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year's summer counteroffensive, writes The Washington Post, citing the assessment of American intelligence services. Most likely, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not even be able to reach Tokmak, the main center of defense in the Zaporozhye direction.
On August 12, explosions and shots rang out in occupied Kerch. The Russian-appointed Crimean authorities announced a temporary stop to traffic on the Crimean Bridge due to attempts by the Ukrainian military to strike the bridge. Russian media reported that Ukraine's Armed Forces tried to attack the bridge but that anti-aircraft defense systems prevented the attack's success. It is not known whether the bridge was damaged. Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the Crimean head, claimed that the smoke around the Crimean bridge is a smoke screen created by Russian special services. The Ukraine Armed Forces hope to obtain information from satellite images and determine the extent of any damage. However, it is assumed that the occupiers would not simply close the Crimean Bridge without reason, said Yuriy Ignat, the spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also explained that fumigation as a disguise had been used since World War II. The spokesman also added that similar incidents in the occupied Crimea may occur and even become more frequent.
Ukraine seeks to disrupt the export of Russian oil. The attack on the Olenegorsky Miner, a Russian landing ship, in Novorossiysk Bay puts the Russian oil export infrastructure at risk for the first time. As the FT points out, naval drones attacked the ship after Russia withdrew from the grain agreement and began its mass shelling of Ukraine's port infrastructure. However, the publication suggests an attack on Russia's oil export infrastructure will likely worry the White House and other Western capitals. Washington has long led efforts to avoid rising oil prices. On the night of August 4, explosions rang out near the port of Novorossiysk. The SBU confirmed the special operation, resulting in the Olenegorsky Miner being damaged. Also, last night near the Crimean Bridge the Sig, a large Russian oil tanker, was attacked by drones. In addition, Ukraine officially declared the water area of six Russian ports - Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi, and Taman - as a military threat zone. This may make it more difficult for Russians to insure their vessels.
The damage to Ukraine's infrastructure from the war has exceeded $150B. The amount of direct damage caused to Ukraine's infrastructure due to the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation is estimated at $150.5B, of which $55.9B represents housing loss, reported KSE. According to the researchers' calculations, the largest share in the total loss is the $55.9B housing loss, taking into account losses of approximately $1B from flooding and destruction of residential buildings due to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP. According to preliminary data from regional administrations, as of June 2023 the total number of destroyed or damaged housing facilities due to hostilities is about 167,200 buildings, of which 147,800 are private homes, 19,100 are multi-apartment buildings and 350 dormitories.
Russia attacked Ukraine's main inland port across the Danube River from Romania on August 3, sending global food prices higher as it ramped up its use of force to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain. The drone attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail and halted ships as they prepared to arrive there to load with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto blockade Russia reimposed in mid-July.
14 UKRAINE Country Report September 2023 www.intellinews.com