Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 09-03-2024

Dozens were killed and injured in what President Zelensky described as one of the deadliest strikes by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale war.

Russian forces launched a missile attack on Poltava on Tuesday, Sept. 3, striking the city with two ballistic missiles just minutes after an air raid alert was issued.

As of 6 p.m. the Prosecutor General’s office confirmed that 51 people had been killed and over 200 wounded.

With Russians pressing on Pokrovsk and farther south in Vuhledar, Ukrainians are looking to forestall two potential pincer movements that could collapse their defenses in the Donbas.

Forbes analyst David Axe reports that the Russian offensive on Pokrovsk poses a significant threat to Ukrainian troops south of Pokrovsk, endangering crucial supply routes. According to Axe, Russian forces have bypassed Ukrainian defenses between the village of Memryk and the Vovcha River, located three miles east of Memryk.

In early July, Russian forces launched near-daily assaults west of the town of Pokrovsk. Despite suffering heavy losses, they managed to advance 12 to 20 kilometers (8 to 12 miles) over two months, creating a salient of Ukrainian defenses. This exposed salient juts eastward into the Russian line, and with a few decisive maneuvers, it could become a trap for hundreds of Ukrainian troops, Forbes reported.

Professor Natasha Lindstaedt specializes in authoritarian regimes, democratic backsliding, state failure and human security.

Laurent Vinatier, who worked for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, is one of several Western citizens held in Russian prisons in recent years on charges that the West says are baseless.

A Moscow court on Tuesday ordered a French researcher accused of breaching Russia’s “foreign agent” law to be held in jail until February next year, at the start of a trial that comes amid tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine conflict. 

Laurent Vinatier, who worked for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO before he was arrested in Moscow in June, is one of several Western citizens who have been held in Russian prisons in recent years on charges that the West says are baseless. 

Though Mongolia has been Moscow’s loyal ally since the Soviet era, the relationship was not without its hiccups – at times marred by purges and oppressions.

On Sept. 3, Russian leader Vladimir Putin visited Ulaanbaatar at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, with the latter refusing to honor an arrest warrant for Putin issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which Mongolia is a member.

While Putin received his warm welcome from the Mongols, across the border the Buryats – the Russified Mongol population inside Russia – remains one of the highest casualty groups in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with others joining the Ukrainian side to fight against what they called Russian imperialism.

NBU keeps hryvnia in narrow corridor

Bonds: Domestic bond market still in summer lull

Banks maintain their interest primarily in reserve bonds, while non-banking investors prefer paper with short maturities.Last week, demand in the primary bond market was concentrated in new three-year notes, which the MoF issued to replace reserve bonds that had been redeemed at the beginning of August. Banks gradually reinvested funds in the new paper, but they also bought older reserve instruments.Total trading in the secondary market increased thanks to banks' demand for reserve bonds, which accounted for about one-third of total volume traded.Last month, the MoF borrowed UAH27.2bn while redeeming UAH20bn. There were no redemptions or borrowings in foreign currencies. Therefore, the rollover of UAH debt was 136% in August and 158% in 8M24. Rollover in hard currencies remained unchanged at 132% for USD and 81% for euros. Total rollover in 8M24 was 141%, the same as in 7M24. Total net borrowings of the government in the domestic market reached UAH88.3bn in 8M24.This month, small redemptions in hryvnia totalling UAH4.1 bn are scheduled, while in hard currency, the planned repayments are US$350m and EUR77m.

Europe's press compares the results with similar scenarios in other EU states.

The preliminary results for the eagerly anticipated state elections in Saxony and Thuringia are in: the AfD has emerged the strongest party in Thuringia, where it received almost a third of the vote, with the conservative CDU coming second. In Saxony, the CDU secured a narrow victory against the AfD. In both states, the Offices for the Protection of the Constitution have classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist organisation. The newly founded BSW party achieved double-digit results. Europe's press compares the results with similar scenarios in other EU states.

Insecurity propelling the people towards the extremes

So-called free speech activists have jumped to defend Pavel Durov after his arrest, but they conveniently forget Russia’s weaponization of his Telegram platform.

Following the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Aug. 24 at a Paris airport, the Kremlin is capitalizing on the notion that Western countries overall, who are “supposedly committed” to free speech, have arrested someone whom they claim is a champion of free speech.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that the detention of Pavel Durov was politically motivated, something that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked was “a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi called Mongolia’s refusal to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin a “heavy blow to the International Criminal Court.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized Mongolia for failing to fulfill its obligation to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter’s Tuesday visit to Ulaanbaatar, the country’s capital.

The visit, at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, marked the first time Putin set foot in an International Criminal Court (ICC) member state.

Russian paranoia of an imminent Ukrainian attack on their prized link across the Kerch Strait has seen an increase in defensive measures over recent weeks.

The Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, has strategic value as a symbol of Russia’s “possession” of occupied Crimea and tactical value as a logistical link from the mainland.

The bridge has already been struck by Ukraine twice and partially repaired – there is some doubt as to its continued structural integrity to move tanks and supplies. In October 2022 a bomb carried in a truck damaged several spans of roadway and the adjacent rail line. In July last year an early morning USV strike caused further damage to the road section.

Gazprom Neft’s Moscow Oil Refinery halted its key Euro+ crude oil processing unit after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s capital region that also targeted the electrical grid.

The Moscow Oil Refinery of Gazprom Neft was forced to stop operation of its combined Euro+ oil processing unit following a recent Ukrainian drone attack, Reuters reports.

According to the publication’s sources, the refinery may resume processing oil at the Euro+ unit after repairs, which are expected to take around five to six days.

The Taiwanese president cited a treaty signed by the Qing government which saw China ceding territories to Russia, and suggested Beijing reclaim those lands “for the sake of territorial integrity.”

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te questioned Beijing’s rhetoric on Taiwan and suggested Beijing reclaim lands ceded to Russia if it wanted to take over Taiwan for the sake of territorial integrity.

Speaking to Taiwanese media on Sunday evening, Lai cited the 1858 Treaty of Aigun that saw the Qing dynasty ceding territories in the Far East to the Russian Empire, one of several signed with foreign powers in the 19th century that Chinese authorities, through various regimes, have considered “unequal.”

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

The U.K. government has decided to suspend a series of arms shipments to Israel against the background of the war in Gaza and the fear of widespread harm to civilians and a violation of international law, British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced on Monday. He added that the suspensions would not affect the supply of F-35 components. “We will continue to work with Israel to tackle the threat from Iran" and the "U.K. continues to support Israel's right to self-defense in accordance with international law," said Minister Lammy. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force is crafting a recommendation to increase production of bombs, missiles and other ammunition at home, in an attempt to reduce its dependence on other countries, especially the United States, a senior air force officer says. - Haaretz

A nationwide strike in Israel aimed at disrupting major sectors of the economy in an effort to pressure the government to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas began on Monday but a top labour court quickly ordered it to end, citing its "politically motivated" nature. France 24 reported that the general strike on Monday morning brought tens thousands to the streets but was ignored in some areas, underscoring profound political divisions in the country. A major highway was closed for a while on Monday and only a few flights were able to take off from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. The protests, prompted by the deaths of several hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, appear to be one of the biggest political challenges for the beleaguered prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “Much like the hours following October 7, it is increasingly clear that Netanyahu is completely dysfunctional, and that his personal and political survival is a thousand times more important than the lives of the hostages,” analyst Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz.

According to the Air Force, Russia launched three Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles, as well as Kh-59 and Kh-69 guided missiles, and 35 Shahed drones at various Ukrainian cities.

Russian forces launched another large-scale assault at Ukrainian cities early morning on Tuesday, Sept. 3, with dozens of Iranian-made Shahed drones and several missiles.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired three Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles, along with Kh-59 and Kh-69 guided missiles, from the Kursk region and the Crimean Peninsula.

Once parliament approves the law, the government will be empowered to proceed with the donation.

The Romanian government adopted a bill that would see Romania donate a Patriot surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine on Monday, sending the proposal to parliament for urgent debate and approval.

Once parliament approves the law, the government will be empowered to proceed with the donation.

Eugene Czolij listed in ‘The Best Lawyers in Canada’ for the 14th consecutive year.

Eugene Czolij has again been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Nineteenth Edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 for his work in Corporate and Commercial Litigation.

Since 2012, he has been listed annually in The Best Lawyers in Canada

Mongolia welcomes Russian war criminal Putin and as a member of the ICC ignores its obligation to arrest him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Mongolia for an official visit on Tuesday, his first to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year.

Putin was welcomed by an honor guard as he landed in Ulaanbaatar the night before to begin the high-profile trip, seen as a show of defiance against the court, Kyiv, the West and rights groups that have all called for him to be detained.

The Ukrainian army, for its part, made rapid gains in early August in Russia after a surprise incursion into the border region of Kursk, gaining more than 1,100 square kilometres in two weeks.

Russia advanced on 477 square kilometres (184 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in August, Moscow's biggest monthly increase since October 2022, according to data supplied by the Institute for the Study of War and analysed by AFP.

The Ukrainian army, for its part, made rapid gains in early August in Russia after a surprise incursion into the border region of Kursk, gaining more than 1,100 square kilometres in two weeks.

Sunday’s elections in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia saw big gains for the far-right AfD, which has been accused of links with Russia and is a vocal critic of Germany’s support for Kyiv.

Regional elections in Germany have laid bare a swell of opposition to the government's stance on the conflict in Ukraine at a time when Berlin is already under pressure over its aid for Kyiv.

Sunday's elections in the former East German states of Saxony and Thuringia saw big gains for the far-right AfD, which has long been accused of links with Russia and is a vocal critic of Germany's support for Ukraine.

The video begins with a Ukrainian FPV drone dropping an explosive munition into a Russian trench, reportedly killing three Russian soldiers.

Fighters from the Khorne Group, part of the 116th Mechanized Brigade’s unmanned attack aircraft company, released a video on Telegram Monday showing a Russian Mavic drone attempting to shoot down a Ukrainian FPV drone near Russian positions.

“Khorne fighters continue to terrorize the orcs [a term often used by Ukrainians to refer to the Russian military],” the caption accompanying the video reads.

In Ukraine's occupied territories, hundreds of residents are working hard to undermine the enemy’s operations through sabotage and punishment of traitors, reveals HUR officer “Olster.”

An officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR) codenamed "Olster" revealed that contact has been established with Ukrainians in temporarily occupied territories who continue to resist the Russian occupiers.

According to Olster, who coordinates the underground resistance in these territories, hundreds of residents have been carrying out sabotage operations and punishing traitors as they await liberation

War in Ukraine - Latest update, key takeaways and map from the Institute for the Study of War on September 2, 2024

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Iran is expected to “imminently” deliver ballistic missiles to Russia to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to Mongolian outlet Unuudur ahead of his visit to Mongolia on September 2-3, emphasizing historical and modern Russian-Mongolian relations and current trilateral economic and energy initiatives with Mongolia and the People's Republic of China (PRC).
• Russian and Mongolian officials indicated that the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Putin's arrest will not impact Putin's ongoing visit to Mongolia, despite Mongolia's legal obligation to enforce this warrant.
• Russian authorities detained Leningrad Military District (LMD) Deputy Commander Major General Valery Mumindzhanov on corruption charges on September 2.
• Russian forces recently regained lost positions east of Korenevo amid continued Ukrainian assaults in Kursk Oblast on September 2.
• Russian forces recently advanced in the Siversk, Chasiv Yar, and Pokrovsk directions and southwest of Donetsk City.
• Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) officials are highlighting Russian military training capabilities, likely in an attempt to promote military recruitment and as part of long-term efforts to rebuild the Russian officer corps.
• Russian occupation officials announced the start of the school year in occupied Ukraine, highlighting Russia's various efforts to coopt the educational system and forcibly Russify and militarize Ukrainian children and youth.