Friday, September 6

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Workers carry out search and rescue operations in the aftermath of a Russian missile strike on Poltava on Sept. 5, 2024. The attack killed 55 people and injured 328, officials said. (Ukrainian Emergency Service/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Pokrovsk train station closes for civilian evacuations as security situation deteriorates. Pokrovsk’s train station is closed for civilian evacuations due to a deteriorating security situation, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on Sept. 5.

Russian advance near Pokrovsk stalled in recent days, Syrskyi says. “Over the last six days, the enemy hasn’t advanced a single meter in the Pokrovsk direction. In other words, our strategy is working,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

Syrskyi: Ukrainian forces preempted Russian offensive plans in Kursk. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, revealed that Russia had planned an offensive from the Kursk region before Ukrainian forces launched operations there.

Russia pulls 60,000 troops to counter Kursk incursion, Zelensky claims. Russia has pulled over 60,000 troops to Kursk Oblast to face Ukraine’s ongoing incursion as of early September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News published on Sept. 3.

Scholz, Zelensky to meet in Germany at Ramstein summit. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 6 during his visit to Germany, as confirmed by a German government spokesman.

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Putin claims Ukraine’s Kursk incursion failed to make Russia ‘nervous,’ transfer troops from Donbas. Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast failed to make Russia “nervous, fuss, and redeploy” troops away from the east of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sept. 5.

White House confirms Russia moved 90% of warplanes outside of ATACMS reach. “The argument that somehow, you just give them ATACMS and tell them they’re gonna be able to hit the majority of Russian aircraft and airbases that are, in fact, used to strike them, it’s not true, it’s a misconception,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a response to a journalist’s question.

Belarus confirms downing drone during Russian attack on Ukraine. Belarus’ military confirmed the downing of a drone early on Sept. 5, shortly after the monitoring group Belarusian Hajun reported that Belarus had downed two Russian attack drones.

Russian forces damaging ancient burial mounds in Ukraine, research suggests. Russian forces have damaged several ancient burial mounds on the front line in southern Ukraine, potentially violating the Hague and Geneva Conventions, according to research from the Ukraine Conflict Observatory published on Sept. 4.

Parliament speaker Stefanchuk urges Johnson to lift restrictions on long-range weapons. Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, met with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Italy on Sept. 5 to discuss lifting restrictions on long-range Western weapons strikes deep into Russian territory.

Read our exclusives

What the fall of Pokrovsk would mean for Russia’s war in Ukraine

The war has arrived in Pokrovsk, once home to 60,000 people, with the Russians estimated to be about eight kilometers away. Thousands are fleeing the city each week. Russian artillery and FPV drones can now reach Pokrovsk, already affecting the city’s capacity as a logistic hub for the Ukrainian army.

Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

Who is Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s new foreign minister?

Avoiding the public eye, Sybiha was leading diplomatic efforts in the President’s Office. After being appointed as Kuleba’s deputy in April, people in power who spoke with the Kyiv Independent on conditions of anonymity said back then that it was a matter of time that Sybiha would get the top job.

Photo: Vitalii Nosach /Global Images Ukraine/Getty

As Ukrainian children return to school, Russia launches missiles at educational facilities

In just three days, Russian strikes damaged at least 12 educational institutions, including a military institute, an aviation institute, a university, and schools across Ukraine, killing and injuring dozens of people.

Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

Photo Essay: Amid deadly Russian missile strikes, fashion takes the stage in Kyiv

The Ukrainian Fashion Week returned to Kyiv for its 55th season for the first time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. This year’s event reflects a broader trend of resilience within Ukraine’s cultural sphere.

Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 19. Ukrainian forces downed 60 of the 78 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

Death toll of Russia’s Sept. 3 strike on Poltava rises to 55. The death toll of Russia’s strike against the Ukrainian city of Poltava on Sept. 3 has risen to 55, the State Emergency Service reported on Sept. 5 amid ongoing rescue operations.

General Staff: Russia has lost 621,550 troops since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,200 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

International response

UK to provide Ukraine with $213 million package of air defense missiles. The United Kingdom will supply Ukraine with a new military aid package consisting of 650 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) worth over $213 million, the U.K. government announced on Sept. 6.

Romanian president signs decree on donating Patriot to Ukraine. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Sept. 5 signed a decree regarding the transfer of a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, giving final approval to the donation.

Austrian chancellor invites Ukraine, Russia to hold peace talks in Vienna. “Any negotiations must take place without preconditions and at eye level. Austria will be ready to support a just and lasting peace based on international law and to serve as venue for negotiations as the seat of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe),” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

Leaked documents reveal India and Russia developed secret trade links, FT reports. Russia and India developed covert trade links so the Kremlin could acquire components needed for its war effort, the Financial Times reported on Sept. 5.

Commentator for Russian state TV charged with violating US sanctions. Dimitri Simes, once an adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, works as a presenter for Channel One Russia, a state-run television station sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in May 2022.

Opinions and insights

US Historian Timothy Snyder: Thinking about freedom of speech in wartime Ukraine

“We often fret about free speech on campus, by which we mean something like people coming to campus to say the most annoying thing they can and then fleeing in their limousines. That doesn’t really seem central. It doesn’t seem to be what freedom of speech is truly about,” Snyder writes.

Photo: Kostiantyn Huzenko/Global Images Ukraine

Downing missiles while leaving launchers intact is like swatting mosquitos without closing the window

“For every missile Ukraine intercepts, Russia launches dozens more. … Over 200 military targets within Russia are within range of U.S.-provided ATACMS missiles, but U.S. policy prohibits Ukraine from striking these key installations,” writes Isaac C. Flanagan, co-founder of Zero Line.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine/Getty

In other news

Ukrainian parliament approves appointment of eight ministers. Olha Stefanishyna was re-appointed as the deputy prime minister responsible for European integration and was also appointed justice minister.

Putin claims preference for Harris over Trump in US election. The claim comes shortly after the U.S. announced a wide-reaching crackdown on Russian interference in U.S. elections. Previously, Moscow has been accused of using disinformation campaigns and other means to back Trump against Hillary Clinton and Biden in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Team Ukraine wins 9 medals on day 8 of Paralympics. Ukraine’s current medal count in the 2024 Paralympic Games is 61, with 15 gold, 20 silver, and 26 bronze medals. The team ranks seventh in the overall medal standings.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Elsa Court, Chris York, Oleg Sukhov, Kateryna Denisova, Sonya Bandouil, and Abbey Fenbert.

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