Liberation of Andriyivka, draft state budget for 2024, and MP Shufrych's detention: highlights

Defense forces liberated Andriivka

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the liberation of Andriyivka in Donetsk Oblast in a morning report on September 15.

In the evening, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations in the Melitopol sector and assault operations in the Bakhmut sector.

Ukrainian defenders have partial success in the area of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk Oblasr.

MP Shufrych was taken into custody

The Pechersk District Court of Kyiv has imposed a pre-trial restraint on Nestor Shufrych, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the now-banned Opposition Platform - For Life party, in the form of two months' detention without bail.

Before that, on September 15, Shufrych was charged with treason - Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. On this charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

According to the investigation, the MP closely cooperated with and fulfilled the tasks of former NSDC Secretary Volodymyr Sivkovych. Sivkovych himself is suspected of working for Russian special services and managing the Ukrainian part of a group that spied for Russia.

The ban on grain imports has been lifted

The European Commission has announced that it will not extend the restrictions on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine as of September 15.

It concluded that after the restrictions on Ukrainian imports were imposed on May 2, 2023, market distortions in the five member states bordering Ukraine disappeared.

At the same time, Ukraine committed to introduce export controls for four product groups to prevent market distortions in neighboring countries.

Nevertheless, Poland and Hungary have already announced that they will continue to ban the import of Ukrainian grain, despite the European Commission's decision.

Government approves draft state budget for 2024

The government has approved the draft budget for 2024 with its own revenues of the general budget fund of UAH 1 trillion 560 billion ($42.2 billion) and general fund expenditures of UAH 3 trillion 108 billion ($84.2 billion). The draft is to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.

More than half of all budget resources will be allocated for the defense and security of Ukraine - UAH 1 trillion 685 billion ($45.6 billion). This amount is UAH 113 billion ($3.1 billion) more than this year.

The second priority in the draft is the social sphere, said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Budget expenditures will amount to UAH 469 billion ($12.7 billion), which is UAH 25 billion ($676.9 million) more than in 2023.

SBU strikes a Russian warship

On September 14, an experimental drone "Sea Baby" of the Security Service of Ukraine struck a Russian missile ship "Samum".

According to hromadske's sources, the SBU naval drone attacked "Samum" near the entrance to Sevastopol Bay. It hit the rear right side of the Russian vessel, causing significant damage. As a result, the ship lost its momentum, the sources said.

Kolomoisky charged again

Law enforcement officers have uncovered new facts of criminal activity by the owner of a large financial and industrial group, Ihor Kolomoisky.

According to the investigation, between 2013 and 2014, Kolomoisky illegally seized UAH 5.8 billion ($157 million).

To do this, he created a criminal group consisting of employees of PrivatBank, in which he was a founder and shareholder. Members of this group allowed Kolomoisky to allegedly make systematic fictitious "cash deposits to the bank's cash desk", although the bank did not actually receive them.

Participants in Dnipro incident get measure of restraint

A court in Dnipro has imposed a pre-trial restraint on a woman involved in an incident in Dnipro when a patrol policeman fatally wounded an aggressive man. She was placed under nightly house arrest for two months.

In court, the suspect pleaded not guilty to resisting law enforcement and asked the judge not to grant the prosecutor's request and instead release her on personal recognizance. She was in court without a lawyer.

Other news

• Ukraine has returned the bodies of 51 fallen defenders to government-controlled territory.
• Viktor Yanukovych and Mykola Azarov will be tried for the Kharkiv Pact.
• Russians dropped a bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka and have blamed Ukraine.
• A former Berkut activist has been sentenced to seven years in prison for beating and illegally detaining Euromaidan activists.
• More than 32,000 Hasidim arrived in Uman for Rosh Hashanah celebrations.
• The government has approved a strategy to overcome the gender pay gap.