UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-03-09
Slava Ukraini! Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 40 sources daily much of which ends up in the script. I will make this Draft available here for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
INSIDE UKRAINE
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its situation update at 06:00 on Mar. 9 stated that it was day 745 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
During the past day, 63 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 8 missile strikes, 107 air strikes, and 113 MLRS attacks across the positions of our troops and settlements. As a result of the Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Destruction and damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
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.
Ukrainian missile forces struck 1 concentration of weapons and military equipment, 1 command post, 3 electronic warfare stations, including 2 R-330Zh Zhitel stations, 1 TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system, and 1 ammunition depot of russian invaders.
Air Force Daily Report
The Ukrainian Air Force in its situation update at 06:00 on Mar. 9, stated that during the day of March 8 it launched air strikes on 10 concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the adversary. The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 12 of 15 Shahed UAVs launched by the russian occupiers.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Kup’yans’k, Lyman, and Bakhmut axes, in the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kup’yans’k axis: The enemy carried out 3 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Synkivka and Tabaivka (Kharkiv oblast) unsuccessfully trying to improve its tactical position.
Lyman axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 5 attacks near Terny and Spirne (Donetsk oblast)
Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 9 attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast)
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka, and Orikhiv axes, in the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Avdiivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 15 enemy attacks near Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonen’ke, Pervomais’ke and Nevel’s’ke (Donetsk oblast).
Novopavlivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda and Novomvahkilivka (Donetsk oblast) With the air support, over the last day the enemy made 22 attempts to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Kherson axis: The enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations in this area. Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold their positions.
No Russian warships have entered Black Sea for four days in row
Captain 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy said on Mar. 9 that Russia has not sent any warships into the Black Sea for four days in a row.
"The Black Sea has been free of Russian warships for four days now. One vessel continues to be on duty in the Sea of Azov, north of the so-called Crimean Bridge."
Pletenchuk added that since Russian missile carriers are now docked in the eastern part of the Black Sea, Russia is experiencing more challenges in preparing for large-scale attacks on Ukraine than it used to.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Ten more Ukrainian children brought back from temporarily occupied territories
Mykola Kuleba, founder and head of the Save Ukraine charity organisation announced on Telegram that the Save Ukraine team has brought back 10 more children who had been under occupation following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
"The Save Ukraine team has saved and brought back 10 Ukrainian children who had been under occupation after 24 February. After a long time apart, the children were finally able to hug their loved ones, and now all the families are safe."
Kuleba also told the stories of the children forced to attend Russian schools under occupation. They were forced to write letters to Russian soldiers and study using Russian textbooks.
THE HOME FRONT
Ukraine's Foreign Minister calls for urgent increase and acceleration of support for Ukraine
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba,during a speech at a videoconference of allied foreign and defence ministers on support for Ukraine, has called on allies to increase and speed up their support for Ukraine, and in particular, to send their training teams if necessary.
Kuleba urged the participants to make decisions based on two principles: faster and more.
In particular, he stressed the need to produce and purchase more ammunition and missiles for Ukraine and to create opportunities to repair damaged equipment in the country.
"If it is possible to train more Ukrainian soldiers more effectively and more efficiently in Ukraine rather than abroad, then these are the solutions we need," the Foreign Minister stressed.
The minister also emphasised the need to increase the pace of arms production in Europe as soon as possible to meet the needs of Ukraine and its European partners.
He called for the removal of all obstacles to the development and cooperation of European defence industries and the allocation of all necessary resources to create new production facilities.
Ukraine to receive € 6 billion from EU’s € 50 billion aid package in March, April
Ukraine will get the first €4.5 billion tranche under the Ukraine Facility program in March, followed by another €1.5 billion in April, announced Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Executive Vice-President.
“We are finalising the mechanism to support Ukraine, called the Ukraine Facility. The first tranche will arrive in March, with another shortly after,” Dombrovskis said during a joint briefing with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv.
On February 28, the EU Council approved a multi-year €50 billion Ukraine Facility aid package for 2024-2027. €39 billion will go directly to the state budget to strengthen macroeconomic stability. The remainder is a special investment instrument to cover risks in priority sectors, interest payments on loans, etc.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Moscow police in heightened security mode after US statement
Moscow has elevated its police force to a heightened state of alert in response to a warning published by the US Embassy regarding potential terrorist threats in the Russian capital. Several Russian propaganda outlets report.
Six embassies in Moscow – Latvia, Canada, South Korea, Sweden, Germany, and the Czech Republic – joined the United States and the United Kingdom in cautioning it’s citizens about the potential for terrorist attacks in Moscow, a week before the Russian presidential elections scheduled for March 15-17.
Reports indicate that the number of patrol groups in central Moscow and on certain modes of transportation has been increased by 2-2.5 times. Additionally, personnel in civilian attire have been deployed for duty.
Media sources say that each patrol team is now required to include a female member, likely as part of the effort to conduct thorough checks on both women and men.
Russia's missile production is 6 months behind schedule due to Cyber Resistance activists
The Ukrainian Defence Forces have received documentation from Cyber Resistance activists about Russian missile manufacturers. The proxy companies through which spare parts necessary for the manufacture of weapons were purchased have been revealed. According to Ukraine’s National Resistance Center
In particular, cyber experts have documentation from the "Special Technical Centre" and the "Dubna Machine-Building Plant", where "ordinary Russians" manufacture weapons to kill Ukrainians.
"The operation lasted for more than a year, and now the relevant authorities have the data to block the proxy firms and extend sanctions, as Russia is unable to produce modern missiles on its own due to technological backwardness."
In general, the Russian military-industrial complex is currently looking for new supply routes, and the state order for the missile programme has been delayed by 4-6 months for the first time since 2022.
As a result of the cyber activists' operation, plans to destroy energy infrastructure were disrupted and Ukrainian lives were saved.
Russia's cities attacked by drones overnight: aircraft company repairing A-50 aircraft targeted
Numerous Russian propaganda outlets reported that The Russian cities of Taganrog and Kursk were attacked by drones on the night of 8-9 March and that the Beriev Aircraft Company in Taganrog was damaged.
Local residents reported a large number of drones in the skies over Taganrog. People heard at least five explosions. Eyewitnesses stated that the drones were flying from the sea. In addition, air defence systems were responding.
The drone raid lasted more than an hour. Vasily Golubev, Governor of Russia’s Rostov Oblast called the attack "large-scale" and said it was repelled by Russian air defence.
He said that an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who was involved in the relief operation on the ground, was injured. He was taken to hospital, and his life is not in danger any more.
Local Telegram channels reported that the Beriev Aircraft Company might have been damaged.
WORLD NEWS
Zelenskyy inspects corvettes being built for Ukraine in Türkiye
On Mar. 8 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a shipyard where two corvettes are being built for Ukraine on his trip to Türkiye.
"Visit to Türkiye. Istanbul. Shipyards where corvettes for our Navy are being built. I inspected the equipment and the stage of construction of the Ivan Mazepa corvette, and talked to members of the Ukrainian Navy. Thank you for your service. We are making our state stronger."
Zelenskyy said that he also assessed the construction process of the second corvette of the Ada class, which he named after Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi. Zelenskyy thanked the Turkish president and all Turkish and Ukrainian defence companies "working jointly to bring peace closer and make it reliable".
Western troops in Ukraine is "not something unthinkable" – Polish foreign minister
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, at a conference on 8 March in the Polish Sejm, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Poland's membership in NATO said that he considers French President Emmanuel Macron's idea of deploying Western troops on the ground in Ukraine to be useful as a way to influence Russia.
Commenting on Macron's words, Sikorski recalled that a similar precedent existed in history, namely during the Korean War of 1950-1953, when a coalition of states went to help the country following a UN Security Council decision.
"Shortly after the invasion, more than 140 countries out of 190 voted to condemn the aggression as unacceptable. This is not just a statement to the press, but the establishment of a legal framework. Given this, Sikorski stated that having "a coalition of UN member states to stop aggression here is not unthinkable".
That is why I applaud the recent French initiative. Because, in my opinion, there are good intentions behind it, namely to make the Russian president ask himself what our next step will be, instead of allowing him to be certain that we will not do anything creative and to plan his own scenarios,"
Radosław Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister
In his opinion, the West should "implement creatively defined and asymmetric escalation".
Zelenskyy gives list of Ukrainian PoWs, including Crimean Tatars repressed by Russians, to Turkish president
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Türkiye has personally handed a list of Ukrainian captives held by Russia to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
"I am grateful to the president for his efforts in the liberation of our citizens from Russian captivity. Thanks to the mediation of Türkiye we managed to achieve significant humanitarian results. At the moment we expect further efforts.
Today I handed a list of citizens of Ukraine, specifically Crimean Tatars who had been repressed by Russia and are being held in prisons and camps in extremely cruel conditions, to President [Erdoğan]."
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
Zelenskyy also stresses that "we must liberate everyone, both civilians and the military, as well as those who were captured while protecting their people". He also mentioned Crimean Tatars Nariman Dzhelial, Lenie Umierova, Server Mustafaev and others who "are being repressed just for who they are".
Russia cannot intimidate Ukrainians by missile strikes – UK's ambassador to UN
James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council meeting dedicated to the discussion of Russian attacks on Odesa Ukrinform reports.
Kariuki said Russia's actions demonstrate a complete disregard for international law and the UN Charter. Russia tries to intimidate Ukraine, its residents and those who support Ukraine, but it will not succeed.
In his opinion, Ukrainians have shown that nobody will force them into submission, and "Russia should know that the UK stands proudly by their side".
He called on Russia to "withdraw your troops, cease the bloodshed and end this senseless war".
UK officially proposes Germany to exchange Taurus for Storm Shadow missiles to provide them to Ukraine
David Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, has proposed to Germany that it exchange Taurus missiles for British Storm Shadow in order to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons in an interview in the German press.
The idea of the UK Foreign Secretary is that Germany could supply Taurus missiles to the UK, and in turn, the UK government would provide Ukraine with additional Storm Shadow missiles.
"We are determined to closely cooperate with our German partners on this and all other issues to assist Ukraine," said Cameron.
Cameron dismissed concerns that the supply of cruise missiles could lead to an escalation of the war in Ukraine. "It is entirely possible to impose restrictions on the use of this weapon to ensure that it does not in any way contribute to escalation," the secretary said.
He emphasised that the UK trusts the assurances given by Ukraine and added that London is satisfied with the agreements reached. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing this," the foreign secretary noted.
MILITARY & TECH
Russia begins using 75 year old T-54s as assault tanks in Ukraine
Russia began using T-54 tanks (initially introduced in 1949) in a reserve role in Ukraine last year. At the time, they claimed due to the tanks smaller armament and substandard armour they would not be used as assault tanks but rather pressed into service as mobile artillery.
This week, a video began to spread on social media, in which you can see that during one of the assaults in the area of the village of Novomykhailivka in the Maryinka direction in February 2024, the russian occupiers used, among other equipment, a T-54 tank equipped with Kontakt-1 ERA ‘bricks’, as well as the fact that as a result this tank was destroyed by the Ukrainian military. Defense Express reports.
This is the first recorded case of the russians starting to install Kontakt-1 ERA on T-54/55 tanks. This may reflect a general trend visible on the battlefield recently, which indicates that the russians began to use these old vehicles for their intended purpose - for "frontal attack" and support for assault operations.
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