Day 557 of the Invasion of Ukraine: 22 Russian Drones shot down over Odesa

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Day 557 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Ukraine shot down 22 of 25 Russian drones, damage was done to the port of Odesa
• Russia temporarily closed the Crimean bridge
• The Russians are withdrawing from positions near the strategically important village of Robotyne
• Ukraine is investigating the oligarch Kolomoyskyi, who made Zelensky president

Ukraine shot down 22 of 25 Russian drones, damage was done to the port of Odesa

The Ukrainian Air Force announced that they shot down 22 Russian drones in the southern Odesa region, AFP reported.

"On the night of September 3, 2023, the Russian occupiers launched several waves of Shahed-136/131 drone attacks from the south and southeast," the Ukrainian Air Force wrote on Telegram. They reported the destruction of 22 drones.

Since an agreement allowing Ukraine to safely export its grain via the Black Sea expired in July, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblasts in southern Ukraine, where ports and other infrastructure vital to the food trade are located, recalls AFP. In August, the first cargo ship to cross the Black Sea reached Istanbul, despite difficulties, and yesterday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two more ships had passed through the "temporary Black Sea grain corridor" created by his country.

However, infrastructure adjacent to the port was damaged during the night attack, according to preliminary data, two people were injured, Ukrinform reports, citing a statement on Telegram by the spokesman of the Southern Volunteer Army, head of the Public Council of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Serhiy Bratchuk. "As a result, a fire broke out, which was immediately extinguished by firefighters," he added.

In total, during the night attack, Russia sent 25 drones to Ukraine.

Russia temporarily closed the Crimean bridge

Russia briefly closed the Crimean Bridge, which connected the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russian forces in 2014, to mainland Russia, Reuters reported. All traffic on the strategic bridge has been suspended.

This was announced by the Kremlin-appointed local administration of the bridge on Telegram. No details were given on the reason for the traffic stop.

As reported, Russia strengthened the bridge's defenses with a barricade of partially submerged ships across 160 meters as a measure against Ukrainian drone attacks. In recent months, these attacks have become more frequent, Reuters recalls.

The Russians are withdrawing from positions near the strategically important village of Robotyne

The Russians are withdrawing from positions near the strategically important village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian military bloggers.

The armed forces of Ukraine have penetrated the Russian first line of defense in some areas of the Zaporizhzhia front, but the situation remains complicated due to the solid fortifications and dense minefields of the occupiers.

At the same time, the commander of the intelligence center of the Estonian Defense Forces, Colonel Margo Grosberg, announced that the Ukrainian artillery capabilities were "equal or even better" than those of the Russian troops and that they were able to push the Russian artillery units away from the front line, which prevents them from supporting the Russian troops.

"This observation is not always true in other parts of the front line, as Ukrainian units regularly report being hit by heavy Russian artillery fire," the ISW said.

Ukrainian forces are advancing in the south and have liberated a number of settlements, especially in August. On August 16, it was reported that Urozhaine was liberated, and on August 22, servicemen from the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that they had entered Robotyne.

The village was identified as the biggest obstacle in the advance to Tokmak, which is the largest town on the road to Melitopol, the liberation of which would cut the land bridge between Russia and Crimea and split the Russian occupation forces in two.

Ukraine is investigating the oligarch Kolomoyskyi, who made Zelensky president

The influential Ukrainian businessman Ihor Kolomoyskyi is suspected in a case of fraud and money laundering, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced today, as quoted by BTA.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made fighting corruption a priority as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 18th month, and Kolomoyskyi, one of the country's richest men, is the most high-profile figure to be targeted. an investigation.

Zelensky, who gained fame as a comedian and played the role of the president in the television series "Servant of the People" broadcast by Kolomoyskyi TV, denies having a personal relationship with the oligarch.

"It was established that during the period 2013-2020, Ihor Kolomoyskyi legalized more than half a billion Ukrainian hryvnias (14 million US dollars), taking them abroad using banks controlled by him," the SBU said in a statement on "Telegram".

Kolomoyskyi has not yet commented on the investigation.

The SBU released photos of a group of investigators outside the door of his home, showing Kolomoyskyi receiving and signing documents.

Kolomoyskyi is the former owner of leading Ukrainian bank PrivatBank, which was nationalized at the end of 2016 as part of a recovery of the country's banking system.

Earlier this year, security forces searched his home in connection with another investigation into abuses and tax evasion by Ukraine's two largest oil companies, which were partly owned by the businessman.

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