6-9-2023 (KYIV) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday, September 6, amid ongoing Russian strikes on Ukraine. The visit, Blinken’s fourth since the start of Moscow’s invasion, coincides with Kyiv’s recent achievements in its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
As Blinken arrived, the Ukrainian army confirmed its continuation of “offensive operations” towards the war-torn town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which fell to Russian forces in May. They also pressed forward towards the southern city of Melitopol, currently under Moscow’s occupation. The army reported successful advancements near the villages of Robotyne and Novoprokopivka in the south.
Ukrainian forces have claimed strategic victories on the southern front, opening the way for deeper incursions towards the Moscow-annexed region of Crimea. A US State Department official traveling with Blinken announced that over a billion dollars in new US funding for Ukraine would be unveiled during the visit.
Shortly before Blinken’s arrival, Kyiv was targeted by a Russian missile strike, resulting in a fire outside the capital but causing no casualties. The visit coincides with a period of change within Kyiv’s military establishment, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov due to allegations of corruption in defence ministry contracts. Parliament approved the nomination of Rustem Umerov, a skilled negotiator from the Crimean Tatar community with extensive contacts in Turkey and the Middle East, as Reznikov’s replacement.
Blinken’s visit comes at a crucial time, as Kyiv’s counteroffensive enters its advanced stage, and concerns about energy security rise ahead of a second winter during the full-scale war. Discussions will focus on determining the requirements for this phase of the battle, with a particular emphasis on the high-priority need for additional air defence capabilities. The US has previously provided crucial weaponry to Ukraine that has facilitated its recent advances.
Although Kyiv’s counteroffensive progress has been slower than expected due to heavily mined territories and resilient Russian defence lines, Western leaders have demonstrated their support by visiting Kyiv and pledging assistance against Russian forces. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was also in Kyiv on Wednesday, having committed to supplying Ukraine with 19 F-16 fighter jets. Denmark and the Netherlands recently announced their joint provision of these advanced aircraft to bolster Ukraine’s outdated air force.
Russian drone attacks overnight resulted in one casualty in Ukraine’s southwestern corner near Romania. Moscow has been targeting Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube ports for weeks, following its withdrawal from a crucial agreement aimed at ensuring the safe navigation of ships carrying grain. The attacks caused destruction, fires, and damage to port and agricultural infrastructure, including administrative buildings.
The port of Izmail on the Danube River, which shares a border with NATO member Romania, has become a crucial export route for Ukrainian products since Russia’s exit from a UN-brokered grain deal in July. In response to the collapse of the agreement, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s southern regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv, which house vital ports and infrastructure for agricultural exports. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expressed concern about the attacks occurring in close proximity to Romania’s border.
