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Today’s focus:
– Russian intercontinental missile mishap
– Zelensky’s sudden visit to a factory
– Russian military sets single-day casualty record; German-made Milan missiles display power in the battlefield
– Pink big V involved in money scandal, Hubei young man rises to fame in Ukraine
– Plane scare: Chinese-made aircraft C919 encounters trouble
As the Ukrainian and Russian armies continue to battle for territory on each other’s soil, Ukrainian President Zelensky has embarked on what I see as one of his most crucial state visits. The outcome of this visit will directly impact the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, determining whether the conflict will continue as a prolonged war or move towards its conclusion.
Zelensky flew to the United States on September 22 to attend the United Nations General Assembly. In a unique approach, as a wartime head of state, he did not use a presidential plane but rather traveled to the U.S. on a large U.S. military transport plane. Notably, his first stop was not New York or Washington DC, but a weapons factory in Pennsylvania. While onboard the U.S. military transport plane, Zelensky did not forget to record a video message to the Ukrainian people.
People may wonder why Zelensky, under tight security, visited a weapons factory in Pennsylvania before coming to the U.S. Instead of choosing New York or Washington DC, he went to the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, a factory specialized in producing one of the essential ammunitions needed by the Ukrainian army, the 155mm caliber artillery shells.
Starting from Monday, Zelensky will have a packed schedule. On September 23, he will speak at the Future Summit at the UN headquarters; on the 24th, he will attend the UN Security Council meeting on the Ukrainian issue; on the 25th, he will address the UN General Assembly debate; and on the 26th, he will fly to Washington DC to meet with Biden and Harris, while Trump has already expressed his intention to meet with Zelensky.
In a few days, we will likely have a better understanding of Zelensky’s crucial prediction made on the plane: “This autumn will determine the course of the war.” The key points revolve around whether the U.S. will support Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” and if the U.S. government will lift all restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles to strike Russia’s mainland.
While the United Nations General Assembly may serve as a platform for Zelensky’s agenda, it could be deemed as merely a backdrop to his overall mission.
As the Ukrainian army destroyed the largest Russian ammunition depot last week, prompting renewed nuclear threats from Russia, a significant incident occurred during Russia’s test of its flagship weapon – the RS-28 “Sarmat” heavy intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile exploded in the launch silo before takeoff, resulting in the destruction of the entire missile test site. This marks the fourth failure Russia has encountered during the testing of the “Sarmat” intercontinental ballistic missile.
Meanwhile, the battle on the Ukrainian front remains intense. On September 22, Ukrainian forces inflicted a record high single-day casualty toll on the Russian army, with 1,500 Russian troops wounded or killed, and 137 tanks and armored vehicles destroyed.
Over the past two years, Russian military casualties have exceeded 640,000. According to U.S. intelligence agencies, over 200,000 Russian soldiers have died in combat, with another 200,000 permanently disabled. In comparison, Ukrainian military casualties total around 100,000, resulting in a casualty ratio of approximately 3:1 between Russia and Ukraine.
While Zelensky’s visit to a U.S. ammunition factory drew attention, it is noteworthy that on the battlefield, drones and handheld anti-tank missiles have been more effective in targeting ground attacks, such as tanks and armored vehicles. Many are familiar with the U.S.-made Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles and have also discovered German-made Milan missiles in action.
This week, a video emerged showing Ukrainian soldiers using Milan anti-tank missiles to target Russian armored vehicles. Amidst the harrowing battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces, a video released by Russian media aimed to showcase the well-equipped and disciplined lifestyle of Russian military top brass on the frontlines, which raised questions about their living conditions.
Many Chinese people find it puzzling why there is a surge of support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine on Chinese social media platforms. While initial assumptions attributed this to tacit support from the Chinese government, revelations indicate that prominent Chinese influencers, who typically denounce others for receiving foreign money, have also been implicated for accepting funds from Russia to spread anti-Western sentiments.
A Sichuan-based blogger revealed on the 21st that a senior official from a key Chinese security department disclosed at a dinner that Russia had invested heavily in Chinese internet influencers to propagate anti-U.S., anti-Japan, anti-EU, and anti-Western sentiments, suggesting a lucrative opportunity for those who comply.
Despite the overwhelming support from Chinese for Ukraine over Russia, a young man named Ke Yi from Hubei has significantly shifted perceptions in Ukraine to favor the Chinese populace.
The so-called pride of China, the domestically produced C919 passenger aircraft, encountered a mishap. On September 22, passengers aboard Beijing Capital International Airport’s Air China CA1507 flight were asked to deplane after the C919 aircraft reportedly experienced issues before takeoff.
A passenger flying from Beijing to Shanghai expressed surprise at having booked an Airbus A320 ticket but finding themselves onboard a domestically made C919 aircraft. To their shock, the aircraft was announced as faulty before takeoff, and the C919 returned to the gate. Previously touted for its high average occupancy rate of 86%, revelations have cast doubts on the operations of the C919, indicating passengers may unknowingly become test subjects onboard.
Following the incident, the onboard announcement suggesting passengers contact ground staff to cancel their flights evoked comparisons to avoiding becoming test subjects in a laboratory.
Just two days before the C919 mishap on September 20, China Eastern Airlines issued a notice announcing its official merger with Joy Air and Air Travel, signaling the end of the formerly specialized national carrier for the C919, which has now merged under the parent company in a bid for survival.
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