Ukraine Daily

Wednesday, September 7

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of an early morning Russian missile strike in central Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 6, 2022. (Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)

Zelensky: ‘Europe is no place for murderers and those who support them.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his video address on Sept. 6 that Russian tourism in Europe is unacceptable and called on the EU to implement visa restrictions for Russian citizens. “Russia has [also] repeatedly sent killers to Europe under the guise of ordinary tourists,” he added.

General Staff: Ukraine repels Russian attacks in Donbas, strikes key targets. The Ukrainian General Staff reported unsuccessful Russian advances near Dolyna, Soledar, Novobakhmutivka, Kodema, Zaitseve, Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Lyubomyrivka in Donetsk Oblast. Eight Russian ammunition depots, as well as command centers and pontoon bridges, were destroyed by Ukrainian troops, according to the General Staff.

Governor: 753 civilians evacuated from occupied parts of Kharkiv Oblast. Oleh Syniehubov reported that 163 children and nine people with disabilities are among those evacuated.

Ukraine to ship 28,600 tons of grain to famine-stricken Somalia. The grain shipment will arrive in the next few weeks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter. “Ukraine continues to save the world with its grain,” he said. Somalia is projected by the UN to be suffering from famine by the end of the year.

Al Jazeera: Analysts say partisan activity increases in temporarily-occupied southern Ukraine. Analysts interviewed by Al Jazeera say there appears to be “a high level of collaboration between the Ukrainian military and partisans,” who have provided Ukraine’s forces with information about Russian troops and the situation in the occupied territories. According to experts, the rebels are mostly focused on three basic tasks: destroying the Russian army’s weapons and supply lines, passing information to the Ukrainian military and demoralizing the occupying forces.

IAEA says Russian military equipment present inside Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, calls for safe zone. The International Atomic Energy Agency observed the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles, and equipment at various places inside the plant’s territory. “There is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical damage caused by military means,” the IAEA said in a statement.

ISW: Russia’s deployment of forces to Ukraine’s south likely enabling Ukrainian counterattacks. The Institute for the Study of War reports that Ukraine’s counterattack in Kharkiv on Sept. 6 was likely an opportunistic effort enabled by the redeployment of Russian forces away from the area to reinforce their positions against the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast. Obituary data on Russian servicemen indicates that Russia deployed elements of the 147th Artillery Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army to Kherson Oblast no earlier than late August. This is the first time ISW has observed elements of Russia’s elite 1st Guards Tank Army operating in southern Ukraine. Elements of the 147th previously fought in Bucha in Kyiv in March and elements of the 1st Guards Tank Army were active primarily in and around Kharkiv after the Russian withdrawal from Kyiv.

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Ukrainian authorities in Brussels renew calls for special Russian war crimes tribunal. For nine agonizing minutes, images of the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine flashed before the eyes of EU dignitaries in Brussels, the heart of Europe. The 6,400 photos, all verified by independent authorities, provide evidence of Russian war crimes committed against civilians in Ukraine.

“Russian War Crimes,” an exhibition organized by the Office of the President of Ukraine, alongside the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, tells the story of Russia’s atrocities committed in Ukraine.

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The human cost of Russia’s war

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 25 fallen Ukrainian soldiers. According to the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Ministry, the bodies of 25 fallen Ukrainian defenders were retrieved in compliance with the Geneva Convention on Sept. 6. No further details were provided.

Governor: Russian attacks in Kharkiv Oblast kill 3 people in 24 hours. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that two men, aged 39 and 52, were killed on Sept. 5 due to Russian shelling of residential buildings in Zolochiv. Earlier on Sept. 6, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a 73-year-old woman was killed in Kharkiv’s Industrialnyi district.

Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia’s war has killed at least 382 children, injured over 741 since Feb. 24. The numbers are expected to be higher since they do not include casualties in the Russian-occupied territories or near the front line.

International response

US decides not to recognize Russia as state sponsor of terrorism. U.S. President Joe Biden made the decision because the label could jeopardize the export of grain through the Black Sea, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said. In response to the decision, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine will continue to lobby for the designation regardless.

EU Commissioner: ’Russian citizens should not have easy access to EU.’ EU Commission has proposed a full suspension of the Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia, following the agreement reached by the EU foreign affairs ministers on Aug. 31. Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, supported the proposal. “To be a tourist in the EU is not a fundamental right,” she added.

Ukraine to receive counter-battery radar, 5 Gepards guns from Germany. The German government announced on Sept. 6 that it provided one counter-battery radar COBRA and five Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. COBRA is an artillery reconnaissance system capable of detecting enemy artillery at extremely long ranges.

Latvia supports gradual introduction of mandatory military service. In 2007, Latvia abolished compulsory military service but will return it in 2023 for males 18-27 years old amid security concerns caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks said two conscriptions are planned for next year. For the first draft in January, the Ministry of Defense will invite young people to apply for military training on a voluntary basis. Starting from the second half of 2023, citizens will also be conscripted on a mandatory basis. The government plans to attract about 1,000 citizens to Latvian army units.

Welt: Scholz blocks delivery of tanks to Ukraine. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) manufacturer is ready to supply Ukraine with 100 Leopard 2A7 tanks and provide spare parts and training sessions for soldiers worth 1.55 billion euros, according to the company offer seen by the German newspaper. According to Die Welt, Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not react to the offer.

RFE/RL: Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions renewal if 3 Russian oligarchs not exempted. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty citing Hungarian diplomatic sources, Hungary will request the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov, Piotr Aven, and Viktor Rashnikov from the EU sanctions list as a condition for renewing personal sanctions against Russia. The restrictive measures, which target 1,217 individuals and 108 entities, were imposed after Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

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