Victory Chronicles-DAY 898

On August 9, Russian troops attacked Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, hitting a supermarket and causing a large fire. The attack resulted in the death of eleven people and 37 others being injured. 

The head of the Donetsk regional military-civilian administration, Vadym Filashkin, initially reported two deaths and 17 injuries, but these numbers were later updated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stated that four people were killed and 24 others wounded. As of the latest update, the death toll has risen to eleven. 

The attack also caused damage to residential buildings, shops, and several cars. Some people are still trapped under the rubble. President Zelenskyy has condemned the Russian terrorists’ attack on an ordinary supermarket and post office.

According to Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine by using 27 Shahid attack UAVs on the night of August 8-9. However, all of these drones were successfully shot down by mobile firing groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, as well as anti-aircraft missile units and electronic warfare systems of the Air Force in multiple regions.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have carried out airstrikes on the Lipetsk military airfield in Russia, targeting warehouses storing glider bombs and other facilities. The attack resulted in several fires. The airfield houses Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 aircraft of the Russian Air Force. Additionally, Ukrainian forces struck Russian anti-aircraft missile divisions in the occupied territory of Donetsk. Three enemy radars were destroyed, including one with S-350 and two with S-300 systems, with reports still being verified. All three radars were turned off after the strikes. The operation involved missile units, special operations forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, and unmanned systems troops. Most of the combat aircraft stationed at the Lipetsk-2 airfield were unable to leave in time, causing a chain detonation and a large-scale fire.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has successfully struck another target using a drone in Russia’s Kursk region. Video footage shows the drone, operated by the SSU’s Security Center A, shooting down a helicopter in flight. This is the second time that the SSU has used a drone to shoot down an enemy helicopter, making these operations unique in the history of military operations.

The Kremlin will almost certainly endeavor to retake Russian territory in Kursk Oblast that Ukrainian forces have seized and stop Ukrainian activity further into Russia, as substantial Ukrainian advances within Russia would be a strategic blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decades-long effort to cement a legacy of Russian stability, security, and geopolitical resurgence. Putin held a virtual meeting with Kursk Oblast Acting Head Alexey Smirnov on August 8 about Ukraine’s operations into the oblast and stated that he “generally know[s] the situation” but still would like to hear Smirnov’s assessment of the situation.

Smirnov and Putin did not discuss Russian attempts to repel Ukrainian forces and portrayed the Russian government as effectively working to ensure civilian safety and social and monetary compensation. Russian milbloggers have highlighted concerns over the safety of Russian civilians and disorganized civilian evacuations.

Putin likely assesses that he must respond to the perceived threat to civilians in order to assure the Russian public that the situation is under control and avoid significant domestic discontent. Smirnov claimed on August 7 that the situation is “under [Putin’s] personal control,” directly linking Russian success in repelling Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast and mitigating related civilian issues to Putin.

The Kremlin previously has portrayed itself as capable of swiftly responding to pro-Ukrainian raids into Russia, and the Kremlin likely assesses that significant Ukrainian territorial gains in Russia would pose a threat to the Kremlin’s efforts to frame itself as a stable regime in control of the internal security situation within Russia and an effective manager of the war in Ukraine.

Sergeant Andrii Panchoshnyi died near the village of Novoyakovlivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on July 16, 2023. As a result of an anti-tank mine explosion, he sustained shrapnel wounds incompatible with life.

Andrii was 40 years old. He was born in the village of Hmyryanka, Chernihiv Oblast. He studied at the local secondary school and worked at a local agricultural enterprise. 

He was drafted into the Ukrainian military on May 15, 2001, as a senior driver of the automobile department of the repair and maintenance battalion of the military unit 2428. From 2014 to 2015, he participated in the war in eastern Ukraine. Later, in civilian life, he worked as a construction worker in Kyiv. 

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, in early June 2022, Andriy again stood up to defend his homeland. He served as a grenade launcher commander of an anti-tank platoon of a mechanized battalion of the 116th separate mechanized brigade.

“He was a good and friendly person and friend,” said the Ichnianske community. The fighter was buried in his native village. Andrii is survived by his daughter and son.

*Andrii’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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