As we prepare for the long week ahead, just a brief update tonight.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
Dear Ukrainians!
Every year, on the last weekend of summer, two holidays were celebrated in our country – they are closely related – Donetsk City Day and Miner’s Day.
In 2014, everything changed for Donetsk because of the occupiers. And this year, all of Ukraine will not have holidays. But we have not forgotten and will not forget any of our cities and any of our people.
Donetsk has always been one of the richest and strongest cities in Ukraine. Mining has always been one of the most respected professions. Now Donbas is almost destroyed by Russian strikes, devastated. The proud and glorious Ukrainian Donetsk was humiliated by the Russian occupation and robbed. Russia brought the most terrible thing there – absolute disregard for the value of any life, absolute disrespect for anyone. The invaders brought degradation and death. And they believe that they are there forever. But it’s a temporary thing for them.
And Ukraine will return. For sure. Life will return. The dignity of the people of Donbas will return. The ability to live will return. The opportunity to live safely and happily. This is exactly what our Ukrainian flag will symbolize when we set it up in Donetsk, Horlivka, Mariupol, in all cities of Donbas, Azov area, in all areas under Russian occupation – in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson regions. And definitely – in Crimea.
Ukraine remembers everything.
I held a meeting today with representatives of the defense and security sector. It was attended by the heads of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other structures and areas of defense of our state.
All the issues we considered are important, but secret, I cannot go into detail. But the occupiers will feel its consequences – in the further actions of our defenders.
No terrorist will go unanswered for attacks on our cities. Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Kharkiv, Donbas – they will receive an answer for all of them.
We are preparing for a new week – it will be very active. Important visits of partners to Ukraine are planned. I will resume the practice of appeals to the states and nations that support us.
And most importantly, we are working to ensure that there are new restrictions for Russia because of the war and that there are new support packages for our defenders, for our state. Defense support – weapons and ammunition, financial support, political support, media support, support for our reconstruction – every day every public official must demonstrate results in his area of responsibility. Only work for results gives the right to hold public positions. This should be remembered by everyone who was given power.
Thank you to everyone who honestly works for the state! Thanks to all our defenders!
Glory to our soldiers!
Glory to our people!
Glory to Ukraine!
Here is the Ukrainian MOD’s operational update for today:
The operational update regarding the russian invasion on 18.00, on August 28, 2022
Glory to Ukraine! The one hundred eighty-sixth (186) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military invasion continues.
The enemy continues to focus on establishing full control over the territory of Donetsk oblast, the maintenance of captured areas of Kherson, part of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv oblasts.
Aviation and rocket strikes are ongoing in civilian sites in Ukraine.
In Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation without significant changes.
In the Siversky direction, the enemy continues to keep individual units of the Western Military District in the Border districts of Bryansk and Kursk regions. In order to shake the actions of the units of defense forces, the enemy fired at districts of settlements of Hremyach of Chernihiv oblast and Nova Sloboda, Novovasylivka, Iskrykivshchyna and Turya of Sumy oblast. Led air intelligence of the border areas of the UAV.
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy fired at tanks, barrel and jet artillery of areas of settlements of Kharkiv, Praudyanka, Protopopivka, Pryshyb, Chepil, Zamulivka, Ruski Tyshky, Bayrak, Petrivka, Mospanove and Velyki Prohody. It struck the Air Force near the Rubizhne. Maintains high intensity of UAV intelligence.
It attempted to improve the tactical near Svitlychny, had no success, and withdraw.
In the Slovyansk direction, enemy near Dovhenke, Dolyna, Dibrivne, Velyka Komyshuvacha and Karnukhivka were recorded.
The opponent tried to move off the offensive and assault actions in the Bohorodychne area, suffered losses and rejected.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy continued the fire influence near Slovyansk, Verkhnyokamyanske and Spirne. It struck aviation strikes near Hryhorivka.
In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy fired at civilian infrastructure in the areas of Bakhmut settlements, Vesela Dolyna, Soledar, Mayorsk and Rozdolivka. The enemy’s aviation strokes were affected by the Kodema and Yakovlivka districts. The forces of Ukraine’s defense repelled the attacks of the invaders near the Vesela Dolyna.
In the Avdiyivka direction, the enemy fired from the tanks, barrel and jet artillery districts of settlements Nevelske, Opytne, Orlovka, Novooleksandrivka, New York, Krasnohorivka and Pervomaiske. It made an unsuccessful attempt in the area of Pervomaiske, suffered losses and departed.
In the Novopavlivske direction, the enemy continued the shelling near the Vyhledar, Bohoyavlenka, Velyka Novosilka and Novomykhailivka. It tried to improve the tactical position near Pavlivka, there was no success.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy fired from the tanks, barrel and jet artillery districts of Hulyaypoel, Hulyaypilske, Kamianske, Burlatske, Vremivka and Chervone. He struck air strikes near Poltavka.
In the South Buh direction, the enemy carried out shelling of existing weapons in areas of settlements of Mykolaiv, Lupartevo, Stepova Dolyna, Posad-Pokrovske, Shyroke, Partyzanske, Kyselivka, Velyke Artakove, Andriyivka, Olhyne, Knyazivka, Topolyne, Myrne, Kvitneve, Veselyi Kut, Lozove. Aviation strikes were suffered by the territory near Andriyivka and Oleksandrivka. The high activity of enemy reconnaissance UAVs is fixed.
In the waters of the Black and Azov seas, the situation has not undergone significant changes.
Our missile and artillery units continue the fire damage to the clusters of personnel and military equipment of russian invaders. In some directions, the enemy has significant losses.
We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together we will win!
Glory to Ukraine!
Here’s the British MOD’s assessment for today:
There was no updated UK MOD map for today. I think they give the mappers the weekends off.
Here is former NAVDEVGRU Squadron Leader Chuck Pfarrer’s updated map and assessment regarding the situation in Kherson:
KHERSON /1500 UTC 28 AUG/ UKR Partisans & SOF continue to provide up to the minute targeting data on the locations of new, or hidden, RU ammunition depots. This afternoon, artillery strikes were carried out against ammo dumps in Nova Kakhovka and to the east at Kakhovka. pic.twitter.com/sYwADnXEAh
— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) August 28, 2022
And his updated assessment, also with updated imagery, regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant:
NUCLEAR ROULETTE: RU artillery is reported to have hit residential buildings in the town of Enerhodar, home to the plant’s technicians & administrators. Video from the scene shows vehicles on fire near apartment buildings. These fires were burning out of control at last report. pic.twitter.com/9cC22ufrIG
— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) August 28, 2022
Baryshivka:
just visited Baryshivka, a village 70 kilometers from Kyiv. This is a cinema house destroyed by a 🇷🇺 missile.
But Baryshivka is an important place for 🇺🇦 culture. What happened here 100 years ago has parallels to the 🇷🇺 war against 🇺🇦 today. Learn more from our video pic.twitter.com/npt3fjHaux
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) August 28, 2022
On Thursday, the Yale Conflict Observatory released a report on the Russian filtration camps in Ukraine.
Mapping the Filtration System in Donetsk Oblast
Introduction
For many people in newly-occupied areas of Donetsk oblast, their most intimate interaction with Russia’s occupying forces and their proxies comes as they pass through what the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (Yale HRL) report has identified as a filtration system. This filtration system is the physical infrastructure and process used to register, interrogate, and detain Ukrainian civilians, prisoners of war, and others in areas Russia and its proxies occupy.
There is evidence that the system was created weeks before the invasion began and likely grew following Russia’s capture of Mariupol in April 2022 to accommodate filtration of all citizens. Occupying powers in international conflicts have the right to register persons within their area of control; the force in control may even detain civilians in certain limited circumstances. However, Russia’s apparent filtration system for persons within Donetsk oblast, which includes use of extrajudicial and incommunicado detention, violates multiple elements of international humanitarian law and raises multiple potentially grave human rights issues.
Combining open-source information with very high-resolution satellite imagery, Yale HRL is able to present the most comprehensive public assessment to date of this large-scale apparatus of screening and extrajudicial detention.
Overall Findings
Yale HRL’s report offers four key findings:
- Russia and Russia-aligned forces operate at least 21 facilities in and around Donetsk oblast that are part of the filtration system;
- There appear to be four types of facilities involved in filtration: (1) registration, (2) holding, (3) secondary interrogation, and (4) detention;
- Disturbed earth consistent with potential graves is present at Volnovakha Correctional Colony № 120 near Olenivka, Volnovakha raion during two time periods. The same correctional colony was the location of the 29 July 2022 explosion that allegedly killed 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs);
- The appearance of disturbed earth sites in satellite imagery pre-dates the explosion. One area of disturbed earth was observed in imagery from 11 April 2022. This apparent disturbed earth is contemporaneous with an open source account of alleged gravedigging. Disturbed earth then appeared in a second location by 27 July 2022.
Much, much, much more at the link including detailed maps.
Your daily Patron!
The world should fight climate change now: all countries together. But instead, 80% of countries should appease the 20% of imperialist, terrorist, arrogant, sick, dictatorial countries who have decided that they will destroy the planet first. It’s so stupid 😒 #ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/b0ceusLcks
— Patron (@PatronDsns) August 27, 2022
And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok:
@patron__dsns
The caption translates as:
Open thread!
HinTN
The money quote from president Zelenskyy, “Only work for results gives the right to hold public positions.” We should be so lucky as to have this heard around the world.
Thanks, as always, for your work on this, Adam.
dm
The Japanese part of Patron’s TikTok caption says “Original composition, yo — oooooooaaaaaaa”
SpaceUnit
Patron sounds kinda angry in that tweet. Hope he doesn’t bite someone.
Grumpy Old Railroader
Do you get overtime pay for posting on Sundays?
Thanks for doing all this Adam
Alison Rose 💙🌻💛
Of course, in these MFers’ minds, they are in russian territory.
The shelling of the neighborhood where the plant’s workers live is disturbing as hell. Trying to scare them all away? You’d think the enemy would realize by now that Ukrainians don’t scare easily, or seemingly even at all.
Thank you as always, Adam.
Mike in NC
I read somewhere today that the Russians are scraping the bottom of the barrel, and men up to age 65 are now eligible to enlist.
Carlo Graziani
The UK MOD update has a nugget of new information: “very few new contract servicemen are being recruited”.
That contrasts rather sharply with the Russians’ bombastic expectations of manpower expansion from late July. I wonder how few is “very few”, and how good this information is. And, correspondingly, how panicked the Russians are, and how close to the end of their manpower tether they are. Depending on the exact meaning of “very few”, they could be very fucked.
Bill Arnold
Re:
What if Russia illegally annexes more territory, e.g. through sham referendums? A quick search suggests that Russian conscripts are in Crimea (and definitely conscripted from Crimea).
Carlo Graziani
@Mike in NC: Hm. If you can find it again, please share. With Putin commanding troops to appear from nowhere, (kind of like Hitler hallucinating divisions on his maps in the bunker in 1945), I’m starting to think “panic”.
Carlo Graziani
@Bill Arnold: The current Russian Ground Forces force design has a marked preference for contract soldiers over draftees. But a draft is possible. They could assemble a limited-use mob with guns in Crimea, although at the moment they have no means to train anyone there. It would be another measure of their desperation, and likely a boon to the partisans and to the Ukrainian SOF, by promoting recruitment for the former and enriching the target environment, for the latter.
Bill Arnold
@Carlo Graziani:
Here’s one. It includes a couple of duma.gov.ru links (one of which isn’t responding for me, and google translate struggles with the other):
Kremlin-Backed Media Makes Desperate Push for More Immigrants to Russia (2022/08/25(?))
JanieM
@Carlo Graziani:
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-raises-military-age/31867388.htm
ETA: dated May 25.
Steve in the ATL
@Mike in NC: Balloon Juice posters are now eligible!
Gin & Tonic
If you have access to Instagram, here is a link to a “reel” that paints a very clear picture of what Ukraine is fighting.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChyvHI1qF01/?igshid=NDRkN2NkYzU=
Bill Arnold
@JanieM:
Ah, excellent. That links this, https://www.svoboda.org/a/gosduma-otmenila-predeljnyy-vozrast-voennoy-sluzhby-po-kontraktu/31867144.html, the google translate of which includes:
Although (apparently) eligible, I am not interested. :-) (ETA as Steve in the ATL suggests.)
Adam L Silverman
@Grumpy Old Railroader: 2 X $0 is still $0.
oldster
About 2500 years ago, the Greek poet Xenophanes wrote this after the end of the Persian war. It’s a quiet poem about victory, about the end of unspeakable hardship, about loss and upheaval, and the way that war marks an epoch in everyone’s life.
“Here’s the sort of thing you’ll say some winter,
Sitting before the fire on a cozy couch, nice and full,
sipping sweet wine and noshing on chickpeas:
“Welcome stranger, and tell us who you are. Where have you come from? How many years of life have you seen? And how old were you, when the Persians
invaded?””
Someday Ukrainians will sit in ease again, soldiers back from the front lines, at peace and well-fed. And when they greet new guests, the question will arise, “and how old were you when the Russians invaded?”
Laura Too
@Bill Arnold: So just throw anyone out there? With a gun? What precludes someone from infiltrating and killing a bunch of Russian soldiers? (Sorry if this seems stupid, the whole thing is so far over my head) Thanks Adam for all you do.
Chetan Murthy
@Laura Too: I wondered about this. And it seems like, it’d be a suicide mission, so not too appealing to most people.
Laura Too
@Chetan Murthy: I could think of a few incels I’d nominate.
Jinchi
Why are the Russians shelling Enerhodar?
I thought they occupied it.
Geminid
I’ve been trying to track down the story about Iranian drones being provided to Russia to be used in Ukraine. It seems that they are already in use. From the Institute for the Study of War’s August 5 “Russian offensive campaign assessment:”
The ISW assessment said that it was unclear whether the 46 drones are all the drones Iran has agreed to send or just the number operating in Ukraine as of August 5. Both the AP and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported last week that “western intelligence officials” say that Iran has provide Russia with “hundreds” of drones.
Carlo Graziani
@Chetan Murthy: It is natural to wonder. The question also arises with respect to the reported draftees from the Donbas who were thrown into that meat grinder of a battle.
You would think that it would be straightforward for a youth of 18 to resist, escape, orr if drafted to simply bugger off at the earliest opportunity, or, in the worst extreme commit suicide by unloading an automatic rifle clip on some officers and men. Perhaps some do. But the Russians are (a) not stupid, and (b) unbelievably brutal and coercive in their “recruitments” as in every other aspect of their enterprise, and it requires enormous moral strength and courage for an isolated, inexperienced youth, picked up and flung into a barracks from one day to the next to rebel effectively against such monstrous oppression. There’s a lot of psychological evidence that suggests that for most people it is easier to just go along.
I know that we’d like to think “that’s not me”. Maybe that isn’t. you. But on this blog, “you” most likely isn’t 18-19 years old. And keep in mind, most of us have not been tested that way. Only those who have really know. I don’t.
Carlo Graziani
@Geminid: Thanks for keeping an eye on this. Possibly connected, the provision of VAMPIRE anti-UAV capability in the latest military support package announced by the Biden administration.
Chetan Murthy
@Carlo Graziani: Can only agree. The literature on suicide bombers is that they need to be specially groomed and trained to do the job. I can imagine the same would be true here. Just some random RU-hating Ukrainian? Nah, he’s gonna be thinkin’ about how he gets out of this alive.
Geminid
A report by the Kyiv Post from two hours ago is headlined “Ukrainian counteroffensive underway in Kherson region.”
The article said that a Ukrainian battle group had pierced the Russian front line near the southern port of Kherson and that instead of counterattacking, Russian paratroopers were “fleeing the battlefield.”
Carlo Graziani
@Geminid: I’m seeing this too. So far, the reporting all seems to source either (1) Ukrainian government announcements that are clearly designed to obfuscate what is happening or about to happen, (2) units in the field getting orders to move, or coming from contact, but not really having sense of a larger picture, or (3) US DOD officials, who either don’t know yet what’s going on, or do but have the good sense not to tell journalists about it.
The usual rule of breaking news in a crisis applies: 90% of first reports will be wrong, because TV News abhors an information vacuum. We”ll have to wait a day or two to know what’s really happening.