Victory Chronicles-DAY 943

Late in the evening of September 22, Zaporizhzhia was attacked by Russia with six guided aerial bombs, resulting in nine people injured, including a child. 

The attack also damaged buildings, with parked cars catching fire and residential buildings partially destroyed. As a consequence of the attack, a fire broke out, and rescue efforts are underway. As of the latest update, the number of victims has increased to nine, with one child among them. Rescue teams have evacuated residents and are working to eliminate the consequences of the strike while medical assistance is being provided to the injured. 

Tents have been set up at two locations to support affected residents, and an invincibility center has been opened around the clock. Multiple agencies, including the State Emergency Service, police, and specialized services, are involved in the response efforts.

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According to the “Kharkiv” operational and tactical group from May 10 to September 21, 2024, a total of 16,384 Russian servicemen were lost in the Kharkiv sector. Of these losses, 5,426 are irretrievable and 10,958 are wounded, as reported by the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian troops also successfully neutralized significant enemy assets, including 143 tanks (69 destroyed and 74 damaged), 211 armored combat vehicles (134 destroyed and 77 damaged), 1,464 vehicles (866 destroyed and 598 damaged), and 762 artillery systems (212 destroyed and 550 damaged). Additionally, 4,458 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types and 152 enemy ammunition depots were destroyed. These statistics highlight the significant losses suffered by the occupiers and the successful actions taken by the Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv sector during the specified period.

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New satellite imagery has revealed the extent of the damage caused by a recent attack on the 23rd arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Tver region. The images show that over 58 warehouse buildings, as well as several open areas with ammunition, a railroad, and trains carrying ammunition were destroyed. The attack, carried out by Ukrainian drones on September 21, resulted in a fire and detonation, leading to the evacuation of the station and the blocking of a federal highway in the area. The satellite images indicate that the northern part of the depot suffered significant damage, with over 58 warehouse buildings reduced to ash or severely damaged. The areas where ammunition was loaded onto the railroad were also affected. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts believe that trains with ammunition were present at the depot at the time of the strike.

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The 95th separate airborne assault brigade of the Ukrainian Airborne Forces has successfully broken through a section of the Russian border. This marks the second successful operation of its kind since the operation began in the Kursk region of Russia. A video recording of the event shows the brigade breaching the engineering barriers, entering enemy territory, and engaging in the first battles in the border area. The footage also depicts the airborne tankers dismantling an enemy stronghold. 

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Ukraine’s September 18 strike against a Russian missile and ammunition storage facility near Toropets, Tver Oblast reportedly destroyed enough Russian munitions to affect Russian operations in the coming months.

Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center Head Colonel Ants Kiviselg stated on September 20 that the strike caused 30,000 tons of munitions to explode, noting that the size of the explosion equates to 750,000 artillery shells and that Russian forces on average fire 10,000 shells per week. His calculations suggest the Ukrainian strike destroyed two to three months of Russia’s ammunition supply. Ukrainian outlet Suspilne reported on September 18 that a source within Ukrainian special services stated that the Toropets facility stored Iskander missiles, Tochka-U ballistic missiles, glide bombs, and artillery ammunition.

It is unclear if Kiviselg’s statement about 30,000 tons of explosives includes both missiles and artillery ammunition, but the strike destroyed significant Russian materiel stockpiles in any case. ISW continues to assess that continued Ukrainian strikes against rear Russian logistics facilities within Russia will generate wider operational pressures on the Russian military, including forcing the Russian military command to reorganize and disperse support and logistics systems within Russia to mitigate the impact of such strikes.

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Senior seaman Stanislav Marchenkov, with the call sign “Banana”, was killed on February 28, 2024, while performing a combat mission near the island of Tendrivska Spit, Skadovsk district, Kherson region. The warrior was 29 years old.

Stanislav was born in the city of Krasnohrad, Kharkiv region. He studied at Krasnohrad Lyceum №3. Then he graduated from the Krasnohrad Technical College of Agricultural Mechanization, named after F. Y. Tymoshenko, and the Kharkiv Petro Vasylenko National Technical University of Agriculture (specialty “Agroengineering”). He worked at the Technocom enterprise in Kharkiv and later in the greenhouses of Krasnohrad Vegetable Factory LLC. Everywhere, he was respected by his management and colleagues. He loved football and supported FC Metalist. He was interested in housekeeping, planned to grow grapes, planted trees, dreamed of building a gazebo and gathering with friends, and was a great cook of barbecue, hot dogs, and pizza. He was interested in fishing and was well-versed in computer technology. He loved listening to music, watching TV shows and the World Inside Out program. His favorite movie was “Constantine: Lord of Darkness”. He was always trying new things and looking for his own.

During the full-scale invasion, the man defended his country as a member of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center, named after Kosh Ataman Antin Holovaty of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought as a senior operator of the detachment’s team.

During the training, after eating, the guys went to rest, and Stanislav went to the kitchen. Then he ran into the room shouting: “Guys, they brought bananas.” That’s how they gave him the call sign “Banana.”

In December 2023, the fighter was awarded the honorary badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the “Golden Cross,” and posthumously, the Order “For Courage,” III degree.

“Stas was the soul of the company. He was a wonderful husband a loving and caring father. He loved his daughter Ulyana very much and took care of her: he could change her diaper when she was very young; he could bathe her, tie her ponytail, take her to kindergarten, feed her, and entertain her. A real dad. He was conscientious about his duties. He was always interested in new things, studying, trying, and thinking (he developed in the military, watching videos and reading, and offering his own ideas). When something was needed, he did not forget about his comrades-in-arms (he shared everything with them and trusted them, as they trusted him). He was wise. We discussed and reasoned a lot with him, he could advise and listen. He did not know how to swim. He was a lefty. But he performed his tasks properly, trusted his comrades-in-arms and was a wonderful person,” said his wife Natalia.

The Hero was buried at the New Cemetery in the village of Nataline, Kharkiv region, where he lived with his family. Stanislav is survived by his wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and sister.

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

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• The Guardian: Fake UK news sites ‘spreading false stories’ about Western firms in Ukraine
• The Washington Post: Putin yet to find a replacement for nuclear threats
• President of Lithuania: UN Security Council needs to be reformed, there are doubts about its ability to maintain peace
• Forbes: The Kremlin pulled sailors off the decrepit aircraft carrier ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ and sent them to fight and die in Ukraine
• Zelenskyy: Next few months will be decisive in this war