Key developments on Sept. 6:
- 'Situation was catastrophic' - Ukraine's Azov says it relieved surrounded troops in Niu-York, regained ground
- Zelensky's visit to Ramstein secures air defense, weapons for Ukraine
- Ombudsman appeals to UN, Red Cross over alleged execution of Ukrainian POW seen on video
- Zelensky claims 6,000 Russian soldiers killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast
- Russian attack on Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills 1, injures 64
The 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade helped to stabilize the previously "catastrophic" situation in Niu-York, Donetsk Oblast, unblocking surrounded Ukrainian soldiers and regaining part of the settlement, the brigade said on Sept. 6.
Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast in the past months.
"At the time the brigade was deployed to the area, the situation on the front line was catastrophic," the Azov Brigade said on X.
"However, thanks to the high morale, courage, and professionalism of the brigade's fighters, Azov managed to stabilize the situation, regain control of part of Niu-York, and unblock the Defense Forces, which were surrounded by enemy troops."
The Azov Brigade nevertheless acknowledged that the situation in the settlement remains tense as Russian forces conducted up to 15 ground assaults in the unit's area of responsibility within a day.
Russia has been pushing deeper into Niu-York over the past weeks in an attempt to encroach on the important town of Toretsk. While Moscow has repeatedly claimed a full capture of Niu-York, the Azov Brigade refuted the statement, saying that Ukrainian forces continue holding the defenses.
Ukraine's success in the area appears to be corroborated by the crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring service, which shows Ukrainian forces regaining ground in northern Niu-York and in neighboring Nelipivka between Sept. 4 and 5.
The success in the area would be a welcome boost to Ukrainian forces, who have been gradually losing ground in Donetsk Oblast as Moscow's troops push in multiple sectors, including toward the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Asami Terajima
Zelensky's visit to Ramstein secures air defense, weapons for Ukraine
Ukraine received pledges of more military aid from allies, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada, during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) on Sept. 6, which President Volodymyr Zelensky attended in person.
The U.S.-led group, consisting of over 50 countries, including all 32 NATO members, convenes at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The meeting on Sept. 6 is the group's 24th gathering since its establishment in April 2022. Zelensky last attended the meeting in person in October 2023.
The U.S. pledged a new aid package for Ukraine worth $250 million. The tranche includes RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense, Stinger missiles, ammunition for HIMARS, and other military assistance.
Ahead of the summit, the U.K. announced it would supply Ukraine with a new military aid package consisting of 650 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) worth over $213 million. The first LMM missiles are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.
On the sidelines of the meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Berlin would deliver an additional 12 self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers with a range of over 30 kilometers (under 20 miles) worth 150 million euros ($165 million) to Kyiv.
The guns would come from the industry deliveries rather than standing German military stocks. Six of them are due to arrive by the end of 2024, and the rest will be delivered in 2025, Pistorius said.
Germany also pledged to deliver 77 older Leopard 1A5 tanks in cooperation with Denmark and the Netherlands in the near future.
A new defense aid package was also announced by Canada, including 80,840 motors of decommissioned small air-to-surface unguided rockets CRV7, along with 1,300 warheads.
Spain will provide Ukraine with a HAWK air defense system battery, Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced. The system consists of six missile launchers and is already located in Poland.
Kyiv is also expected to receive maintenance equipment and materials for F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands, as well as air-to-air missiles that the aircraft can use to repel Russian attacks, according to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
Owen Racer
Ombudsman appeals to UN, Red Cross over alleged execution of Ukrainian POW seen on video
Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Sept. 6 that he had appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations in response to a video that allegedly shows the execution of a Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW) by Russia.
The video, which is circulating on social media, was published by Ukraine's military intelligence's "I Want to Live" project. It is unknown when and where it was filmed.
The footage purportedly shows a Russian soldier who asks a Ukrainian soldier if he wants to "say the last word, pray before dying," and then shoots him with a rifle three times. The moment of the shooting is blurred. The Kyiv Independent was unable to verify the video.
There have been multiple reports of Ukrainian POWs being tortured or killed while in Russian captivity since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. As of June, the Prosecutor General's Office said 28 criminal investigations were underway regarding the execution of 62 Ukrainian POWs.
Following new reports, Lubinets reiterated that the execution of Ukrainian POWs by Russia is a violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
"Each such execution requires a proper investigation, and the international community should not remain silent on the systemic crimes of the occupiers," he said.
According to the ombudsman, Russia deliberately shoots Ukrainian POWs and shares such videos, but all information must be thoroughly verified.
Earlier in the day, CNN published a video showing how Russian forces seemed to have gunned down a group of surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk in late August.
Zelensky claims 6,000 Russian soldiers killed, wounded in Kursk Oblast
Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast has resulted in around 6,000 casualties on the side of the Russian Armed Forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Sept. 6.
"Thanks to our actions, there is no threat to the city of Sumy as was the case in May against Kharkiv," Zelensky said.
Zelensky was referring to the threat of a potential Russian offensive in Sumy Oblast, which neighbors Kursk Oblast. Warning of Russia's potential attempt to enter Sumy Oblast were voiced by Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, in May, after Russia launched a new offensive in neighboring Kharkiv Oblast.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi also said in an interview with CNN, published on Sept. 5, that Russia was planning an offensive from Kursk Oblast before Ukrainian forces launched operations there.
Russia nonetheless continues to deploy its most effective units in Ukraine, primarily Donetsk Oblast, demonstrating a "clear choice by Moscow," Zelensky said.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn't care about Russian land and people, he just wants to grab as much of our land and as many of our cities as possible," he added. "He wants our cities, or the ruins that remain of them."
The Kursk incursion also shows that "Russia's attempts to draw red lines simply do not work," Zelensky added.
Martin Fornusek
Russian attack on Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills 1, injures 64
Russia attacked the city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Sept. 6, killing at least one person and injuring 64, including at least five children, authorities said.
The injured victims reportedly include two boys, aged 11 and 4, and a 9-year-old girl. Three of the hospitalized residents are in serious condition, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.
According to the governor, the oldest victim was 86 years old.
Russian forces likely launched five Iskander-M or KN -23 North Korean ballistic missiles from Voronezh and Rostov oblasts, hitting civilian infrastructure in the city at around 10 a.m. local time, the Air Force said.
Pavlohrad, a city with a population of over 100,000, lies roughly 70 kilometers (over 40 miles) east of the regional center, Dnipro, and over 110 kilometers (70 miles) west of the front line.
Chris York
