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
On Sept. 8, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had captured the town of Novohrodivka in Donetsk Oblast. However, Ukraine’s military stated that battles are still ongoing in the area. Novohrodivka is located about 20 kilometers from Pokrovsk, a crucial logistical hub for Ukrainian forces. The sector is known to be the most difficult and has seen intense fighting for months.
According to Serhii Tsehotskyi, an officer with Ukraine’s 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, the military command decided to withdraw from Novohrodivka due to its unfavorable geographical location. There were also unconfirmed reports that the town was poorly fortified, making it easier for Russian soldiers to capture it in just a few days. The Ukrainian General Staff did not confirm the withdrawal or comment on the claims.
In their daily update, the General Staff reported that Ukrainian soldiers are repelling numerous attacks near the settlements surrounding Pokrovsk, including Novohrodivka. However, it is unclear if the battles are taking place within the town itself or only in its vicinity. The Kyiv Independent reached out to the Ukrainian military for clarification but has not received a response yet.
The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed to have captured four other settlements near Pokrovsk in the past week: Zhuravka, Skuchne, Karlovka, and Zavitne. However, these claims could not be verified. In an interview with CNN on Sept. 5, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Russia’s advance in the Pokrovsk direction had been halted in the past six days. He attributed this to Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which was intended to divert Russian forces from Pokrovsk and other hot sectors in Donetsk Oblast.
In a new military aid package worth 4.6 billion Swedish krona ($443 million), Sweden has included combat boats, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and spare parts for Gripen jets. This is the 17th military aid package that Sweden has provided to Ukraine, and it marks a shift towards production-based support rather than donations, according to the Swedish Defense Ministry. However, transferring Gripen jets to Ukraine is currently not feasible as it would interfere with the prioritized introduction of F-16 fighters. Nevertheless, Sweden is continuing its efforts to establish the conditions for future transfers.
In other news, Latvia confirmed that a Russian Shahed drone armed with explosives had crashed on its territory. However, Iran denied allegations that it had sent ballistic missiles to Russia, and the Kremlin remained evasive on the issue. Additionally, Ukraine reportedly shot down a Russian Orlan drone at a record height of 3.6 km.
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