Key developments on Sept. 9:
- Russia claims capture of town near Pokrovsk, Kyiv says fighting ongoing in the area
- Sweden includes Gripen jet spare parts in new $443 million military aid package for Ukraine
- Latvia confirms Russian Shahed drone armed with explosive crashed on its territory
- Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia, Kremlin remains evasive
- Ukraine reportedly downs Russian Orlan drone at 'record height' of 3.6 km
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sept. 8 that its forces had captured the town of Novohrodivka in Donetsk Oblast, while Ukraine's military said that battles are ongoing in the area.
Novohrodivka is around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Pokrovsk, an important logistical hub for Ukrainian forces. The sector is described by the Ukrainian military as the most difficult and has seen months-long fierce fighting.
Serhii Tsehotskyi, an officer with Ukraine's 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Sept. 2 that the military command decided to withdraw from Novohrodivka because the town had "an unfavorable geographical location."
There were also unconfirmed reports that the town had been poorly fortified, and Russian soldiers captured it in a few days. The General Staff neither announced Ukraine's withdrawal from Novohrodivka nor commented on the claims.
In its daily update, the General Staff said that Ukrainian soldiers repel dozens of attacks near the settlements surrounding Pokrovsk, including Novohrodivka. The statement did not specify whether battles are ongoing within Novohrodivka itself or only in its vicinity.
The Kyiv Independent reached out to the Ukrainian military but has not received a response at the time of publication.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported capturing four other settlements near Pokrovsk over the past week: Zhuravka, Skuchne, Karlovka, and Zavitne. These claims could not be verified.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russia's advance in the Pokrovsk direction had been halted in the past six days in an interview with CNN aired on Sept. 5.
Syrskyi linked this development to Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, which was designed to divert Russian forces from Pokrovsk and other hot sectors in Donetsk Oblast.
Sweden includes Gripen jet spare parts in new $443 million military aid package for Ukraine
Sweden has included combat boats, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and Gripen jet spare parts in its latest military aid package for Ukraine, valued at 4.6 billion Swedish krona ($443 million), the Swedish Defense Ministry announced on Sept. 9.
With its 17th military aid package to Ukraine, Sweden is entering a "new phase of military support to Ukraine, with a greater focus on production instead of donation," the Swedish Defense Ministry said.
Transferring Gripen jets to Ukraine is currently "not a viable option, as it would interfere with the prioritized introduction of F-16 fighters," but Sweden is continuing its efforts to establish the conditions to send Gripen jets to Ukraine in the future.
Sweden is therefore "acquiring materiel parts for the JAS 39 Gripen" worth approximately 2.3 billion Swedish krona ($222 million), which are being reused in the construction of the E series of the jet.
"By acquiring new materiel parts, a number of JAS 39C/D will be saved from being dismantled and can – if the Swedish government decides so – be considered for a possible future donation to Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in July that Stockholm was open to providing Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets after the completion of the F-16 program, but further steps depend on Kyiv.
The latest package also includes 40 mm ammunition for the Combat Vehicle 90s previously supplied by Sweden, as well as camouflage equipment for the Pansarbandvagn 302s provided in the 16th aid package.
Sweden will also send a number of Robot System 70, a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS), anti-tank weapons, winter equipment, and marine equipment worth approximately 500 million Swedish krona ($48 million) due to the threat posed by Russia to Ukrainian merchant vessel traffic in the Black Sea.
To assist the Ukrainian Navy, Sweden will supply six Combat Boat 90s and "two launching trailers that can handle various types of boats," the Defense Ministry said.
Sweden will send "ground combat military equipment," also worth approximately 500 million Swedish krona ($48 million), as well as grenade launchers with ammunition, recoilless rifles with ammunition, and small-calibre ammunition.
The Swedish government also said in May that it was planning to allocate 75 billion Swedish krona ($7 billion) in military support to Ukraine from 2024 to 2026.
Kateryna Hodunova
Latvia confirms Russian Shahed drone armed with explosive crashed on its territory
A Russian Shahed-type drone equipped with an explosive crashed in Latvia on Sept. 7, Latvia's Defense Ministry confirmed during a press conference on Sept. 9.
The Latvian Defense Ministry previously said in a statement on Sept. 8 that a suspected Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had crashed in eastern Latvia the day before.
This is the first confirmed case of a Russian drone crashing on Latvian soil.
Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins, the commander-in-chief of the Latvian Armed Forces, said on Sept. 9 that the drone was heading towards a target in Ukraine before it entered Latvia via Belarus.
The drone eventually crashed in Gaigalava parish in Rezekne district, 85 kilometers (52 miles) northwest of the Belarusian border, Kalnins said.
The explosive that the drone was carrying did not detonate on impact, but was deactivated by Latvian personnel.
Latvia summoned the Russian Embassy's charge d'affaires to express protest at the incident and is now conducting an in-depth analysis of the drone's components.
According to Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds, the incident "confirms that we need to continue strengthening Latvia's eastern border."
The news from Latvia comes as another case of Russian drones violating the airspace of NATO countries during mass aerial attacks against Ukraine, with Romania also reporting a Russian drone entering its territory on Sept. 8.
There have also been multiple recorded cases of Russian Shahed-type drones veering off course toward Belarus during attacks on Ukraine, with some even being reportedly shot down by Belarusian aircraft.
Russian drones have previously crashed in Romania and its non-NATO neighbor, Moldova. Other drones and missiles have also violated the Polish airspace on several occasions, and a stray Ukrainian air defense missile launched to intercept a Russian attack killed two Polish citizens in 2022.
Karina Piliuhina
Iran denies sending ballistic missiles to Russia, Kremlin remains evasive
Iran on Sept. 9 denied it had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia, calling reports to the contrary "psychological warfare."
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sept. 6 that Tehran had sent an unspecified number of the weapons.
The report prompted "alarm" from the White House, and a warning from Ukraine that the move would have "devastating consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations."
"No missile was sent to Russia, and this claim is a kind of psychological warfare," Iranian brigadier and senior Revolutionary Guards' commander Fazlollah Nozari told Iranian media.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an evasive answer when asked about the reports on Sept. 9.
"Iran is our important partner, we are developing our trade and economic relations, we are developing our cooperation and dialogue in all possible areas, including the most sensitive ones," he said in comments reported by Reuters.
The British news outlet The Times wrote that according to an undisclosed Ukrainian military source, a shipment of 200 Iranian ballistic missiles already arrived at an unspecified port in the Caspian Sea on Sept. 4.
The missiles in question were said to be Fath-360, with a range of 120 kilometers (over 70 miles).
Experts told the Kyiv Independent that these tactical missiles are most likely to be employed at the front line.
"It's more likely they'd be used on targets related to action on the front line, military targets, logistics centers, command posts, barracks, fuel depots – these are the kind of targets you'd strike with a tactical missile," Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.
Washington has not officially confirmed that the transfer had taken place, but the Wall Street Journal said that the U.S. had informed its allies about the move in the past few days.
Russia has its own ballistic missile arsenal that it employs in Ukraine, such as Kinzhal or Iskander-M missiles. Moscow has also received ballistic missiles from North Korea, which have been used to target Ukrainian cities.
Chris York
Ukraine reportedly downs Russian Orlan drone at 'record height' of 3.6 km
Soldiers of Ukraine's 3rd Tank Brigade shot down a Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone at a record altitude of 3,620 meters, the Ukrainian military said.
The Orlan is a Russian-developed reconnaissance drone widely used by Russia in Ukraine. Feared by Ukrainian soldiers, it often serves to help target Russian artillery attacks. It can travel 600 kilometers and climb to an altitude of 5,000 meters.
"(The hit) took place on Sept. 7 in Kharkiv Oblast. Once the enemy Orlan-10 drone was spotted, the Voron missile artillery group rushed to the area," the 3rd Brigade said on Facebook.
The Russian drone's altitude and trajectory were established in cooperation with Ukrainian border guard units. Then, one soldier prepared the necessary "equipment," and two more service members began to "hunt" the unmanned aircraft, the unit said.
According to the 3rd Brigade, shooting down the drone was particularly difficult due to its altitude and because it kept changing its position and direction.
The weaponry used in the attack was not specified, but the 3rd Brigade published a first-person-view (FPV) video of what may be another drone ramming into the Russian Orlan. This was the first high-altitude Russian drone shot down by the 3rd Tank Brigade.
The Ukrainian military has recently boasted about a number of new drone innovations that are being deployed against Moscow's troops. This included drones firing small arms or dispersing thermite against Russian positions.
Ukrainian FPV drones have also been repeatedly used to target Russian reconnaissance drones and helicopters.
Kollen Post
