THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
For: 2024-09-03
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 Sep 02 stated that day 922 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 175 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes, 56 air strikes, 498 drone strikes and more than 2,800 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 September 3, 2024, the enemy struck with three Iskander-M /KN -23 ballistic missiles from Crimea, a Kh-59/69 guided air missile from the Kursk region. - Russian Federation and 35 strike UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type (launch areas - Kursk Oblast - Russia, Cape Chauda - Crimea).
Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine were involved in repelling the enemy's air attack.
As a result of the anti-aircraft battle, 27 "Shahed-131/136" attack UAVs were shot down, six were lost in location, no information was received about destruction or casualties. Two more enemy drones flew in the direction of Belgorod region. and occupied Donetsk region.
Anti-aircraft defense worked in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Poltava, Chernihiv and Sumy regions.
The Russian Border Incursion
Ukraine continues to advance in Kursk
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Sep 2 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment assessed that Russian forces recently regained lost positions east of Korenevo amid continued Ukrainian assaults in Kursk Oblast on September 2. Geolocated footage published on September 2 indicates that Russian forces recently regained lost positions near Olgovka (east of Korenevo), and ISW assesses that Ukrainian forces likely withdrew from the settlement.
A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces marginally advanced near Pogrebki and Malaya Loknya (both northwest of Sudzha) and that Russian forces previously abandoned positions within these settlements to avoid encirclement.
Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted assault operations southwest of Korenevo near Komarovka; near Korenevo itself; east of Korenevo near Olgovka and Kremyanoye; northwest of Sudzha near Malaya Loknya; north of Sudzha near Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Russkoye Porechnoye; northeast of Sudzha near Bolshoye Soldatskoye and Martynovka; and southeast of Sudzha near Borki on September 1 and 2.
A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian pontoon crossings over the Seim River in Glushkovo Raion (west of the current Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv Sector: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4 Russian attacks near Vovchansk. 1 enemy attack is ongoing.
Kupyansk Sector: Russia Forces carried out 19 offensive actions against Ukrainian defensive positions near Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Hlushkivka, Kolisnykivka, Berestove and Stelmahivka. 5 engagements are ongoing.
Lyman Sector: Russian Forces carried out 18 offensive actions against Ukrainian defensive positions near Cherneshchyna, Druzhelyubivka, Hrekivka, Makiivka, Nevske, Novosadovoye. 10 engagements are ongoing.
Siversk Sector: Russian forces carried out 7 unsuccessful assaults in the vicinity of Verkhnokamianske, Spine, Ivano-Darivka and Vyimka. 2 engagements are ongoing.
Kramatorsk Sector: Russian forces carried out 8 unsuccessful offensive actions near Kalinina, Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Klishchiivka and Bila Hora.
Toretsk Sector: Russian forces carried out 17 unsuccessful offensive actions near Toretsk, Nelipivka, Shcherbynivka and Romanivka. 4 engagements are ongoing.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk Sector : The greatest activity of the enemy continues to be in this sector. The enemy conducted 55 attacks against Ukrainian defences in this area over the last day concentrating in the vicinity of Zelene Pole, Vozdvizhenko,Myrolyubivka, Hrodivka, Mykholivka, Sukhyi Yar, Novohrodivka and Selydove. 7 engagements are ongoing.
Kurakhove Sector: There were 25 combat encounters in this sector today. Russian forces tried to advance in the areas of the settlements of Heorhiivka and Kostyantynivka. 6 engagements remain in progress.
Vremivka Sector: Russian forces made 8 assaults against Ukrainian positions near Prechystivka, Vuhledar and Voidane. 2 engagements remain in progress.
Orikhiv Sector: There have been no significant actions in this sector over the last 24 hours.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk Sector: In this sector, over the last day, the situation has not changed significantly. Russian forces made 2 unsuccessful attempts to force Ukrainian units from their positions on the left bank of the Dnipro.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Russia deports 40,000 Ukrainian children, forces assimilation via “patriotic re-education” camps
Russian-installed authorities deported 40,000 children from occupied Ukrainian territories during the summer of 2024, the Regional Center for Human Rights reports.
This latest wave is part of an ongoing deliberate Russian policy to deport Ukrainian children to Russia, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) report. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, for unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
The transfers were carried out under the pretext of recreational and “patriotic education” activities in specialized facilities. They are reportedly designed to “eradicate national identity” and “forcibly assimilate Ukrainian children,” according to the Regional Center for Human Rights.
Activities at these camps allegedly include intense propaganda sessions aimed at fostering loyalty to Russia, as well as military training.
The Center’s analysts have identified 13 re-education camps in occupied Ukrainian territories, 18 in Belarus, and 67 in Russia. Their curriculum includes shooting with automatic rifles, parachuting, drone operation, and landmine placement.
According to Ukraine’s National informational bureau, Ukraine identified 19,546 deported children, with only 388 of them returned to Ukraine as of September 2024.
The Regional Center for Human Rights argues that these actions potentially constitute international crimes.
THE HOME FRONT
Russia strikes Poltava with ballistic missiles, killing at least 47, injuring over 200
Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles against the city of Poltava on Sep. 3, killing at least 47 and injuring 206 people, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska said. The Kyiv Independent reports.
An educational institution and a neighboring medical facility were hit in the attack, which also partially destroyed the building of the Military Institute of Communications, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"The time interval between the alarm and the arrival of the deadly missiles was so short that it caught people during an evacuation to the bomb shelter," the Defense Ministry said.
Many people remain trapped under the rubble, while rescuers and medics continue to work at the scene. As of around 2 p.m. local time, the emergency services had rescued 25 people, 11 of whom were retrieved from the rubble, according to the ministry's statement.
Top Ukrainian anti-corruption official fired
Gizo Uglava, the second-in-command at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), has been fired following a probe into his alleged pressure on a whistleblower, the bureau said on Sept. 3. The Kyiv Independent reports.
Semen Kryvonos, head of the NABU, dismissed his first deputy chief Uglava for violating a public servant's oath, ethics rules and the Ukrainian law on public service, the NABU said.
On Aug. 28, a disciplinary commission recommended firing or reprimanding Uglava, who denied the accusations of wrongdoing. The decision followed a probe into Uglava’s alleged pressure on a whistleblower who revealed that the NABU’s first deputy chief was allegedly leaking information to suspects and undermining the bureau’s credibility.
Anti-corruption activists and experts describe Kryvonos’ decision on Uglava as a crucial test for the NABU’s integrity and independence. The reputation of the NABU, set up in 2015 as part of Western-backed anti-corruption reforms, has been undermined by the whistleblower scandal.
Russian spy ring targeting journalist neutralized by SBU
Ukraine’s SBU Security Service announced the neutralization of a Russian FSB elite unit's spy network that was planning the contract killing of prominent Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon, the SBU's Telegram channel reported on Sept. 3.
According to the investigation, the group of four individuals — consisting of a coordinator, a sabotage operative, a supplier of explosive devices, and an agent specializing in external surveillance — was directed by a former member of the now-banned Party of Regions.
The SBU reported that the agents planned to disrupt the logistics of Ukraine's Defense Forces by blowing up railway tracks managed by Ukrainian Railways. Additionally, they gathered information on Ukrainian figures of interest to the FSB "for the purpose of further physical liquidation." Among these figures was famous Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon.
SBU operatives detained all four suspects, including the former parliamentarian. During searches of the detainees, communication devices and electronic equipment containing evidence of espionage and sabotage activities on behalf of Russia were seized, the SBU stated.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Gazpromneft Moscow refinery suspended operations at Euro+ unit after Sept. 1 fire
Gazpromneft Moscow refinery suspended operations at combined refining unit Euro+, that includes crude distillation unit CDU-6, after a fire on Sunday, Reuters reported citing three sources on Monday.
The plant may resume oil processing at Euro+ unit after repairs in some five to six days, the sources added.
The Moscow refinery in the southeast of the Russian capital was hit in a recent drone attack on Sept. 1, when Ukraine was also targeting Russia's power plants.
The Moscow plant is owned by Gazpromneft, the oil arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom. Gazpromneft neither replied to a Reuters request for comment.
The Euro+ unit accounts for some 50% of the plant's total prime refining capacity, as its crude distillation unit has a capacity of 6 million metric tons of oil per year.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
US close to agreeing on long-range missiles for Ukraine, however delivery will take months
The U.S. is close to an agreement to give Ukraine long-range cruise missiles that could reach deep into Russia, but Kyiv would need to wait several months as the U.S. works through technical issues ahead of any shipment,Reuters reports citing U.S. officials.
The inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in a weapons package is expected to be announced this autumn, three sources said, though a final decision has not been made. The sources declined to be named because they are not authorized to discuss the topic.
Sending JASSMs to Ukraine could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict by putting more of Russia in range of powerful, precision-guided munitions, an important concern of the Biden administration, the officials said.
Military analysts have suggested the introduction of JASSMs - which are stealthy and can strike further than most other missiles in Ukraine's current inventory - could push Russian staging areas and supply depots back by hundreds of miles.
This would severely complicate Russia's ability to sustain its offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage.
Launching them from points near Ukraine's northern border with Russia could allow them to hit military installations as far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. In the south, dropping them near the front lines could enable strikes on airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.
Older-model JASSMs, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), opens new tab, have a range of about 230 miles (370 km). The missiles, about 14 feet (4 m) long, are designed to be somewhat stealthy, making them difficult to spot on radar. They can also fly close to the ground and can be programmed to take circuitous routes that avoid air defenses.
There is also a longer-range JASSM missile that can fly more than 500 miles. Reuters could not immediately establish which of the two types Washington was considering, but providing the shorter-range missiles would put less strain on its stockpiles.
Giving Ukraine JASSMs would also add pressure for Washington to drop restrictions on how Ukraine uses U.S. weaponry because their effects would be limited if they were not cleared for use on targets inside Russia, said a congressional staffer who works on the issue.
Iran set to ship ballistic missiles to Russia imminently
European officials expect Iran to deliver ballistic missiles to Russia imminently, a move that could prompt a swift response from Ukraine’s allies, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.
Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones during Russia’s 2 1/2-year war against Ukraine, but the potential transfer of ballistic missiles would mark a worrying development in the conflict, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential assessments.
They declined to provide estimates of the type and scope of the deliveries or a timeline, though one of the officials said shipments could begin within a matter of days. Ballistic missiles typically fly much faster than cruise missiles or drones — and can carry larger payloads.
The US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have repeatedly warned Tehran against such a move and are pressing ahead with diplomatic efforts to prevent it from happening. The US National Security Council didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Iran’s Foreign Ministry and its mission to the United Nations didn’t respond to queries.
Ukraine’s cities and energy infrastructure have come under a sustained bombing campaign with the third full winter of the war looming. Kyiv was hit early Monday with a barrage of cruise and ballistic missiles and drones, with seven of 16 ballistic missiles evading air defenses.
Moscow’s ballistic missile arsenal includes Russian and less precise North Korean hardware. The attack on the capital today included domestically made Iskander-M missiles as well as North Korean KN-23 models, launched from the Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh regions, all bordering Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s air defense forces.
Ukrainian allies meanwhile are scrambling to meet pledges made earlier this year to beef up the war-battered nation’s air-defense systems. Several NATO allies have yet to follow through with commitments reaffirmed at the alliance’s summit in Washington in July, Bloomberg reported last month.
MILITARY & TECH
Ukrainian Drone Incinerates Russian Troops' Positions
The Ukrainian Armed Forces released a video demonstrating a new method of using FPV drones with thermite. The video records the work of a drone operator from the No Chance assault drone unit, which belongs to the 108th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces. Defence Express reports.
A drone equipped with an incendiary mixture likely containing thermite captured the edge of the woods and began burning it meter by meter to 'smoke out' the Russian invaders.
A Ukrainian drone on the Zaporizhzhian front approached the forest where Russian positions were located and attacked them with fire. The video was published on the Telegram channel CyberBoroshno.
"The 108th Territorial Defense Brigade is burning out the wooded area with an FPV drone to target russian occupiers. Location: north of the village of Ukrainske, Zaporizhzhia region," the message reads.
Analysts at CyberBoroshno sent greetings to russian Telegram channels that have already stolen the video of the Ukrainian flamethrower drone in action and claimed it as their own.
According to the video, a thermite warhead was used to strike the positions of russian troops. This thermite mixture can reach temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius during combustion.
It is not the first time that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have used thermite munitions against the Russian occupying forces, but it is the first time they have done so in this manner, by gradually dropping it. The footage shows that the drone had enough incendiary mixture to ignite the entire area where, judging by the evidence, the enemy was hiding.
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