Every day Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Monday, September 4, 2023, discover the latest news surrounding this conflict.
Kyiv stages the defection of a Russian pilot
Ukrainian military intelligence said in a statement on Monday that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter pilot who opposed the invasion had defected. During a secret special operation, he piloted his plane over Ukraine. “The pilot is now in Ukraine,” intelligence officials said, adding that “the other two crew members, who were unaware of his intentions and did not surrender, died after landing” the helicopter. The Russian pilot’s name is Maxime Kouzminov.
Zelenskyy on the front
In a message broadcast on Telegram on Monday evening, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he was on the front lines in the Donetsk region.
For Putin, the Ukrainian counteroffensive is a “failure”
On Monday, Vladimir Putin once again described Kiev’s counteroffensive, which was launched at the beginning of June, as a “failure.” “It’s not a mistake, it’s a failure,” he said at a news conference. And added: “In any case, that’s exactly what it looks like today.”
Cargo ships stuck in Ukrainian ports were able to leave
The naval blockade imposed by Russia in the Black Sea is not necessarily always effective. Ukrainian authorities announced that cargo ships were able to leave Ukrainian ports in August to head to the Black Sea. They were the first boats to leave the port of Odessa since Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal, ending safety guarantees for grain ships plying this high-voltage sea. They entered a new “humanitarian corridor”.
A container ship, the Joseph Schulte, flying the Hong Kong flag, was the first to transport around 30,000 tons of goods to Istanbul on August 16th. For Volodymyr Zelensky, this is an “important first step toward restoring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.” A second stranded Liberian-flagged cargo ship left the port of Odessa on August 27.
Putin is ready to revive the grain agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, September 4, that he was ready to revive the grain deal. On one condition: that his demands are met. When receiving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi, he reiterated that the export of his own agricultural products and fertilizers to the international market continues to be hampered by Western sanctions.
The Turkish president, in turn, declared himself against “alternatives” to the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. Agreement from which Russia withdrew in July. Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he was preparing “proposals” to revive the agreement.
Paris condemns Russian attacks on grain infrastructure
The Quai d’Orsay on Monday condemned “the Russian attacks targeted this morning on grain infrastructure in the Izmaïl district.” We accuse Moscow of continuing “its blackmail on global food security.” “Such acts constitute war crimes and will not go unpunished,” promises the French Foreign Ministry. “France continues its support to Ukraine and will continue it for as long as necessary to help it exercise its self-defense, strengthen its resilience and fight against impunity for abuses committed by Russia.”
A new defense minister in Kyiv
Following Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov’s resignation on Monday due to corruption scandals within his government, his replacement was set to be Roustem Oumerov, a 41-year-old Tatar originally from Crimea but born in Uzbekistan. A decision that is anything but trivial, but which must be confirmed by the Ukrainian parliament. Remember that the Tatars were deported to Central Asia by Stalin in 1944. After the fall of the USSR, they were able to settle there again. Oumerov grew up on the peninsula.
Roustem Oumerov graduated from the National Academy of Management in Kiev. He began his career in the telecommunications industry in 2004. He then founded and managed an investment fund from 2013 to 2019. His political career began in 2019 with his election to the Rada. Things continued with his appointment as head of the State Property Fund in September 2022. A strategic position in a country riddled with corruption, especially after the privatization process.