THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
For: 2024-08-29
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, much of which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available both on my own Substack and The People’s Media for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
All the latest news on the Russo-Ukraine War 6 days per week
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 22:00 on Aug 28 stated that day 917 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 182 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes, 61 air strikes, 516 drone strikes and more than 3,000 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine.
Air Force Daily Report
On the night of August 29, 2024, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 3 Kh-59/69 guided air missiles from the airspace of the Kursk and Belgorod regions - Russia, from the same direction - with two missiles, the type of which is currently being established, as well as 74 strike UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type from the regions: Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Kursk, Yeisk.
Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, EW and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved in repelling the air attack.
As a result of the anti-aircraft battle, two Kh-59/69 guided air missiles and 60 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down. Another 14 attack UAVs were lost (fell) on the territory of Ukraine.
Anti-aircraft defence worked within Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Sumy and Donetsk regions.
The Russian Border Incursion
Russian sources claim the pace of Ukrainian attacks in Kursk Oblast is slowing
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Aug 28 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment stated that several Russian milbloggers claimed that the tempo of Ukrainian attacks in Kursk Oblast has slowed and that Ukrainian forces are now attempting to dig in and hold select areas they recently seized. These milbloggers claimed the intensity of Ukrainian attacks within Kursk Oblast has decreased and that Ukrainian forces are attempting to hold and fortify select areas, amid continued Ukrainian offensive operations within the salient in Kursk Oblast.
Geolocated footage published on August 28 showing Russian forces operating in eastern Korenevo indicates that Ukrainian forces likely recently withdrew from the area and that Russian forces regained some lost positions.
A Russian milblogger claimed on August 28 that Ukrainian forces advanced past Vetreno, Kremyanskoye, and Sheptukhovka (all east and northeast of Korenevo); within eastern Nechayev and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye (both northeast of Sudzha); and in the fields south of Spalnoye (southeast of Sudzha).
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and other Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces also attacked east of Korenevo near Olgovka, north of Sudzha near Malaya Loknya, east of Sudzha near Russkaya Konopelka, and southeast of Sudzha near Borki.
CIA - Russia faces 'difficult fight' In Kursk To Reclaim Territory
Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to mount a counteroffensive to try to retake territory in the Kursk region captured by Ukrainian troops, Deputy CIA Director David Cohen said on August 28. "We can be certain that Putin will mount a counteroffensive to try to reclaim that territory," Reuters reported citing Cohen at a national-security industry conference.
Putin, he said, "is not only going to have to face the fact that there is a front line now within Russian territory that he's going to have to deal with, he has to deal with reverberations back in his own society that they have lost a piece of Russian territory."
"Our expectation is that that will be a difficult fight for the Russians." While Kyiv has said it has no intention of annexing the area it has captured, Ukrainian troops are building defensive lines and it appears that they intend to retain "some of that territory for some period of time," Cohen said at the conference held in Bethesda, Maryland, outside Washington.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: Russian Forces twice unsuccessfully stormed Ukrainian positions in the areas of Vovchansk and Liptsiv.
Kupyansk axis: The enemy carried out 23 attacks against Ukrainian positions near Sinkivka, Kolisnikivka, Kruhlyakivka and Stelmahivka. 2 engagements are ongoing.
Lyman axis: The enemy carried out 13 attacks against Ukrainian positions near Druzhelyubivka and Novosadove, 2 battles continue.
Siversk axis: Russian forces carried out 4 unsuccessful assaults in the vicinity of Bilohorivka and Spirne.
Kramatorsk axis: Russian forces carried out 11 unsuccessful offensive actions near Hryhorivka, Ivanivka and Klishchiivka.
Toretsk axis: There have been 20 Russian attacks over that last day. All the efforts of the enemy were directed to the areas of Druzhba, Toretsk and Nelipivka. 5 assaults is ongoing.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: The greatest activity of the enemy today occurred in this sector. The enemy conducted 59 attacks against Ukrainian defences in this area over the last day concentrating in the vicinity of Hrodivka and Novogrodivka
Kurakhove axis: This sector was also very active over the last 24 hours. Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to advance 30 times in the area of settlements Karlivka, Heorhiivka and Konstantinivka. 15 battles are ongoing.
Vremivka axis: Russian forces made 6 assaults against Ukrainian positions near Voidane and Vuhledar
Orikhiv axis: The situation in this sector has not changed significantly. 2 enemy attacks were repulsed over the last day in the vicinity of Novodanylivka and Robotyne
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: There have been no significant actions in this sector over the last 24 hours
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Ukraine's Ministry of Environment clarifies situation on water pollution in Seim and Desna rivers
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine stresses that the situation with water quality in the Seim and Desna rivers is under control and there is no threat to the drinking water supply. Ukrainska Pravda reports citing Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
"A preliminary assessment of water quality found that no excesses of chemical and highly toxic components were detected in the Seim and Desna rivers. This is organic pollution."
Krasnolutskyi assured that all services of the Ministry of Environment are constantly monitoring water quality, more than 50 samples have been taken and sent to the laboratory for analysis.
He said that, at the initiative of the State Environmental Inspectorate, seven meetings of the district and oblast state technogenic and environmental safety and emergencies commissions were held in Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts. Residents are prohibited from taking water from rivers for technical needs, as well as fishing and swimming.
The deputy minister also said that a meeting of the State Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies will be held on 29 August to determine further response steps. Instructions will be given to each executive body and local government to act.
"We hope that the situation with water quality in the Seim and Desna rivers will improve in a few days," Krasnolutskyi added.
None of 74 Russian UAVs reach targets in Ukraine
In the early hours of 29 August, Ukraine successfully repelled a large-scale Russian air assault, downing 62 out of 79 UAVs and missiles, including 60 Shahed drones. The rest of the drones and at least one missile reportedly crashed without reaching their targets. Euromaidan Press reports.
The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, reported on Telegram that “As a result of the air battle, two guided aircraft missiles Kh-59/69 and 60 strike UAVs ‘Shahed-131/136’ were shot down. Another 14 strike UAVs were locationally lost (fell) on the territory of Ukraine.”
The wording “locationally lost” in the Ukrainian air defender lingo means that a target disappeared from radars before reaching a possible target, most probably just crashing somewhere on its way.
Local authorities reported no civilian casualties linked to the air assault.
Meanwhile, Belarus, a Russian ally, had to destroy a Russian Shahed that breached its airspace.
RUSSIAN WORLD
The Purge Continues - Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov Detained On Fraud Charges
Russia's Investigative Committee said on August 29 that it has launched a probe on fraud charges against former Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov, part of an ongoing campaign against top military officials. Radio Free Europe reports. The Investigative Committee added that Popov, who is a general in the Russian Army, was detained.
Popov, who was sacked from the post in June after serving 11 years as a deputy defence minister, is suspected of illegal enrichment via fraudulent activities linked to his supervision of the operations of the Defense Ministry's Patriot Park near Moscow in 2021-24.
Investigators say Popov carried out his alleged illegal activities along with Patriot Park Director Vyacheslav Akhmedov and the deputy chief of the Defense Ministry's Department for Innovative Development, Major General Vladimir Shesterov.
Both Akhmedov and Shesterov were arrested in early August on embezzlement charges.
According to the Investigative Committee, Popov is suspected of organising construction and repair works at his property near Moscow using finances allocated for the Patriot Park.
"Investigations revealed that...Popov and members of his family also own multiple properties in prestigious sites in Moscow, the Moscow region, and the Krasnodar Krai," the committee said.
The value of the buildings involved is more than 500 million rubles ($5,463,000), the Investigative Committee's statement said, adding that the legality of the ownership of the buildings is being investigated.
Food inflation accelerates sharply in Russia
The increase in food prices in Russia has accelerated significantly in August 2024. The Moscow Times reports with reference to Rosstat (the State Statistics Service of Russia)
Food inflation has accelerated in Russia. At the end of July the annual increase of bread and milk prices broke the record of January and February 2023 – 11.2% and 10.7% correspondingly. Since the beginning of August their price increased by 1.2% and 1.3%.
Over the past week (20-26 August) the prices of butter, sunflower oil, milk, sausages and black bread increased by 0.5-1%.
The increase of food prices is large-scale. The prices of pork, dairy products, oil and bread are also rising.
"There are no apparent signs of the slowdown in inflation so we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of further rate increase at the meeting of the Central Bank on 13 September," the analysts note.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Ukraine allowed to use Dutch F-16s inside Russia, military chief confirms
Dutch Armed Forces Commander Onno Eichelsheim has stated that Ukraine is permitted to use Dutch-donated F-16 fighter jets within Russian territory, provided they adhere to the laws of war, NL Times reported.
“We have not imposed any restrictions on the use and range of the F-16, provided that the law of war is observed.” he said
The highest-ranking military officer in the Netherlands praised Ukraine’s recent surprise incursion Russia’s Kursk Oblast as “brilliant in practical terms.” Ukrainian forces entered the region on 6 August and have since taken control of more than 100 locations along the border after targeting military infrastructure and airports in the area.
They have taken over a large area in a good way, with new techniques, quite quickly. In doing so, they have created a dilemma for Putin,” Eichelsheim told NOS.
The Americans partly agree, says Eichelsheim, who is visiting his counterparts in the US. Previously, the US allowed Ukraine to use GMLRS rockets in the Russian territory near the border, but not the longer-range ATACMS missiles, capable of reaching high-value targets such as air bases.
Belarusian aircraft shot at stray Russian drone for first time, monitoring group says
A Belarusian fighter jet attempted to down a Russian Shahed-type drone that flew into Belarus' airspace during an overnight attack against Ukraine on Aug. 29, The Kyiv Independent reports citing the Belarusian Hajun monitoring group said.
While Russian attack drones have reportedly veered off course toward Belarus during air raids on Ukraine on multiple occasions, this would be the first known case of a Belarusian Air Force plane attempting to shoot one of them down.
According to Belarusian Hajun, the drone flew into the Yelsk district of the Homel region at around 3:30 a.m. local time. After it entered the Belarusian airspace, a scrambled jet pursued it for roughly 20 minutes.
At least two explosions could be heard in the Yelsk district at around 3:55 a.m., and a bright flash was visible in the sky, the monitoring group said.
"This is probably the first recorded case when a fighter jet of the Belarusian Air Force attempted to destroy a real military target in the sky," Belarusian Hajun wrote.
The monitoring group did not specify the ultimate fate of the drone or whether its wreckage had been discovered.
MILITARY & TECH
US ammo plant boosts production of key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia
A Pennsylvania ammunition plant that makes a key artillery shell in Ukraine’s fight against Russia has managed to boost production by 50% to meet surging demand, with more capacity set to come on line. Associated Press reports.
Government officials revealed the increase in production this week as they showcased the historic factory’s ongoing, $400 million modernization.
The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant cuts and forges 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bars of steel into 155 mm howitzer rounds that are then shipped to Iowa to be packed with explosives and fitted with fuses. From there, many of them make their way to the fight in Ukraine, where they are highly sought.
The Scranton plant, along with two other ammunition plants in nearby Wilkes-Barre, recently increased production from 24,000 rounds per month to 36,000 rounds per month. Three new production lines are under development that will allow the Scranton facility to churn out even more of the critical munitions, the factory’s top official said.
“Right now we’re concentrating on 155. That’s pretty much all we’re concentrating on,” Richard Hansen, the Army commander’s representative at the plant, said Tuesday while giving news outlets a tour of the sprawling factory grounds near downtown Scranton. “We’re working really hard to ensure that we achieve the goal that the Pentagon has established.”
The U.S. has sent more than 3 million 155 mm artillery rounds to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in 2022, according to government figures. Earlier this month, the White House announced another $125 million in weapons to assist Ukraine in its military operations against Russia, including 155 mm shells.
Ukraine’s new missile, with a 700 km capability can reach Moscow
With a potential range of up to 700 kilometres, Ukraine’s ballistic missile could redefine the battlefield dynamics Defense Express reports.
The development of Ukraine’s new long-range weapon is beginning to take shape, with emerging information suggesting that Ukrainian ballistic missile may have a range of 600-700 kilometres.
This range was mentioned by Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Head of the President’s Office, during an interview with Novyny.Live, where he referred to statements made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, it is important to note that when President Zelenskyy announced the successful test of domestically produced ballistic missile on Aug 27, he did not disclose its range.
In August 2023, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously announced the successful deployment of Ukrainian long-range weapons with a 700-kilometre range. In November, it was clarified that this weapon was a missile, not a drone, though the specific type, whether cruise or ballistic, was not identified. This information suggests that Ukraine could potentially target significant locations deep within russia. Within the 600-700 kilometre strike range, and accounting for the distance from the border or front line, targets could include Moscow. However, several other strategic targets also fall within this range.
For example, the Engels strategic aviation air base near Saratov, which hosts russian strategic bombers, and the russian Black Sea Fleet base in Novorossiysk, are within reach. The stated range even extends as far as Sochi. Additionally, there are numerous other critical targets within this radius, potentially more strategically significant than striking the Kremlin.
It is worth considering that Mykhailo Podolyak, who later mentioned the Palianytsia missile-drone, which appears to be a jet-powered drone based on his description, may have misspoken. The Palianytsia missile-drone, judging by the video map and the official video cover, is estimated to have a range of about 600-700 kilometres.
However, a speculative assumption could be made that the Palianytsia is indeed a missile-drone with a rocket engine rather than a jet engine as indicated. This assumption raises several questions about the visual representation of the weapon, as the fixed wings suggest that Palianytsia is a subsonic aerial vehicle.
Belarus deploys heavy rocket systems to Russia
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced on August 26 the deployment of multiple rocket artillery units to Russia. Defence Blog reports.
Among the equipment sent was the BM-30 Smerch, a heavy rocket system with an effective range of approximately 56 miles.
The official statement from the Belarusian defense ministry indicated that these multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) were being dispatched to a Russian training ground for combat application exercises. “The rocket troops and artillery units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are being sent to the Russian Federation to practice combat use,” the statement read.
The transfer underscores Belarus’s continued reliance on Russian military support, especially for the testing and training of long-range systems, given the lack of large-scale training grounds in Belarus. This move follows previous instances where Belarus sought Russian assistance to enhance its military capabilities.
It is worth noting that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has maintained close ties with the Kremlin, previously ordered the transfer of military equipment from active Belarusian units to Russian forces. This decision comes amid reports of Belarus depleting its own military stockpiles.
Sources within the Belarusian Ministry of Defense confirmed to journalists that Russia requested this transfer of equipment following Ukraine’s successful offensive in the Kursk region. The Russian military in the region has reportedly faced a severe shortage of weapons and heavy equipment, exacerbating their challenges on the battlefield.
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