Photo : Anadolu Ajansi
Photo : Anadolu Ajansi
War in Ukraine: Day 580
Rishika Yadav
War on Ground
On 26 September, a cargo vessel departed from Ukraine’s Black Sea port but remained nearby. It followed Kyiv’s establishment of a “humanitarian corridor” along the coastline. Three cargo ships are heading to Black Sea ports for food and steel exports. Moscow’s blockage of deep-sea ports has significantly reduced Ukraine’s grain exports, down 51 per cent in September.
On 26 September, Russia’s forces targeted Odesa Oblast’s port infrastructure. It damaged buildings, warehouses, and trucks, resulting in injuries to two drivers. The attack, involving drones, lasted for two hours, with most UAVs shot down by air defence forces.
The Moscow View
On 26 September, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council , confirmed that he visited troops in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. It follows orders from Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President. Several high-ranking Russia’s officials have visited occupied Ukraine’s territories since the start of Moscow’s offensive.
On 26 September, a video was released by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federationshowed Viktor Sokolov, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Commander, participating in a Defence Ministry board meeting. He was refuting earlier claims by Ukraine’s media and Telegram channels that he had been killed in an attack on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol. On 22 September, a missile strike on Sevastopol damaged the Black Sea Fleet headquarters.
On 26 September, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Belgorod’s governor, informed that Russia’s air defences successfully intercepted a fixed-wing drone as it approached Belgorod. Preliminary information indicates no casualties or damage resulting from the incident.
The West View
On 26 September, Switzerland’s Council of States, the upper chamber of its parliament, approved the decommissioning of 25 Leopard 2 tanks. It allows them to be resold to Germany. Switzerland has a total of 96 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks. The details of the sellback to Rheinmetall, the tanks’ German manufacturer, will be decided by the Swiss government. Germany requested the tanks to replace those supplied to Ukraine, with assurances they would not be transferred to Kyiv.
On 26 September, Rzeczpospolita, Poland’s news agency, reported about its investigation in Przewodow. Polish experts have determined Ukraine’s air defence missile was behind the rocket explosion in Przewodow. Despite a lack of cooperation from Ukraine in providing materials, the investigators reached a confident conclusion. It ruled out the possibility of the missile coming from Russia. The missile, identified as an S-300 5-W-55 anti-missile missile of Russia’s production, was fired from Ukraine’s air defence. The missile was supposed to self-destruct at a certain height, but it failed to do so for unknown reasons. Experts ruled out Russia’s involvement due to the missile’s range and positioning. Ukraine’s officials initially wanted to participate in the investigation but were blocked from accessing the site. Zelenskyy denied Ukraine’s involvement.
On 26 September, in its intelligence update, UK's Ministry of Defence reported that Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) facing significant attacks. The attacks took place notably on its headquarters on 20 and 22 September. These strikes, more coordinated and damaging than previous ones, have localized physical damage. The BSF can still perform core wartime duties, but regional patrols and port asset defence may be compromised. A dynamic battle in the Black Sea shows Ukraine’s ability to challenge Russia’s strategic power projection from Sevastopol, its occupied warm water port.
References
“Cargo vessel sets off from Ukrainian Black Sea port - source,” Reuters, 26 September 2023
Iryna Balachuk, “Russian forces hit Odesa Oblast overnight: 2 civilians injured, 6 juggernauts burnt out, warehouses damaged,” Ukrainska Pravda, 26 September 2023
“Russia's Medvedev Says Visited Troops in Ukraine,” The Moscow Times, 26 September 2023
“Russian Black Sea Fleet commander taking part in Defense Ministry board meeting,” TASS, 26 September 2023
“Russian air defenses shot down drone approaching Belgorod, governor says,” TASS, 26 September 2023
Timo Kirez, “Swiss parliament’s upper chamber approves sale of 25 Leopard tanks to Germany,” Anadolu Ajansi, 26 September 2023
“Getting closer to the truth about the rocket in Przewodów. We know whose bullet it was,” Rzeczpospolita, 26 September 2023
“Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 26 September 2023,” UK’s Ministry of Defence, 26 September 2023