United States secretary of state Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to Kyiv came after the US unveiled nearly 2 billion dollars in new military support to Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia, as reported by the British newspaper The Guardian.
Blinken traveled in secret on his second trip to Kyiv since the Russian invasion began in February. He approved 2 billion dollars in foreign military financing under a programme in which the US offers loans or grants to other nations to buy US–produced weapons. That amount is in addition to another 675 million dollars in military assistance announced by the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) informs that Ukraine will likely capture Kupiansk city in Kharkiv Oblast in 72 hours.
Ukraine’s surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast is «prompting panic» in Russian rear areas, cutting off ground lines of communication and placing Russia’s hold of the city of Izium under threat. The ISW report notes that the Russian Defense Ministry had not planned a public response to the losses.
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on Friday, 9 September, that Russian forces had shelled the city of Kharkiv and across the oblast with multiple–launch rocket systems. Ten people were hospitalized. In the city of Chuhuiv, some 40 kilometers east of Kharkiv, civilian infrastructure, including houses, and a sports complex, sustained damage, according to the official.
According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, over the previous day, the Russian military killed five civilians in Bakhmut, two in Zaitseve, one in New York, and one in Fedorivka on Friday morning, 9 September.
Meanwhile, China will buy Russian gas at a 50% discount until the end of the year. China’s imports of Russian liquefied natural gas soared to their highest level since 2020, according to Bloomberg data. China is able to secure cheaper supply and resell shipments from more expensive exporters to utilities in Europe and Asia, reports news agency Bloomberg.