A secret weapons delivery and a cross-river raid: Here’s what to know about the latest in Ukraine
Over the last week, a secret
delivery of American weapons and a cross-river raid have injected much-needed
energy into Ukraine’s largely stalled counteroffensive.
In the east, Ukrainians claim
to have inflicted massive losses on Russian forces trying to encircle an
embattled city.
Meanwhile, in the capital Kyiv,
Ukrainian parliamentarians are looking to expunge Russian influence from the
church.
Surprise arrival of US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS)
A secret US delivery of
long-range ATACMS missiles pounded airfields in occupied Berdiansk on the coast
of the Azov Sea and in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, destroying
Russian helicopters and a munitions depot.
A video posted by commander in
chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, showed the
powerful missile batteries firing, with a caption thanking Ukrainian soldiers
“for their service” and partners “for their support.”
At a time when US funding for
Ukraine remains precarious, the arrival of the ATACMS was a welcome development
both on the battlefield and for public morale.
Ukraine has been asking for
the missile system for months. It’s still unclear when the weapons were
delivered or when the decision to supply them was made.
With a 100-mile range, the
powerful missiles are likely to disrupt Russian positioning, with most analysts
predicting Moscow will be forced to station aerial assets further afield,
limiting operational capacity.
For Ukrainians, the move was
seen as a strong message of support from the US. “Ukrainians are greatly
encouraged by the delivery of ATACMS, and our warriors are putting them to good
use on the battlefield,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet
after a call with US President Joe Biden.
Fierce fighting has been
raging in Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, as Russia continues to encircle the
city and Ukraine claims it has delivered massive blows to Russian military
personnel and equipment.
Russian forces have launched
waves of attacks repelled by the Ukrainian troops who are heavily entrenched in
the area.
According to the Ukrainian
military, more Russian personnel and tanks were destroyed in a single day on
Thursday than any other day since the start of the war.
CNN cannot independently
verify Ukrainian claims of Russian losses but video shared by unofficial
Ukrainian military accounts show intense fighting and destroyed hardware.
Zelensky called Russian losses in Avdiivka “catastrophic.”
Analysts say the Russian aim
is to encircle the city and take over an area of high ground near an industrial
facility which would give Russia effective fire control over Ukrainian supply
routes.
Avdiivka is no stranger to Russian
assaults and has been on the front line of the conflict in eastern Ukraine
since 2014.
More than 1,600 civilians
remain in the embattled city, according to local officials.
Official details of Ukraine’s
latest cross-river operation are scant. But Ukrainian troops appeared to have
crossed the Dnipro River into the Russian-occupied Kherson region, according to
pro-Kremlin military bloggers.
Popular Russian military
blogger WarGonzo said Friday that fighting on the eastern bank of the Dnipro
had continued near the coastal village of Krynky, speculating, “Ukrainian
troops are trying to gain a foothold and pull up reserves to develop their
initiative on the Dnipro bank controlled by the Russian army.”
Earlier in the week, Russian
bloggers claimed Ukrainian military units had crossed the river, breaking
through some Russian defenses and pushing into the villages of Poyma and Pishchanivka
on the eastern bank.
Kyiv has not officially
commented on cross-river operations in the region.
Ukraine has previously carried
out raids on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson. Ukrainian forces
first established a bridgehead on the Russian-controlled bank of the river near
the Antonivsky Bridge in June and have carried out other raids over the summer.
Ukrainian lawmakers have given
the initial green light for a bill that seeks to eliminate Russian influence on
religion.
The aim of the proposed law is
“to prevent religious organizations from operating in Ukraine whose governing
center is located outside Ukraine in a state that carries out armed aggression
against Ukraine.”
The bill passed its first
reading with 267 votes for and 15 votes against.
While the bill does not
specifically name the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the implications are
clear.
Kyiv considers the UOC to be
an extension of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and of Moscow’s influence in
Ukraine.
UOC claims to have cut ties
with the Moscow-based church since the full-scale invasion. But a Ukrainian
government panel of experts “did not find any documents or actions that would
indicate the transformation of the UOC into a religious organization
independent of the ROC.”
A UOC cleric called the draft
bill “scandalous” and accused lawmakers of exploiting religion for “political
intrigues.”
The Ukrainian parliament “did
not ban anyone today. It adopted a truly scandalous bill that contains many
provocative provisions that contradict the Constitution,” a UOC representative,
Metropolitan Klyment, said in a statement.
For the draft to become law,
it will need to be voted on a second time in parliament and signed by Zelensky.
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