Weekly Ukraine war summary: Russia’s counteroffensive in the Kursk Region slows down, AFU strike destroys ammunition depot in Toropets

According to Russian and Ukrainian sources (1, 2, 3), the Russian Armed Forces managed to cross the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal within the city limits of Chasiv Yar, and also further south near Stupochky, securing positions on the western bank. Additionally, Russian forces advanced in the Toretsk agglomeration towards the Oskil River, and on the Kupiansk direction in eastern Kharkiv Region.

The Russian military continues to use stopgap measures to address its shortage of personnel. For example, conscripts from repair units, who have never handled weapons, are complaining about being sent into battle. Additionally, following the creation of a motorized rifle regiment by the Russian Aerospace Forces, a new motorized rifle battalion called Frigate, consisting of sailors, has appeared on the front lines. Under such circumstances, discussions about a potential new wave of mobilization have returned — two years after the first Russian mobilization was announced. However, the Russian leadership is hesitant to repeat such a step, partly due to possible issues with equipment, as well as economic and social risks, according to experts interviewed by The Insider.

Mutual strikes and sabotage

During the week, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported on the interception of the following missile and drone attacks:

• On the night of Sept. 14, 72 Shahed drones were shot down out of 76 launched; two were “locationally lost” over Ukrainian territory (likely due to electronic warfare interference), and two more flew back to Russian territory.
• On the night of Sept. 15, 10 out of 14 Shahed drones and a single Kh-59 guided missile were destroyed. Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were also launched.
• On the night of Sept. 16, 53 out of 56 Shahed drones were shot down.
• On the night of Sept. 17, air defense systems shot down 34 out of 51 Shahed drones, 12 were locationally lost due to electronic warfare, and two returned to Russia. Two electrical substations in Sumy caught fire, causing water and communication outages.
• On the night of Sept. 18, 46 out of 52 Shahed drones were shot down, and three guided Kh-59/Kh-69 missiles were launched.
• On the night of Sept. 19, 42 out of 46 Shahed drones and a single Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missile were intercepted. There were also reports of three launches of surface-to-air missiles from the S-300/400 systems.
• On the night of Sept. 20, Ukrainian air defense intercepted 61 out of 70 Shahed drones and one Kh-59 missile.

As a result of the shelling of Kharkiv on September 15 (1, 2), a residential building was damaged, one person was killed, and 41 were injured. The following morning, 8 people were wounded during retaliatory shelling of Belgorod. Journalist and AFU serviceman Yuriy Matsarsky shared with The Insider his insights about life in frontline Kharkiv, which remains under constant shelling.

Additionally, there were reports of civilian casualties and fatalities resulting from shelling in the Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia (1, 2, 3), Kharkiv (1, 2), Kirovohrad, Sumy (1, 2), and Donetsk regions.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, reported on the interception of the following attacks:

- On the night of Sept. 14, 19 fixed-wing drones were destroyed over Russian territory.

- On the night of Sept. 15, 29 drones were destroyed.

- On the night of Sept. 17, 16 drones were destroyed.

- On the night of Sept. 18, 54 drones were destroyed.

The report did not include information about the Tver Region, where a munitions depot of the 107th Arsenal of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense was hit near the city of Toropets. At least 13 people were injured, and according to Ukrainian sources, up to 100 drones were involved. High-resolution satellite images show that 27 out of 43 munitions storage sites were completely destroyed, while six were damaged.

- On the night of Sept. 19, three aircraft-type drones were destroyed.

- On the night of Sept. 20, eight drones were destroyed.

Thus, according to Ukrainian data, over the course of the week the Russian Armed Forces launched 365 Shahed-type drones and 11 missiles during nighttime raids, while reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 129 drones were destroyed over Russian territory (with another 100, according to Ukrainian sources, attacking the depot near Toropets).

Reports of civilian deaths and injuries due to shelling also emerged from the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as in the Belgorod Region (1, 2, 3).