Wednesday, September 27

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka in Kyiv on Sept. 26, 2023. (President of Ukraine Official Site)

Large fire reported near Moscow. Russian-backed Telegram channels posted a photo of a strong fire in the town of Shchyolkovo near Moscow around midnight on Sept. 27. The fire allegedly erupted in an industrial area west of the city.

Russia shows alleged footage of Black Sea Fleet commander previously reported killed. Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video on Sept. 26 of a meeting between military leadership with Admiral Viktor Sokolov, previously reported by Ukraine as killed, joining the meeting through a video call. The Kyiv Independent couldn’t immediately verify the date the meeting took place.

Navy: 7 vessels have left Odesa through temporary Black Sea corridor so far.

The Navy official clarified that this number includes five vessels that were docked in Odesa ports before the start of the full-scale invasion and two ships that have recently entered and left.

Zelensky appoints Andriy Shevchenko as adviser. President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Andriy Shevchenko, an ex-professional footballer and manager, as an external advisor, according to a presidential decree published on Sept. 26.

Media: Ukraine hits Russian command post in occupied Kherson Oblast. A Ukrainian HIMARS strike hit a temporary Russian command post in the occupied territory of Kherson Oblast during a meeting of Russian officers, Hromadske media outlet reported, citing its source in Ukraine’s Security Service.

BBC: Russia seeks to rejoin UN Human Rights Council. Russia seeks to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council after being expelled last year because of its invasion of Ukraine, the BBC reported on Sept. 26, citing a position paper distributed by Russian diplomats to UN members

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Navy: Russian missiles contain up to 50 foreign-made parts. Anywhere between 30 and 50 parts within Russian missiles are produced outside of Russia, Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said during a briefing on Sept. 26.

Media: Polish investigation concludes Ukrainian air defense missile fell on Polish soil last year. Polish experts had concluded that the projectile that caused the death of two people in Poland’s Przewodow last year was a stray Ukrainian anti-air missile launched to intercept a Russian strike, the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported on Sept. 26, citing its sources.

Health Ministry clarifies rules for military registration of women with medical education. The Health Ministry clarified its previous announcement on the rules pertaining to women with medical education during martial law, noting that women with such backgrounds are still permitted to travel abroad during martial law.

Shmyhal: Government implements 7 steps needed for EU accession talks.

The government has approved the “Unity in Diversity” State Target Program, and therefore has implemented all seven steps recommended by the European Commission for European Union accession talks to begin, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Sept. 26.

SBU detains priest of Kremlin-linked church over selling arms. In Kherson, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the police had detained a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate who was allegedly selling Russian weapons and ammunition, the SBU announced on Sept. 26.

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Ukraine war latest: Another Russian command post reportedly hit; Supposedly dead Russian general shown alive

At least eight Russian officers of Russia’s 70th Motorized Rifle Division were killed, and seven others were injured when a Ukrainian HIMARS missile hit a command post in the occupied parts of Kherson Oblast, Hromadske media outlet reported on Sept. 26, citing its intelligence sources.

Photo: Source: Russian Defense Ministry

Investigative Stories from Ukraine: Notorious pro-Russia MP tied to investment fund building homes in Ukraine.

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Photo: Volodymyr Tarasov/Ukrinform

Human cost of war

Russian shelling of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast injures civilian. The civilian was hospitalized following the strike, the prosecutors said. According to the report, houses, farm buildings, and a car were damaged in the shelling.

Russian attacks kill 9, injure 13 in Ukraine over past day. Russian multi-weapon attacks against Ukraine killed nine civilians and wounded another 13 on Sept. 25, regional authorities reported on Sept. 26.

Authorities: Russian morning attack on Kherson injures 2. Russian forces struck Kherson’s Korabelnyi district early on Sept. 26, with one of the projectiles falling in a house’s yard, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported.

Russia’s overnight attack against Ukraine injures 2, damages infrastructure. Russia launched a total of 38 Shahed-136/131 drones at Ukraine overnight on Sept. 26, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 26 drones.

General Staff: Russia has lost 276,670 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Sept. 26 that Russia had also lost 4,672 tanks, 8,496 armored fighting vehicles, 8,763 vehicles and fuel tanks, 6,299 artillery systems, 792 multiple launch rocket systems, 533 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,924 drones, and 20 boats.

International response

Zelensky meets with Austrian National Council President in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka for his “constant support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” during their meeting on Sept. 26 in Kyiv.

Norway to donate $92 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The latest support is meant to ensure access to “necessary protection” and “vital assistance” to civilians in the upcoming winter months as Russia is expected to escalate its attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

EU Commission names social platform X leading disinformation source. EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova noted that compared to other major players such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, TikTok, or LinkedIn, the X platform has the largest ratio of misinformation and disinformation posts.

Erdogan: Turkey to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid if US approves F-16 sales to Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish parliament would ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO if the U.S. approves the sale of its F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, Reuters reported on Sept. 26.

German foreign minister acknowledges some of Berlin’s weapons are outdated, inoperational. When asked if she’s worried about a recent delivery of allegedly faulty Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock admitted some German weapons are outdated and “not really functioning.”

In other news

Armenian Health Ministry: 125 killed in Nagorno-Karabakh fuel depot explosion.

The explosion at a crowded fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sept. 25 has killed at least 125 people, Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said at a news conference on Sept. 26.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Lili Bivings, Dinara Khalilova, Elsa Court, Martin Fornusek, Oleksiy Sorokin, Teah Pelechaty, Elsa Court, and Rachel Amran.

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