Victory Chronicles-DAY 546

The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Melitopol sectors, reported the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the direction of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka, they have consolidated their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets and conducting counter-battery operations. In the Bakhmut sector, the Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations south of Bakhmut, consolidating their positions.

The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives in the areas of Avdiivka and Mariinka, Donetsk Oblast. The enemy is suffering significant losses in personnel, weapons, and equipment, is moving units and troops, and is actively using reserves. Also, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the offensive of Russian troops at the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Bakhmut directions. The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives in the area of Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast. Heavy fighting continues.

Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Odesa Oblast and damaged a grain storage facility on the Danube, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said on Aug. 23. No casualties were reported, but a grain warehouse has partially burned down, according to the governor. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 20 Shahed attack drones at Ukraine overnight on Aug. 23. Eleven drones were destroyed, nine were downed over Odesa Oblast. According to the Air Force, the other two were downed over Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russian forces conducted an airstrike on the city of Kherson on the morning of 23 August, causing a fire at a kindergarten in Korabelnyi district and injuring people. “The enemy launched another large-scale attack on our hromada again!A kindergarten in Korabelnyi district caught fire as a result of the morning airstrike. Three special fire appliances were deployed and 14 State Emergency Service workers promptly started work on extinguishing the fire. Six people were injured as a result of the insidious enemy attack.” said Roman Mrochko, Head of Kherson City Military Administration.

Liberated Ukrainians cry tears of joy as Ukraine gains a strategic foothold in southeast. “We knew that we were going towards peace, towards Ukraine.” Local residents in Robotyne, Ukraine, cried tears of joy as the Ukrainian armed forces liberated them.

Russian forces appear concerned about recent Ukrainian advances in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Satellite imagery from November 2022, December 2022, and August 2023 shows that Russian forces have notably sped up the expansion of defensive fortifications near Chervonoselivka (38km southwest of Velyka Novosilka and 27km from the current frontline) in Zaporizhia Oblast over the last month. 

Ukrainian Colonel Petro Chernyk stated that all conditions are set for Ukrainian forces to enter the Northern Azov region and “demolish“ Russian positions in southern Ukraine and occupied Crimea. Chernyk stated that Russian forces are strengthening their positions on the Perekop Isthmus (around 160km north of Sevastopol) and are building three lines of defense in the area. Chernyk suggested that Russian forces would not have built additional defenses if they were sure they could hold their positions on the Perekop Isthmus.

Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Head Major General Kyrylo Budanov stated that Russian forces have created four unspecified “groups” in Crimea in preparation for a Ukrainian counteroffensive and noted that this has never happened before. The construction of additional defensive fortifications in Zaporizhia Oblast and on the Perekop Isthmus and the creation of four unspecified “groups” in Crimea may indicate that Russian forces are growing increasingly concerned about recent Ukrainian advances along the southern front.

“A colleague, husband, and father, Ostap Brynskyi, was killed in the fight against the Russian occupiers in the East. Our team was shocked by the terrible news. Our Ostap Brynskyi, a part of the Patients of Ukraine team, an incredible person, a loving husband and father, has been killed. Ostap is one of the two men on the Patients of Ukraine team. Both of them stood up to defend Ukraine after the beginning of the full-scale invasion,” the Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine” said.

On February 24, Ostap joined the Territorial Defense ranks and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He defended us from the Russian invaders and fought for the right to live in an independent country. “Ostap fought in the East. We believed that he would return to us with a victory unharmed. Unfortunately, this did not happen,” the Charitable Foundation “Patients of Ukraine” said. On August 19, he died at the hands of the Russian occupiers. Ostap is survived by his wife and young daughter. 

“An endless black hole of pain. Our beloved Ostap Brynskyi was killed in action near Bakhmut. It happened on August 19, during a mortar attack. A shell fragment made his heart stop. For a year and 2 months, he defended Ukraine’s borders, sovereignty and independence, defended us, our right to live. 

He also loved life, he was able to notice something funny, ironic, and beautiful even in everyday trifles. My strongest support, my source of creativity and peace. Solomiia’s partner in crime, who invented the best entertainment for her and enveloped us all with his warmth and inner light. He was not born for war. None of us were. But it was his conscious decision to go to the army. His love for us, for people, for life could not keep him away. He had a million more plans, we had plans together, we were supposed to live a long and happy life, but the damned country, the countrymen took away his opportunity to realize them. And they took it away from us, our happiness. Now it’s hard to realize, to accept that it’s true…. that it’s not a bad dream or a joke. I did not believe that I would ever have to write this. I imagined how we would congratulate him on our victory on Khreshchatyk. – Why him? He should not have died,” Solomiika asks me. “None of us, Ukrainians, none of our people should have died. But someone has to help us from the sky…” wrote the defender’s wife Mladena Kachurets, on her Facebook page.

“My brother is dead. Ostap Brynskyi died as a warrior in a battle near Bakhmut. But above all, he was a Human Being. He fulfilled his human duty first and foremost. I can say a lot about him, he has been my idol since childhood. But now I don’t have the strength. He was a wonderful father, and this is just an indescribable pain for his daughter, my goddaughter Solomiika,” Taras Brynskyi wrote on Facebook.

• Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to Lars von Trier: When an artist takes the side of the executioner, it is a tragedy
• Reuters: Russia may supply aircraft parts through Russians with relatives abroad
• White House: War is dynamic, Ukraine continues to reclaim territories
• UK intelligence: Russian army unable to move vehicles quickly due to damaged bridges 
• General Staff: Ukrainian forces destroy 23 more Russian artillery systems and 11 tanks