Ukraine Daily

Friday, September 2

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

A destroyed Russian T-72B3 tank pictured in Mariupol on March 23, 2022 (Maximilian Clarke)

HRW: Russian forces forcibly move Ukrainians to Russia. According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, Ukrainians are being transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Russia also subjected thousands of Ukrainians to a form of compulsory, punitive, and abusive security screening called “filtration,” the nonprofit said. These are serious violations that constitute war crimes and potential crimes against humanity, the report reads.

Governor: Russian forces have kidnapped 309 people in Kherson Oblast since Feb. 24. According to Yaroslav Yanushevych, 185 of them still remain in Russian captivity. Most of the southern Kherson Oblast was occupied in the early days of Russia’s war. Ukraine has been liberating settlements in the oblast since the beginning of its large-scale counteroffensive in the south on Aug. 29.

WSJ: Ukraine claims Russia transporting weapons to Black Sea ports using cargo ships. Ukraine requested Turkey to take action against four Russian cargo ships allegedly delivering military equipment from a Russian base in Syria through the Bosporus on to the Black Sea ports in support of Russia’s war effort. On Aug. 27, Ukraine made a formal request to Turkey after it learned that a Russian freighter brought an S-300 anti-air system to Russia’s Novorossiysk port through Turkish-controlled straits.

The Kyiv Independent became the official partner of IT Arena, one of Eastern Europe’s largest professional tech conferences, set to bring together Ukrainian and international tech experts for a live event.

Official: Russian forces fail to open schools in occupied Mariupol. An advisor to Mariupol mayor Petro Andriushchenko said that only first and last-grade students “were forced” to attend homerooms on Sept. 1. Five out of 16 schools in the city that the occupying forces said were ready to open do not have roofs, Andriushchenko said.

Ecology Ministry: Russia’s war has damaged third of Ukrainian forests since Feb. 24. Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ruslan Strilets said that about three million hectares of forests have suffered damage as a result of Russian bombardment and mine explosions. According to the official, the cost of harm to the forests and flora is estimated at around Hr 183 billion ($5 billion).

Business association: Ukraine’s grain exports rise 53% in August compared with July. Ukraine’s grain exports amounted to 2.6 million tonnes in August, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club said. Ukraine’s total exports of agricultural products, including grain, increased 12% month-on-month to 4.6 million tons in August, the club said. On July 22, Ukraine, the UN, Turkey, and Russia concluded a deal to unblock Ukraine’s seaports, which had previously been blocked by Russia. Ukraine needs to export about 6 million tons of agricultural products every month in order to cope with the remaining products from 2021.

Media: Economy Ministry expects Ukraine’s GDP to fall by 33% in 2022. Sources in the Ukrainian government told the European Pravda news outlet that the Economy Ministry forecasts that Ukraine’s gross domestic product will grow by 4.6% in 2023.

Ukraine sentences Russian tank commander to 8.5 years in prison. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, local prosecutors in Chernihiv Oblast proved that the commander had assaulted and robbed a Ukrainian civilian in the village of Khaliavyn, threatening to shoot him with a gun, in early March.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

IAEA to maintain presence at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Sept. 1 that the agency was “here to stay” and would maintain a continued presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Enerhodar. Five inspectors from the agency remained at the station after the agency’s visit on Sept. 1. Russia, which has been shelling Ukrainian positions from the territory of the plant, has been accused of using it as a shield and a tool of blackmail.

Zelensky: Russian occupiers did not let journalists visit Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that only Kremlin propagandists were present during a mission by the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Enerhodar. He also said that Russia had intimidated residents of Enerhodar and forced people to lie to IAEA representatives. Zelensky said Russian troops are trying to turn this visit “into a fruitless tour of the plant,” but he hopes that the mission will “draw objective conclusions.”

Lithuania suggests sending UN Police to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Arunas Paulauskas, a senior Lithuanian police official, said that the UN police corps could ensure the security of a long-term mission of the UN nuclear agency on the site. A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Enerhodar on Sept. 1. Russia, which has been shelling Ukrainian positions from the territory of the plant, has been accused of using it as a shield and a tool of blackmail.

Read our exclusives here

Contrary to its propaganda, Russia’s infamously large stockpile of Soviet tanks is little more than a pile of scrap metal unfit to be used in battle. However, we can not expect Russia to run critically low on tanks anytime soon. Read our story on how many tanks Russia really has.

After visiting war-torn areas near Kyiv, British barrister Sir Geoffrey Nice said he was disappointed with one Ukrainian decision. Even as Ukraine focuses its main efforts on defending itself, it shouldn’t be relying on its international partners to deal with such important matters as holding Moscow to account, Nice said. Read our interview with a top British barrister here.

Even as fierce battles raged in the east and south of Ukraine, many Ukrainian children returned to classrooms for the first time since their offline education was disrupted by the full-scale war. Check our photos from the first day of school.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian forces attack Kharkiv Oblast, killing civilian. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that Russian forces attacked the region’s Iziumskyi, Kharkivskyi, Bohodukhivskyi, and Chuhuivskyi districts. A 50-year-old man was killed in Balakliia and four people, including a 13-year-old boy, were injured.

International response

Sweden to purchase 40,000 tons of Ukrainian grain for countries in need. The Swedish government announced it will be buying at least 40,000 tons of Ukrainian grain for countries where the risk of famine is currently at its highest, such as Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan. The purchase and transport of Ukrainian wheat aim to support humanitarian operations run by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

New York Times: US restricts computer chips sales to China, Russia. The U.S. has limited sales of high-end graphics processing units that power supercomputers and artificial intelligence, the NYT reported. Supercomputers are used for weapons development and intelligence gathering.

EBRD to lend 100 million euros to Ukrzaliznytsia. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s funds will be used to ensure liquidity and finance the critical needs of Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, the Finance Ministry said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Teah Pelechaty ,Alisa Soboleva, Toma Istomina, Alexander Khrebet, Oleg Sukhov, Alexander Query, Brad LaFoy, Anastasiya Gordiychuk, Olena Goncharova, and Sergiy Slipchenko.

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