The fight for Vovchansk continues, Kyiv regains control over the aggregate factory

Highlights of September 24:

• Ukraine Regains Control of Vovichansk Aggregate Plant, Military Intelligence Says
• Russia attacks densely populated districts of Kharkiv, killing 3, injuring 34
• Russia to maintain record high defense spending in 2025, Bloomberg reports
• About 60% of foreign parts of Russian weapons come from China, Ukraine claims
• ‘Temporary’ occupation of Ukrainian territory most likely result of full-scale Russian invasion, says Czech president

Ukrainian forces have recaptured an aggregate factory in the city of Vovichansk in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian Military Intelligence (HUR) reported on September 24.

HUR Boss Kyryl Budanow The agency said in a statement that it had been informed earlier in the day of the “successful completion of the operation,” adding that the “extremely difficult” attack was carried out by HUR special forces.

“Fighters HUR “We conducted systematic searches of the plant’s buildings, constantly fighting the enemy in densely built-up conditions,” it added.

Vovichansk is a city in conflict, located about 60 kilometres (37 miles) north-east of Kharkov where heavy fighting has taken place since Russia began new offensive in this area in May. Initially, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkov region was rapidly gaining ground, bogged downand according to reports, Russian troops are suffering big losses.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine took control of the aggregate plant territory after all 30 buildings were cleared (of Russian forces),” Ukrainian military intelligence reported.

During the operation, Ukrainian troops also captured Russian prisoners.

The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently verify this information.

Russian troops control Vovichansk plant for several months.

During the operation, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian soldiers using kamikaze attack drones, guided aerial bombs, and continued intensive shelling from TOS-1 “Solntsepek” multiple rocket launchers.

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Russia attacks Kharkiv's densely populated districts, killing 3, injuring 34

Local authorities said Russian forces attacked Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, on September 24, killing at least three people and wounding 34.

Russia They bombarded the city with guided aerial bombs, targeting densely populated districts, Kharkov Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported at around 15:30 local time. Four districts of Kharkiv were attacked, and high-rise residential buildings in the Kyiv and Soltivsky districts were damaged.

Terekhov said that Russia used eight FAB-250 bombs in the attack, while Kharkiv region Governor Oleh Synehubov said one of the attacks was carried out using a FAB-500 bomb.

According to reports, one of the skyscrapers came under direct Russian fire. Synehubov.

People are trapped under the rubble; emergency services are continuing search and rescue operations at the scene, Syneghubov added.

Terekhov said that one of the buildings that was damaged in the Kiev region had already been attacked at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to the mayor, it was almost repaired, insulated and prepared for the heating season before Russian forces attacked it again.

Terekhov said that about 82 people lived in the part of the building that suffered the most damage. “We are now trying to contact everyone to find out if there are people under the rubble,” he added.

One of the strikes also affected food industry enterprises, Terekhov said. local authorities He later explained that Russia attacked the bakery with a FAB-500 aerial bomb, killing one person and wounding eight others.

The youngest victim is a 17-year-old girl, and the oldest is an 87-year-old woman. Most of the injured are in moderate condition, four in serious condition. According to Synehubov, three people are undergoing surgery at 18:00 local time.

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Russia to maintain record high defense spending in 2025, Bloomberg reports

As Bloomberg reported on September 24, citing a draft budget seen by the website, the Kremlin will maintain record-high defense spending in 2025.

With no immediate end in sight to the war in Ukraine, Russian the government will be increase defense spending to 13.2 trillion rubles ($142 billion) in 2025 from a forecasted 10.4 trillion rubles ($111 billion) in 2024.

Meanwhile, social spending is expected to amount to 7.7 trillion rubles (87 billion dollars), or 21.1% Russian budget in 2024.

NATO countries have set a goal of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense by 2024. Russia spends about 6 percent.

Russia is on track for intensive economic slowdown due to significant labour shortages and restrictions imposed on key sectors that have so far supported economic growth – it was announced on 9 August.

The labor force is practically exhausted and the competition between military AND business for recruits becomes more fierce.

This is likely to limit further growth in defense-related industries. The banking and construction sectors are no longer protected from the effects of high interest rates as the government closes state-subsidized mortgage programs.

Although Russia’s GDP grew by 4% in the first quarter of the year, it will likely slow to 2% in the second half of the year and reach 0.5%-1.5% in 2025, according to Alex Isakov, Russia economist at Bloomberg Economics.

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Around 60% of foreign parts in Russian weapons come via China, Ukraine says

Most of the foreign parts found in Russian weapons used on the battlefield with Ukraine come from China, Vladislav Vlasyuk, an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on September 24.

China took a neutral position in the ongoing war, but it deepened economic ties with Russia and became Moscow’s main source dual-use goods in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, fueling the Kremlin’s war machine.

“If we take into account all popular types of weapons and add components manufactured abroad, about 60% of them will come from China” Vlasiuk said in comments published by Reuters, calling Beijing the “biggest problem.”

Vlasiuk said that Kiev has held talks with some producers on this matter, but has not provided further details.

He added that important parts used in surveillance systems, drones and missiles also come from countries such as the US, the Netherlands, Japan and Switzerland.

Despite extensive activities in the West sanctions Russia continues to cut off supply lines obtain sanctioned goodssuch as microchips, via third countries.

Kiev’s allies have sought to curb the Kremlin’s ability to circumvent sanctions. One EU sanctions package included a ban on third-country entities re-exporting sensitive goods to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is using dozens of critical components from abroad to produce all its missiles. The missiles fired at Kiev during one of the spring attacks were estimated to 1500 foreign parts.

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'Temporary' occupation of Ukrainian territory most likely outcome of Russia's full-scale invasion, Czech president says

As Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview published on September 23, the most likely outcome of a full-scale invasion by Moscow is a “temporary” occupation of some Ukrainian territories by Russia.

In an interview with The New York Times (NYT) Paul said that neither Ukraine nor Russia should expect complete victory.

“Talking about Ukraine’s defeat or Russia’s defeat is simply not going to happen. So the end will be somewhere in the middle,” he said.

By the end of August, Russia controlled about 27% of Ukraine’s territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. he said.

Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson AND Zaporozhye regions are partially controlled by Russian troops. Russia claims to have annexed the entire territory of these regions, although it does not control two regional capitals — Kherson and Zaporozhye. Moscow also controls all Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the illegal annexation of four regions in September 2022, and in June called on Ukrainian troops to leave the territories as a condition for peace negotiations, a proposal rejected by Ukraine.

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