Victorious news of 574th day of war: explosions near Moscow, missile attack on Russian military equipment in Crimea

Two aircraft and a helicopter explode near Moscow

Unknown saboteurs blew up a helicopter and two aircraft in the Moscow region. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate has reported unknown sabotage at the Chkalovsky military airfield in the Moscow region.

"A group of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has launched a probe into a sabotage at the Chkalovsky airfield, which severely damaged two aircraft and one helicopter on September 18, 2023. The incident caused considerable hysteria in the highest military corridors - government aircraft, so-called doomsday planes and special aircraft (reconnaissance aircraft) are based at the airfield," the intelligence said in a statement.

At the heavily guarded airfield, unidentified persons planted explosives and blew up AN-148 and IL-20 aircraft, as well as a MI-28N helicopter, which had previously been actively involved in shooting down attack drones over the Moscow region. According to the intelligence, it is impossible to quickly repair the damaged aircraft. The helicopter's tail section was damaged by an explosion. Another AN-148, which was parked next to the others, sustained minor damage.

Russian law enforcement agencies are looking for saboteurs. Local media have been banned from reporting on the incident.

Explosions in occupied Crimea

Crimean Telegram channels reported explosions on the peninsula, in particular in the area of Inkerman, as well as near the Belbek and Kacha airfields. The occupation "authorities" claimed a UAV attack and air defense operations.

According to local residents, the Russian military again used a smoke screen in Sevastopol's Southern Bay and from the Northern Bridge.

Later, it intensified in the area of the Oil Harbor in Inkerman. It is here that the main oil depot of the Black Sea Fleet is located, where millions of tons of fuel are stored.

Subsequently, the so-called governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said that, according to preliminary data, downed drones had fallen in Verkhniosadove and Kacha as a result of air defense operations.

Instead, the Crimean partisans reported a hit on a Russian military unit near the village of Verkhniosadove near Sevastopol.

Later, in a comment to Babel, a representative of the Ukrainian Intelligence Service, Andriy Yusov, confirmed the missile attack on the locations of Russian equipment in the occupied Crimea. He noted that the intelligence would provide more detailed information later.

"The planned work of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces to destroy the Russian troops' military facilities in the temporarily occupied territories, including the Ukrainian Crimea, continues. The details will be made public by the General Staff very soon," the intelligence representative said on the air of the national telethon.

"It's all part of the same set of measures. All these measures are effective, believe me," Yusov said.

UK to provide Ukraine with tens of thousands more artillery shells

British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that the UK has supplied Ukraine with more than 300,000 artillery shells and plans to supply "tens of thousands more" this year.

"Today, we have demonstrated the UK's unwavering commitment to Ukraine and provided more military support, including the promise of tens of thousands more artillery shells, to enable Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked invasion and to recover the illegally occupied territories," the minister said.

The UK is "committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes" to defend itself against Russian invasion.

New security aid package for Ukraine from Spain

Spain's acting Defense Minister Margarita Robles has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, which will include armored personnel carriers

The official briefed her colleagues on the status of Spain's supplies of equipment to Ukraine, noting the announced transfer of new armored transport vehicles, inflatable command ships, as well as various equipment, launchers and missiles for air and ship defense, special trucks for working with these systems, and ambulances.

In addition, Spain sent a significant batch of medical supplies to support the work of the Role 2+ hospital, which was handed over in August.

Ukrainian Armed Forces may reach south of Tokmak by the end of October, beginning of November

Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military and political observer with the Information Resistance group, noted that, according to the optimistic scenario, the Ukrainian Armed Forces could reach south of Tokmak by the end of October or early November.

"If the Ukrainian Armed Forces advance in the Novoprokopivka - Verbove - Ocheretuvate triangle in the coming weeks, as the 76th and 7th Air Assault Divisions, which the Russians have moved from the Luhansk region, are located there. If we manage to break through to the northern sector of Tokmak in this location, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be able to cut off the enemy's logistics by the end of the year. Because tactical actions of a different nature will take place near Tokmak," Kovalenko suggested.

According to a military and political observer, considering this optimistic scenario, the Ukrainian Armed Forces could reach south of Tokmak by the end of October or early November.

"This is the Russian troops' third line of defense, which allows them to go deeper into the occupied territories faster. And this will allow the Defense Forces to go north of Melitopol. In this case, the entire strip from Melitopol to the Azov Sea coast will be covered by our cannon and rocket artillery. And this will accelerate the Ukrainian Armed Forces' access to the Azov Sea coast," Kovalenko emphasized.

In addition, according to the General Staff, on September 20, the Ukrainian Air Force conducted 8 air strikes against the enemy's concentration of troops, weapons and military equipment.

The missile forces hit an area where troops, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, targeted one Strela-10 air defense system and four artillery systems of the invading Russian forces.