[Korrespondent] 22.47 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine is allegedly doing everything to disrupt peace and negotiations with the Russian Federation, and at the same time is trying to prevent elections in Russia.
The Kremlin leader claims that the political regime in Ukraine has allegedly "turned into a dictatorship," and the country is run by "a bunch of embezzlers interested in continuing the war."
Putin stated that elections are not being held in Ukraine, and that power has allegedly been usurped in order to remain in power without elections and further "robbery of its own people" and receive funds from Europe.
The Russian dictator also questioned Ukraine's right to call itself a defender of democratic values ​​in Europe, calling such a thesis "strange," and stated that the Ukrainian leadership is allegedly in no hurry with the elections, while at the same time trying to prevent elections from being held in Russia itself.
21.18 Russian troops attacked one of the neighborhoods of Balakliya, Kharkiv region. Two people were killed, two more were injured. A fire broke out at the scene of the attack. Roofs were damaged and windows were broken in private houses.
20.54 It will take 30 to 50 years to restore the number of cetaceans in the Black Sea. This was stated by Ivan Rusev, an employee of the Tuzlivski Limany National Park, in a comment to Ukrinform.
Before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the number of dolphins of three species in the reservoir was about 500,000.
Dolphins were listed in the international Red Book back in the 1980s. During Soviet times, the mammals were hunted for fat, meat, and bone meal. Over the course of a few decades, 6 million dolphins disappeared.
During the war, fighting became an additional threat. Due to explosions and other factors, dolphin numbers continue to decline rapidly.
Currently, the Tuzlivski Limany Park has prepared documents to create a large marine reserve as part of the national park to Zmiini Island. The safe zone should help the population recover.
According to the scientist, the creation of a safe zone for population recovery has already been approved by the Ministry of Environment, however, it has not yet been approved by the OVA.
"Dolphins become sexually mature at 6-10 years of age. One calf is born to a pair every 2-3 years, then the parents raise the young for another 3 years. Therefore, the populations will take a very long time to recover. According to our calculations, it will take 30-50 years to restore the pre-war number of these dolphins," Rusev explained.
20.36 The Russian army attacked an infrastructure facility in Zaporizhia. The strike caused a fire. No people were initially reported injured.
20.00 The number of injured in Odessa due to a double hit by Russian drones in an administrative building has increased to 10 people.
The Russian Federation has twice in a row defiantly attacked the central part of Odessa. The second strike was carried out while emergency and rescue services were working to eliminate the consequences of the attack and provide assistance to people.
There are currently 10 known victims. Three of them were hospitalized, while the others received medical assistance on the spot.
The shelling damaged an administrative building and vehicles. Clean-up operations are ongoing at the scene. The fire, which spread to several floors of the building, has already been extinguished by rescuers.
19.51 On the evening of September 18, an air alert was declared in Kyiv due to the threat of the Russian Federation using ballistic missiles. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At 7:32 p.m., the mayor of the capital, Vitaliy Klitschko, announced that air defense forces were operating in the city. He confirmed that Kyiv was under ballistic missile fire.
Previously, according to monitoring channels, at least 4 missiles were fired at Kyiv.
17.33 On the afternoon of September 18, Russian troops attacked the territory of a hospital in Kherson with a drone. Several units of official transport were damaged as a result of the explosives being dropped. According to the head of the Kherson city military administration, Yaroslav Shanko, after 14:00, Russian troops attacked the territory of a hospital in the Korabelny district of the city.
17.13 Denmark will accelerate assistance to Ukraine following an incident in the Baltic Sea in which a Russian warship fired flares at a Danish military helicopter, Reuters reported, citing the country's government.
A new aid package to Ukraine of 1.8 billion Danish kroner ($276 million) will be directed towards air defense needs.
17.10 A Russian drone hit an administrative building in the center of Odessa. Three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Odessa City Military Administration, Serhiy Lysak. According to local media, the drone hit the Ukrzaliznytsia building. After the strike, heavy smoke rose above the impact site.
16.54 Poland has become part of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition, the purpose of which is to create a joint European missile defense system to protect against ballistic missiles. The fact that Poland has become part of the defense initiative was discussed during the Carpathian Initiative summit, which is taking place in Ivano-Frankivsk region. It was here, according to Tusk, that he discussed the format of this cooperation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
16.37 A court sentenced an FSB agent who was caught coordinating Russia's combined strikes on the Khmelnytskyi region to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property, the SBU press service reported.
As it turned out, the attacks were being directed by a handyman recruited by the FSB from the regional center.
Among the main "targets" against which the enemy was preparing combined strikes were defense enterprises and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the western region of Ukraine.
16.21 For the third week in a row, the Russian army has been losing more than 10,000 soldiers per week, including the dead and wounded. According to Estonian intelligence, these losses exceed the rate of recruitment of new soldiers. According to the head of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center, Colonel Ants Kiviselg, the average daily losses of the Russian army this week amounted to about 1,600 soldiers. Thus, in seven days, the Russian Federation has lost a little more than 11,000 soldiers.
15.40 Russia has stated that British military facilities and equipment in Ukraine may become targets in response to strikes by Ukrainian forces using British weapons. This is stated in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian Federation stated that British military facilities in Ukraine, which may be used for strikes on Russian territory, are allegedly "legitimate targets". The Russian Foreign Ministry held London responsible for the possible escalation of the situation and declared the right to "necessary retaliatory actions".
15.22 Two companies have successfully completed combat tests of interceptors of Russian jet drones. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Carpathian Initiative (C8) summit.
"In principle, we are trying not to go into details yet regarding interceptors against high-speed "Shaheeds", but nevertheless, two campaigns successfully passed combat tests, and enemy "Shaheeds" were destroyed, they were traveling at a fairly high speed. This is a big positive, I will tell you honestly, but we want to see all the tests and look at the format, how this can be accelerated as much as possible and mass production can be carried out," the head of state said.
The President recalled that 67 companies are working on jet drone interceptors, and contracts are already being signed.
"I think we will be successful. These two examples already give optimism, some positivity and faith. But faith, optimism and all this still need money. We will deal with this issue, we are dealing with it," Zelenskyy noted.
14.50 The World Bank has confirmed the provision of $250 million to Ukraine to compensate for interest on loans to agricultural producers within the framework of the state program "5-7-9%. " As reported by the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky, there is currently no additional information regarding the grant from the European Union for €220 million. This is a non-refundable aid to compensate for interest on loans to small and medium-sized agricultural producers who suffered due to the blockade of sea exports as a result of Russian attacks on the ports of Greater Odessa.
14.24 Russian forces have sharply increased the use of RM48U training missiles for strikes on Ukraine, allowing the enemy to intensify its air campaign without quickly depleting its reserves of main missiles, Reuters reports, citing Ukrainian military analysts.
These missiles are launched from Russian S-400 air defense systems and fly on a ballistic trajectory at high speed. At the same time, they are less powerful and accurate than Iskanders. According to the Ukrainian prosecutor's office, RM48Us deviate from the target by about 300 meters on average, while fragments of the warhead can be scattered over a significant area.
Amid the increased use of the RM48U, the number of Iskanders launched in July fell to 38 from over 100 the previous month.
According to RUSI analyst Siddharth Kaushal, the use of the RM48U allows Russia to save more powerful missiles, including the Iskander, KN-23, and Zircon, for future strikes.
12.39 Russia is increasingly attacking Ukrainian passenger trains with jet drones, posing a threat to the railway network, which is critical to the economy, military logistics and the movement of people. This is reported by Politico.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed more than 500 locomotives. More than 60% of them have been hit in the past eight months. Ukrzaliznytsia is currently losing 37 to 40 locomotives per month.
12.28 Russian troops attacked a private enterprise in the Kremenchuk district of Poltava region. Two people suffered moderate injuries and were hospitalized. As reported by the head of the Poltava OVA Vitaly Dyakivnych, nearby buildings and cars were damaged as a result of the strike. According to preliminary data, two people received moderate injuries.
12.08 Russian troops attacked a suburban train in the Kharkiv region during the evacuation of passengers. Previously, two people who remained on the platform near the rolling stock were seriously injured, said Oleksandr Pertsovsky, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia
11.10 Due to Russian drone and artillery attacks, as of the morning of September 18, there are new power outages in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and Kharkiv regions, NPC Ukrenergo reported. In Zhytomyr region, 24 settlements are completely or partially without power due to adverse weather conditions.
10.14 63 countries supported the resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine. The document provides for the withdrawal of unauthorized Russian military and other personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the restoration of full sovereign control of Ukraine over the station. As reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga, the adopted resolution confirms the need to comply with international law and ensure nuclear safety.
9.53 In Zaporizhia, rescuers extinguished a fire in a shopping mall that was destroyed by a Russian drone attack on the evening of September 17. One person was injured. According to the State Emergency Service, a large-scale fire broke out in the shopping mall after the strike. Rescuers extinguished the fire on an area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters. Emergency and rescue operations have been completed. All emergency services of the city worked at the scene.
9.37 Russian troops massively attacked the civilian infrastructure of the Odessa region. Previously, three people were injured, there is destruction and damage. As reported by the head of the Odessa OVA Oleg Kiper, the residential sector, enterprise, tanks and warehouses were damaged as a result of the hits. One private house was completely destroyed, at least five more were damaged. The lyceum building, greenhouses and several cars were also damaged.
9.19 Two people were killed and two more were injured as a result of Russian strikes on the Zhytomyr region. Fires broke out in warehouses and production buildings in the Korosten district. As noted by the head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Emergency Management Agency, Vitaliy Bunechko, rescuers from the State Emergency Service extinguished the fire at a civilian enterprise that was hit by a Russian strike yesterday. The site is currently being cleared of debris and the extent of the damage is being assessed. Currently, two people have died and two others have been injured, who are in moderate condition in regional hospitals, the head of the region said.
5.30 Russian drones attacked the city of Konotop in Sumy region. Educational and healthcare institutions, private homes, as well as a gas distribution network and a railway were damaged; there were two casualties. Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin reported this.
4.51 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union will allocate an additional 3.3 billion euros to Ukraine for the purchase of missiles and drones, and is also preparing to launch a new program of joint defense projects. She made this statement after a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to her, funds for the purchase of weapons will arrive in Ukraine on Friday, September 18.
3.38 The White House is considering the possibility of concluding certain economic and other agreements with Russia before the end of the war in Ukraine, The New York Times reports.
We are talking about possible agreements that Washington could conclude with Moscow regardless of whether a full peace agreement is reached regarding Ukraine.
2.35 The Russian online trading market may lose about 400 million orders and 400 billion rubles in revenue due to attacks by Ukrainian drones on warehouses of large marketplaces. This is reported by The Moscow Times.
0.57 Russian troops attacked the Podilskyi district of Kyiv with a strike drone. Fires broke out there. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported this late in the evening, September 17.