September 16, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 16 said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan's city of Samarkand that Russia was doing everything to end the Ukrainian crisis as soon as possible. At the same time, he added that Kiev does not wish to defuse it. That is why Russia will continue its SMO. There are no plans to “correct it”, president clarified.
1. Russia has drawn the ‘red line’ for the USA
If Washington supplies Kiev with longer-range missiles, Russia will defend its soil with “all means available". Washington becomes “complicit in war crimes” by supplying weapons to Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told a media briefing on September 15. If the USA decides to supply longer-range missiles to Ukraine, “it would cross the red line and become an actual party to the conflict,” official added.
Such a move would be equivalent to deploying ground-based medium-range missiles to Europe, spokesperson said, adding that such weapons were previously banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), which the USA abandoned unilaterally back in 2019 under then-President Donald Trump. “In such a scenario, we would have to come up with an adequate response,” the spokesperson said, adding that Russia “reserves the right to defend its territory using any means available.”
Washington has already supplied Kiev with M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS multiple launch rocket systems, as well as regular rounds for them capable of hitting targets at a range of about 70km. Now, Kiev also seeks to get ahold of the US-made Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS. These missiles, which can also be fired by HIMARS and MLRS systems, have a significantly longer range of some 300km and could strike targets deep in Russian territory.
This statement came just a day after the Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, who accused the USA of “inciting Kiev” against Russia, as well as aiding Ukraine’s military efforts and “boasting” about it. The diplomat also blasted US claims about not being a party to the conflict as “ridiculous” and “unfounded.”
In September, the Pentagon revealed a new military aid package for Kiev worth $675 million. The package includes artillery ammunition, armored vehicles, and remote-launched mines, among other items.
The U.S.-made HIMARS missiles are constantly used to kill civilians and to destroy
social infrastructure in Donbass, as well as southern regions in Ukraine whose
citizens expressed indignation and outcry versus neo-Nazis implanted in Kiev
by the USA and other NATO nations. The U.S. GIs disguised as “mercenaries”, including African Americans are fighting in Ukraine.
So, open war between NATO and Russia has started.
2. Moscow responded to the IAEA resolution on ZNPP
Russia has criticized the resolution adopted by the IAEA on ZNPP. The document passed by the agency is anti-Russian” and does not say a single word about the Ukrainian shelling of the facility, Russian diplomats noted. Those supporting the document mostly consisted of the USA and its allies in Europe and elsewhere.
The Russian diplomats also blasted the fact that the resolution fails to mention the shelling of the station, the evidence for which Moscow had provided several times. While blaming Ukraine for the attacks. the officials also accused Western nations of “supporting and shielding” Kiev in “every possible way,”
On September 15, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a document demanding Russia “immediately cease all actions against, and at, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and any other nuclear facility in Ukraine.” The text also said the board “deplores the Russian Federation’s persistent violent actions against nuclear facilities in Ukraine.”
No country has ever proved that Russia has attacked ZNPP or any other Ukrainian NPP or used them to open fire
These allegations are open lies unjustifiably supported by Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA. Its latest resolution is unprofessional and biased one. It should have demanded that Kiev should immediately stop shelling the nuclear facility.
Like the IAEA report dealt with the agency trip to the plant issued on September 6, the recent resolution actually open the possibility of additional AFU attacks vs ZNPP and encourages Kiev to do so.
This was the second resolution adopted by the IAEA amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine. The first one was passed in March before Russian forces had taken control of the power plant. The documents are similar in nature and in both cases were introduced by Canada and Poland on behalf of Ukraine, which is not on the agency’s board.
Russia’s Mission to the IAEA added that the document was “pushed through” by the West, while “the majority of humanity refused to support it.” The resolution passed with 26 votes in favor. Russia and China, which are also on the board, voted against it, while seven nations – Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Burundi, Vietnam, India, and Pakistan – abstained.
3. Third AFU attempt to capture ZNPP
On September 14 a group of Ka-52 attack combat helicopters was tasked to prevent the redeployment of the units from Special Operation Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) across Dnepr river and to eliminate the enemy forces that were carrying out an offensive with the aim to seize or destroy ZNPP.
The Russian crew detected a barge of AFU servicemen aboard 15 km away using a search and track system and launched two “Vikhr” guided missiles. The leading rotorcraft impacted the bow and the guided one impacted the afterpart of this barge.
The target was totally neutralized.
4. Medvedev: Kiev's security guarantees text is 'prelude to WW III'
Volodymyr Zelensky's office presented a draft "security guarantees" for Ukraine after Russia's special military operation (SMO) ends. The plan includes massive militarization, as well as intervention by foreign guarantors in the event of an attack on the country. Kiev suggested that a number of countries act as guarantors to intervene militarily if the country is "attacked" in the future. The country also proposed to keep Russia under Western sanctions until it pays for the restoration of Ukraine.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has harshly criticized the project of security guarantees for post-conflict Ukraine, which was presented by Kiev, warning that its implementation will become a "prelude to World War Three".
Medvedev said that the presented project is basically equal to extending NATO's military protection over Ukraine. He warned that if the bloc's members don't stop sending more weapons to Kiev, the conflict might grow to a different level, become less predictable and will start involving more and more countries.
"Then the [people in] Western countries will not be able to sit in their clean houses and apartments, laughing at how they weaken Russia using proxies. Everything around them will go up in flames. Their citizens will get their fair share of woes. The earth will literally burn and the concrete will melt around them," Medvedev warned.
5. Russia criticized the West over Ukrainian grain deal
Despite earlier agreements, sanctions are still disrupting Russia’s agricultural exports, a senior diplomat Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said on September 15. The envoy added that almost half of all Ukrainian grain shipments go to high-income countries, while only six out of 136 vessels carrying just over 250 thousand tons of cargo went to the poorest countries suffering from a food crisis.
The diplomat accused EU officials of hypocrisy, saying, Brussels prohibits European carriers from transporting Russian fertilizers to Africa, Asia or Latin America, but allows deliveries to EU countries. According to Nebenzia, about 300,000 tons of Russian fertilizer to the tune of “tens of millions of dollars” have been stuck in European ports due to the sanctions. “Great help to poor countries. This selfishness, cynicism and hypocrisy of EU officials is especially indicative,” he noted.
These comments echo earlier remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin who last week accused the West of lying when it claimed Ukraine needed access to sea shipping to alleviate surging food prices and the risk of famine in poor countries.
6. Kiev “counteroffensive” has been frozen with thousands as KIA
AFU actually stopped its highly advertised “counteroffensive” along all fronts in the North and South of Ukraine due to Russian combat air and artillery/MLRS supremacy, and substantial manpower reinforcements.
(a) Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine issued on September 16
High-precision attacks of Russian Aerospace Forces have neutralised the bases of 28th Mechanised Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Nikolayev. Headquarters and training base of South Special Operations Centre of the AFU have been destroyed near Ochakov (Nikolayev Region). Provisional bases of 66th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Dvurechnaya and Kupyansk, as well as of Kraken nationalist group in Kharkov have been neutralised in Kharkov Region.
The positions of 80th Airborne Assault Brigade of the AFU near Seversk (Donetsk People's Republic) have been neutralised by a high-precision attack. The attacks have resulted in causing casualties of over 400 Ukrainian servicemen, more than 20 units of armoured and motor vehicles. Over 3,000 munitions for rocket-propelled and gun artillery of various calibres have also been destroyed.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 9 AFU command posts near Seversk, Verkhnekamenskoye, Zvanovka and Pavlovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Gulyuaypole and Poltavka (Zaporozhye region), Murakhovka, Olenovka and Ukrainka (Nikolayev region), as well as 65 artillery units, 234 AFU manpower and military equipment concentration areas.
8 missile, artillery armament and munitions depots have been destroyed near Nikolayev, Petrovskoye, Pervomayskoye and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic), Omelnik and Veselyanka (Zaporozhye region). One Osa-AKM air defence missile system has been destroyed near Soledar.
Air defence facilities have shot down 5 unmanned aerial vehicles near Avdeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic), Tomarino and Stepovoye (Kherson region). 53 projectiles launched by HIMARS and Olkha MRLS have been destroyed near Avdotyino (Donetsk People's Republic), Golaya Pristan, Novaya Kakhovka, Antonovka, Vesyoloye (Kherson region) and Mirnoye (Zaporozhye region).
In total, 293 airplanes and 155 helicopters, 1,965 unmanned aerial vehicles, 375 air defence missile systems, 4,940 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 837 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,392 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 5,616 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
(b) Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine issued on September 15
Russian Aerospace Forces, missile troops and artillery launch massive fire attacks at the units and reserve forces of Ukrainian troops.
High-precision air attacks launched at the provisional bases of 116th Territorial Defence Brigade and Omega special detachment near Odnorobovka and Kharkov (Kharkov region) have resulted in the elimination of up to 30 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and 10 units of military equipment.
Massive fire attacks have resulted in causing casualties of up to 500 servicemen and over 40 units of military equipment of 24th and 28th AFU mechanised brigades near Krasnoye Znamya and Novogrigorovka (Nikolayev region), as well as of 46th Airmobile Brigade of the AFU near Sukhoy Stavok and Belogorka (Kherson region).
Within unsuccessful operation of 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU near Spornoye (Donetsk People's Republic), the formation has lost over 80 Ukrainian servicemen dead, 8 armoured vehicles and 5 pickups.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 7 AFU command posts near Dobropolye, Artyomovsk (Donetsk People's Republic), Kamyshevakha (Zaporozhye region), Olgino (Kherson Region), Kalinovka, Murakhovka, Novorossiyskoye (Nikolayev Region), as well as 42 artillery units, 116 AFU manpower and military equipment concentration areas.
Five missile, artillery and munitions depots have been destroyed near Prikolotnoye, Izyum (Kharkov region), Krasnoye, Seversk and Novogrigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Air defence facilities have shot down 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Snigiryovka and Ternoviye Pody (Nikolayev region), Zemlyanki, Kamenka, Novopetrikovka, Kirillovka, Nikolayevka, Staromlinovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Maksima Gorkogo, Pyatikhatki and Chkalovo (Kherson Region), as well as near Smeloye (Zaporozhye Region).
Moreover, two Tochka-U ballistic missiles have been destroyed in air near Perevalsk (Lugansk People's Republic) and Donetsk, as well as 30 HIMARS and Olkha MRLS projectiles near Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, Kherson city and Trudovoye (Zaporozhye Region).
In total, 293 airplanes and 155 helicopters, 1,960 unmanned aerial vehicles, 374 air defence missile systems, 4,934 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 835 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,387 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 5,602 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
7. Kiev commits more terrorist acts in the LPR
An explosion in Lugansk, the capital of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), killed the region’s chief prosecutor and his deputy on Friday, according to the republic’s head, Leonid Pasechnik. Sergey Gorenko, the prosecutor general of the LPR, as well as his deputy, Ekaterina Steglenko, have died in a “terrorist act,” he said. The staff of the prosecutor's office has been evacuated. According to local security forces, a home-made bomb went off in the building.
Commenting on the blast, Leonid Pasechnik accused Kiev of orchestrating the attack, saying that it “has crossed all the red lines.” “Today's incident once again confirms that Ukraine, under its current leadership, is a terrorist state,” he stated, adding that law enforcement agencies are already looking for the culprit behind the bombing.
On September 15 at 8:30 p.m., the AFU once again fired rockets at the city of Beryslav in the Kherson Region. In the LPR a civilian college was destroyed where 18 y.o. girl was killed. Earlier 13 civilians in Kherson were wounded by NATO and Ukrainian weapons.
Written by Vladimir P. Kozin
