Saturday, September 7

Russia’s war against Ukraine

People attend the funeral ceremony on Sept. 6, 2024 of 7-year-old Emilia Bazylevich,18-year-old Daryna Bazylevich, 21-year-old Yaryna Bazylevich, and 43-year-old Yevgenia Bazylevich, who died during Russian shelling on the morning of Sept. 4 in Lviv. The entire family died, except for the children’s father. (Olena Znak/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Zelensky’s visit to Ramstein secures air defense, weapons for Ukraine. Ukraine received promises of more military aid from allies, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada, following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) on Sept. 6, which President Volodymyr Zelensky attended in person.

US announces $250 million defense aid package for Ukraine. The United States pledged a new package of weapons, ammunition and other defense aid for Ukraine worth $250 million, the Pentagon announced on Sept. 6.

Germany, Canada pledge howitzers, tanks, rockets and more to Ukraine. On the sidelines of the meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Berlon would deliver an additional 12 self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers altogether worth 150 million euros ($165 million) to Kyiv.

EU provides $44 million for energy aid ahead of winter. The EU is providing Ukraine with a $44 million (40 million euro) humanitarian aid package to assist with energy repair works ahead of winter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sept. 6.

Zelensky claims 6,000 Russian soldiers killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast means there is no threat of a renewed Russian offensive toward the city of Sumy, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at Ramstein airbase in Germany on Sept. 6.

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Russia preparing new mass attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, PM Shmyhal says. “But we understand that the enemy will not give us the luxury of living in peace,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. “We already have intelligence that the next mass missile and drone strikes on our power system are already being prepared.”

Lithuania to allocate $11 million to buy Palianytsia missile-drones for Ukraine. Lithuania will allocate 10 million euros ($11 million) to buy new Ukrainian-made Palianytsia missile-drones for Kyiv, former Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamyshin said on Sept. 6.

US needs to reconsider weapons restrictions, Senator Mark Kelly says. U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former finalist to be Kamala Harris’s running mate, spoke with the Kyiv Independent and is the latest to say the limitations need to be reconsidered.

Ombudsman appeals to UN, Red Cross over alleged execution of Ukrainian POW by Russia seen on video. The footage purportedly shows a Russian soldier who asks a Ukrainian soldier if he wants to “say the last word, pray before dying,” and then shoots him with a rifle three times.

Documentary ‘humanizing’ Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine sparks outrage at Venice, Toronto Film Festivals. Controversy arose at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5 following the screening of a documentary film that attempts to humanize Russian soldiers involved in the war against Ukraine.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Azov brigade regains ground in Niu-York; West pledges more military aid for Kyiv

The 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade helped to stabilize the previously “catastrophic” situation in Niu-York, Donetsk Oblast, unblocking surrounded Ukrainian soldiers and regaining part of the settlement, the brigade said on Sept. 6.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Explaining Russia’s new nuclear doctrine —saber-rattling or real threat?

Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons have slowed Western arms supplies to Ukraine and led to restrictions on its use, but not stopped it.

Photo: Contributor/Getty Images

We asked weapons experts to review Ukraine’s two new drone innovations

It’s been a bumper week for deadly drone innovation, with Ukraine’s Armed Forces revealing two new developments in the technological field that continues to redefine the boundaries of modern warfare.

Photo: Telegram/Khornegroup

The Kyiv Independent launches J-school 2.0

The Kyiv Independent and UNESCO launch J-School 2.0, a training course for journalists and media managers aspiring to report for foreign audiences

Photo: The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills 1, injures 64. The injured victims reportedly include two boys aged 11 and 4 and a 9-year-old girl.

Russian troops apparently kill surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk, CNN reports. Russian forces seem to have summarily executed a group of surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk in late August, CNN reported on Sept. 6, publishing an exclusive video.

1 killed, 5 injured in Russian attack on Krasnopillia in Sumy Oblast. Russia attacked the community of Krasnopillia in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 6, killing a woman and injuring five others, including two teenagers, the Sumy Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

Russian contract soldier turned POW on his capture near Kursk

International response

US slaps new sanctions on Russian flagship LNG project. Arctic LNG 2 was envisaged as Russia’s largest LNG plant and a flagship project that was supposed to help the country become the world’s leading LNG producer.

US leadership in ‘urgent’ talks on saving $6 billion in Ukraine aid before expiration deadline, Reuters reports. The Biden administration is leading “urgent discussions” with U.S. Congress to allow it to use around $6 billion in assistance for Ukraine before a Sept. 30 deadline, Reuters reported on Sept. 5, citing undisclosed sources.

Iran sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, WSJ reports. Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 6, citing unnamed U.S. and European officials.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: How to make the most of the Kursk gambit

Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast gives the country a much-needed breakthrough on the battlefield, and represents yet another setback for the Kremlin. Yet the operation is not a military game-changer.

Photo: Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Opinion: How Kamala Harris’ foreign policy could depart from Biden’s legacy

Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, a crucial question emerges: How would Harris’ foreign policy depart from Biden’s?

Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In other news

Notorious Russian military intelligence unit carrying out cyber attacks on Western countries, agencies warn. A notorious unit of Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) is carrying out cyber attacks against critical infrastructure in NATO and EU countries, as well as Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies warned on Sept. 5.

Ukrainian government agrees to dismiss Zakarpattia Oblast governor. The Ukrainian government agreed to dismiss Zakarpattia Oblast Governor Viktor Mykyta from his post, Taras Melnychuk, the government’s representative in the parliament, announced on Sept. 6. The decision must now be approved by the president.

Ukraine’s Kichenok and Latvia’s Ostapenko win US Open women’s doubles championship in tennis. Ukrainian tennis star Lyudmyla Kichenok won her first major title with Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko on Sept. 6, winning in two sets in the women’s doubles final at the U.S. Open.

Team Ukraine wins 6 medals on day 9 of Paralympics. The Paralympic team won one gold medal on day 9. Yehor Dementyev secured the gold in the C4-5 class of road cycling.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Elsa Court, Owen Racer, Kateryna Denisova, Chris York, Toma Istomina, Dmytro Basmat, and Abbey Fenbert.

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