A sham referendum on accession to Russia has begun in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine; exhumation of bodies from a mass grave site near Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast; the Defense Forces destroyed at least six Iranian drones used by the Russians during the day. We have collected the key news from September 23.
24—year—old Mykhailo Kotliarov works as an emergency paramedic in Mykolaiv. We spoke to him right after his day shift, which, surprisingly, has been uneventful, with no calls for gunshot wounds. He started to work at age 20, straight out of vocational school. There was an outbreak of measles in Ukraine at that time, and later the coronavirus pandemic. And since February, a full—scale war began.
Thanks to the photos of Azovstal defenders taken by Dmytro Orest Kozatsky and spread by Ukrainian and world media, people learned what is happening in the bomb shelters of the plant, which was heavily bombed by Russians on adaily basis. Here is his story told by his family.
In Crimea, Russians aremobilizing Crimean Tatars en masse, Ukrainians raised 10 million hryvnias for the rehabilitation of the liberated Azov fighters in one evening, and Russia struck again at Ukrainian cities. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.
Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted fire damage on three Russian ammunition depots; 8 people were blown up by landmines in the de—occupied territory of Kharkiv Oblast; the Russians fired about 20 shells into the central quarters of Nikopol. We collected the key news for today.
On our way to Vysokopillia, in Kherson Oblast, mobile reception disappears. Maps won’t load, so the navigator doesn’t show the names of localities. From the car window, we see more and more burned—out houses. We are among the first journalists allowed to enter this village after its de—occupation. The Russians stayed in Vysokopillia for half a year.
“I would carry out the order to the last,” Nazar Hryntsevych said these words in response to propagandists' questions in one of the videos they shot after the fighters left Azovstal. Hryntsevych with the call sign Grinka was the youngest paramedic at the plant.
Ukraine freed 215 people from captivity, the Russians handed over Viktor Medvedchuk, and the Ukrainian military struck the command posts of the occupiers in Kherson. Here is what you may have missed from the last night.
Russia released ten foreign soldiers who were captured by Russia during the war in Ukraine; the Russian occupying forces launched a missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Verkhovna Rada condemned Russian pseudo—referendums and nuclear threats; Here is the key news for today.
The occupiers shelled Kharkiv again — the mayor reported on hitting high—rise buildings; the Armed Forces in the south destroyed more than 150 invaders in a day; Denmark allocated $3.6 million to protect the health and rights of women in Ukraine and Moldova. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.
