UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-08-22
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, much of which forms the basis of the script. While the Podcast is on hiatus I will make this Draft available here 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 21 stated that day 1000 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day,110 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 76 air strikes, and more than 3000 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 22, 2024, the Russian invaders attacked the 10th unmanned aerial vehicle of the "Shahed" type from the Kursk direction. The enemy attacked the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the front-line territories of the Kharkiv Region with the majority of identified "shaheeds". The enemy also used Kh-31P anti-radar missiles from the airspace over the Black Sea and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from the Belgorod region and Crimea.
Two attack UAVs were shot down by air defense forces and means, two more were lost in location (fell independently). As a result of active countermeasures, most of the enemy missiles did not reach their targets. Previously, there were no victims and no serious consequences.
The Russian Border Incursion
Ukraine continues to advance in Kursk Incursion
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Aug 21 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment assessed that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations throughout the Kursk Oblast salient on August 21 and have made additional marginal advances.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces posted footage on August 21 showing Ukrainian strikes on several pontoon bridges and staging areas along the Seim River in Glushkovsky Raion, west of the current Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces suggested that Ukrainian forces may have used HIMARS in some of the strikes against pontoon bridges, while milbloggers speculated that Ukrainian forces used air-launched small-diameter glide bombs.
Geolocated footage published on August 21 shows drone operators of Russia's 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District [EMD]) striking Ukrainian forces in and around Vishnevka (south of Koreveno and 14km from the international border), confirming that Ukrainian forces have likely advanced into and beyond the settlement.
Additional geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces hold positions in forest areas east of Aleksandrovka (northeast of Koreveno and 33km from the international border).
Russian milbloggers continued to claim that Ukrainian forces are advancing north of Sudzha near Malaya Loknya and are encircling Russian forces in Martynovka (northeast of Sudzha and 19km from the international border).
Elements of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) are reportedly facing encirclement in Martynovka, and Russian milbloggers lauded a soldier from the Russian 11th Airborne (VDV) Brigade for allegedly leading conscripts out of an encirclement in an unspecified area in Kursk Oblast, potentially in reference to the Martynovka pocket.
Geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces have advanced into southern Russkaya Konopelka (east of Sudzha and 12km from the international border)
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: There were 9 Russian attacks over the last day near Lyptsi and Vovchansk, 2 attacks are ongoing
Kupyansk axis: The enemy carried out 16 attacks against Ukrainian positions near Sinkivka, Petropavlivka, Berestove, Stelmahivka and Andriivka. The situation is tense, 4 engagements are ongoing.
Lyman axis: Russia attacked 17 times unsuccessfully in this sector, mainly near the settlements of Novoserhiyivka, Makiivka, Hrekivka and Torske. 1 action continues.
Siversk axis: Russian forces carried out 1 unsuccessful assault in the vicinity of Sprine.
Kramatorsk axis: Russian forces carried out 6 unsuccessful offensive actions near Hyrhorivka, Chasiv Yar, Predtechyne 1 of which is still continuing
Toretsk axis: There have been 5 Russian attacks over that last day. All the efforts of the enemy were directed to the areas of Pivnichne and Toretsk.
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 the Pokrovsk sector. The enemy conducted 46 attacks against Ukrainian defences in this area over the last day concentrating in the vicinity of Panteleimonivka, Zelene Pole, Vozdvizhenka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Novohrodivka, Mykhailivka and Ptyche 2 battles continue.
Kurakhove axis: Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to advance 9 times in the area of settlements Heorhiivka, Pobjeda and Kostiantinivka.
Vremivka axis: The situation in this sector has not changed significantly.
Orikhiv axis: The situation in this sector has not changed significantly.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: The situation in this sector has not changed significantly.
Ukraine hits train ferry at Kavkaz port in Krasnodar Krai
Ukraine attacked a train ferry carrying fuel tanks at the Kavkaz port in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on Aug. 22, The Kyiv Independent reports citing Krasnodar Krai authorities.
The Kavkaz port, located on the Chushka Spit in the Kerch Strait, is one of Russia's largest passenger ports. Its main task is to serve the Kerch ferry crossing in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The Crimean Wind Telegram channel published photos and videos showing smoke rising over the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Krai, which can be seen near the Kerch Bridge in Crimea.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Ukraine braces for daily threats ahead of Independence Day
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, responded to U.S. Embassy warnings about increased missile and drone threats ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day, stating on Radio NV that such attacks have become almost daily. New Voice reports.
"Attacks are happening almost every day. Russian drones, missiles—it's a daily reality. Tying these threats to specific dates only unsettles society," Kovalenko said. "People need to live with the understanding that attacks could happen any day. Every Ukrainian should have a plan B in mind — what to do during an air raid alert, where to take shelter, and so on. This should be on everyone's mind until the war is over."
"Many Telegram channels and media outlets acted irresponsibly. They didn’t even read what the U.S. Embassy actually said and instead twisted it to suggest that strikes were being planned on decision-making centers, government buildings, and that Americans were urging people to leave Ukraine. None of that was mentioned in the embassy’s statement," he clarified.
Ukraine’s Independence Day, a national holiday celebrated annually on Aug. 24, marks the adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence by Ukraine's parliament in 1991. This year’s celebrations will take place this Saturday.
On Aug. 20, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, noted that since Russia's full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, more than 9,600 missiles and nearly 14,000 attack drones have been used against Ukraine.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Kremlin launches messaging domestically justifying maintaining the attack in eastern Ukraine over Kursk Defence.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Aug 21 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment stated that The Kremlin appears to have launched an intricate messaging campaign aimed at justifying to its domestic audience why Russia is prioritizing maintaining the initiative in eastern Ukraine over immediately expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Russian government sources close to the Russian Presidential Administration told Russian independent outlet Meduza that the Kremlin is actively trying to condition Russian society to accept the limited Ukrainian presence in Kursk Oblast as a “new normal” and downplay the significance of the incursion.
The sources noted that the Kremlin will use propaganda to encourage Russians to wait for Russian forces to retake these territories after an “inevitable” Ukrainian defeat in eastern Ukraine. The sources also added that the Kremlin is redirecting Russians’ concerns over Kursk Oblast by preoccupying domestic society with humanitarian assistance drives to assist the affected residents of Kursk Oblast
The Kremlin decided against canceling the upcoming Kursk Oblast gubernatorial elections scheduled for September to minimize panic in the region. The Russian Central Election Commission, however, decided to postpone local elections in the seven raions in Kursk Oblast that are impacted by the Ukrainian incursion due to security risks, and the Kremlin may have decided to maintain gubernatorial elections as scheduled to replace the interim Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov, who has overseen much of the local Russian response to the incursion.
The Kremlin may be using this messaging campaign to afford itself time and space to respond to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast after achieving its offensive objectives in eastern Ukraine. Russian government sources told Meduza that the Kremlin was initially shocked and worried about Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast but calmed down within a week because Ukrainian forces’ advances were far from more densely populated regional centers such as Kursk City.
Meduza reported that all interviewed officials expressed confidence that battles in Kursk Oblast will continue at their current scale for months, indicating that the Kremlin may not be rushing to repel Ukrainian forces from the region and will instead continue to prioritize its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
A Ukrainian source in the military-political leadership, on the contrary, told Ukrainian news wire RBC-Ukraine that Putin tasked Russian forces with repelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast by October 1 without re-deploying forces from key frontlines areas – namely from the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. ISW previously assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military command likely view maintaining the theater-wide initiative as a strategic imperative to win the war of attrition against Ukraine and are continuing to prioritize the Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.
Putin notably appears to be demanding that Russia defeat Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast without sacrificing the stability of his regime, deprioritizing the offensive in eastern Ukraine, or firing his incompetent but loyal lieutenants. The results of such a strategy are too early to forecast.
ISW has repeatedly assessed that Putin has neglected the need to declare general mobilization throughout the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine out of concern for his regime’s stability on numerous occasions, and his recent decision to announce a counterterrorism operation in Kursk Oblast (as opposed to declaring war or mobilization) may indicate that he is not prepared to respond to the incursion with mobilization at this time.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Georgian Railways scrap Russian locomotive deal amid US sanctions concerns
Georgia’s state-owned transportation company, Georgian Railways, has canceled an $80.5 million contract to purchase Russian-made locomotives due to U.S. sanctions, NewsGeorgia reported on Aug. 22.
The decision was confirmed after it became known that the Russian company involved, Sinara—Transport Machines, had been added to the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list.
According to the local non-governmental organization Liberty Institute, Georgian Railways had procured 10 locomotives from Ural Locomotives, a subsidiary of Sinara—Transport Machines, through a contractor called Georgia. The contract was valued at nearly 217 million lari (over $80.5 million).
Georgian Railways initially denied the accuracy of this information. However, the company later stated that the board of directors decided to cancel the deal after learning about Sinara—Transport Machines’ inclusion on the U.S. sanctions list.
Georgian Railways also asserted that it currently has “no legal relations” with the sanctioned company, and no payments have been made under the contract. However, the company did not specify when exactly the contract was terminated.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Sinara—Transport Machines to its sanctions list on June 12, 2024. The tender for the procurement of electric locomotives by Georgian Railways was conducted in late 2023.
The Liberty Institute noted that the Georgia company, which facilitated the procurement of Russian-made locomotives, is owned by Georgian businessman Gela Dzidzikashvili, a donor to the ruling party Georgian Dream. Notably, this company was the only participant in the electronic tender.
MILITARY & TECH
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense signs contracts to purchase domestically made drones and EW systems
The Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense signed several agreements to purchase domestic drones, electronic warfare (EW), and communications equipment. Militarnyi reports.
The agreements were signed with several Ukrainian companies. Dmytro Klimenkov, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturers.
“We deliberately focus on products made in Ukraine. This not only increases our defense capabilities but also contributes to the development of the national economy and job creation. Procurement of drones, electronic warfare, and communications equipment from our manufacturers enables us to promptly receive the most modern equipment and be confident in its quality and compliance with the needs of the Armed Forces,” the Deputy Defense Minister emphasized.
During the meeting, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian arms manufacturers discussed the details and scope of the contract, as well as strategic areas of cooperation for the coming period.
At the same time, Maryna Bezrukova, director of the Defense Procurement Agency of the Defense Ministry, noted that effective cooperation is being built with Ukrainian manufacturers willing to arm the Ukrainian army.
“Our constant advice to UAV and EW manufacturers is to provide their products to the military, collect and take into account feedback. Equipment that is in high demand on the battlefield goes from being codified by the Ministry of Defense to being signed into a procurement contract very quickly,” Bezrukova said.
The defense ministry also said that since the beginning of 2024, the Defense Procurement Agency has purchased UAVs and unmanned aerial systems for UAH 30 billion. As of the second half of August, more than 350,000 drones had been contracted.
The Netherlands to Equip Ukraine with Advanced Drone Detection Radars With One Important Feature
The Dutch Ministry of Defense has announced a contract with Robin Radar Systems to produce 51 UAV detection radars for Ukraine. These radar systems, which are designed specifically for drone detection, are notable for their ability to be mounted on mobile platforms – a key requirement from the Ukrainian side based on the experience with previous models lacking this capability.
While the exact radar model was not officially disclosed, it is likely the IRIS Drone Radar, as it is the only radar in Robin Radar Systems’ lineup with the necessary features. This assumption is further supported by the appearance of the IRIS Drone Radar in photos from the contract signing.
The IRIS Drone Radar is lightweight, weighing only 29 kg, and can be set up in just 15 minutes. It offers 360-degree coverage with an instrumental range of up to 5 km. The radar can detect drones weighing up to 3 kg at a range of 4 km and those weighing 1.4 kg at a range of 2 km.
Operating in the X-Band frequency range (8-12 GHz) with a wavelength of 3.75-2.5 cm, the radar has a beam width of 6 degrees and a scanning speed of 1 second. It is also capable of operating while in motion at speeds up to 100 km/h and can handle tilt angles of up to 10 degrees.
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