(Image by NEIVANMADE)
A quick housekeeping note. Rosie is doing great. She’s got all this week off before her next treatment. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.
Russia spent the small hours and most of today pounding civilian targets across Ukraine. And air raid alerts are still up over most of Ukraine or are going up and down in the different oblasts.
Update at 8;45 PM EDT/3:45 AM local time in Ukraine
Russia has its strategic bombers and strike fighters up! Cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drone swarms to clear the way, are inbound!
End update
Among the targets was the Kyiv hydroelectric plant and dam.
Russia targeted the dam of the Kyiv Sea north of the capital, with one missile striking it. If the dam breaks, millions of people downstream can die. https://t.co/lGic3XE4MP pic.twitter.com/YBTUWIZzuC
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) August 26, 2024
If Russia breaches the dam, then what happened last year in Kherson Oblast will happen to Kyiv.
And lest anyone think that’s doomsaying, the Russians spent a lot of time just last month claiming Ukraine was going to blow the damn up and blame Russia for it.
Remember what I wrote way back in February of 2022 during the first days of Russia’s genocidal re-invasion: if Putin cannot have Kyiv and Ukraine, then no one, including the Ukrainians gets to have Kyiv and Ukraine.
The largest russian air attack: Ukrainian defenders shot down 102 missiles and 99 UAVs.
Overnight, russia attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure with 109 Shahed UAVs and 127 missiles of various types.
Ukrainian air defenders shot down 201 aerial targets, including:
• 99…— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 26, 2024
The largest russian air attack: Ukrainian defenders shot down 102 missiles and 99 UAVs.
Overnight, russia attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure with 109 Shahed UAVs and 127 missiles of various types.
Ukrainian air defenders shot down 201 aerial targets, including:
• 99 Shahed UAVs
• 99 Kh-101, Kalibr, Kh-59 missiles
• 1 Kh-47M2 Kindzhal missile
• 1 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile
• 1 Kh-22 cruise missileThank you, air defenders, for your heroic work!
Thank you, partners, for strengthening Ukraine’s air defense!
The Kyiv Independent has the details on today’s attacks:
Russia has launched the largest attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Aug. 26.
Seven people were killed and 47 were injured, according to the State Emergency Service.
Russian forces carried out an attack targeting 15 oblasts, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 drones, while Ukraine downed 102 missiles and 99 drones, according to the Air Force. Russian strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including a dam in Kyiv, part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Ukrainian forces intercepted one Kinzhal ballistic missile, one Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile, one Kh-22 cruise missile, 99 Kh-101, Kalibr, and Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, as well as 99 Shahed-type drones.
A few drones disappeared from location radars and were lost in the Ukrainian territory. Two unmanned aerial vehicles crossed the border with Belarus.
Ukraine deployed all available resources to repel the attack, including jets, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units, the Air Force said.
Following the mass Russian attack against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, and Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the head of state grid operator Ukrenergo.
The group discussed the efficiency of air defense and electronic warfare systems and mobile fire groups in each region, among other issues.
Demining operations are underway at the sites affected by Russian attacks. In some areas, Russian forces attacked civilian facilities with cluster munitions. Sappers must check the locations before power engineers can start repairing, according to Zelensky.
Despite all the announcements and pledges over the past several months, the promised air defense systems and munitions have yet to arrive in Ukraine.
Ukraine was promised more air defense systems at the NATO summit last month, but none have been supplied so far, apparently.
— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) August 26, 2024
For want of a nail!!!!
More on today’s attacks after the jump.
President Zelenskyy made two addresses today. Video of the first one below, English transcript after the jump followed by the video and transcript of the second one.
There Should Be No Restrictions on the Range of Weapons for Ukraine, While Terrorists Have No Such Restrictions – Address by the President
26 August 2024 – 12:40
Dear Ukrainians!
Now, all over the country, efforts are underway to eliminate the consequences of the Russian strike.
It was one of the heaviest strikes – a combined one. More than a hundred missiles of various types and about a hundred “Shahed” drones. And like most previous Russian strikes, this one was just as vile, targeting critical civilian infrastructure. Most of our regions – from the Kharkiv region and Kyiv to Odesa and our western regions.
Unfortunately, some people were killed. My condolences to all their families and friends. There are dozens of injured people, and all of them are receiving the necessary assistance.
There is a lot of damage in the energy sector. But wherever there is a power outage, restoration is already underway. Our repair crews will work around the clock. We will restore electricity. In all cities and communities that need it, the Points of Invincibility are about to open now.
And it is crucial that our partners implement everything we have agreed with them. Air defense systems, missiles for them. And also, we must finally come to a collective shooting down of Russian missiles and drones. Today, they targeted objects in the Volyn, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions, and our Ternopil region. In our various regions of Ukraine, we could do much more to protect lives if the aviation of our European neighbors worked alongside our F-16s and alongside our air defense. If such unity has worked so obviously well in the Middle East, it should work in Europe as well. Life has the same value everywhere.
And one more thing.
Putin remains true to himself – it is a sick creature; this has long been clear to everyone. But it is also clear that he can only do what the world allows him to do. Weaknesses and lack of decisions in response feed terror. And every leader, every partner of ours knows what strong decisions are needed to end this war – and to end it justly. There should be no restrictions on the range of weapons for Ukraine, while terrorists have no such restrictions. Defenders of life should face no restrictions on weapons, while Russia uses all kinds of its own weapons, as well as “Shahed” drones and ballistic missiles from North Korea. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other partners have the power to help us stop terror. We need decisions.
Glory to Ukraine!
And here’s the second address:
Each of These Strikes Repeatedly Brings Us Back to the Task of Long-Range Capabilities – Address by the President
26 August 2024 – 20:08
Dear Ukrainians!
The aftermath of the Russian strike is still being dealt with. In total, there were more than 120 missiles of various types and over a hundred Shahed drones. The missiles were launched from various locations, including the airspace over Kursk and Belgorod regions, other Russia’s border areas, the Black Sea, and the territory of our occupied Crimea. Each of these strikes repeatedly brings us back to the task of long-range capabilities – the need to provide our Defense Forces with enough long-range weapons that can destroy terrorists exactly in the areas of their strikes. This is the optimal counter-terrorism tactic, one that every partner of ours has the right to and would undoubtedly use to protect themselves. And we expect decisions from them – decisions on our long-range capabilities. The physical presence of our Forces in the Kursk region and our active efforts to eliminate the Russian threat on its own territory are also a way to compensate for the deficit of long-range capabilities.
Today, I started the day with a separate long conversation with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi – discussing in detail the repulsion of this missile attack, our response to Russia – we are preparing it, the use of F-16s, and the ongoing operation in the Kursk region. We continue our actions in the designated areas as needed for Ukraine. Over the past day, we’ve gained more control and once again added to our “exchange fund.” The Commander-in-Chief also reported on the situation on the Donetsk front, both separately and at the Staff meeting, focusing on the Pokrovsk direction, which remains the most difficult with the heaviest Russian assaults, as well as the Vremivka, Toretsk, and Kurakhove directions. Decisions were made to strengthen our positions. I thank every soldier and commander, every unit that is doing everything to destroy as much enemy force as possible. At the Staff meeting today, all the necessary reports were provided on the energy sector – the current state of the system and its restoration capabilities. Work will continue around the clock. We also thoroughly reviewed the situation regarding protective structures at energy facilities, and several important decisions were made on this matter as well. Thank you to everyone who promptly fulfills these tasks for the sake of our state and our people!
And one more thing.
I held a meeting with the heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, including the Prosecutor General and the Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Reports were presented on combating collaborators and on criminal cases against those who justify Russian aggression and contribute to this war against Ukraine. We also specifically addressed border issues and incidents of illegal crossings, with reports from Klymenko, Maliuk, and Sukhachov. Regarding the anti-corruption program and the status of all related measures, reports were given by the heads of NACP, NABU, and SAP. In two weeks, they have to develop and present a clear plan for solving problematic issues – all of them are absolutely clear. Action is needed.
Glory to Ukraine!
It is important to understand that the russians are using Shakheds to allegedly force the Ukrainian Armed Forces to waste SAM missiles on them, so that in the end there will be no missiles to shoot down cruise missiles.
The situation with mopeds. pic.twitter.com/n87XmdtqWW— Ukraine Front Line (@EuromaidanPR) August 26, 2024
It is being reported that over 80 drones were launched from the north and south, and cruise missiles were launched from the east via bombers, and from the south allegedly from Crimea direction. This is separate and apart from ballistic missiles used in the attack. https://t.co/WH5awT0kQl pic.twitter.com/5kQd1QOgX7
— raging545 (@raging545) August 26, 2024
Four massive explosions in Odesa already. God knows how many dead and injured. This is pure terrorism. No attempt to do anything but cause civilian harm to all those innocent Odesans I saw only two days ago. That is Putin’s way. That is the Russian wold he wants to create pic.twitter.com/ZhGCzevDI8
— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) August 26, 2024
Video of Russian/Iranian Shahed attack drone striking an apartment block in Lutsk – pure terrorism, there doesn’t seem to be any military purpose. pic.twitter.com/Jxjnw12KS1
— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) August 26, 2024
In Kharkiv. This morning’s missile attack is yet another reminder that Ukraine must be given the right to use all means to destroy the enemy’s offensive capabilities. The price of spinelessness is the lives of innocent people. pic.twitter.com/Gx7zOSg4jt
— Marko Mihkelson (@markomihkelson) August 26, 2024
Map of missile and drone tracks from today’s massive Russian air attack on Ukraine: practically every region came under attack. pic.twitter.com/RLjMfBkxT7
— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) August 26, 2024
The air raid still isn’t over btw, major shoutout to jake sullivan’s brilliant strategy of protecting russian airfields pic.twitter.com/az0E4bDFEQ
— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz) August 26, 2024
Nobody deserves to watch their homes being erased by the terrorist state russia while it faces full impunity. Words & promises to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes won’t stop russian missiles, only air defences & long range weapons can. #makerussiapay
📸 Serhiy Lysak. pic.twitter.com/PiFuxjEi2N— Olena Halushka (@OlenaHalushka) August 26, 2024
In the hotel on Kryvyi Rih, struck by russian missile, 1 woman died. 4 wounded. There may be another 5 people under the rubble, according to local authorities. https://t.co/lhEhDwGthi pic.twitter.com/QDuheeJBGj
— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) August 26, 2024
I honestly don’t know what else there is left to say. What more informed analysis I can provide. Every day that the US and its NATO allies drag out delivering the promised, yet consistently delayed air defense systems, munitions, and other weapons systems is a gift to Putin. Every day that the Biden administration vacillates over giving Ukraine permission to US its US supplied or non-US supplied, but manufactured with US parts long range weapons systems on legitimate Russian targets inside of Russia advances Putin’s strategic goals. And it costs more innocent Ukrainians their lives.
That’s enough for today.
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Open thread!
japa21
Back when all this started (2022) there was a lot of talk about fears of escalation and what might Putin do, etc. In essence, the view of many here was that Ukraine was not worth starting WWIII over.
Back then my question was, if Ukraine isn’t, what is? If Lithuania isn’t what is? If Poland isn’t, what is? How do you determine one country is, but another country isn’t. As far as I’m concerned, if Ukraine isn’t, then nothing is. There is nothing more vital on this planet right now than making sure Ukraine survives as a sovereign democracy with its full borders restored.
japa21
Forgot to say, thank you, Adam. And I hope Rosie’s last treatment cycle goes as well as the last couple.
Adam L Silverman
@japa21: You’re most welcome and thanks for the good thoughts.
Adam L Silverman
I just put an update up top. Air raid alerts are now up over all of Ukraine. Russian strategic aviation is in the air over Russia and cruise and ballistic missiles are inbound towards Ukraine. I’ve included the air raid alert map.
patrick Ii
Putin has to lose. Trying to manage some lesser outcome is useless. You could kick every soldier out of Ukraine and he will still be launching missiles at Ukraine 20 years from now.
Give Ukraine the tools to win. Stop teasing them. It is a unique type of torture. It’s hard for us to watch and much harder for them to go through.
Bill Arnold
A bit of a wall of text, but might be helpful. The first is a discussion specifically about generally protected nature of energy infrastructure, particularly electricity. One wonders if Russia would agree that such attacks are war crimes if Russia’s electrical infrastructure serving e.g. Moscow were destroyed.
When the lights go out: the protection of energy infrastructure in armed conflict (April 20, 2023, Eirini Giorgou Legal Adviser, ICRC, Abby Zeith Legal Adviser, ICRC)
And some relevant parts of the Geneva conventions:
Article 52 – General protection of civilian objects
Article 54 – Protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population
Ksmiami
@patrick Ii: Biden’s really fucking this up. Send the fucking weapons
KatKapCC
It must be maddening to the nth degree that Zelensky has to keep saying this kind of thing so clearly and urgently over and over, and yet the people who need to hear it are apparently not listening.
Adam, if Harris wins the election, do you imagine she would keep most of the same national security staff as is in place now, or might she replace some of them? And is there any chance if it’s the latter that the new ones might be less timid about things? Of course I know you don’t know anything for sure, but I’d be interested in your thoughts on it.
cain
@Ksmiami:
Biden’s foreign policy has not been great either with Israel or with Ukraine. I haven’t a clue with what the SoS is doing here. It seems like he’s confused the two.
YY_Sima Qian
Parsing the wording of the Ukrainian update on its AD shooting down Russian drones/missiles, it does specifically say the qty aimed at energy infrastructure & the qty shot down. Of course, some of the weapons (Iskanders, Kinzhals, KN23s, etc.) Russia will probably only use against civilian & MIC infrastructure targets, but Ukraine may not be capturing the missiles & drones launched at front line positions (or those in the immediate rear). This probably explains the discrepancy between the high intercept rates that the daily updates from the UAF is reporting, versus the relatively lower intercept rates Syrsky shared a few days ago.
Missiles/drones aimed at Ukrainian civilian & MIC targets have to traverse more layers of Ukrainian AD, & thus are more likely to be intercepted. Those aimed at positions on or close to the front lines are far less likely to be intercepted. Unfortunately, Ukraine has to prioritize protecting critical civilian/MIC infrastructure & populations centers w/ the AD assets at its disposal, which likely means only short to medium range AD systems for the front lines (except the occasions where they try to set up ambushed for high value RuAF assets such as the A-50U AWACs, using Patriot or S-200/300 systems).
Jay
Thank you. Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@KatKapCC: She will bring in her own people.
lashonharangue
Thank you Adam.
Gin & Tonic
@KatKapCC: One can only hope that Jake Sullivan is shown the exit as quickly as possible.
Gin & Tonic
If the dam above Kyiv goes, the destruction will be easily comparable to a nuclear weapon being used. Millions will die, one of Europe’s major cities will be wiped off the Earth, and that region will be uninhabitable for decades. The dithering of Biden/Blinken/Sullivan about “what if Putin uses nukes” seems not to take this into account at all.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Ksmiami
I just wrote to the WH. Suggest that everyone do the same. This cannot go on
Another Scott
WhiteHouse.gov/Briefing-Room today:
Biden also talked with Narendra Modi today about Ukraine (and Poland).
I’m reminded that Biden approving use of US weapons across the border of Kharkiv happened after VVP’s continued brutal attacks on the city. Biden has lessened restrictions on US weapons use as time has gone on. I expect that trend (if that’s the right word) to continue, but I have no inside information.
FWIW.
Slava Ukraini!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Gin & Tonic
@Another Scott:
Bear Bryant may have said “defense wins championships,” but a) that isn’t true and b) even if it was, war isn’t football.
frosty
@Bill Arnold: Well, that wipes out the RAF in Germany and USAAF in Japan. Oops. Also everything we did in Iraq, which involved destroying all their infrastructure.
KatKapCC
@Another Scott: I mean…obviously Biden has been better than Trump would have been (or would be), but these statements just make me want to say “Put up or shut up” at this point.
Jay
@frosty:
The Conventions were adopted after WWII because of what all parties did in WWII.
As for Iraq, (or Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) just like ruZZia the US was protected and protected itself via a veto in the UNSC and avoiding membership in any International Court System that could hold it accountable.
Probably not a good time or place to adopt Soviet/ruZZian/tankie/vatnick “whataboutism”.
Another Scott
Meanwhile, (sorry if this was mentioned before – I didn’t see it) … Janes.com from August 14:
There are a huge number of moving parts in all of these complicated military systems. It gets even more difficult when multiple countries have to be involved. We all know this, of course. And I’m sure good people on the inside (even in the White House) are as (or more likely, more) frustrated than we are at the pace.
Slava Ukraini!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Jay
At some point in time, the US and Germany need to stop hiding behind Ukrainians.
Librarian
I’m trying to make sense of the restrictions policy, and the only thing I can think of is they are afraid of Putin, or afraid of offending him. And they are under the illusion that they can just go back to business as usual with Russia when the war is over. The Biden team seems to have no historical knowledge of how to deal with Russia. They seem to think this is just another foreign policy problem to be managed.
Chet Murthy
@Librarian: “And they are under the illusion that they can just go back to business as usual with Russia when the war is over.”
i have read a quote specifically to this effect. That is to say, one of the reasons the US is restraining Ukraine is that the US expects in a future time to return to normal relations with Russia and they do not want Russia to have hard feelings.
Which is… Insane. I remember the old Lenin quote about probing with the bayonet: if you find softness push on, if you find steel pull back. Russia will only respect steel.
wjca
Only if you embrace ex post facto laws. Which is a really bad path to start down.
Adam L Silverman
@Another Scott: @Gin & Tonic: and C) those air defense systems and the munitions for them that Biden has referenced in his statement have not been delivered to Ukraine! He should shut up until/unless they do because his mouth keeps writing checks that his worthless ass can’t cash.
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: There are lots and lots of moving parts, and lots and lots of air defense capabilities (beyond Patriots and the like). E.g. DefneseNews.com (from 8/26):
I’m sure that the DoD and other members of the various Contact groups and Ukraine are applying an “all of the above” effort to maximizing air defense as a whole while also working to address supply chain issues for the other important systems like HIMARS and Patriot and all the rest.
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.
Bill Arnold
@frosty:
No, the first two were before the post-wwii geneva conventions.
Yeah, the US has some war-crime guilt for Iraq IMO. Didn’t write that down (or Israel’s destruction of Gazan civilian infrastructure) because it made the argument more complicated; it also affects USA diplomacy.
In Iraq, the (mostly anti-US) “insurgents” also targeted electrical infrastructure.