Zelenskyj’s peace plan at the United Nations General Assembly is no longer ten points but two: complete withdrawal of all Russian troops and military formations, including the Russian Black Sea Fleet, from the entire territory of Ukraine by 1991 borders; full return to Ukraine of control over the entire state border and exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, as well as the Kerch Strait.
Dimtrj Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian presidency, responded promptly: “There are no conditions for negotiations with Ukraine”. “The word ‘negotiations’ began to be heard more and more often in response to the increasingly frequent questions on this topic. And the President responds consistently, explains the position of the Russian side, which has never abandoned the idea of such negotiations, but in which it is stated that at the moment there are no conditions for their recovery”, he said on Canale Uno. Therefore, according to Peskov, Russia continues to achieve its goals by conducting the Special Operation.
In his speech at the United Nations, Sergei Lavrov spoke about the increased risk of global conflicts. And he said: “The West avoids a substantive conversation about the causes of the conflict in Ukraine, because it has no honest arguments.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “The long-term Ukrainian crisis is not beneficial to anyone, the international community must create an atmosphere and conditions for a solution in Ukraine.”
Despite Washington’s support for Kiev, it seems that in the United States the mood is many and varied: “The President of the United States House of Representatives McCarthy said that he had denied Zelenskyj the opportunity to speak before Congress because of the commitment of legislators”.
A group of Republican lawmakers, on the eve of the visit of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to Washington, sent a letter to the US Office of Management and Budget, in which members of both houses of the US Congress opposed further financial aid to Kiev, The Wall Street Journal reports. They also expressed concern about the $100 billion in funding already approved by Congress, criticizing the Biden Administration’s “muddled strategy” for making an “indefinite commitment” to Ukraine. “How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians closer to victory than six months ago? What is the strategy, what is the president’s backup plan? The WSJ quotes an excerpt from the letter. “Meeting [Biden’s] request Without answers, answering these questions would be an absurd abdication of responsibility on the part of Congress.”
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that he does not know whether the country’s armed forces will be able to succeed in a counteroffensive before the end of the year. “I don’t think anyone knows, really,” he replied to the question. According to the TV channel, Zelensky said he remained focused “on receiving <…> long-range missiles from the United States.” At the same time, the president says that “Ukraine does not want them to be aimed at Russia,” but wants to balance the “level of combat capability” of the conflicting parties. As Zelensky said, if Ukraine does not receive such weapons, “it will be a loss” for its army and will lead to “large losses [by the Ukrainian Armed Forces] on the battlefield.” At the same time, the president does not agree that the positions of the United States and Ukraine on the issue of the use of military force by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Crimea differ. “We think alike,” he said.
But apparently the American response would be negative. “Ukraine will not receive the ATACMS operational-tactical missiles it has requested from the United States in the foreseeable future,” says Fox News Pentagon correspondent Lucas Tomlinson, citing anonymous officials. As for President Joe Biden, he is preparing to launch a new aid package.
In Ukraine, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has suspended the spokeswoman of the Defense Forces Sarah Ashton-Cirillo for inappropriate statements, Ukrainian media reports.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Air Defense Forces destroyed 19 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones over the Black Sea and Crimea. UAVs were also shot down in the Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol regions.
And now a look at the fronts updated at 4pm on September 21st.
Kupyansk sector: Ukrainian sources say that the Ukrainian military blew up and destroyed two crossings in the Oskil area by controlled aerial bombs, along with the central bridge over Oskil in Kupyansk. The destruction of these crossings and the bridge in Kupyansk has complicated the logistics of regrouping the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the northeast and east of Kupyansk, where the Russian Armed Forces hold the initiative.
On the night and morning of September 21, Russian armed forces bombed Ukrainian military industrial facilities. Russian missiles and UAVs hit Ukrainian targets in Kiev and nine regions. “Geran-2” missiles and UAVs hit a warehouse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The explosions were heard in the regions of Cherkasy, Khmelnitsky, Kharkov, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Rivne, the latter of which remained without electricity. Ukrainian authorities have confirmed Russian bombing of industrial facilities in Drohobych, Lviv region, where engineering and oil refineries are located.
The Russian Defense Ministry said attacks were also carried out against radio intelligence and training centers of sabotage groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the department, the goals of the strike were achieved, all objects were hit. Ukrenergo confirmed damage to power plants in western and central Ukraine
Following the massive Russian attack on Ukraine, which also targeted energy infrastructure, several regions are in the dark: Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov. In particular we are talking about 398 settlements. In Rivne there are still interruptions in the electricity supply, contrary to what Ukrenergo said about the restoration of power. The source of the disturbance was an attack by Russian missiles and drones on the distribution station of the Rivne thermal power plant. It is the only link in the transmission of electricity from the Rivne nuclear power plant to the city. The fire is still burning in the structure. Given the lack of energy alternatives, the question of restoring electricity remains open. Russian aerospace forces directly hit the distribution station of the Rivne thermal power plant.
For days the social sphere had been discussing the start of the attack on energy infrastructures in anticipation of winter and today the first bombings arrived. The Russian social sphere calls this kind of attacks: “Second season of Vengeance Strikes”.
Vremevskij sector: Relative calm continues in Vremevskij. Ukrainian formations are actively rotating formations and recovering losses to resume the offensive. The withdrawal of the forces of the 38th Infantry Brigade began from the front line near Novodonetsk, which took place with individual pickup trucks and vans to avoid detection and the subsequent fire attack. Ukrainian marines in positions in the forest belts are replaced by personnel of the 58th motorized infantry brigade. From the Pryp”jat area, armed AFU were also brought to the rear for the restoration of units of the 115th battalion of the 110th Territorial Defense brigade. They transferred their positions to the 249th rifle battalion of the 127th territorial defense brigade.
At Staromayorsky, Ukrainian formations attempted to stealthily enter the Russian forward positions with two reconnaissance groups totaling 11 people. After the discovery there was an artillery attack, and they retreated north. Russian troops continue to strike Ukrainian strongholds and concentrations of men and equipment. Two SUVs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed under Urozhayne, and south of Volny Pole the Russian Armed Forces destroyed a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun.
Svatove-Kreminna direction. In the Kupyansky sector the Russian army consolidates its position in the Sinkovka area. On the Karamzinovsky ledge, the Russians advanced to the Novoegorovka area.
Bachmut Directorate (Artemovsk). The Russian army is pursuing the Ukrainians from previously abandoned positions in Kleshchiivka. Russian fighters also counterattacked in the Andreevka area.
Graziella Giangiulio
