A third of the weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces come from Bulgaria, says Ursula von der Leyen, visiting the country. The President of the European Commission arrived in Bulgaria and praised the local authorities for their support for Ukraine.
Several military-industrial plants were built in Bulgaria during the Soviet era, such as “Arsenal,” which produces replicas of the AK, PK, AGS, and rocket launchers.
There are also the “Sopot” and “Kintex” plants, which manufacture 152 and 155 mm projectiles, 122 mm rockets for the “Grad” multiple rocket launchers, and 60 to 120 mm artillery mines.
A small mystery surrounds the arrival of the European Commission President: the plane carrying the European Commission President experienced GPS interference before landing in Bulgaria. The plane then landed without incident. Bulgarian authorities expressed suspicion that the disruption was due to “Russian interference,” but Russia denied this: Moscow was not involved in the disruption of von der Leyen’s plane’s GPS signal, the Kremlin claims.
The EU president said there is a “clear roadmap” for the deployment of troops on Ukrainian soil. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ursula von der Leyen stated: “Security guarantees are of primary importance and absolutely necessary. We reached an agreement at the White House (…) and this work is progressing very well,” the European Commission president said.
According to her, Donald Trump assured Europeans that “there will be an American presence as part of the support.” The FT reports that the troops could include tens of thousands of soldiers under the command of European countries, “who will receive assistance from the United States, including command and control systems, as well as intelligence and surveillance assets.”
New delays for Rheinmetall’s artillery shell factory in Ukraine. CEO Armin Papperger, in an interview with DW, said that previously reported construction delays at the plant had proven more serious than initially expected. Production was scheduled to begin in 2026, but Papperger now claims he doesn’t even have a construction project for the plant and that it is expected to be ready no sooner than 12 to 14 months later, or, according to optimistic estimates, by the end of 2026.
Papperger then said that the entire production volume of the new plant in Unterluess, Germany, for 2025—25,000 155 mm shells—will be supplied to Ukraine. By 2026, the same plant will be able to supply Ukraine with 100,000 155 mm shells, with production increases in subsequent years.
Furthermore, the Bulgarian government and the German military conglomerate have agreed to establish Europe’s largest gunpowder factory and a plant for the production of 155 mm artillery shells compliant with NATO standards. Both parties will invest over €1 billion in the project. Bulgarian state funding will be provided through the SAFE EU mechanism. The agreement will be signed by the end of September this year.
The 155 mm shell production plant is planned to be built on the premises of the Vazov Machine-Building Plant and will produce approximately 100,000 shells annually. Negotiations are also underway to establish a drone development and production plant in Bulgaria, which will either be a new venture or a branch of an existing one.
The United States faced depleted TNT stockpiles due to the Ukrainian conflict, the New York Times reports. Until 2022, the United States relied on suppliers from China, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, who offered “low prices.”
Furthermore, it noted that commercial TNT could be obtained from shells, mines, and even bombs deemed too old for use by the American military.
The old weapons are now exhausted, as the US military has decided to retain older weapons in its arsenal starting in 2022. Poland, which was “the Pentagon’s only authorized supplier of TNT,” now sends most of it to Ukraine, while Russia and China “have halted supplies to the US.”
On the international front, on September 4, at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of the EU and NATO will arrive in Paris. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be present, the Financial Times reports.
The main topic is security guarantees for Kiev; “The deployment of troops is of the most important sovereign decisions of a state. “But the situation is tense, things are moving forward,” von der Leyen said. She emphasized that funding for the Ukrainian armed forces will continue even in the event of a ceasefire, including salaries, training, and the supply of equipment.
Furthermore, Germany and France will create a joint early warning system. The two governments have agreed to create an additional joint early warning system for missile threats; the project will include a satellite constellation and ground-based radars. The initiative is called JEWEL, and the memorandum states that it is open to other partners. One of the projects used is ODINS EYE, a project funded by the European Defence Fund, which involves the creation of a satellite constellation responsible for tracking the exoatmospheric flight of missiles. Responsibility lies with the German satellite manufacturer OHB. France possesses nuclear weapons, and Macron had previously stated his desire to deploy them on German soil.
Remaining in Germany, Chancellor Merz said that Berlin had saved NATO from dissolution, taking the decision to increase the volume of state loans for defense purposes: ”I was at the NATO summit in The Hague. “If we hadn’t changed the Fundamental Law and been prepared to allocate 3.5% of GDP to Germany’s defense and 1.5% to necessary infrastructure, NATO would probably have dissolved that same day,” he said.
Among defense projects, the European Commission intends to increase Lithuania’s funding for monitoring Russian trains bound for Kaliningrad. According to von der Leyen herself, Lithuania’s border security with the Kaliningrad region needs to be strengthened. This requires defense investments of €100 million.
Warsaw expels Ukrainian refugees: “Fifteen Ukrainian citizens were forcibly taken to the border by border guards and handed over to the Ukrainian side,” the Polish Border Committee stated.
The reasons for the expulsion were related to the Polish “Aliens” Act, which cites state defense, security, and public order. Those expelled had repeatedly committed crimes, including drug possession. Theft, robbery, forgery, drunk driving, and organizing illegal border crossings. He has been banned from returning for 5-10 years.
After Turkey was “invaded” by Russian tourists, Belgium is now ready to resume issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens if its embassy staff is increased; already on August 28, Slovakia announced it had resumed accepting Russian tourist visa applications.
And while Putin is in Tianjin for the SCO summit, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych reappears. The former Ukrainian president, long out of the spotlight, unexpectedly spoke to Russian journalists. According to him, when he was in power, he considered Ukraine’s accession to the EU a strategic objective, but was categorically opposed to NATO membership. Yanukovych effectively agreed with Putin’s position, expressed at the SCO summit: it was the West’s attempts to draw Ukraine into the alliance that became one of the reasons for the current conflict: “This is a road to nowhere, it’s a disaster and a direct path to civil war,” the former president emphasized. He also added that European leaders behaved “inappropriately” during negotiations with Kiev.
And still regarding relations between Kiev and the EU, Budapest intends to block the opening of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. This statement was made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó, who reiterated Hungary’s opposition to such a plan.
And now a look at the front line updated at 3:00 PM on September 1.
During the night between September 31 and 1, Ukrainian forces launched drones against Crimea, with over 60 UAVs being shot down over the sea. In recent days, Ukrainian activities towards Crimea have intensified. For the third day For the past few weeks, Russian facilities in Crimea have been targeted by attack drones; the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the first combat use of the new “Flamingo” missile. On the afternoon of September 1, reconnaissance activities were also reported in maritime areas.
The Ukrainian GUR reported the destruction of two Russian Mi-8 helicopters by drones at the Hvardiiske air base, near Simferopol. The Ukrainians also claim to have hit a tugboat in Sevastopol Bay. Kiev has carried out several attacks on the territory of Crimea, using the “Ghosts” special forces unit of the Central Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
The strikes primarily hit the western part of Crimea, where the targets were radar surveillance facilities of the 31st Air Force and Air Defense Division, as well as civilian infrastructure.
Based on the choice of targets, it can be concluded that Kiev is trying to destroy Russian air defense positions: the main targets of the attacks are not launchers, but radars and other detection devices.
Ukrainian drones also operate in the Krasnodar region. A fire occurred at a transformer substation in the Kropotkin industrial zone, which was extinguished. In the Ilsky settlement, very minor damage occurred, with no casualties. The day before, demonstrative footage emerged showing the launch of new enemy “Flamingo” missiles against our territory.
Russian nighttime attacks: Explosions heard in Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Kyiv, and Kharkov regions.
In the Bryansk region, Ukrainian forces are increasing the number of tactical drone strikes against civilian targets. On the Suzemka-Strakhovo road, an improvised explosive device was dropped on a vehicle, injuring the driver. In Suzemka, Ukrainians attacked the House of Culture using kamikaze drones. Two people were injured in an attack on a farm in the village of Krapivna. In the village of Churovichi, Klimovsky District, Ukrainian FPV drones attacked a civilian car and an administrative building, which caught fire.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian drones struck the village of Belaya, Belovsky District; four were injured.
On the Sumy front, heavy rocket-propelled artillery joined the operations against Ukrainian positions. In Yunakivka and the surrounding forests, Russian Airborne Forces units continue to advance despite fierce Ukrainian resistance.
In the Belgorod region, Murom in the Shebekino district was bombed, resulting in one civilian injury. In Dubino, Krasnoyaruzhsky district, a drone attack on agricultural equipment was reported; one person was injured. In the village of Novoaleksandrovka, a drone attacked a vehicle; one person was injured. Tulanka, Mikhaylovka, Leonovka, Grayvoron, Kozinka, Borisovka, Proletarsky, and Oktyabrsky were attacked. On the Striguny-Novoaleksandrovka road, a drone attacked a truck.
On the Krasnolimansk front, the Russians are attacking near Derilovo, in the areas of Kolodezi and Zarechny.
On the Seversk front, fighting continues in Serebryanka: Ukrainian counterattack.
On the Dnepropetrovsk front, after taking Kamyshevakha, the Russians are advancing towards Velykomykhailivka. Progress has been made near Maliivka, Dnepropetrovsk region.
On the Druzhkivka front, Russian forces have advanced through the forests north of Poltavka towards Sofiivka and continue to assault the ravine area, according to Ukrainian sources. This maneuver may indicate an intention to outflank Kostiantynivka from the west as well.
On the Kostiantynivka front, fighting is ongoing near the settlements of Rusyn Yar and Predchetino. Ukrainian forces are conducting an organized defense. Russian FAB bombs are increasingly falling on Kostiantynivka.
In the Kherson region, a woman was injured by Ukrainian attacks on Hola Prystan. In Oleshky, a civilian was killed and two others were injured. In the settlement of Velyki Kopani, one civilian was injured. Kiev forces shelled Velyka Lepetykha, Zavodivka, Hornostaivka, Kairy, Korsunka, Podstepne, Proletarka, and Rayske.
Southwest of Druzhkovka, towards Konstantinovka, near the settlement of Toretskoye
In Smuglyanka, the Russians dropped FAB bombs on a landing site.
Graziella Giangiulio
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