Security news review. August 29, 2022

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Opinions

1. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said that Russia is systematically shelling Energodar in order to hide its “nuclear” crimes, create a “picture” for propaganda and blame the Armed Forces. “The cynical and systematic shelling of Energodar occupied by Russia is an organized bloody show, the purpose of which is to intimidate the local population, blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and mask their “nuclear” crimes. The barbarians do not care how many people they kill for the sake of a propaganda image.” (Source: Twitter). 

The Internal Situation in Ukraine 

1. The operative group “Kahovka” released a video in which it is said that Ukrainian troops broke through the first line of defense of the Russians in the Kherson region. OU “Kahovka”, interlocutors of UP in the Armed Forces: “The 109th regiment of the “DPR” withdrew from its positions in the Kherson region, the Russian paratroopers who were supporting them escaped from the battlefield.” The operative group also released a video in which a Russian soldier complains that the Armed Forces broke through the first line of defense of the Russians in the Kherson region. The sources of “Ukrainian Pravda” confirm the breakthrough. Another source in the Armed Forces in the south notes that in some areas there was a breakthrough of the first line of defense of the occupiers, but “it is too early to talk about anything concrete, it is a big front.” “The Armed Forces of Ukraine have launched offensive actions in many directions in the south of Ukraine,” Nataliya Humenyuk, the head of the joint press center of the Security and Defense Forces “South”, reported. (Source: UP).

South Ukraine, Crimea, Transnistria

1. On August 29, the armed forces of Ukraine attacked the Berislav Machine-Building Plant in the Kherson region, where the invaders seized equipment and manpower. Volodymyr Litvinov, head of the Beryslav Military Administration, in a comment to “Ukrainian Pravda”. According to Litvinov, the ZSU hit the Beryslav Machine-Building Plant, where Russian troops had placed equipment, manpower, and ammunition. A fire started. (Source: UP).

Invasion Damage

1. The head of the Kharkiv Military Administration Oleg Synegubov published the consequences of the rocket attack by the Russian invaders on the center of Kharkiv on August 28. Synegubov in Telegram: “Both rockets launched by the occupiers exploded near the premises of Kharkiv Military Administration. A three-story administrative building nearby was destroyed. Cars parked nearby were damaged. A large crater formed at the site of the explosion. Fortunately, no one was hurt.”Synegubov added that communal services and law enforcement officers are currently working at the site. In addition, parts of the Russian S300 air defense missile were found at the landing site. (Source: Telegram).

Foreign News

1. Director General of the IAEA, Raphael Grossi, said that under his leadership, the IAEA delegation went to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. “This day has come, the IAEA support and assistance mission is already on its way to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. We must ensure the safety of the largest nuclear facility in Ukraine and Europe. I am proud to be leading this mission, which will arrive at the ZANP later this week.” According to the NYT, the IAEA mission will include experts from Poland and Lithuania, which Ukraine considers friendly, but also representatives from Serbia and China, which Ukraine treats with great suspicion because of their friendly relations with Moscow. Other members are from countries that mostly stood aside from the war in Ukraine or maintained open channels of communication with the Kremlin. These include Albania, France, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, and North Macedonia. (Source: Twitter).

2. ISW: Russia is using Iran’s strategy to delay the IAEA visit to the ZNPP. Russia has begun implementing strategies similar to those of Iran, in an attempt, presumably, to delay the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the ZNPP. On August 27, the New York Times reported that the IAEA had assembled a mission consisting of IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and 13 experts from “mostly neutral countries” to visit the ZNPP for a week’s observation. The list notably excludes the United States and Great Britain, which Russia considers unfairly biased. ISW writes that manipulating the nationality of inspectors and attacking the “fairness” of IAEA inspections are tactics Iran has long used to hide its obstruction of IAEA inspections. (Source: UP).

3. British intelligence spoke about the problems of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, who, due to the lack of success on the battlefield, found himself out of favor with President Vladimir Putin. It is written about this in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense. In particular, the intelligence cites recent reports by independent Russian media that due to the problems Russia is facing in the war against Ukraine, Shoigu is now removed from the Russian leadership, and operational commanders are directly informing President Putin about the progress of the war. According to Britain’s Ministry of Defence, Russian officers and soldiers with first-hand experience of the war are likely to regularly deride Shoigu for his ineffective and absent leadership as Russia’s progress has stalled. “Shoigu has probably struggled for a long time to overcome his reputation as a man without significant military experience, as he spent most of his career in the construction sector and the Ministry of Emergencies,” the review said. As reported, British intelligence calls the statement of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation that Russia allegedly slowed down the military campaign in order to reduce the number of victims among the civilian population as a “gesture of goodwill” deliberate disinformation. (Source: UP).

Military Help

1. Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson announced the allocation of more than $46 million in military aid to Ukraine. This is reported by Reuters. Sweden’s prime minister did not give details of the military package, but said it would be similar to previous aid, which included anti-tank weapons, personal protective equipment, and demining equipment. “We will continue to support Ukraine while the war is going on,” added Magdalena Andersson. The civilian part of the package will include the purchase of Ukrainian wheat, which will be transferred to countries with food shortages and will help boost Ukraine’s economy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, who was at the meeting with Andersson, called on Sweden to provide the country with howitzers and shells. “While the war is going on, we will ask for more weapons. Every euro, every bullet, every projectile is important,” Kuleba told reporters. (Source: Reuters).