Sunday, September 15

Russia’s war against Ukraine

For illustrative purposes: The aftermath of a Russian attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia at night on Sept. 2, 2024. The attack killed 2 people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injured 2 others. (Ivan Fedorov/Telegram)

Zelensky dismisses Trump’s contentious statements on Ukraine as ‘election messages.’ “My position is that the election period and election messages are election messages. Sometimes they are not very real,” Zelensky said during a clip of the CNN interview, which is set to be fully published on Sept. 15.

Ukraine’s long-range missile strike hopes on hold once again but encouraging signs remain. Ukraine’s hopes of being allowed to use Western-supplied long range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory were put on hold once again on Sept. 13, after the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. stopped short of making the announcement Kyiv wanted.

Budanov discusses Russia’s strategy and North Korean involvement at YES meeting in Kyiv. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, delivered multiple statements during the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv.

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103 Ukrainian POWs returned from Russian captivity, including 23 Azov fighters. “The vast majority of those released are people who had been held (in captivity) since the first days of the war,” said Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in a statement.

Ukraine launched production of 155-mm artillery shells, official says.

Ukraine already produces its own 155 mm artillery ammunition, said Oleksandr Kamyshin, newly appointed advisor to the President of Ukraine on strategic issues.

Read our exclusives

From strangers to friends: How Ukrainians meet and bond during wartime train travel

Since Ukraine shut down its airports in February 2022, trains operated by the state-owned railway, Ukrzaliznytsia, have become one of the primary and perhaps the easiest means of travel both within Ukraine and abroad. Countless fascinating encounters and stories unfolded in the corridors and compartments of Ukrainian trains since then.

Photo: Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

3 killed in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia Oblast, governor says. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said that Russian forces struck the territory of an agricultural enterprise, without specifying the type of weapon used.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill at least 6, injure 25 over past day. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the 76 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 632,630 troops since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Discovering the majesty of the Carpathians | Dare to Ukraine

International response

NATO could have done more to stop Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Stoltenberg says. Stoltenberg said the day the war was launched was the worst in his 10-year stint in the role, from which he is stepping down next month.

ATACMS restrictions subject of ‘intense consultations’ between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says. ATACMS restrictions are “the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky,” U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.

Germany won’t allow long-range strikes on Russia even if other countries do, Scholz says. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin “will continue to support Ukraine militarily” so that the country “does not collapse,” German media Welt reported.

Biden administration requests extension of nearly $6 billion military funding for Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has requested Congress to extend the authority of “presidential write-offs” for supplying weapons to Ukraine until 2025, so that the remaining $5.8 billion can be used beyond the fiscal year ending on September 30.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Chris York, Sonya Bandouil, and Natalia Yermak.

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