Victory Chronicles
-DAY 191

WAR HIGHLIGHTS: SOUTHERN THEATER, NEW KREMLIN DEADLINE FOR DONBAS

Above: Melitopol skyline last night as enemy ammo depots exploded.  Screenshot via Special Kherson Cat

• More than ten powerful explosions were heard near Melitopol airfield in southern Zaporizhzhia region.  Melitipol is a key transportation crossroads and enemy staging point in temporarily-occupied coastal regions.  “Resistance continues: about 10 explosions were recorded south of Melitopol, in the direction of the Molochny Lyman, where the occupiers were bringing their military equipment,” wrote Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov on Telegram.

• Videos online show convoys of enemy military vehicles headed north from the Kerch Bridge, possibly to reinforce Kherson although blown bridges across the Dnipro River will make deployment in the Kherson city side difficult if not impossible for heavy equipment.

• Illegal Crimean authorities announced that the launch of rail connections between illegally-occupied Crimea, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts is delayed due to security concerns.

• News about the battle for southern Ukraine is caught in an information war between Ukraine and the enemy propaganda machine.  Moscow mouthpieces are reporting on the utter failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive including the destruction of much more equipment than Ukraine has.

• Conversely, the Institute for the Study of War writes, “Ukrainians and the West should not fall for Russian information operations portraying the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast as having failed almost instantly or that depict Ukraine as a helpless puppet of Western masters for launching it at this time.”

• Over in Donbas, the tiny kremlin dictator extended the deadline for the occupation of Donetsk Oblast to September 15.  The Ukrainian military has been reporting for weeks since the fall of Severodonetsk that the Donbas conflict line is mostly frozen with ru forces unable to advance.

ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Above: The arrival of the convoy transporting the IAEA mission to ZNPP on Thursday.  Photo via New York Times

• Most of the inspectors who arrived at the ZNPP on Thursday have already departed.  Five inspectors stayed behind to monitor the plant under highly dangerous and stressful conditions.

• While at the plant, the team was able to gather “a lot” of information in a few hours and see the “key things,” according to IAEA Director and mission head Rafael Grossi.

• Following the visit, Mr Grossi said that the IAEA would have a continued presence at the plant, although how exactly was not made clear. Grossi reported that Ukrainian employees of the station are in a difficult emotional and psychological state. But thanks to their professionalism, they perfectly perform all the responsible work entrusted to them.

• “Of course, I managed to talk a lot with the workers, with people from Enerhodar. What did I tell them? That I am leaving, but the IAEA remains at the station,” Mr Grossi added.

HUNGARY: SOFT ON EU VALUES?

Above:  The Austro-Hungarian Empire included part of western Ukraine.  Russian authorities have suggested that it’s time to return Zakarpattia to Hungary.  Photo via Britannica

• According to a recent public opinion survey, the vast majority of Hungarians do not support EU sanctions against Russia, oppose the ban on issuing visas to Russians, and also disagree with the supply of weapons to Ukraine by EU member states. The survey, conducted on a sample of 1,000 people, over 80% oppose the EU and member states sending weapons to Ukraine and a proposed ban on Russian tourists.

• Hungary’s foreign minister called for an end to support for Ukraine and, instead, to work for peace through dialogue.  “Hungary, because of its geographical proximity, is even more affected than the European average, so it is in the elementary interest of the country and of Central Europe as a whole to have peace as soon as possible,” he said, echoing the kremlin’s desire to end the war with russia keeping its newly occupied territory.

• Russian gas monopoly Gazprom announced that it would increase deliveries to Hungary through its Serbian pipeline for the months of September and October.