cars are driven by those who pretend to be military. The police sometimes report the detention of those on orders from the "Kremlin", although I do not know the real motives of the arsonists. https://wz.lviv.ua/news/519581-u-kyievi-zatrymaly-pidpaliuvachiv-viiskovykh-mashyn But apparently the police are not effective enough in catching criminals. Recently, a video appeared where supposedly the military independently detained those who tried to set fire to cars for the purpose of reprisal. https://www.stroimdom.com.ua/uploads/monthly_2024_09/video_2024-09-20_06-12-57.mp4.54b84a007ca0d61eabb0010c2eec6bbb.mp4 Perhaps this video is staged to discredit the military, but some people support it.

But everyone's attention is now focused on Zelensky's visit to the US, for which many have inflated expectations. Zelensky himself is making more incredible statements.

Regarding his victory plan, which he intends to present in the United States, Zelensky explained: "We are already in plan B. We live and fight in it, we never had a plan A. Because plan A was to prevent a full-scale russian invasion, plan "A" was to arm Ukraine and preemptively sanction the russian federation so that it would fear even the thought of a full-scale invasion."

Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the USA is scheduled for September 26. He will meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. A meeting with Donald Trump is also planned.

Zelensky intends to present to Biden the Victory Plan, the details of which are currently not being disclosed. According to the President of Ukraine, the implementation of some points of the Plan depends only on the decision of the USA. "The plan is designed for decisions that must take place starting from October and ending in December". https://hvylya.net/uk/news/299792-zelenskiy-ukraina-uzhe-zhivet-po-planu-b

Well, it's quite honest to admit that the authorities were not prepared for war at all and it's naive to expect that the US will make some decision so that Ukraine will win, that is, to shift all responsibility to the US. And also to set the deadline until December of this year. I wonder what their plan "C" is in case the US doesn't agree to implement their secret plan "B"? I can only assume that they don't have one either.

History has known many idiots who destroyed entire nations and countries, and probably these nations themselves were to blame for who they entrusted power to, but I don’t really like being part of another such story.

Does America want Ukraine to defeat russia? It doesn’t look that way, says the editor of Politico https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/09/18/america-ukraine-russia-biden-00179657

And if we recall the previous position of the United States regarding Ukraine and the fate of Afghanistan, then I do not share Zelensky’s optimism that in the next few months something will be done that was not done in the previous two years.