In a recent article by the Voice of America, it was reported that Russia conducted a drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday. This attack lasted for two hours and resulted in thirty-two drones being launched. However, Ukrainian air defenses were able to shoot down twenty-five of these drones. As a result of falling debris, some damage was caused on the ground. On the other hand, Russia claimed to have shot down eight Ukrainian drones as they approached Crimea.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence also reported on Saturday morning that there had been Russian redeployments to strengthen their defenses against the advancing Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had successfully advanced past Robotyne and were continuing to gradually advance against Russian positions. They were also able to maintain pressure on Russian positions between Klishchiivka and Adriivka, making gradual gains in that area. These redeployments by Russia were seen as an indication of the pressure they were facing on their defensive lines, particularly around Robotyne.
By Sunday afternoon, Ukraine had consolidated its advances and pushed further into Russian-held territory, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian forces were continuing to advance south of Robotyne and near Bakhmut. Geolocated footage showed that they had also advanced east of Novoprokopivka. The Ukrainian forces were making progress in various directions and had liberated 1.5 square kilometers of territory near Robotyne. They also achieved unspecified success near Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast.
In response to Ukraine’s advances, Russian defenders moved their command post farther to the rear, out of range of most Ukrainian artillery. The Institute for the Study of War noted that the remaining forward command posts had been fortified and relied more on field telephones and secure radio communications. However, there were still weaknesses in operations security, as signals at the battalion level and below were often unencrypted, and sensitive information was frequently communicated through unsecure channels.
Russia’s high expenditure rates, particularly on missiles, were proving difficult to sustain. They were seeking sources of supply from abroad, and Iran was reported to be a willing supplier. However, Israel’s Mossad claimed to have thwarted the shipments of missiles from Iran. North Korea, another supplier of munitions to Russia, was expected to meet with President Putin to discuss trade agreements that would provide more ammunition and advanced military technology. Although North Korean stocks of ammunition were old, they were still substantial.
The threat of drone attacks by Ukrainian forces had led Russian local authorities to organize volunteer security patrols in Pskov Oblast, near the Estonian border. Up to 800 citizens had signed up to join these patrols, which aimed to interdict further attacks against Kresty air base. The volunteer security patrols would act as a deterrent and provide a level of defense against quadcopter drones being operated from the immediate vicinity of the air base. This initiative indicated a shortage of trained security personnel within Russia.
Radio Free Europe | Radio Liberty reported that spending by regional governments on security and policing had increased this year due to growing domestic security needs. While these functions were still primarily funded from the Federal budget, regional outlays had risen.
Russia’s military recruitment drive focused on hiring more contract soldiers, aiming to recruit 420,000 personnel by the end of 2023. As of September 3, 280,000 contract personnel had been recruited, according to Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dimitry Medvedev. However, these numbers could not be independently verified. The conscription efforts continued to have negative effects on Russia’s industry workforce, with a shortage of workers reaching a new high of 42% in July 2023. The IT sector, which faced acute shortages after many IT workers left Russia in 2022, received exemptions from military recruitment to preserve the workforce.
The Financial Times highlighted the presence of Russian cybercriminals in Turkey. Many young men had left Russia to avoid conscription, and among them were hackers, IT workers, and cybercriminals. In Turkey, these individuals either connected with local Turkish gangs or formed small criminal groups. They faced more challenges in Turkey compared to Russia as the Turkish government did not provide the same level of protection to cyber gangs. Despite this, they aimed to stay at large by committing petty crimes and avoiding targets within Turkey. They primarily used Redline, commodity malware that evaded widely used defensive software, to steal login credentials, credit card data, and cookies.
In an interview with Newsweek, Artur Lyukmanov, the director of Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s International Information Security Department, expressed concerns over US escalation in cyberspace. He denied Russian involvement in cyberattacks on the US and urged against further escalation, highlighting the importance of international cooperation on information security.