War for Ukraine Day 193: Slow Progress Is Being Made In Kherson

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:

Ukrainians!

Today is the anniversary of the detention of the first deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Nariman Celâl, by the occupiers in Crimea. He did not commit any crimes. The only thing he annoyed the occupiers with was the defense of his people and his country – Ukraine.

Nariman Celâl took part in the work of the Crimea Platform last year. He arrived at the summit from Crimea and told the guests and participants what was really happening on the peninsula. Told about repression against all those who try to preserve their freedom and their culture. About the degradation of life in Crimea during the occupation. The Russian presence in our Crimea has turned it into one of the most dangerous and unfree places in Europe. And Mr. Celâl wanted to do everything to change this – to return normal life to Crimea, to return Ukraine.

I believe that the Ukrainian flag and free life will return to Crimea again. We will liberate all our lands, all our people.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, our intelligence, special services are already taking the necessary steps for this. These steps can be heard. And everyone can see that the occupiers have already started fleeing Crimea. This is the right choice for all of them. We will return freedom to Crimea, to all our people in Crimea, we will return freedom to qırımlılar and we will definitely make Crimea one of the best, most comfortable places in Europe. Crimea deserves it.

I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. Although it is Sunday, there are no days off during the war. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the commanders of operational areas and the head of intelligence delivered reports. Those were good reports.

And today I want to thank the warriors of the 63rd battalion of the 103rd territorial defense brigade who ensured the result in the Donetsk region: the settlement was liberated.

The 54th brigade in the Lysychansk-Siversk direction also took good steps, advanced and regained certain heights.

I would also like to mention the 42nd separate motorized infantry battalion – thanks to its heroic actions, two settlements in the south of our country were liberated.

I am grateful to all of you, guys!

I spoke today with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. It was, as usual, a very meaningful, very useful conversation about all the aspects of our relations.

I expressed gratitude for the support already provided and for the efforts to limit Russian excess profits from oil and gas. I called for speeding up the provision of financial aid to us, to Ukraine. New sanction steps were discussed. In particular, I believe that the eighth package of sanctions should provide for pan-European visa decisions regarding Russian citizens so that none of those involved in this war can enjoy European hospitality.

If the citizens of Russia support terror against Ukraine, against the whole of Europe, if they silently watch the genocide in Ukraine, they should not be able to use Europe for entertainment and fun. This is an important moral thing. Europe is a land of values, not Disneyland for supporters of terror. And visa restrictions will definitely demonstrate this. The free world must call the Russians to action – to action against those who started this war.

By the way, it is the same as with the gas issue. Ukraine has repeatedly warned Europe that maintaining “Nord Stream” ties with Russia will be a problem that can turn into a disaster at any moment. That’s exactly what happened.

Visa omnivorousness regarding citizens of the aggressor state, financial ties with Russia, energy dependence on Russia are all things that Moscow uses against Europe.

And I am grateful to those European leaders who are aware of the level of the threat.

A very important aspect of today’s conversation with Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen is the ability of the European Commission to carry out a rapid assessment as soon as we implement all its recommendations. We work every day for Ukraine’s accession to the EU!

And every day we do everything to return our flag to our entire territory invaded by the occupiers. I am grateful to all our warriors who are holding and moving our positions forward! I am grateful to everyone who helps the defense of Ukraine! Together we will win!

And finally. Today I received a report that two people who were directly involved in the tragic incident in Chernihiv were detained on suspicion of committing a criminal offense. The one who gave the order to bring combat weapons to a public city event. And the one who allowed the child to take the weapon in hands. Criminal proceedings are carried out by the State Bureau of Investigation.

Once again, I warn all representatives of the authorities and law enforcement agencies on the ground: make sure that there are no combat weapons or other dangerous items at public events.

People’s lives are the joint responsibility of everyone who must guarantee safety.

Glory to Ukraine!

The Ukrainian MOD did not post an operational update today.

Here is the British MOD’s assessment for today:

They did not post an updated map today.

Here is former NAVDEVGRU Squadron Leader Chuck Pfarrer’s updated assessment regarding the battle for Kherson:

KHERSON /1910 UTC 4 SEP/ RU sources indicate that Ukraine continues to reinforce a bridgehead across the Ingulets River, east of Snihurivka. Exploiting this breakthrough, advanced units of the UKR army are reported to have defeated VDV units at Blagodatovka and Olgino. pic.twitter.com/vtIBBxvnjg

— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) September 4, 2022

And his assessment of the situation at the Kherson airport:

NOTE: Images are from May this year. Fortifications can be expected to be even more extensive at this time.

— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) September 4, 2022

The Antonivka bridge took another hit:

Ukrainian artillery struck the bridge over the Dnipro River at Antonivka again today.

Russian fascist troops in Kherson region are in a perilous position. Ammunition, equipment and reinforcements cannot get to them. In the face of the Ukrainian offensive, rashist morale is poor. pic.twitter.com/xmwUghWYaC

— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) September 4, 2022

Here’s The Kyiv Independent‘s Illia Ponomarenko’s assessment of where things are today:

Reportedly, the Ukrainian military entered Vysokopillia in Kherson Oblast. pic.twitter.com/yWUw0g5tAU

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 4, 2022

So yeah, Ukraine has newly confirmed tactical gains in Kherson region.
Ukrainian forces are engaging Russia all along the theater, probing Russian lines and capitalizing on their progress wherever possible.
The world is watching.

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 4, 2022

He also recommends this interesting post on Medium:

The last few days we’ve seen a lots of claims about Ukrainian offensive in Kherson Oblast. Early on, even the aim and scope of the operation were unclear, while Putin’s propaganda machinery exploited the opportunity to claim the operation for ‘failed’ before soon: quite a lot in the West are meanwhile following in fashion. Kind of, ‘the operation failed because Ukrainians are suffering losses’.

I’ll start this one in an unusual way.

As somebody ‘actually specialised’ in (aerial) warfare in the Middle East and Africa, the entire situation is meanwhile reminding me of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War and especially the famed ‘failed Egyptian offensive’ into Sinai, from 14 October 1973. Let me explain why.

Wherever one reads — and there are dozens of books and hundreds, if not thousands of articles about that war — that operation was launched to lessen Israeli pressure upon Syria, and it included two full corps-sized formations of the Egyptian Army (The Second and the Third Field Armeies), on a wide front, without focus. Foremost, it resulted in the biggest tank battle since Kursk, and the Israelis defeated it with ease, and Egyptian lost 300, 400, 500 or whatever main battle tanks….

Ironically, not one of all the books and articles about this operation was based on any kind of documentation.

….until, decades later, an Israeli reseacher working himself through the captured documentation of the Egyptian III Field Army, concluded the Egyptians never run a ‘two armies onslaught’, but a luke-warm effort by 4,5 brigades. These ‘attacked a little bit’, quickly lost some 70+ tanks destroyed, another 50 damaged, and then withdrew. And that in addition to the fact that by 14 October 1973, the Israeli offensive into Syria was checked for at least two days, already…

Don’t worry: the book in question remains de-facto unknown in the wider public until this very day.

This is so because at the time of events in question, on 14–15 October 1973, the situation was such that ‘everybody was in need of good news’. Especially so in Cairo and Tel Aviv. In Cairo, President Sadat was in need of news showing that Egypt was ‘fighting and winning, at least trying hard to lessen Israeli pressure upon Syria’. In Tel Aviv, the government of Prime Minister Meir was in need of good news after all the ‘catastrophes’ (often over-hyped) of the first few days of the war. Both sides needed news indicating they’re ‘breaking enemy’s bones’….

Foremost, and above all: the Israelis were expecting that Egyptian offensive already since 8–9 October, and they were all the time counting it would fail. Thus, they quickly concluded the ‘huuuuuge’ Egyptian offensive for failed, because they expected and wanted it to fail.

…and then both sides were more than happy to create a myth about the ‘biggest tank battle since Kursk’, because this served their interests and purposes at the time — and despite the fact that all that actually happened were 4,5 minor clashes (of course, I do have to be cautious with such descriptions because it is still so that plenty of people got killed in the process).

In the case of this Ukrainian offensive in the Kherson Oblast, it looks like not only the Russians, or armies of Putin-fans in the West, but even many of Western ‘experts’ are meanwhile jumping to similar conclusions: Ukrainian offensive ‘must have failed’ — because they expect it to fail.

Now, whether it is so that they think Ukrainians can’t fight, can’t do better, that the GenStab-U was not cautious enough or whatever, is a different reason. Indeed, and ironically, for months already, different people were complaining about ‘overcautious’ GenStab-U, and demanding ‘counteroffensives’: now when one is taking place, then the same GenStab-U is ‘not cautious enough’, and the operation is ‘failing’…?

Point is: although both sides (Kyiv and Moscow) are next-to zip-lip about what’s going on, when one cross-checks available information, conclusions are quite clear, actually. Here an example based on something like 15–20 minutes of ‘scrounging’ the internet.

Northern Kherson Oblast, 29 August — 4 September 2022

As can be easily concluded if one cares to check the militaryland.net website (publishing only official Ukrainian releases), from West towards East, the ZSU arrayed ‘approximately’ the following forces:

• Foreign Legion (1 battalion) + Chechen Battalion
• 17th Tank Brigade (I Battalion)
• 45th Artillery Brigade
• 73rd Naval Infantry (Battalion or Brigade?)
• 128th Mountain (Infantry) Brigade
• 60th (Reserve) Infantry Brigade

As can be deducted from Henry Schlotmann’s excellent work on this map, these were facing battalion tactical groups (BTGs) from at least four brigades of the Ground Forces VSRF, plus one brigade- and one regiment of artillery. More precisely:

• 10th Special Purpose Brigade
• 34th Motor Rifle Brigade
• 126th Guards Coastal Defence Brigade
• 205th Motor Rifle Brigade
• 227th Artillery Brigade
• 140th Artillery Regiment.

Action

Now, as can be assessed just from the few videos released so far, on 29 August, Ukrainian 60th Infantry launched a pincer attack from Ivanivka and from Potomkyne into the area south of the major Russian stronghold in Vysokopillya.

The 60th destroyed a BMD-2, captured a T-72B3M, a BMP-2 and BMD-2 of the 11th Assault Brigade (the unit was destroyed at Hostomel, must’ve been rebuilt ever since). But, obviously, didn’t manage to capture Vysokopillya right away.

Further east, there were next to no reports about Myrolubivka, except that Ukrainians have entered the village and captured two BMP-2s.

At Petrivka, the 128th lost one T-72M1 early on, followed by another. Then the Russians hit one of follow-up columns with artillery, knocking out 3 T-72M1/M1Rs, plus several trucks and a BRM-1K (this is from the well-known video) — after which the Keystone Cops in Moscow rushed to declare the 128th for at least ‘defeated’, if not ‘destroyed’…

Conclusion

It seems that all of this doesn’t matter to all too many of talkingheads. One-two videos of destroyed tanks of the ZSU? Ukrainian offensive failed. A report on a third-class Ukrainian click-bait-website about ‘at least 9 killed from the 128th Brigade’ is ‘confirmation’? ‘Ukrainian offensive is a costly failure’….Not to talk about endless reports by the Keystone Cops in Moscow — all of which are in style of, ‘ah, we’ve lost another place in Kherson? …but the Ukrainian militants suffered 1000, 2000, 3000 killed, and we’re counterattacking, there’s no problem’…

And all of this, just because people are too lazy to do a bare minimum of something as simple as online research.

Much more at the link!

Here is reporting from James Jackson at Euronews that gets at one of my main concerns about the collateral damage from the war: that Ukrainian refugees in Europe would become targets for harrassment.

To the casual observer, the source of their anger was obvious.

Approaching Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, the Ukrainians, festooned in yellow-and-blue, chanted “Gas embargo now” and “Russia is a terrorist state”.

Marching to mark 31 years since Ukraine became independent from the Soviet Union, they wanted to remind their German hosts that Ukraine is still a war zone and that high gas prices are a small price to pay compared to Ukrainian lives.

Yet for some, below the surface, another frustration is bubbling away: the difficulty of living in Germany amid the war back home.

Activists say since the invasion in February, there had been an increase in the harassment of Ukrainian activists and supporters.

‘They want to kill me’

Veronika is out in Berlin shouting through a megaphone to direct Ukrainian activists. Since February, she says she’s reported three Russians to the police for violence on the metro and at Alexanderplatz after they saw her Ukrainian-coloured wristband.

“They want to provoke,” she said, speaking of the Russians she’s encountered since the war. “They’re aggressive. We don’t want conflict, we’ve had enough of it already.”

Wearing a sunflower headdress, Valerya, 20, is fed up with life in Germany. She came when the war started, but wants to go home as soon as possible.

“There are a lot of Russian people here and they’re very aggressive. They told me they want to kill me and my people” she told Euronews.

Anastasiia Lavrova was just visiting Berlin for a few days in May and said she was targeted in the metro. A man next to her leapt up and rudely shook his hands at her, staring aggressively and then screamed “bitch” in Russian.

“First second I was shocked and couldn’t understand what happened but after a while, I realised that on the right side of my bag was yellow and blue tape and a small pin too,” she told Euronews.

Russian speakers also threatened

But it’s not just Ukrainians being abused, Russian speakers in the German capital have also been harassed.

Datscha, a Russian restaurant in Berlin, has received a number of threatening phone calls, including one that someone would come round with a shotgun. The eatery put up a sign outside in response saying “war has no place in our community” and raised money and clothes for Ukrainian refugees.

There has also been an arson attack on a German-Russian school and Soviet monuments damaged, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said in mid-April it had registered more than 1,700 crimes in connection with the war, including incidents against Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians.

It told HRW that around 200 such crimes were happening each week.

“In the last few weeks, we have spoken to many Russians about their experiences since the beginning of the war,” wrote Eva Cosse, an HRW researcher.

“A 40-year-old woman from Russia who has lived in Germany for 17 years reported that at the end of April, while she was walking in a Berlin park with her daughter and her Ukrainian cousin, she was threatened with rape. She managed to escape but said she was shocked: ‘In public, I now speak more quietly when I speak Russian. And in the playground, I pay attention to who is with or near my daughter’.”

There have also been offers of help for Ukraine from Russian-German organisations, with groups like the Central Hamburg Club of Russian-Germans condemning all outbreaks of violence and pointing to their history of discrimination in the Soviet Union, where many were put into camps and deported for being suspected of loyal to Germany during World War II.

“Because of these experiences, but also because of our history, our solidarity goes to all people living in Ukraine, and also to all those who are protesting in Russia against their country’s policies that are contrary to international law,” the club said.

“We know from the past that no peace can be brought about by violence. Everything must now be done by non-violent means to stop the senseless bloodshed on all sides.

“We feel connected to suffering people in Ukraine and support the collection of donations in kind and offer help for those seeking protection.”

Much more at the link!

One of my long standing concerns has been that Russia would turn its information warfare focus in Europe towards targeting Ukrainian refugees. And given what we know of how the Russians conduct information warfare, it makes perfect sense that they’d try to rile up both sides because the more chaos that occurs, the more Russia benefits from the fallout.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

Sometimes Sunday has no “sun” on that “day”. And then I think that it’s necessary to turn on the inner sun. How are you? Do you have sunshine today? Visible or internal.
______________
And maybe you were dreaming of doing smth good today for animals https://t.co/K9oTZzi7Ic pic.twitter.com/fSsyLEwhef

— Patron (@PatronDsns) September 4, 2022

Thank you, people !!!!! Overdone 🙌🏻 We’ll send the excess funds to the « Animals of war » foundation. It is also @UAnimalsENG

— Patron (@PatronDsns) September 4, 2022

Here is a new video from Patron’s official TikTok:

@patron__dsns

Це ж сир!😋🧀 #песпатрон #патрондснс

♬ It’s Corn – Tariq & The Gregory Brothers & Recess Therapy

The caption translates as:

It’s cheese! 😋🧀 #dogPatron #PatronDSNS

Open thread!