Friday, September 22

Russia’s war against Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska at the White House September 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Zelensky arrives in Ottawa, greeted by PM Trudeau. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to Ottawa late on Sept. 21 for his first official visit to Canada since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky to hold talks with lawmakers at US Capitol. President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the U.S. Capitol to hold private talks with Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 21.

Media: Ukraine strikes Russian air base in Crimea. Ukraine launched an overnight attack on the Saky air base in Russian-occupied Crimea, sources in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told Ukrainian media on Sept. 21.

Reuters: First ship with Ukrainian grain arrives at Bosphorus through temporary corridor. The Palau-flagged Resilient Africa bulk carrier, which is loaded with 3,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat, has arrived at the Bosphorus, Reuters reported on Sept. 21.

ISW: Ukraine advancing past final Russian defensive line in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Geolocated footage shared on Sept. 21 and analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War indicated that Ukrainian armored vehicles advanced south of the anti-tank ditches, breaching the Russian tri-layered defense, and engaging in limited combat just west of Verbove on the southern Zaporizhzhia front.

Russia launches missile strike against recreational facility in Odesa Oblast.

Russian forces launched a missile attack against a recreational facility in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district in Odesa Oblast, Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Sept. 21.

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Ukrenergo: First mass strike on energy infrastructure in 6 months. The morning wave of attacks on Sept. 21 marks the first mass strike on energy infrastructure in six months, Ukraine’s state energy operator Ukrenergo reported.

Ministry: Ukraine, Slovakia agree on grain trade system to replace ban. Ukraine and Slovakia have agreed to create a licensing system for their grain trade, which could lift Slovakia’s import ban on certain Ukrainian products, the Slovak Agriculture Ministry told Reuters on Sept. 21.

UK Defense Ministry: Lack of rotations likely one of key factors lowering Russian army’s morale. The absence of regular rotations of units on combat duty is “highly likely“ one of the key aspects contributing to the Russian army’s low morale and inability to carry out advanced training since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, reported the U.K. Defense Ministry.

Parliament approves changes to national minorities law. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, approved amendments to the law on national minorities, which is one of the requirements for the country’s accession to the EU, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Sept. 21.

Stolen cultural property returned to Ukraine. Cultural artifacts stolen from Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion were restored to President Volodymyr Zelensky at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the president’s office reported on Sept. 21.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russia launches mass missile attack on energy infrastructure; Ukraine reportedly hits airbase in Crimea

As the cold weather approaches, Russia resumed its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, launching a massive missile strike overnight on Sept. 21, killing and injuring civilians.

Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Russia’s ‘peacekeeper’ act crumbles as Azerbaijan overwhelms Nagorno-Karabakh

On Sept. 19, just under three years after the end of the last major war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Baku moved decisively to finish what it started in 2020.

Photo: Tofik Babayev/AFP via Getty Images

Opinions and insights

Oleg Sukhov: The West lacks political will to ensure Ukraine’s victory

“Had the West supplied the weapons requested by Kyiv faster, Ukraine could have liberated more of its occupied territories before Russia managed to address its manpower shortage and bolster its positions in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts,” writes Oleg Sukhov, a reporter at the Kyiv Independent.

Photo: Petras Malukas/AFP via Getty Images

David Kirichenko: The continued menace of Russian disinformation

“The rise in Russia’s disinformation efforts continues to be an ever-growing concern for Western nations. This uptick is notably concentrated on Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, aiming to weaken Western backing for the country,” writes journalist David Kirichenko.

Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

7 killed, 11 injured in Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast. Russian forces have again targeted settlements in Kherson Oblast, killing two people and wounding another one, regional authorities reported on Sept. 21.

Anti-tank mine kills 1, injures 1 in Mykolaiv Oblast. A young man has been killed and another man wounded after their vehicle drove over an anti-tank mine in Mykolaiv Oblast, the State Emergency Service reported on Sept. 21.

11 injured in Russian attack on Cherkasy. As of 4:30 p.m. local time, 11 people are known to have been injured in Russia’s Sept. 21 missile attack against Cherkasy, the State Emergency Service reported.

Russian strikes against Donetsk Oblast injure 5. Russian forces carried out attacks against Toretsk, Petropavlivka, and Molodenke in Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 21, injuring three men and two women, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 274,470 troops in Ukraine. This number includes 490 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

US announces $325 million in new security assistance for Ukraine. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced via press statement on Sept. 21 that the U.S. has authorized a new round of security assistance for Ukraine worth $325 million.

Sweden delivers 10 Leopard 2 tank variants to Ukraine. Ukraine has received 10 Swedish variants of Leopard 2 tanks known as Stridsvagn 122, manned by Ukrainian crews trained in Sweden, the Swedish military announced on Sept. 21.

Germany delivers another military aid package to Ukraine. Germany has provided Ukraine with satellite communication equipment, trucks, and spare parts for mine-clearing tanks in the latest military aid package, the German government reported on Sept. 21.

Media: Polish Foreign Ministry surprised by Morawiecki’s statement on arms transfers. The Polish Foreign Ministry was surprised by the country’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s statement that Poland is not sending more weapons to Ukraine as it is rearming itself, the news portal RMF24 reported on Sept. 21.

Belgium considers sending F-16 jets to Ukraine. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that the country’s defense ministry will investigate the possibility of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, the Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported on Sept. 20.

Finance Ministry: Ukraine receives $1.25 billion from US in grant funding. Ukraine received a grant of $1.25 billion from the U.S. through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund of the World Bank, the Finance Ministry reported on Sept. 21.

In other news

Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh authorities discuss ‘reintegration’ of local Armenians. Azerbaijani officials held talks with the authorities of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh, presenting Baku’s alleged plans for “reintegration” of the region’s Armenian population, the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) reported on Sept. 21.

Media: Deputy commander of Russian peacekeeping force killed in Nagorno-Karabakh. Ivan Kovgan, a deputy commander of the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh, was killed on Sept. 20 amidst Azerbaijan’s offensive in the territory, Russian independent outlet Meduza reported on Sept. 21.

Nagorno-Karabakh accuses Azerbaijan of ceasefire violation. The Azerbaijani military has violated its ceasefire agreement and is continuing to attack Stepanakert (Khankendi in Azerbaijani), the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian media claimed on Sept. 21, citing the breakaway region’s Interior Ministry.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Teah Pelechaty, Elsa Court, Francis Farrell, Dinara Khalilova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Martin Fornusek, Oleg Sukhov, Olena Goncharova, and Abbey Fenbert.

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