September 21, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

The White House is planning to provide a new aid package to Ukraine when President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington, DC, on Thursday, a US official told CNN. 

The package — based on existing drawdown authority — will include additional artillery, anti-armor, anti-aircraft and air defense capabilities that will better equip the country for an ongoing counteroffensive and beyond. 

Zelensky “will be leaving the White House with a significant package of additional capabilities to help near- and long-term defenses,” this official said. 

The package’s air defense capabilities are also expected to help Ukraine defend its skies ahead of a tough winter, with more strikes expected on critical infrastructure.  

Notably, the package is not expected to include Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, that would allow Ukrainian soldiers the ability to strike longer-range targets.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that ATACMs are “not off the table,” but the agencies reviewing whether to provide the weapons have not reached a decision.   

The US military has briefed the White House that while ATACMs would provide longer-range and longer-term defense capabilities, Ukraine’s more pressing needs during the counteroffensive are vehicles, mine-clearing equipment, and short-range anti-aircraft equipment to breach Russian defenses. 

Russia has launched a barrage of missile attacks across Ukraine, including, for the first time in months, on Ukraine's power infrastructure, causing damage to facilities in central and western regions.

The latest Russian bombardment comes as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenksy is preparing to meet with President Joe Biden and meet with US lawmakers, marking his second visit since his country was besieged by Russia. 

Elsewhere, Poland has announced that it will only carry out previously-agreed weapons supplies to Ukraine, amid a growing rift over the export of Ukrainian grain.

Below are the latest developments:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in Washington, DC, says that air defense for Ukraine is among the top issues on his agenda.

"Today, important negotiations are taking place in Washington. Air defense for Ukraine is among the top issues," Zelensky posted on Telegram.

Referring to the barrage of more than 40 cruise missiles that were fired at targets across Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, Zelensky said, "Russian terrorists launched another massive attack. In particular, on the infrastructure. Most of the missiles were shot down. But only the majority. Not all of them."

Zelensky said he was "grateful to every country that has already provided Ukraine with anti-missile systems. We are working to completely deprive Russia of its terrorist potential. We must reach this result."

The CEO of Ukraine's largest private energy provider is visiting the United States this week as he seeks financial support for Ukraine's ambitions to build wind farms.

Maxim Timchenko, chief of Ukraine's DTEK, is meeting US lawmakers, banks and company officials to discuss what he says is the solution for securing its energy infrastructure that's under constant Russian attacks.

Russia has strategically shelled Ukraine’s power infrastructure, temporarily but repeatedly cutting off electricity, heat and water to millions. This campaign left Ukraine's energy grid teetering on the brink of collapse, forcing constant repair work which involved scouring the world to find compatible parts.

DTEK's infrastructure has also come under fire. Five of its thermal power turbines were destroyed considerably since the war began. Two of them were restored, Timchenko told CNN, adding that two others will be restored in 2024. However, one was attacked and destroyed beyond restoration, he said.

The answer to preventing this damage, Timchenko says, lies in building renewable energy infrastructure because it’s harder to destroy.

A thermal power generation system producing 300 megawatt of power, for example, requires a big turbine and one boiler to burn coal and gas. "It’s usually the size of a room. If it’s hit by a missile, then it’s all destroyed in one moment," he explained, adding that depending on the level of damage, it could take a month or a year to restore. "The same capacity of 300 megawatt, if it’s wind, you build 15 turbines 100 meters from each other. If you destroy one, the others still operate."

DTEK, which owns coal and thermal power plants in various parts of Ukraine, is building the Tyligulska wind power plant in Mykolaiv that can generate 500 megawatt of energy. The project started seven months prior to Russia's launch of a full-scale invasion, but it was suspended due to its proximity to the war’s front lines. In May 2022, DTEK started to resume building and in August 2022, the construction began again — and it was entirely the company's own efforts.

Even as its private partners in the project left, the company has finished building the system enough to generate 114 megawatt of power in the first phase. It spent 192 million euros ($205 million) to erect 19 turbines supplied by Danish manufacturer Vestas, Timchenko told CNN. But to get to 500 megawatts, DTEK needs 64 additional turbines that will cost 402 million euros ($428 million), requiring investors and a variety of funding.

But no commercial banks or private investors want to be in Ukraine right now. They say they will wait till the war is over to return or need military security insurances supported by governments, Timchenko said.

If funding is secured by end of year, it will take 12-18 months to complete the massive project.

With the first phase of 114 megawatt complete, Ukraine showed that it can be done, even with missiles flying overhead. “It’s all about the bravery and courage of Ukrainian people,” Timchenko said.

Poland is only carrying out supplies of ammunition and weapons to Ukraine that were agreed to before Warsaw made a decision to stop weapons shipments to its neighbor, government spokesperson Piotr Muller said Thursday, according to state news agency PAP.

Muller emphasized that Ukraine has made a series of "absolutely unacceptable statements and diplomatic gestures" and that "Poland does not accept this type of unjustified actions," according to PAP.

In his remarks at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Zelensky said "it is alarming to see how some in Europe, some of our friends in Europe, play out solidarity in a political theater – making a thriller from the grain," adding "they may seem to play their own role but in fact they are helping set the stage to a Moscow actor."

On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland will stop providing weapons to Ukraine, a change of policy that comes as tensions between Ukraine and its close ally rise over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports to certain EU countries.

Poland also "urgently summoned" the Ukrainian ambassador to Warsaw Vasyl Zvarych on Wednesday over Zelensky's comments, and Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told Zvarych that Zelensky's "thesis is untrue in relation to Poland."

Some context: The ban on Ukrainian grain was initially put in place earlier this year by several European Union nations to protect local farmers, who were worried about being undercut by the low prices of Ukrainian grain. 

Last week, the EU announced plans to suspend the ban, but Poland, Hungary and Slovakia said they intended to defy the change and keep the restrictions in place.

Amid a growing rift with Poland over the export of Ukrainian grain, Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy says he has spoken by phone with his Polish counterpart.

A statement from the Ministry said that Mykola Solskyi and Polish Farm Minister Robert Telus "discussed the situation and Ukraine's proposal to resolve it, and agreed to find a solution that takes into account the interests of both countries."

In what appears to be an effort to calm a situation that has led to angry exchanges between the two governments, the statement added: "The parties confirmed the close and constructive relations that they have repeatedly demonstrated and agreed to develop an option for cooperation on export issues in the near future."

The tone of the statement is in marked contrast to one from the Foreign Ministry in Kyiv on Wednesday, which asserted that Kyiv's ambassador in Warsaw "once again explained the Ukrainian position on the unacceptability for Ukraine of the Polish unilateral ban on imports of Ukrainian grain."

Some context: Poland has long been one of Ukraine’s staunchest backers since Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor, alongside multiple former Eastern bloc nations who fear they could be next if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expansionist war is successful.

However, the country has found itself at loggerheads with Ukraine after, along with Hungary and Slovakia, it refused EU plan to lift a ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

This prompted protests from Ukraine, which this week filed lawsuits against all three countries over the issue.

Ukraine's state energy provider Ukrenergo says that Russia's overnight missile attacks caused damage to power facilities in western and central regions in Ukraine.

Ukrenergo said it was the first time that Russia had launched attacks on the power infrastructure in six months. The strikes come as Ukraine prepares for the winter months. Last year, Russia began a series of intense attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in October.

It added: "Currently, the operation of main power grids in [Rivne and Zhytomyr] has been restored, and household consumers are being supplied with power in the regional power company grids. The attack also damaged power grids in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Kharkiv regions. Emergency repair work began immediately after the air raid alarm went off."

"The power supply is restored subject given the security situation and with the permission of the military."

Vitalii Koval, head of the Rivne regional military administration, said the region had suffered several missile strikes. "Unfortunately, there are hits on the energy and civilian infrastructure."

Speaking in front of a service station that was damaged, Koval said that there were no casualties, but added "There is also no power supply in part of Rivne district."

Some context: Last year, Russia ramped up strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as temperatures dropped.

In October 2022, the country's energy facilities were attacked at least 82 times — more than in all previous months of the full-scale invasion combined.

From October through to January, Russia hit infrastructure throughout most of Ukraine.

The sunset paints the Zaporizhzhia countryside with an orange hue as a friendly figure opens the gates to a rundown shanty.  

“Welcome,” says Nezlamna, ushering us in. 

Hidden under a leafy combination of grapevines and camouflage netting, the derelict property now houses several Ukrainian soldiers fighting nearby on the southern frontline. Among them is Nezlamna, a mother of three — two daughters and a son.  

“I last saw them in April,” she says, admitting the distance makes their relationship difficult. “I even try to call less, not to get upset. And so that they don’t get upset.”

Nezlamna — which means ‘unbreakable’ in Ukrainian — is one of thousands of women who have joined the ranks of Ukraine’s armed forces to help defend the country from Russia’s invading army. For her, military service began well before Russia’s full scale invasion. 

She joined in 2016, after Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, and has been fighting Russian-backed separatists and Russian forces ever since. 

Currently leading a reconnaissance unit on the southern front line, Nezlamna says she is fighting for her children’s future, for their right to live in a “flourishing” Ukraine.

“Their task will be far more difficult - they will have to rebuild the country and bring it back to its feet. And that’s much more difficult than to recapture the borders,” she says. 

It may not be as difficult as rebuilding Ukraine, but pushing Russia out means risking her life daily.

“I think, I’ve seen pretty much everything in my life already, I can hardly be surprised by anything in combat. Yes, of course, there’s a risk, there’s constant risk,” she says, shrugging her shoulders, downplaying the actual danger. 

“There’s shelling, the self-destructing drones may fly, and one moment you are asleep and the next moment - your house is gone. No one is immune to when exactly they will die,” she adds. 

Her biggest worry is leaving her children. 

“The fear is always present,” she says. “Somehow I manage to control it even if I understand this is war, and we all won’t return home alive.”

That horrifying possibility sometimes fuels fiery arguments at home. 

“They still sometimes get offended that I’m not with them, when they need a parent. However, they understand that somebody has to do what I’m doing,” she says. 

Her main ally is her husband, himself a soldier serving with an artillery unit. Before her recent promotion they were in the same battalion.

“We have our own family values, same views, one direction,” she says. “We have been working alongside each other since 2016.”

Despite the dangers of her work and how much she misses a sense of normalcy and a stable life, close to her children, she’s pragmatic: “It’s not on the horizon,” she says. 

Russia has a large army, and even if Nezlamna and her fellow soldiers continue to gain ground, it is going to be a slow grind before Moscow completely leaves Ukraine. 

Sources in Ukraine's Security Services (SBU) say that a massive strike was launched on Wednesday night against the Saki military airfield in Crimea.

Saki — which suffered an extensive attack in August 2022 — is home to Russian combat aircraft.

"There was also a training base for operators of [Iranian-made] Mojaher UAVs. These are the drones used by the Russians to coordinate their own air attacks and as a combat attack drone."

"The strikes of the Security Service and the Navy hit the target and caused serious damage to the occupiers' equipment. To defeat the enemy, drones were used to overload Russian air defense, and then Neptune missiles were launched," the sources told CNN.

Neptune missiles are Ukrainian-made and were used to sink the Russian warship Moskva last year.

Some background: Since 2014, the Saki Air Base has been home to a Russian naval aviation regiment, part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, according to the state-run RIA-Novosti news service.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent military forces into what was then an autonomous region of southern Ukraine with strong Russian loyalties.

Thousands of Russian-speaking troops wearing unmarked uniforms poured into the peninsula in early March that year. Two weeks later, Russia completed its annexation of Crimea in a referendum slammed by Ukraine and most of the world as illegitimate.

CNN's Brad Lendon contributed to the reporting in this post.