Timeline: day 191 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is September 2. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 191 days. We're reporting on the current news. The article will be updated.
What about today?
Key points
Our people have great strength. It always was and will be as much as we believe in ourselves, as long as we keep our unity. And as much as we will fight for Ukraine and work for our joint Ukrainian victory.
The key points from the morning report of Ukraine's General Staff:
- russian attacks on Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Vesela Dolyna, and Maiorsk were repulsed.
- Attacks and assaults in the Avdiivka, Dosvidchene, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, and Krasnohorivka areas were also repelled.
- Near Kherson, russian forces attacked Potemkine but were stopped.
- It is reported about the successful missile strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on objects in Novoosynivka, Kharkiv region, and Tavriisk near Kherson.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the enemy crossing in the area of Nova Kakhovka, the speaker of the Odesa regional governor's office said. The coordinates were provided by the fighters of the Southern Resistance Movement of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army.
Our rocket-artillery units hit nine control points, one more ferry crossing, two drone control points, air defense equipment, and an enemy concentration.
Atomic objects
Everything was going so "well" for the russian invaders that they decided to postpone the seizure of the Donetsk region to September 15. The occupiers did not cross the administrative border of the Donetsk region until September 1, as they promised. Now they dream of doing in two weeks what they could not do in half a year. "The adversary continues to hold the occupied areas of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions and tries to create conditions for resuming the offensive. Thus, the russian occupying forces are again adjusting their plans and actions following putin's order to enter the administrative borders of the Donetsk region until September 15," said Oleksii Hromov, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The best help that international partners can provide to Ukraine is weapons. This was emphasized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba. "We greatly appreciate everything that is provided to Ukraine. Macro-financial and humanitarian aid in demining and reconstruction are very important. But if there is no success on the front, then everything else has no meaning," he said. The biggest priorities are the artillery of any type and ammunition, anti-aircraft systems, and anti-aircraft missiles.
Enemy helicopters shelled Enerhodar every 10-15 minutes before the arrival of the IAEA mission. Yesterday, September 1, shelling was conducted in the embankment area, and most of the shells hit the water. But civil infrastructure and social and residential buildings were damaged, and one child was killed and injured. As soon as the IAEA mission entered the city, russians stopped shelling. As soon as the mission left the town, they resumed their work, Yana Dabyzha, the executive committee manager at the Enerhodar City Council, said.
Energoatom accused russia of trying to hide the military presence at the ZNPP during the visit of the IAEA mission to the plant. In particular, the russians did not allow the IAEA mission to the ZNPP crisis center, where russian service members are now stationed, whom the mission representatives were not supposed to see, Energoatom reports. It is also said that military trucks placed in power unit warehouses in violation of all fire safety requirements were presented to IAEA experts as equipment of the chemical defense forces.
Lithuania offered to deploy UN police forces at the ZNPP. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. The agency added that the Commissar General expressed his readiness to ensure security at the ZNPP and send his people there.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that the physical wholeness of the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP was violated several times. Grossi added that during his stay at the nuclear power plant, the sounds of fighting were "uncomfortably close."
Ukraine's talks with russia
President Zelensky canceled several of his decrees on creating a delegation of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group. This is a signal from the Office of the President that the negotiation process with russia is closing.
TCG was involved in conflict resolution in Donbas. It included representatives of Ukraine, russia, and the OSCE. Previously, the delegation was headed by the late Leonid Kravchuk. The last meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group was scheduled to take place on February 19, five days before the start of the full-scale invasion. But it was thwarted by representatives of russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron advocated continuing the dialogue with russia. He said France should "assume that we can always continue to talk to everyone," "especially those with whom we disagree." "Who wants Turkey to be the only country in the world to continue negotiating with russia?" Macron asked.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
On financial and information aid, weapons, and politicians
Paul Massaro, the senior political advisor of the US Helsinki Commission, also known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, came to Zaporizhzhia. Massaro's areas of expertise include anti-corruption, human rights, sanctions, illicit financing, and energy security. In addition, Paul Massaro is well known for his support of Ukraine during russia's full-scale war.
Finland continues to support Ukraine. "On September 1, 2022, the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinisto, at the proposal of the Government, decided that Finland would provide more defense aid to Ukraine. This is already the eighth package of military aid from Finland to Ukraine," the Ministry of Defense of Finland officially announced.
Six autonomous minesweepers are handed over to us by Great Britain for demining the sea. In the coming months, dozens of service members of Ukraine will learn how to use drones; the first course has already started, the Navy of Ukraine noted.
For refugees and IDPs
The cruise liner MS Ambition has arrived in the Scottish port city of Glasgow, which, together with MS Victoria, will be used for the temporary resettlement of Ukrainian refugees. The liner MS Ambition can accommodate 1,750 people in 714 cabins. It will stay at anchor for six months; settlers will be able to leave it at any time. The BBC reports this.
At the beginning of the full-scale war, Scotland undertook to accept 3,000 refugees from Ukraine, but now this number has exceeded 15,000. In connection with this, at the end of July, Scotland began accommodating Ukrainian refugees on the cruise ship MS Victoria, which was docked near Edinburgh.
News from partners
The EU has created a hub for evacuating the wounded and sick from Ukraine near the Polish city of Rzeszów, Die Zeit reports. As the European Commission announced, this center will provide Ukrainians with first aid, after which they will be distributed to hospitals in other European countries. "The number of injured people in Ukraine is increasing every day," EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said at the hub's opening. "Furthermore, necessary treatment for the chronically ill can no longer be guaranteed due to the destruction of medical facilities. We cannot abandon these people," he added.
Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz does not believe that Germany should force the refusal of russian gas to its detriment. However, he recalled the measures taken by the government to reduce dependence on russian gas. It is about filling gas storage, reducing energy consumption, and finding alternatives in other countries.
But the US will discuss the russian oil price ceiling at the G7, despite warnings about the inadmissibility of interfering with market mechanisms, the White House said.
It is expected that the finance ministers of the G7 countries will likely agree on a plan to limit russian oil prices today, Reuters reports.
Life considering hostilities
Ukrainian brand BERVY creates handkerchiefs with the image of Alla Horska's mosaics destroyed in Mariupol. The photo of the Mariupol photographer Ivan Stanislavskyi was used to create the design of the accessories. As reported by Viktoria Zubenko, a cultural expert and the author of the project, the proceeds from selling themed accessories will go to support artists from Mariupol.
During the US Open championship, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostiuk refused to shake the hand of her rival Victoria Azarenka, a citizen of Belarus. According to Kostiuk, she warned her opponent about this and made the decision consciously. "This is my decision because none of them publicly condemned the war and the actions of their governments. And I cannot support that," said the Ukrainian athlete.
Ukraine launched a chatbot working in case of chemical attacks or accidents. The Chemical (un)Safety! How to Act application was developed at the Scientific Center for Preventive Toxicology, Food and Chemical Safety. Its main task is to explain to Ukrainians how to quickly and correctly respond to threats, the Ministry of Health explained.
