Military aid is increasing again! The new US aid plan to Ukraine includes depleted uranium bombs for the first time, and NATO continues to stir up fire

"27 Russian drones attacked Odessa," said Liu Zhi, a special correspondent for Global Times in Russia. On the 3rd, the Ukrainian military announced that the Russian military launched a large-scale attack on civilian infrastructure along the Danube River in Odessa Oblast using drones. On the same day, the Ukrainian military also attempted to use drones to attack facilities within Russia, but was defeated. From the evening of the 1st to the early morning of the 2nd, Ukraine attempted to attack the Crimean Bridge multiple times but was intercepted by the Russian side. Some Russian media believe that Ukraine is constantly using drones to attack Russia, with the aim of escalating the conflict and involving NATO forces. As the latest move by the West, the United States plans to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium bombs and advanced medium range air-to-air missiles. According to expert opinions cited by the Russian newspaper "Evidence and Facts", in the current situation where Ukraine's counterattack lacks obvious results and the US election is approaching, the Biden administration plans to "bet" on Ukraine's new counterattack breaking through the Russian defense line by providing depleted uranium bombs to Ukraine to cover up previous losses. Another analysis suggests that while the United States is talking about "morality," its focus is actually on business, with the aim of making American military companies profitable.

On September 2, 2023 local time, a Ukrainian soldier fired a mortar at a Russian position in Bakmut, Donetsk region.

Moscow is strengthening drone defense

According to the Ukrainian State News Agency on the 3rd, the Ukrainian Air Force Command announced that in the early hours of the same day, the Russian military dispatched 25 drones to attack the southern region of Odessa Oblast, of which 22 drones were shot down by the Ukrainian air defense system. On the 3rd, the Southern Ukrainian Operations Command announced that the Russian military used drones to attack civilian infrastructure along the Danube River in Odessa Oblast in the early hours of the morning. The attack lasted for 3 and a half hours, and the port infrastructure was attacked and a fire broke out, resulting in casualties. According to a report by the Russian newspaper "Shimbun" on the 3rd, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that in the early hours of the same day, the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a drone strike on the Ukrainian military fuel depot located in Reni Port, Odessa Oblast, and all designated targets were hit. In addition, on the 3rd, the Russian military told the Russian satellite news agency that the artillery units deployed by the Russian military near Slavyansk have destroyed the ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, which contains ammunition used by the S-200 system. Russian media reported that Kiev attempted to launch an attack on the Crimean Bridge using S-200 missiles.

According to a report by the Russian newspaper "Viewpoint" on the 3rd, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that at around 12:30 pm that day, the Russian military thwarted Ukraine's attempt to use drones to attack facilities within the Russian Federation. Russian air defense forces shot down Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod Oblast. The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that Kiev used three unmanned boats to carry out a terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge from late night on the 1st to 2nd local time, and they were ultimately destroyed in the Black Sea. According to reports, Ukraine has made multiple attempts to use unmanned boats and drones to strike the Crimean Bridge. In order to resist attacks, defensive floating barriers were installed on both sides of the Crimean Bridge, making it impossible for semi submersible unmanned boats to pass through. At present, in the waters of the Crimean Bridge, Russian border patrol boats are on duty and helicopters are patrolling in the air, thus providing comprehensive protection for the Crimean Bridge.

According to a report by Russian news agency on the 3rd, Ukraine's continuous use of drones to attack Russia has two purposes: first, to make Russians feel vulnerable. The second is to incite the escalation of the conflict, thereby allowing NATO to intervene in the conflict. Zelensky stated that he did not want to attack Russian territory because he would not receive the support of his allies, but what he did was exactly the opposite. According to the Russian newspaper Opinion, Russia is taking comprehensive measures to protect the capital from Ukrainian drone attacks in response to Moscow's continuous attacks. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin said that Moscow is currently constructing the entire network of air defense facilities, and helicopters will also participate in defense. Russian military expert Knutov said that the first defense of Moscow is the "Armored S1" air defense system, and Russia is actively working to make the response to drone attacks more accurate and professional.

Talking about "morality", doing "business"

Since Ukraine launched its "Great Counterattack" in early June, progress has not been as expected. Recently, there have been voices within the West asking whether the counterattack has fallen into trouble, which has angered Kiev. Kiev stated that what they need is more weapons rather than criticism. Reuters reported on the 1st, citing sources, that the United States plans to announce a new round of military support for Ukraine next week, which will include depleted uranium armor piercing shells for the first time. The report states that these ammunition can be equipped on the Abrams main battle tank. In March of this year, the UK announced that it would provide Ukraine with depleted uranium bombs used in the British made Challenger 2 main battle tank. Depleted uranium is radioactive and long-term exposure can have serious impacts on human health and the environment. The coalition led by the US military extensively used depleted uranium bombs in the Iraq War, seriously endangering the local ecological environment and public health. According to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Ignati, the US Department of Defense is procuring advanced medium range air-to-air missiles to support Ukraine, with a range of 160 to 180 kilometers, which is sufficient to hit Russian aircraft without entering enemy air defense zones.

Some argue that one of the reasons why the United States and Britain are willing to provide depleted uranium bombs to the Ukrainian military is to deplete their old ammunition and avoid costly maintenance of their own inventory. According to Russian media reports, most of the depleted uranium bombs produced in the UK were produced 15 to 20 years ago and are expired or expired products. Instead of spending a huge amount of money on disposal, it is better to let Ukraine serve as a radioactive waste disposal site.

On the other hand, the United States is also encouraging its allies to consume weapons inventory and purchase new equipment under the pretext of "aiding Ukraine", and the US military industrial complex has made a fortune in it. According to Agence France Presse, the US State Department announced on the 1st that it has approved the sale of armored vehicles worth $1.5 billion to Bulgaria. It is worth noting that a month ago, Bulgaria agreed to provide Ukraine with approximately 100 armored personnel carriers manufactured during the Soviet era. In addition, the US Department of Defense announced on August 21 that the US State Department has approved the sale of 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and related equipment to Poland, with a total value of up to $12 billion.

The Ukrainian army is facing a mobilization crisis

At present, Ukraine has allocated most of its resources for counterattacks in the south, resulting in soldiers fighting in the north lacking ammunition, vehicles, and other equipment. According to the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Independence on the 1st, "NATO trained new recruits" fighting in northeastern Ukraine felt demoralized while fighting against better equipped and "fearless" Russian soldiers. The report quoted Ukrainian soldiers as saying that they felt "powerless" and lacked equipment, and some of them began to question themselves whether the ongoing war was futile. The British military intelligence agency has stated that Russia may force Ukraine to shift its focus from the south to the north, thereby undermining its counterattack.

In addition to morale, conscription is also a major issue facing the Ukrainian army. According to the Russian newspaper Novosti on the 2nd, Ukraine has begun mobilizing men aged 50 and above to enlist and calling on other countries to expel evaders who leave Ukraine with forged documents. In addition, starting from October 1st, Ukraine will include women in its military registration scope. Ukrainian political scientist Bortnik believes that this indicates that Ukraine is facing a mobilization crisis, and the existing mobilization capabilities of the authorities cannot meet the needs of the Ukrainian military. At the same time, according to a report by Russian news agency, Medvedev, Vice Chairman of the Russian Federal Security Council, stated on the 2nd that approximately 280000 contract soldiers have been enlisted since January this year. At the beginning of this year, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian military will undergo a large-scale adjustment from 2023 to 2026, including increasing the number of Russian troops to 1.5 million.