Western defence officials and analysts say they believed the Russian forces were setting up a new defensive line in Ukraine’s northeast, as fighting enters its 206th day.

Ukrainian forces continue to cross the key Oskil River in the Kharkiv region as they try to press on in a counteroffensive targeting Russian-occupied territory
(AFP)

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Ukraine receives $1.5B in new financial aid

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has thanked the United States for its support after Ukraine received the aid.

“This is the last tranche of $4.5 billion aid from the United States from @WorldBank Trust Fund,” Shmyhal tweeted on Saturday.

He said the funds would be used to reimburse budget expenditure for pension payments and social assistance programmes.

The state budget of 🇺🇦 received a grant of $1.5 bln. This is the last tranche of $4.5 bln aid from 🇺🇸 from @WorldBank Trust Fund. Funds will be used to reimburse budget expenditures for pension payments & social assistance programs. Grateful to @POTUS & 🇺🇸 for supporting Ukraine.

— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) September 17, 2022

Russia launches strikes on Ukrainian troops

Russia’s defence ministry has said that its forces had launched strikes on Ukrainian positions in several parts of Ukraine, and accused Kiev of carrying out shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Russian forces conducted their strikes in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, according to the ministry, which added that Ukrainian forces had carried out an unsuccessful offensive near Pravdyne in Kherson.

The radiation situation at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, remains normal, according to the ministry. It said two incidents of Ukrainian shelling were recorded near the plant on Saturday.

Britain: Ukraine continues its offensive in northeast

Ukraine continues offensive operations while Russian forces have established a defensive line between the Oskil River and the town of Svatove, British military intelligence has said.

“Russia likely sees maintaining control of this zone as important because it is transited by one of the few main resupply routes Russia still controls from the Belgorod region of Russia,” the Defence Ministry said in a regular Twitter update.

“Russia will likely attempt to conduct a stubborn defence of this area, but it is unclear whether Russia’s front line forces have sufficient reserves or adequate morale to withstand another concerted Ukrainian assault,” it said.

Biden talks energy, Russia with S.Africa’s Ramaphosa

US President Joe Biden has discussed relations with Russia in a White House meeting with South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, who has resisted joining Washington’s campaign against Moscow for the war in Ukraine.

Biden, who has led an international coalition to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the near-seven month war in Ukraine, wants South Africa’s help in efforts that include forcing Moscow to sell its oil at below-market rates.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says evidence of further alleged atrocities by Russian forces in his country will come to light as investigators continued combing through a mass grave discovered in Izyum pic.twitter.com/XVeOpHjoRH

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 17, 2022

Zelenskyy to speak at UNGA via video

Of the 193 member states, 101 voted in favour of allowing Zelenskyy to “present a pre-recorded statement” instead of in-person as usually required.

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Seven members voted against the decision including Russia, Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua and Syria. Nineteen states abstained.

Ukraine’s UN mission had argued that Zelenskyy “cannot participate in-person at the meetings of the General Assembly due to ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

For live updates from Friday (September 16), click here

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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