Ukraine Daily
Friday, September 16
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Officials exhume two bodies found in the liberated village of Grakove Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on Sept. 9, 2022. (Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s progress towards EU accession. This is European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s third visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale war. She and President Volodymyr Zelensky will discuss how to get the EU and Ukraine’s “economies and people closer.”
Zelensky: Russia has launched over 3,800 missiles at Ukraine since start of full-scale invasion. “But no missile will bring Russia closer to its goal. There will be no subjugation of Ukraine. And each missile brings Russia closer to greater international isolation, greater economic degradation, and even clearer historical condemnation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Sept. 15.
Official: Russian missile attack on dam floods over 100 homes in Kryvyi Rih. Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration, said repairs are underway and the flow of water has been mitigated. Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the Karachuniv Reservoir Dam on Sept. 14, causing flooding.
UK intelligence: Russian forces withdraw in ‘panic’ from parts of Kharkiv Oblast as Ukrainian forces establish control. The U.K. Defense Ministry said on Sept. 15 that Russian forces have “largely withdrawn from the area west of the Oskil River. While some Russian troops have fled “under control,” others have “fled in apparent panic.” High-value equipment abandoned by fleeing Russian troops highlights the disorganized retreat of many units.’
Governor: Fleeing Russian troops ruined energy facility, leaving 5,000 residents of Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, without gas. According to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov, before retreating from Balakliia, Russian soldiers ruined the building of the local gas operator. They also stole almost all of the company’s specialized vehicles, Syniehubov said, adding that the Ukrainian utility services are already working to restore the gas supply in the area.
SBU identifies collaborators, heads of Russian occupying forces in Kharkiv Oblast. Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) reported that it has identified 16 collaborators in Kharkiv Oblast, 11 of which have been detained thus far. Lists containing the names of Russian occupying forces that attempted to establish control in the region have also been obtained.
Official: Kyselivka village in Kherson Oblast not liberated, hostilities continue. Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Sept. 15 that the earlier reports that the village of Kysylivka in the neighboring southern Kherson Oblast were false. Kim said that fighting over the village continues amid Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south.
ISW: Ukraine increasingly pressuring Russian positions as counteroffensive continues. In its latest update, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine’s counteroffensive operations are increasingly pressuring Russian positions and logistics in eastern Kharkiv, northern Luhansk, and eastern Donetsk oblasts. According to the ISW, “Russian forces in eastern Ukraine will likely struggle to hold their defensive lines if Ukraine continues to push farther east.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to look for ways to recruit locally “rather than setting conditions for general mobilization,” the ISW said.
Mayor: Explosions reported in Russian-occupied Melitopol. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported two powerful explosions in the Russian-occupied city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Sept. 15. Fedorov didn’t provide any details about the attack but hinted at expected Russian losses.
Poll: 87% of Ukrainians against territorial concessions regarding Russia’s war. A survey conducted from Sept. 7 to 13 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology said that no territorial concessions are acceptable for 87% of respondents. This number reportedly increased by 3% since July. Another survey by the ILKO Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov Center found that 91% of Ukrainians trust Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Infrastructure Ministry: Ukraine has exported 3.33 million metric tons of grain since UN-backed deal. A total of 147 vessels carrying Ukrainian grain have left for Asia, Europe, and Africa since Ukraine and Russia signed a UN-backed grain deal on July 22. On Sept. 15, 11 vessels carrying 240,000 metric tons of grain are scheduled to leave Ukrainian ports.
The Come Back Alive fund was established in 2014 following Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine. The fund has since been providing Ukraine’s military with much-needed training, donations, and equipment. Come Back Alive head, Taras Chmut, says that Ukraine’s needs during the war are endless, meaning people must continue to donate until Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has ended.
Read our exclusives
US investors raise $30 million to fund Ukrainian startups. Over the next five to 10 years, U.S. firm FF Venture Capital will invest in 15-20 early-stage startups founded by Ukrainian entrepreneurs or employing Ukrainian refugees.
Photo: Respeecher/Facebook
Ukraine war latest: 440 graves found in liberated Izium as Russia continues to fire at infrastructure across Ukraine. A mass burial site containing around 440 graves has been found in liberated Izium, Deputy Police Chief of Kharkiv Oblast said.
Photo: Metin Aktas/ Getty Images
The human cost of Russia’s war
Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia’s war has killed at least 384 children, injured 750 since Feb. 24. The largest number of casualties was reported in Donetsk Oblast, where 393 children have been killed or injured. The numbers of children killed and injured are expected to be higher and do not include casualties in Russian-occupied areas and near the frontline.
Governor: Russian forces kill 2 people, injure 13 in Donetsk Oblast. According to Pavlo Kyrylenko, two civilians were killed in Dolyna on Sept. 14. It is currently impossible to estimate the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha.
International response
US announces new $600 million military aid package for Ukraine. A U.S. Defense Department press release said the assistance includes additional ammunition for HIMARS rocket systems, 1,000 precision-guided 155 mm artillery shells, 36,000 105mm shells, and four counter-artillery radars. “Together with our Allies and partners, we are delivering the arms and equipment that Ukraine’s forces are utilizing so effectively as they continue their successful counter-offensive against Russia’s invasion,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Russia threatens US ‘to react’ if it provides Ukraine with long-range weapons. According to the Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 15 that if the U.S. provides long-range missiles to Ukraine, it will make them a “party to the conflict,” and Russia will respond to it. Earlier on July 22, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Washington was not ready to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons so that the world doesn’t end up heading toward “a third world war.”
CNN: US ‘not inclined’ to provide Ukraine with ATACMS missiles. The U.S. is reluctant to provide Ukrainian forces with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which Ukraine has been “requesting for months,” CNN reported on Sept. 15, citing U.S. officials. ATACMS have a range of up to 300 kilometers, while the maximum range of the weapons provided by the U.S. to Ukraine so far is around 79 kilometers. “The administration still thinks providing those systems could be escalatory because they could be used to fire into Russia itself,” CNN reported.
US imposes new sanctions against Kadyrov, Russian official involved in deportation of Ukrainian children. The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against two entities and 22 individuals involved in Russian aggression against Ukraine. These include Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov and his family, as well as Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights. Lvova-Belova has “led Russia’s efforts to deport thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia,“ the Treasury Department said. The list also includes Task Force Rusich, a Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary group that has participated in combat alongside Russia’s military in Ukraine, as well as Russian-installed judges in Crimea.
EU extends sanctions against 1,206 individuals, 108 entities due to Russia’s war. The European Council said sanctions against those “responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” have been extended for six months until March 15, 2023. Sanctions include travel restrictions, asset freezes, and economic sanctions.
European Parliament approves 5 billion euro loan to Ukraine. “This is the second, and largest, tranche of a 9 billion euro EU support package, of which €1 billion has already been disbursed,” the European Parliament announced on Sept. 15. The loan is set to help Ukraine cover its emergency needs caused by Russia’s invasion and contribute “to the public debt sustainability of Ukraine,” according to the report.
IMF appoints new mission chief for Ukraine. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed Gavin Gray, who previously served as its Iraq mission chief, as its new mission chief for Ukraine. Gray will take on the new role as of Sept. 20.
Bild: Germany to provide Ukraine with 50 Dingo armored vehicles. According to Bild, Federal Defense Minister of Germany Christine Lambrecht made the announcement on Sept. 15. Germany will also provide Ukraine with two more MARS II multiple rocket launchers and 200 rockets, the publication reported.
Pope: It is morally acceptable to supply Ukraine with weapons for self-defense. Pope Francis told reporters on Sept. 15 that sending weapons to Ukraine for self-defense against Russian aggression is morally acceptable. “Self-defense is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend (something) love it,” Pope Francis said, Reuters reports.
In other news
Investigative Bureau starts probe into traffic accident involving Zelensky. According to the State Investigation Bureau, a civilian car hit the car of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the accompanying vehicles in Kyiv suburbs on Sept. 14. The Presidential Office earlier reported that Zelensky wasn’t seriously injured in the accident.
SBU: Ukraine bans Kremlin-linked Opposition Platform – For Life party. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, a Ukrainian court rejected the appeal of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life political party on Sept. 15 and “thus finally banned its activities” in Ukraine. The party was led by Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who was charged with high treason.
Ukraine registers first monkeypox case. Ukraine’s Health Ministry said on Sept. 15 that the patient diagnosed with monkeypox is currently hospitalized and has “a mild course of the disease.” Health Ministry did not specify the city where the disease was registered.
Attacker of 2 Ukrainian women in France was Ukrainian, not Russian. Original reports on Sept. 12 said two women from Izium, Kharkiv Oblast residing in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France were allegedly beaten by a Russian man after playing Ukrainian music from their phone. The man is in fact a 33-year-old Ukrainian former soldier who now works as a bodyguard, French media report. The man will be tried in court on Nov. 17 and faces three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros, according to reports.
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