There’s a lot going on tonight.
Here’s President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
Ukrainians!
From now on, every year on September 7, Ukraine will celebrate Military Intelligence Day – a professional holiday of people whose contribution to our defense and future victory cannot be overestimated. Previously, we did not have such a holiday specifically at the state level, although military intelligence officers usually received congratulations on this day. I signed a decree that brings this day to a proper level.
In the morning, I congratulated our intelligence officers, thanked them for their service, thanked Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, for the results Ukraine needs. Presented state awards to the best intelligence officers. And I believe that I will repeatedly award representatives of the intelligence community of Ukraine for their achievements, for operations that continue constantly, and for successes that help our Armed Forces and the entire state move towards the liberation of our entire land.
This week we have good news from the Kharkiv region. Probably, you all have already seen reports about the activity of Ukrainian defenders. And I think every citizen feels proud of our warriors. It is a well-deserved pride, a right feeling.
Now is not the time to name the settlements to which the Ukrainian flag returns. But it’s time to say thank you to the 25th airborne brigade, the 92nd separate mechanized brigade and the 80th airborne assault brigade for their bravery and heroism shown during combat missions.
I also express gratitude today to the 406th separate artillery brigade for the extremely successful hits in the areas where the occupiers are concentrated in the south of our country and to the 60th separate infantry brigade, which consistently advances our positions.
Each success of our military in one direction or another changes the general situation along the entire frontline in favor of Ukraine. The more difficult it is for the occupiers, the more losses they have, the better the positions of our defenders in Donbas will be, the more reliable the defense of Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and the cities of the Dnipropetrovsk region will be, the faster we will be able to liberate the Azov region and the entire south.
I want to say one more thing today – it is very important and very sensitive. This applies to Ukrainians held captive by the occupiers. At the level of Ukrainian intelligence and other involved structures and people, we are constantly trying to achieve the liberation of our prisoners of war. This work never stopped. And the active actions of our defenders also mean the possibility of capturing a sufficient number of enemies to encourage the exchange and release of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
I emphasize: we remember all our people held captive by the occupiers.
An important decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine was made today. Sanctions have been applied to 606 individuals who belong to the ruling elite of Russia.
28 members of the Security Council of Russia, 154 members of the Federation Council of Russia, 424 deputies of the State Duma of Russia. They are all responsible for this war, for the terror against our people. And none of them will avoid responsibility – it’s only a matter of time. We have already taken some of the necessary legal, diplomatic and political steps for this responsibility for them. We also take all other steps deliberately.
Today, an important operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine – regarding the activities of some persons subject to sanctions on the territory of our country. I have repeatedly emphasized: there will be no place for smugglers and criminal networks in Ukraine. It seems that some of them did not understand. Well, they will understand.
The customs officials who helped the smugglers, including the leadership, have been removed from office and will receive a legal response for all their illegal actions.
As for those persons subject to sanctions, who also have foreign citizenship, in particular Russian and Romanian, based on the proposal of the Security Service of Ukraine and in accordance with the norms of the current legislation, I made a decision to terminate the Ukrainian citizenship of these persons.
I’ve held a meeting with the head of the government, the minister of finance, the relevant deputy head of the Office regarding the draft budget for the next year. It is clear that this will be the budget of a warring country. Government officials will present the parameters of the project, but I will now mention some important points – politically important points.
First. More than a trillion hryvnias will be allocated to the security and defense sector next year. That will be priority number one.
Second. Social obligations must be provided in full. In particular, I want Ukrainian pensioners to hear me: next year, as well as this year, the government is tasked with indexing pensions for all our pensioners.
Third. To withstand this period and ensure financial and social stability, it is necessary to reduce as much as possible all non-critical expenses of the state, all that does not help defense, does not help the economic development of the country, social and cultural provision of our people. Accordingly, the government should present a program to reduce expenditures on the state enterprises, on the apparatus, on the institutions that do not meet the needs of this special time. I am waiting for proposals from government officials.
Fourth. This is the intensification of economic relations. The lending program “5-7-9%” is maintained. There will also be other programs and solutions that should help businesses work, save jobs and attract new employees.
And fifth. A special recovery fund will be established, which will be filled, in particular, at the expense of confiscated Russian assets.
I expect that the draft budget will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on time, as required by law.
I spoke today with German Chancellor Scholz. Many topics: the responsibility of the terrorist state, the further strengthening of the defense capabilities of Ukraine, and the financial support for our state.
I thanked Mr. Chancellor for confirming the €5 billion macro-financial aid from the European Union. This is an important decision. A decision that will enable us to support Ukrainians and provide social payments for our people. I also thank the European Commission and all our partners in the EU for this financial package. The provision of another three billion euros is being discussed, we are waiting for the format of the decision.
The implementation of the grain export initiative, which is an important tool for our economy and for all partners of our state, continues. Ukrainian food was exported to three continents. To Africa, Asia and Europe. In detail, 54 vessels have already been sent to Asia, 16 vessels have already been sent to Africa, 32 vessels have already been sent to Europe, and part of this volume, by the way, is again sent to Asian and African countries afterwards.
Today Russia voiced another blatantly false statement that the absolute majority of Ukrainian grain is allegedly exported to European countries. Well, words of truth have not been heard at the official level in Russia for a long time, and this does not surprise anyone.
By the end of this month, at least 3 million tons of agricultural products can be exported from our seaports. And a significant part is for the poorest and most needy countries. In particular, the first cargo was delivered to Ethiopia. The route was not easy: first by sea, then by trucks. But hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians are actually saved from starvation.
Perhaps Russia is not OK with this and does not want to notice it. However, this is exactly what the world needs. It is necessary to save countries on different continents from chaos, it is necessary to save people from starvation.
Unlike Russia, we do not make a racist division of the world into those who deserve security and those who supposedly do not, into those who deserve to live without famine and those who supposedly do not. We support all people, all countries. Both those who help us and those who still refrain from helping us. Both those that are more stable and those that are less stable. I emphasize once again: Ukraine was, is and will be the guarantor of world food security.
I am thankful to everyone who defends our country!
I am thankful to each of our partners who help us fight for freedom!
Glory to Ukraine!
The Ukrainian MOD did not post an operational update today.
Here is the British MOD’s assessment for today:
And here is their map for today:
Here is former NAVDEVGRU Squadron Leader Chuck Pfarrer’s most recent assessment of the battler for Kherson:
KHERSON /1415 UTC 7 SEP/ UKR Air force is reported to have carried out 27 close air support missions against RU concentrations and HQ elements. Overhead imagery indicates that the road bridge at Nova Kakhovka has been severed. VDV reported defeated in Inhulets pocket. pic.twitter.com/7sGlrcxFT3
— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) September 7, 2022
So there’s mixed reporting coming out of Kherson. Or, rather, what little reporting is coming out is mixed. The Washington Post published reporting focusing on the Ukrainian wounded from the battle for Kherson:
“They used everything on us,” said Denys, a 33-year-old Ukrainian soldier whose unit fell back from a Russian-held village after a lengthy barrage of cluster bombs, phosphorous munitions and mortars. “Who can survive an attack for five hours like that?” he said.
Denys and eight other Ukrainian soldiers from seven different units provided rare descriptions of the Kherson counteroffensive in the south, the most ambitious military operation by Kyiv since the expulsion of Russian forces at the perimeter of the capital in the spring. As in the battle for Kyiv, Ukraine’s success is hardly assured and the soldiers’ accounts signaled that a long fight, and many more casualties, lie ahead.
“We lost five people for every one they did,” said Ihor, a 30-year-old platoon commander who injured his back when the tank he was riding in crashed into a ditch.
Ihor had no military experience before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. He made a living selling animal feed to pig and cow farms. His replacement as platoon commander also has no previous military experience, he said.
The soldiers were interviewed on gurneys and in wheelchairs as they recovered from injuries sustained in the offensive. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid disciplinary action. Others, like Denys and Ihor, agreed to reveal only their first names. But most spoke plainly about the disadvantages they faced.
Russia’s Orlan drones exposed Ukrainian positions from more than a kilometer above their heads, they said, an altitude that meant they never heard the buzz of the aircraft tracking their movements.
Russian tanks emerged from newly built cement fortifications to blast infantry with large-caliber artillery, the wounded Ukrainian soldiers said. The vehicles would then shrink back beneath the concrete shelters, shielded from mortar and rocket fire.
Counter-battery radar systems automatically detected and located Ukrainians who were targeting the Russians with projectiles, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire in response.
Russian hacking tools hijacked the drones of Ukrainian operators, who saw their aircraft drift away helplessly behind enemy lines.
Ukraine has discouraged coverage of the offensive, resulting in an information lag on a potentially pivotal inflection point in the nearly seven-month conflict.
When Ihor fired on Russian soldiers with his Kalashnikov rifle this week, he said, it was his first time shooting at a human being. “You don’t think about anything,” he said. “You understand, if you don’t do it, they will do it.”
Despite the challenges, Ihor said he is eager to return to the front line as soon as he heals. “My people are there. How can I leave them?” he said.
Other soldiers won’t be returning to the battlefield.
Oleksandr, a 28-year-old former construction worker, lost his arm in a mortar blast during the counteroffensive last week. He winced with phantom pain in his hospital bed on Sunday, saying he felt a sting from the fingers and hand that were no longer connected to his body.
Oleksandr said the Russian artillery fire was relentless. “They were just hitting us all the time,” he said. “If we fire three mortars, they fire 20 in return.”
The Ukrainian soldiers said they had to carefully ration their use of munitions but even when they did fire, they had trouble hitting targets. “When you give the coordinates, it’s supposed to be accurate, but it’s not,” he said, noting that his equipment dated back to 1989.
Oleksandr had never traveled to Kherson before the war, but he said the goal of expelling Russian invaders was worth sacrificing a limb. “It’s our country,” he said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s forces retook two villages in the Kherson region, and one of his aides posted an image of the Ukrainian flag being hoisted over the village of Vysokopillya over the weekend.
“Ukrainian flags are returning to the places where they should be,” Zelensky said in a video address. But it was impossible to gauge what progress Ukrainian forces have made in their push to expel the Russian invaders from Kherson.
The region, which was captured by Russia earlier in the war, forms a crucial part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s coveted “land bridge” to Crimea, the peninsula that Russia invaded and annexed in violation of international law in 2014.
However bloody the fight, the Ukrainian soldiers said they saw no alternative.
“If we don’t stop them, they’re going to just rape and murder our people like they did everywhere else,” said Oleksandr’s roommate in the hospital, a 49-year-old conscripted soldier who asked to be called by his nickname, “Pinochet.”
Much, much more at the link!
Balakliya:
Ukraine’s military is having significant progress at Balakliya.
The offensive action is already threatening to cut off Russian GLOCs leading to Izium, the key Russian-held point of pressure upon northern Donbas.
Tucker Carlson remains a master war expert. pic.twitter.com/EjbU3h36gR— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 7, 2022
Outskirts of Balakleya, Ukrainian 🇺🇦 artillery destroying what looks like 🇷🇺 S-300 missiles. pic.twitter.com/qT39F0VO5J
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) September 7, 2022
Russian Aleksandr Kots confirmed much more sophisticated plans of Ukrainians to cut off the Izyum group; Balakliya not important to be taken at all costs; blames Ministry of Defence for hiding the bad news. pic.twitter.com/yM0roTgVbO
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) September 7, 2022
Kotenok adds this move creates a threat for the group of Russian forces in the Donbas as paths to both Izyum and the rear of Sloviansk-Kramatorsk Russian group will open with Russian defeat at Balakliya. pic.twitter.com/XD7Yt12Zmq
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) September 7, 2022
Wagner GREY ZONE – "do not expect good news today"
Recaps Ukrainian advance in Balakleya, mentions several downed Russian aircraft including an Su-25 and two helicopters. pic.twitter.com/w3pKAxvspp
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) September 7, 2022
Russian Starshe Eddy: "In Balakleya, Ukrainian command completely outplayed our command. Izyum is getting ready for a fight". pic.twitter.com/eMEhVEdDzI
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) September 7, 2022
Nova Husarivka:
📽️Ukrainian soldiers taking down Soviet Victory flag in Nova Husarivka, #Kharkiv Oblast. #UkraineRussiaWar pic.twitter.com/2uXm2jGhVs
— MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) September 7, 2022
Here’s an interesting thread about the battles in and for Kherson and Kharkiv:
1.The presence & quick deployment of operational reserves (including air power) by the defender along the attacker's vulnerable flanks can lead to a halt/collapse of the offensive & limits its overall impact.
— Franz-Stefan Gady (@HoansSolo) September 7, 2022
3.The use of operational reserves by the attacker is equally important. Without follow-on forces that can be thrown into the fight, any offensive is in danger of sooner or later stalling given that breakthroughs in the front can neither be adequately exploited nor gains defended.
— Franz-Stefan Gady (@HoansSolo) September 7, 2022
So a key question for both sides will be the geographical disposition & availability of operational reserves, or to pose Winston Churchill's question from May 1940,“Where is the strategic reserve?” (Or in his appallingly bad French, “Où est la masse de manoeuvre?”)
— Franz-Stefan Gady (@HoansSolo) September 7, 2022
There’s a lot of fighting to come in Kherson, Kharkiv, and, if the push through Kharkiv is successful, Donbas. There’s not a lot of clear reporting coming out of Kherson and, by comparison, a flood of info coming out of Kharkiv. So take deep breaths and expect that what might be reported in the morning may no longer be operable in the afternoon or evening. So pace yourselves.
The details of another Russian war crime begin to emerge:
I express my deepest condolences to relatives and close ones of Paul Urie. He was a brave man who dedicated himself to saving people. Ukraine will never forget him and his deeds. We will identify perpetrators of this crime and hold them to account. They won’t escape justice 2/2
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 7, 2022
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron:
Well, I'm back in black 🎸 pic.twitter.com/5O0JRq34Vi
— Patron (@PatronDsns) September 7, 2022
And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok:
@patron__dsns
The caption is:
Open thread!
War for Ukraine Day 196: Lot of Stuff Going OnPost + Comments (51)