Tuesday, September 5

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Pupils of the first grade attend a lesson in a classroom set up in a subway station in Kharkiv, on September 4, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Children in Kharkiv attend classes in subway stations due to the threat of Russian shelling.  (Photo by Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)

Defense Minister Reznikov submits resignation. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 4 after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Reznikov’s dismissal.

Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Ukraine’s military has made gains near Klishchiivka, some five kilometers from Bakhmut, and Novoprokopivka south of Robotyne, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on Sept. 4.

Russia demands concessions to relaunch grain deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia won’t resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative without the West decreasing sanctions. Russia will only rejoin the initiative once sanctions related to Russian grain and fertilizers for European markets would be lifted, Putin said.

Kuleba: Russia’s demands for relaunching grain deal are ‘blackmail.’ The Black Sea Grain Initiative “must be restored,” but not at the expense of accepting blackmail, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told journalists on Sept. 4.

NYT: Kim Jong Un to visit Russia for arms deal with Putin. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un plans to visit Russia this month to discuss supplying Moscow with more weapons for its war in Ukraine, the New York Times reported on Sept. 4.

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Reznikov: Russia’s war costs Ukraine $100 million daily. Ukraine spends around $100 million of state funds daily to defend itself against Russia’s full-scale war, soon-to-be former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told state-run media outlet Ukrinform.

Zelensky visits front lines in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited combat brigades on the front line in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts on Sept. 4.

Russia attacks Ukraine with over 30 drones, damaging infrastructure. Russian forces launched 32 kamikaze drones at Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts overnight on Sept. 4, damaging industrial facilities and infrastructure.

Zelensky: France to train Ukrainian pilots on fighter jets. France has joined the international coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after a Sept. 3 phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

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Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry reports gains in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts; Putin demands sanctions relief to revive grain deal

Ukraine’s military has made gains near Klishchiivka, some five kilometers from Bakhmut, and Novoprokopivka south of Robotyne, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on Sept. 4.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo via Getty Images

Who is Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s soon-to-be defense minister?

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sept. 3 that Rustem Umerov was Ukraine’s soon-to-be defense minister, he said the former MP “needs no introduction.”

Photo: Rustem Umerov / Twitter

Human cost of war

Governor: Russian attack on Kherson Oblast injures child. Russian troops struck the village of Soniachne in Kherson Oblast, wounding an 11-year-old boy, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Sept. 4.

General Staff: Russia has lost 265,120 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Sept. 4 that Russia had also lost 4,480 tanks, 8,663 armored fighting vehicles, 8,149 vehicles and fuel tanks, 5,611 artillery systems, 741 multiple launch rocket systems, 503 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,481 drones, and 19 boats.

International response

German MP: Scholz is blocking Taurus missiles transfer to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the only person blocking the decision within the governing coalition to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, German MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wrote on Twitter on Sept. 4.

Bucharest denies Kyiv’s claim that Russian drones fell in Romania. Romania’s Defense Ministry “firmly denied” that drones had fallen on Romanian territory during Russia’s overnight attack against Odesa Oblast, saying it did not pose any direct military threats to the country.

Media: Belgium buys Sea Sparrow missiles from Germany to deliver to Ukraine. The Belgian Defense Ministry has bought a stock of short-range Sea Sparrow missiles from Germany and plans to deliver more than half to Ukraine, the Belgian newspaper L’Echo reported on Sept. 4.

In other news

Ukraine makes appearance at Burning Man festival. Ukraine made an appearance at this year’s annual Burning Man music and arts festival, taking place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4 in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Elsa Court, Dinara Khalilova, Lili Bivings, and Abbey Fenbert.

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