Ukraine war

Russians attack Kiev and announce frontline success

A resident of Pokrovsk says goodbye to his wife in front of an evacuation bus.(Bild: APA/AFP/Genya SAVILOV)

In order to relieve the pressure on troops at home, the Ukrainian army launched a surprise attack on the Russian border region of Kursk at the beginning of August. In fact, the Russian advance in the Donbass has probably been slowed down somewhat. Nevertheless, President Vladimir Putin's army is constantly reporting new military successes. Now, according to its own statements, it has captured another location near the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.

We are talking about Ukrajinsk near the city of Donetsk, which has now been "liberated", according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow on Telegram. The capture of Ukrajinsk is likely to be a more significant advance. 

The small town had a good 10,000 inhabitants before the Russian offensive began. With the capture, the Russian army is moving towards the towns of Selydowe and Kurakhove. Moscow is also aiming to capture the nearby mining town of Pokrovsk, which is of great importance for the logistical supply of the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian leadership has not yet confirmed this.

Drone attack on Kiev
The eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk is part of the Donbass. At the beginning of September, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again emphasized that the complete conquest of this region was a top priority. The capital Kiev was also targeted once again on Thursday. According to official information, around ten Russian combat drones were shot down. The falling debris damaged cars and caused fires, but these were extinguished, according to the Ukrainian Civil Defense. The air alert in Kiev lasted five and a half hours. In the Mykolaiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, power plants were hit and there were partial power cuts.

Burnt-out cars after a drone attack in Kiev(Bild: APA/AFP/Roman PILIPEY)

According to Ukrainian reports, the Russian air force also fired four "Kinschal" (Dagger) hypersonic missiles in the morning. The target was the city of Starokostyantyniv in the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi. There is a military airport there where F-16 fighter jets supplied by the West are reportedly stationed.

US military aid to be increased
The latest news from the front reached Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyi during his stay in the USA, where he will be received by US President Joe Biden at the White House after his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. Zelenskyi wants to present a plan to Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris on how to achieve a victory for Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression and a just peace. Biden also wants to talk to Selensky about the "latest developments on the battlefield".

Even before the meeting, Biden promised new military aid for Ukraine amounting to around eight billion US dollars, or around 7.15 billion euros. Washington is Kiev's biggest supporter in the war against Moscow. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the USA has provided Ukraine with around 175 billion dollars (around 158 billion euros) in military and economic aid.