Russia 1 – Kupyansk/Svatove Line
Russian forces made no confirmed advances in this sector.
Russia 2 – Svatove/Kreminna Line
Russian forces made no confirmed advances in this sector. But Russian sources reported that Ukrainian forces have advanced and retaken positions in the Serebrianska forest Shyplivka (6.25 miles NW of Svatove).
Russia 3 – Avdiivka/Marinka/Vuhledar Line
Russian forces made confirmed advances in this sector. But it was confirmed that Ukrainian forces advanced marginally east of Nevelske (8.5 miles SW of Avdiivka).
Ukraine 1 – Liberate Bakhmut
Ukraine is mostly conducting positional battles in this sector. They are laying heavy artillery fire on Russian forces preventing them from conducting any more mining activity.
Ukrainian forces made confirmed advances south of Andriivka (6.25 miles SW of Bakhmut) and have advanced northwest of Klishchiivka (3.75 miles SW of Bakhmut).
Ukraine 2 – Drive to Berdyansk
A video recording was released last Tuesday of a Russian soldier complaining about the large number of deaths and that the Russian command is not retrieving bodies. He and his comrades are instead risking their lives in retrieving the bodies. This suggests that Ukrainian forces are pinning down Russian forces near Staromaiorske.
The day after President Zelensky visited the sector to assess why the counteroffensive had stalled, Ukrainian forces were on the move again. The broke through Russian fortifications around Novodonetske. Russian troops withdrew from Novomaiorske after heavy artillery fire and cluster munitions rained on them.
Ukraine 3 – Drive to Melitopol
Geolocated footage of Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions west and northwest of Robotyne confirms that Ukrainian forces have advanced in that direction from Robotyne and are widening their thrust against Russia’s second line of defense. Geolocated footage also confirms that Ukrainian forces are advancing south from Robotyne and east towards Verbove along the second defense trench line. Satellite images of burning foliage in the tree line northwest of Verbove suggests that Ukrainian forces are only 0.5 mile from Verbove.
Ukraine 4 – Liberate Eastern Kherson
Ukraine continues to land more and more small number of troops along the east bank of the Dnipro River.
Tuesday, September 5
Russian milbloggers are abuzz with news that Russia is running low on artillery and is resorting to more expensive drones and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems but will soon run out of those as well. Russia President Vladimir Putin will be meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia this weekend to discuss North Korean supplies of artillery to Russia.
Russian military leadership met to usher in the new academic year at military institutions. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu addressed the attendees and claimed that Ukraine has not met its objectives in the counteroffensive. He noted that the heaviest fighting was occurring around Robotyne, and that Ukraine has committed several brigades from their strategic reserve to the region. He also claimed that Russian forces have destroyed a heavily exaggerated amount of Ukrainian personnel and military equipment.
Russian ally Armenia seems to be switching sides in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and has begun sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Russia can no longer meet Armenia’s security needs and called Armenia’s dependence on Russia for security a “strategic mistake.” Armenia is in a long-time struggle against Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ukraine launched three drones against Moscow, but all three were intercepted. There were no casualties, but fires did erupt from the falling debris.
Ukraine lost its first Challenger 2 tank provided by the UK from artillery fire. But it was revealed that another five tanks survived the attack.
President Zelensky visited Ukrainian troops along the front line to listen to them directly and encourage them as their commander in chief.
Wednesday, September 6
The Ukrainian legislature approved the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the new Ukraine Minister of Defense. He has replaced Oleksiy Reznikov who was thanked for his service with a standing ovation. Zelensky felt that the Ukrainian counteroffensive needed a fresh approach and was concerned that Reznikov was unable to stop all corruption in the military. Umerov is known as a corruption fighter during his leadership of the State Property Fund.
Russian forces conducted a large missile and drone strike against Ukraine in the early hours launching eight missiles and 25 drones. All missiles were shot down as well as 15 of the drones. Those drones that hit target mostly damaged port and agricultural infrastructure in the Odesa Oblast. One civilian was killed. Several pieces of one drone fell on Romanian territory.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his fourth visit to Ukraine since the renewed invasion started and announced an additional $175 million military assistance package for Ukraine which will include air defense equipment, artillery rounds, and anti-tank weapons. All in all, the US has diverted 3% of their annual military budget towards Ukraine’s defense and with this small amount has brought Russia to its knees and neutralized an enemy. It has been a well spent investment.
Ukrainian partisans on occupied Kherson Oblast slashed the tires of a Russian sympathizer and applied a cosmetic makeover of the car.
Thursday, September 7
US Defense Intelligence Agency Director of Analysis Trent Maul stated in an interview with the Economist that Russian defenses along the second line are not as strong as thought and predicted that Ukraine will break through and take back all occupied territories in southern Ukraine by the end of the year.
Russia conducted another large-scale drone attack against Sumy and Odesa Oblasts. 33 drones were launched but only eight got through destroying grain infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. A truck driver was injured.
Ukraine launched another three military drones at Moscow but they were all intercepted. The falling debris damaged several cars.
Armenia detained a pro-Russian milblogger who had criticized Armenia for its recent anti-Russian policy of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Russia referred to the detainment as a “provocation”.
Ukrainian Security Service conducted an assassination operation against five Russian military and security personnel in occupied Oleshky. One Russia Security Service officer was killed and the other four were wounded in a car bomb attack.
The Russian Volunteer Corps, made up of Russian citizens, crossed the border back into Russia killing one police officer and wounding ten others.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during his visit to Ukraine that the US will provide another $1 billion in US aid for Ukraine. $5.4 million of this will come from Russian assets seized in America. The funds will assist veterans, assist the police in cities once occupied by Russia, provide housing for people who have fled their homes, help with anti-corruption efforts, and demining.
Friday, September 8
Russia is trying to make some major changes as they see their defense line crumbling. They are moving their command posts back out of range of Ukrainian HIMARS rockets, and those still within range they are placing farther underground. They are also laying cable to improve communication between these command posts. They are also deploying more electronic warfare to combat the Ukrainian increase of military drones.
Russia conducted another series of drone attacks against Odesa Oblast launching 20 drones. Only four drones got through the Ukrainian air defense striking port and grain storage infrastructure. Russia has publicly rejected an offer by the UN Secretariat that met many of Russia’s demands to rejoin the Black Sea Grain initiative. Russian missiles also struck the police station in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Zelensky, killing one police officer.
Russia presented a formal protest to Armenia for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and agreeing to participate in joint military exercises with the US.
The US announced another security assistance package worth $600 million of military equipment to Ukraine. This package will provide equipment to sustain Ukraine’s air defense systems, additional HIMARS rockets, artillery rounds, electronic warfare equipment, and mine-clearing equipment.
Cuba arrested 17 individuals related to a human trafficking ring that lured Cuban men to serve in the Russian army against Ukraine.