Page 15 - UKRRptSept23

Attacks on Russian ships, Crimean bridge 'logical and legal.' The Security Service of Ukraine chief Vasyl Maliuk effectively admitted that Ukraine was behind the attacks, saying they were taking place in the territorial waters of Ukraine and are "completely legal."
New Wagner camp under construction near Ukraine's border. The construction of another camp for Wagner Group fighters has begun in Zyabrovka airfield in Belarus, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 8.
Russian proxy claims one more missile targeting Crimea Bridge shot down as more explosions reported. Following Russian media outlets' earlier reports of Ukraine's strike on the Crimean Bridge, Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian proxy head of occupied Crimea, said that air defense had intercepted another missile over the Kerch Strait at around 3 p.m. on Aug. 12.
Ukraine expects to demine its territory in a few years, not decades. In 2024, it is planned to allocate UAH 576M ($16M) from the budget to purchase appropriate equipment. According to the Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyridenko, Ukraine is the most heavily mined country in the world due to the Russian Federation's military aggression. Around 174,000 square km, or a third of the country's territory, must be checked for explosive objects. Therefore, according to the official, one of the environmental tasks of the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine is to demine 80% of potentially contaminated territories and make them habitable within 10 years. For this, Ukraine needs strong international support. The Ukrainian Parliament submitted draft amendments to the 2024 state budget to allocate UAH 576M from the budget reserve fund to purchase demining equipment. This equipment is also needed for the Ukrainian military's successful counteroffensive.
Romanian president: No Russian drones crossed the border. There is no evidence Russian drones reached Romania during an overnight attack on Ukraine on Sept. 4, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Sept. 5. He recognized that the attacks took place "at a very short distance from the Romanian border."
● Weapons
The EU will accelerate the supply of weapons to Ukraine, fearing a possible Trump victory in the election. The EU is worried about the possibility of Trump's return to the White House and is preparing for such a scenario, seeking to provide for uninterrupted arms supplies to Ukraine. The EU seeks to establish bilateral agreements that will maintain these supplies, if necessary, even without the US' participation, the WSJ reports. In both the declaration from the G7 countries and among the EU leadership, it is noted that these countries have agreed to help Ukraine within the framework of bilateral commitments. These agreements are intended to provide Ukraine with long-term support in protecting its sovereignty, territorial integrity, economic restoration, the protection of citizens, and the country's desire to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic community. Currently, the G7 members are discussing these bilateral treaties with Kyiv, and the governments of many countries are trying to quickly agree on military support to strengthen Ukraine's security in case of a
15 UKRAINE Country Report September 2023 www.intellinews.com