(Crest of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Defense/GUR; Motto translates as: The Wise Will Rule Over the Stars)
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Department, the GUR, has issued a warning regarding Russia’s plans for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Here are the screenshots of a machine translation of the GUR’s Telegram page:
It is unclear what, if anything the Russians are planning. I’ve seen several different pronouncements and lots of speculation ranging from just running a PSYOP campaign to freak everyone out to undertaking an attack on the plant and trying to blame Ukraine. Here’s what the Russians put out that prompted the Ukrainian response:
*atomic power station
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) August 18, 2022
The Ukrainin GUR obviously thinks they can interrupt whatever the Russians are planning to do by putting out their own warning.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier this evening. Video below, English transcript after the jump (emphasis mine):
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!
Today we are in Lviv, the Potocki Palace, now. At the end of this very busy day, here’s my report on events, meetings, negotiations and decisions.
We have been here since the morning. And once again I want to thank the city of Lviv, all Lviv residents for the attention, comfort and emotional support felt throughout the day.
First of all, I paid a visit to our defenders – those who are being treated after injuries in the hospital. Very brave guys, strong. I thanked the doctors who are doing everything to restore the health of our warriors as soon as possible.
I was very happy to see the boys and girls studying at the Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy. It was extremely pleasant to hear that more and more people want to become officers of the Ukrainian army. The competition for one place in the academy is of such a scale that used to be only in civilian universities before. And this really gives a reason to be proud not just of the patriotism of our youth, but of the fact that people believe in Ukraine, in our Armed Forces, in our victory. I presented awards to the best warriors.
During a special ceremony on the Field of Mars of the Lychakiv Cemetery, we honored the memory of all those who gave their lives for Ukraine and for the independence of our country in this brutal war.
There is no other alternative – we must return everything of ours and guarantee security for all future generations of Ukraine.
I held talks with UN Secretary-General Guterres and President of Türkiye Erdoğan.
Most of the points discussed are already in the news. I want to say a few main things now.
First. There are no objective obstacles to prevent the IAEA mission from reaching the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Today, Mr. Guterres and I discussed the parameters of this mission and the fact that it can get to the plant very quickly and quite safely in a legal way through the free territory of our state. And just like that.
The one who organized nuclear blackmail certainly cannot be the “transporter” of any such missions. Russia must immediately and unconditionally allow IAEA representatives to the plant and also immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the territory of the plant. The world has the power to ensure this.
If it does not ensure this, we can simply throw the entire body of international documents on nuclear and radiation safety into the trash. Russia is destroying this international order.
The second extremely important point of the negotiations is Ukrainian prisoners of war held by the Russian Federation.
I called on Mr. Secretary-General to use all the capabilities of the UN to ensure Russia’s compliance with all norms of international law regarding prisoners of war. And we discussed sending a fact-finding mission to Olenivka. The full truth about this Russian terrorist attack must and will be established.
Of course, we talked about the grain export initiative. The result is there – and not only for Ukraine, but also for the world, as it is felt that the severity of the global food crisis is decreasing.
Therefore, there is a great need for more security, a greater volume of exports, more ships that can deliver Ukrainian food from our ports.
I held very substantive negotiations on many topics today with President of Türkiye Erdoğan. I am grateful to him for his unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. We discussed defense, economic and energy cooperation.
I am grateful to Türkiye for its willingness to take under patronage the reconstruction of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region. This is a mission for a truly powerful country. Today, the first step was taken – an agreement on infrastructure was signed.
I called on both Mr. President and Mr. Secretary-General to voice the strictest possible position regarding Russia’s planned pseudo-referendums in the occupied territory. Any pseudo-referendum will be a slap in the face of the international community.
And I want to mention one more thing today.
It was an extremely hard night in Kharkiv – more than ten people died. Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia were again shelled. The Russian army is spending enormous resources to capture at least one more kilometer in Donbas. Russian officials reiterate threats to Odesa and other cities of Ukraine. We see what is happening at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. We see what happened in Olenivka.
We can and should think only about how to win. To win on the battlefield, on the political front, in the information confrontation, in the economic plane, everywhere…
Let’s believe in ourselves, help each other, protect the interests of Ukraine and know that there will be peace.
He who fights and fights wisely wins.
Eternal glory to all our warriors! Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken away by the occupiers.
Glory to Ukraine!
Before his meetings in Lviv, President Zelenskyy went and visited wounded Ukrainian Soldiers in the hospital:
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited veterans at a hospital in Lviv, where he arrived on Aug. 18 for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Video: President's Office. pic.twitter.com/JTChC8Sggs
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
Here is today’s operational update from Ukraine’s MOD:
The operational update regarding the russian invasion on 06.00, on August 18, 2022
Glory to Ukraine! The one hundred seventy sixth (176) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military invasion continues.
The enemy continues to focus its efforts on establishing full control over the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, maintaining the temporarily captured areas of the Kherson oblast and parts of the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv oblast, creating favourable conditions for resuming the offensive in certain directions, as well as blocking Ukraine’s maritime communications in the Black Sea.
Air and missile strikes on military and civilian targets on the territory of Ukraine continue.
The situation in the Volyn and Polissya directions has not changed significantly. The units of the Armed Forces of the republic of belarus continue to carry out the task of strengthening the protection of the section of the belarusian-Ukrainian border in the Brest and Gomel regions.
The threat of the enemy launching missile and air strikes from the territory and airspace of the republic of belarus remains.
In the Siversky region, the enemy continues to hold units of the armed forces of the russian federation in the border areas of the Bryansk and Kursk regions in order to constrain the actions of units of the Defense Forces.
The enemy fired artillery shells in the areas of Vovkivka, Yastrubyne and Popivka settlements of the Sumy oblast.
In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to conduct hostilities with the aim of holding previously occupied lines and preventing the offensive of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy carried out fire damage from tanks, barrel and rocket artillery in the areas of Karasivka, Petrivka, Bazaliivka, Rtyshchivka, Duvanka, Ivanivka, Mospanove, Lisne, Velyki Prohody, Pytomnyk, Husarivka and Chepil settlements.
Carried out remote mining of the area near Lebyazhe.
In the Slovyansk direction, the enemy shelled the areas of Velyka Komyshuvakha, Virnopilla, Adamivka, and Dovhenky with artillery.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy fired from tanks and multiple rocket launchers at the regions of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Spirne, Donetsk, Ivano-Daryivka, Siversk, Zvanivka, and Raihorodok. Made an air strike near Vesele.
It led an offensive in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka direction, was unsuccessful, withdrew.
In the direction of Bakhmut, shelling was recorded near Bakhmut, Soledar, Rozdolivka, Kodema and Mayorsk.
The occupiers launched an offensive in the directions of Volodymyrivka – Soledar, Pokrovske – Bakhmutske, Pokrovske – Bakhmut, Klynove – Bakhmut, Semihirya – Zaitseve, Semihirya – Kodema and Holmivskyi – Zaitseve. The invaders did not achieve any positive results in any of the offensive directions and withdrew with losses.
In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy fired from barrel, rocket artillery, and tanks near Avdiivka, Maryinka, Alexandropil, Pisky, Pervomaiske, and Opytne.
It led an offensive in the direction of Lozove – Pervomaiske, was unsuccessful, withdrew.
On the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhia directions, the enemy is defending the occupied areas. Shelled the areas of settlements of Novosilka, Novomykhailivka, Bohoyavlenka, Stepnohirsk, Shevchenko, Burlatske, Zaliznychne, Hulyaipilske, Lukyanivske, Preobrazhenka, Poltavka.
Conducted aerial reconnaissance of UAVs near Poltavka, Hulyaipole, Malynyivka, Zelenyi Hay, Shcherbaki and Novoyakovlivka.
It tried to conduct assaults in the direction of Yehorivka – Shevchenkove, was unsuccessful, withdrew.
In the South Buh direction, the main efforts of the enemy’s forces are focused on holding the occupied areas and restraining the actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
Shelling was recorded near the settlements of Mykolaiv, Stepova Dolyna, Luch, Posad-Pokrovske, Halytsynove, Oleksandrivka, Myrne, Shyroke, Kvitneve, Kiselivka, Kobzartsi, Pervomaiske, Kavkaz, Murakhivka, Andriivka, Osokorivka, Ivanivka, and Trudolyubivka.
The enemy carried out airstrikes near Bila Krynytsia, Blahodatny, and Khutirska creek.
Conducted aerial reconnaissance by UAVs in the areas of Bilohirka, Lozove, Pervomaiske, Oleksandrivka, Trudolyubivka, Osokorivka and Ivanivka settlements.
According to available information, two sea-based cruise missile carriers are ready to use high-precision weapons.
We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together we will win!
Glory to Ukraine!
Here is today’s assessment from the British MOD:
And here is their updated map for today:
Former NAVDEVGRU Squadron Leader Chuck Pfarrer’s did not post an updated map and analysis for the battle of Kherson today. He did, however, put a spotlight on this geospatial analysis:
TRANSIT TIME: The always cogent @DefMon3 has examined RU logistics and determines 12 hour R/T rail journey times from Crimea to the front. Rail journeys would be measured in days, not hours, if UKR forces use HIMARS to strike rail switches and culverts. And they will. https://t.co/8Yzns9WApm
— Chuck Pfarrer (@ChuckPfarrer) August 18, 2022
Last night I referenced that the Russians had once again lit up Kharkiv. Here’s the details:
Terrifying cruise missile attack on Kharkiv. At night, on the dormitory building in Saltivka. 6 people killed, 16 wounded. One detail in this horrible video – someone planted corn near devastated building, in the midst of the war, someone just wanted to live. pic.twitter.com/FpTh1l2NbO
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) August 17, 2022
This is what it looked like by the light of day:
⚡️Death toll in Russia’s Aug. 17 attack on Kharkiv rises to 12.
The State Emergency Service reported that 20 civilians were injured in the Russian missile strike on a residential building in the Saltivskyi district. The rescue operation continues.
📷State Emergency Service pic.twitter.com/glkZ4IVPRn
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
Today they went after Sumy, among other Ukrainian targets:
No casualties were reported, but Russian shelling damaged a school and a non-residential building in the community of Bilopillia and a civilian infrastructure object in the community of Myropillia.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
The Ukrainians, whether Ukrainian SOF, Ukrainian partisans in Russian occupied Ukraine, both, or through the use of artillery, continue to step up their operational tempo!
The city of Kerch is linked to Russia's Krasnodar Krai via the strategic Crimean Bridge. On Aug. 17, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said that the Crimean Bridge should be destroyed as a legitimate military target.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
⚡️Media: Explosions heard at Belbek military airfield near Sevastopol, Crimea.
Mikhail Razvozzhayev, head of the Russian occupation government in Ukraine's Sevastopol, attributed the sounds to the work of air defense.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
Stuff keeps blowing up within Russia too!
⚡️Governor: Ammunition depot on fire in Russia's Belgorod Oblast.
According to Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the cause of the fire is being established. No casualties were reported.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 18, 2022
Could be Ukrainian SOF, could be Ukrainian partisans from Russian occupied Ukraine, could be Russians opposed to the war, could be a combination of all of those or none of them at all and something else is going on. Regardless, as I’ve stated several times, while the actual physical damage is important in terms of achieving the Ukrainian theater strategy, the really important effect here is the psychological one. Furthering the feeling that no place in Russian occupied Ukraine is safe for the Russians and places in Russia are no longer safe either.
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
My thoughts before sleeping: « Kerch, ducks, Himars, bridge, soon ». Something in this chain is redundant, isn't it? 😏 pic.twitter.com/AYDRRmiKH0
— Patron (@PatronDsns) August 18, 2022
Sleep well Patron!
And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok:
@patron__dsns Маленький і щасливий я 🐶 #песпатрон #патрондснс #славаукраїні
The caption translates as:
I am small and happy 🐶 #pespatron #patrondsns #slavaukrain
Open thread!