Saturday, September 14

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of the Russian drone attack are pictured in Odesa, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

49 Ukrainians released from Russian captivity. Ukraine brought back 49 Ukrainian defenders and civilians from Russian captivity on Sept. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Russia’s ‘rapid’ offensive in Kursk Oblast hasn’t yet achieved ‘serious’ success, Zelensky says. “In the Kursk direction, the Russians have started their rapid offensive, and they want to use about 60,000-70,000 people there. We know about 40,000 people who are there,” Zelensky said.

ATACMS ‘pointless’ without ability to strike inside Russia, Zelensky says at YES conference. U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles are “pointless” in Ukraine due to their limited quantity and restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia imposed by Western partners, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 13 at the Yalta European Strategy conference.

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Ukrainian pilots arrive in Romania for F-16 training. Ukrainian pilots arrived in Romania to start training on Dutch aircraft at the Borcea air base “a few days ago,” Digi24 news outlet reported on Sept. 12. They are now reportedly learning details about the F-16s on the ground.

Russian counterattack in Kursk Oblast is ‘marginal’ for now, Pentagon says. “What we have seen is Russian units beginning to try to conduct some type of counteroffensive in the Kursk region. At this stage, I would say that it is marginal, but something obviously that we’re keeping an eye on,” Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said.

Finland announces $130 million aid package for Ukraine. The total amount of military aid Finland has provided Kyiv now stands at 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion), the Finnish Defense Ministry said.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: 49 Ukrainians released from Russian captivity; Finland announces new aid package for Ukraine

Ukraine brought back 49 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Russian captivity on Sept. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram

Is ‘Russians at War’ propaganda? We asked 7 people in film who saw it

The filmmakers behind “Russians at War” have argued that a lot of the negative press surrounding the documentary comes from people who haven’t seen it. We asked the opinion of people in the film industry who have.

Photo: Alberto Pizzoli / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer: Why Zelensky slammed the China-Brazil peace plan

The controversial peace plan pushed by two Russia-friendly countries fails to call for the Russian army withdrawal from Ukraine.

Photo: Ken Ishii / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian airstrike in Sumy Oblast kills 2, injures 6, including child. A Russian airstrike against the village of Yampil in Sumy Oblast on the morning of Sept. 13 killed two civilians and injured six, including a 4-year-old child, regional authorities reported.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 10, injure 41 over past day. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 10 people and injured at least 41 over the past day, with humanitarian aid workers and first responders among the casualties, regional authorities reported on Sept. 13.

Ukraine’s chief rabbi mourns loss of adopted son, killed in combat. On Thursday, a memorial service was held in Kyiv for Anton Samborskyi, the adopted son of Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman, who was killed in combat.

General Staff: Russia has lost 631,420 troops since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,220 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia’s oil sector still has its claws on Hungary

International response

Sweden, Finland will not prohibit Ukraine from striking Russia with its weapons amid Putin’s threats to NATO. The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine’s use of Western long-range weapons against Russia would mean that NATO countries were directly involved in the war.

Chinese defense minister calls for talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Beijing has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow and backed the country against Western sanctions. China is pushing its peace plan, which doesn’t envisage the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and was dismissed by the West.

‘Russia started this war’ — British PM Starmer rebuffs Putin’s saber-rattling. Russia started the war against Ukraine and can end it right away, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Sept. 12 following Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s warnings that the use of Western arms in Russia would draw NATO into war.

US aims to improve Ukraine’s ‘strategic position’ in war before Biden’s term ends, WSJ reports. The U.S. president’s top aides “have no illusions” that Ukraine will be able to win the war before the end of Biden’s term, but they are not pushing Kyiv to hold peace talks with Russia or “trying to dictate” battlefield plans, U.S. officials told the newspaper.

Romania condemns Russia’s ‘deliberate attack on cargo ship’ carrying Ukrainian grain. Romania’s Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 13 that Russia’s strike against a cargo ship loaded with Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea is an “unprecedented escalation” of Moscow’s war.

Russia buys Western aircraft parts via intermediaries despite sanctions, media reports. Russia managed to import aircraft tires worth $30 million from Western and other foreign manufacturers last year despite sanctions, The Guardian reported on Sept. 12, citing a report from a Ukrainian agency it had obtained.

In other news

Russia expels 6 UK diplomats, accusing them of ‘espionage and subversive activities.’ Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had canceled the diplomats’ accreditation based on “evidence” of their alleged intelligence activities provided by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Polish minister urges Ukraine to resolve issue of Volyn tragedy. “We have to tell the truth, talk about the Volyn tragedy, about other mutual acts,” Sikorski said, adding that Ukraine and Poland must choose a “common and secure future.”

Russia releases 45 Indians tricked into fighting in Ukraine. Forty-five Indians tricked into joining the Russian military fighting in Ukraine have been released, with 50 more yet to be discharged, NDTV reported on Sept. 12, citing the Indian Foreign Ministry.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Denisova, Sonya Bandouil, Dmytro Basmat, Kateryna Hodunova, and Martin Fornusek.

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