Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 28.08 – 03.09

ISW: Ukrainian Armed Forces continue counteroffensive in southern Ukraine

The Ukrainian armed forces continue  their counter-offensive in the Melitopol sector of Zaporizhzhia region, but the situation remains difficult due to additional Russian concrete fortifications and dense minefields.

«The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops are conducting offensive operations in the Melitopol direction (western part of Zaporizhzhia region). Russian military bloggers, who recently claimed that Russian troops were holding positions in the southern part of Robotyno, said that Russian troops had withdrawn from the southern outskirts of the town to undetermined positions further south.»

At the same time, Colonel Margo Grosberg, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, said that Ukrainian artillery capabilities are "equal or even better" than those of Russian forces, and they were able to push Russian artillery units away from the front line, preventing them from supporting Russian troops.

 

Reuter: U.S. to send first depleted uranium shells to Ukraine

The new US military aid package will include armor-piercing ammunition containing depleted uranium for the first time, and Abrams tanks are expected to be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

This information  was confirmed to journalists by two American officials. The media have also seen the relevant document.

These shells, which can help destroy Russian tanks, are part of a new military aid package for Ukraine to be presented next week.

The ammunition can be used from American Abrams tanks, which, according to a person familiar with the matter, will be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

 

John Kirby: Ukraine has made «notable progress» in counteroffensive

John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council, said that Ukrainian forces have made "notable progress" against Russian troops in their counteroffensive in southern Ukraine in recent days.

Kirby noted that the United States has observed "marked advances by Ukrainian forces" south of Zaporizhzhia over the past 72 hours.

«Any objective observer of this counteroffensive cannot deny... that they have made progress,»Kirby told reporters.

He also responded to criticism of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, noting that it is "unhelpful" to criticize a partner and friend who is trying to make progress against a violent regime.

«They've had some success against this second line of Russian defense,» he said.

 

Stoltenberg: Ukrainians have already exceeded expectations, we need to trust them

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, assessing the counteroffensive of the Defense Forces, said that Ukrainians have exceeded expectations before, so we need to trust them.«The Ukrainians are gradually advancing, pushing back the Russians, getting through heavily fortified areas, including minefields, and it is important to support them now. These are difficult battles, there is no easy way to victory for the Ukrainians, but they are advancing. We have seen that Ukrainians have once again exceeded expectations, and we must remember that it all started last year with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Back then, experts thought that Ukraine would last only a few days or weeks, but they liberated the north, Kyiv, the east, Kharkiv, the territory in the south, Kherson. And now they are making even more progress.»

 

 

The Telegraph: UK to host US nuclear-capable fighter jets

The new F-35 nuclear-capable US fighter jets will be based in the UK this year.

According to the British newspaper, two squadrons of F-35As have already been deployed and will soon arrive at the US-leased RAF Lakenheath airbase in England.

As noted, these are stealthy aircraft designed to carry out tactical nuclear bombings and are also capable of conducting air-to-air missions and gathering intelligence.

Military sources emphasize that the deployment of 54 F-35 fighters to replace the F-15s currently at the airbase is a "significant step" because the F-15s are also capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but are less advanced.

 

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» and the charity organization Global Empowerment Mission in English for readers from other countries to tell the stories of people who survived the horrors of the Russian occupation.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» та благодійною організацією Global Empowerment Mission на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти історії людей, які пережили жахи російської окупації.