1 September inspectors at the
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant IAEA inspectors arrived at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Ravil Maganov, the chairman of
Lukoil, died in disputed circumstances. According to
Interfax, he "fell out of a window of the
Central Clinical Hospital" and "died from his injuries". Lukoil was one of the few Russian companies to oppose the war in Ukraine, calling for an "immediate" end to the war. Maganov's death is the
latest mysterious death of current or former Russian businessmen since the war began.
2 September Norwegian state-owned oil company
Equinor exited the last of their joint ventures in Russia following the February invasion by withdrawing from the joint venture with Lukoil and exiting the
Kharyaga project. Ukraine arrested a woman in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast who was accused of sending the details of her husband's unit and other military information to Russian forces which was then used to the advantage of Russian military action. Russian support for the war in Ukraine remained stable despite it dragging on for six months. The greatest disagreement was on whether to continue the war or proceed to negotiations. Ukraine was searching the UK for foundries to make 155 mm ammunition due to Western stockpiles running low. BAE systems can increase production however Ukrainian officials are looking for other manufacturers. The US had sent "806,000" of these rounds to Ukraine and replacing them could take as long as "18 months".
3 September Gazprom maintained its shutdown of Nord Stream 1 without providing a date for restarting the flow of gas. Gazprom cited
international sanctions as the reason that it cannot fix the "malfunction" in the pipe, which is claimed to be a leak. The European Union called it an economic weapon. According to the
UK MoD, since 29 August Ukrainian forces had gained the element of surprise due to mistakes made by Russian commanders and logistical problems Russian forces face. There were three main thrusts by Ukrainian forces into Kherson Oblast. Ukraine also destroyed pontoon bridges used by Russian forces.
4 September The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was cut from its main power line, with only a reserve line operational, which was supplying power to the grid. Only one of the six reactors remained operational. Russia blamed this on an alleged Ukrainian attempt to retake the plant. After not being used for several months Ukraine resumed its use of
Bayraktar TB2 drones. Ukraine started putting footage from these online again after no new footage in the last two months. This was credited to the use of HARM missiles and their impact on Russian air defences.
6 September Artem Bardin, a Russian-installed official in
Berdyansk, was seriously injured in a bomb attack.
Sky News reported that Russia bought rockets from
North Korea to assist with the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
7 September The US was looking to double its production of 155 mm shells due to a need to replenish US stocks as well as supply Ukrainian needs. The Pentagon said it was aiming to increase the number of
HIMARS built each month to 12.
9 September Ukrainian forces retook parts of
Kharkiv Oblast.
10 September As part of a major
counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces recaptured
Kupiansk and
Izium; according to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russian defences in Kharkiv Oblast were "likely taken by surprise". By late afternoon, Ukrainian troops were reported to have reached
Lysychansk in
Luhansk Oblast. The Russian Ministry of Defence spokesperson
Igor Konashenkov responded to these developments by claiming that Russian forces in the Balakliya and Izyum area would "regroup" in the Donetsk area "in order to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas". Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has recaptured since the start of the counteroffensive.
11 September The Russian Ministry of Defense published a map which confirmed that Russian forces in Kharkiv Oblast had retreated to the east bank of the
Oskil river. The settlements of
Kozachya Lopan,
Vovchansk and
Lyptsi were confirmed as being under control of Ukrainian forces. By late afternoon, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the formal withdrawal of Russian forces from nearly all of Kharkiv Oblast stating that an "operation to curtail and transfer troops" was underway.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov questioned Russian leadership of the war, writing on
Telegram: "They have made mistakes and I think they will draw the necessary conclusions. If they don't make changes in the strategy of conducting the special military operation in the next day or two, I will be forced to contact the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground." Following the
2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive, Russia launched missile strikes with
Kalibr cruise missiles on
critical infrastructure objects, including
Kharkiv TEC-5, causing a total blackout and water shutdown in northeastern Ukraine and Kharkiv and
Donetsk Oblasts.
12 September Ukraine claimed it had reached the
Russia–Ukraine border. Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces had retaken a total of from Russia, in both the south and the east; the BBC could not verify the claims. Thirty-five Russian municipal deputies signed a petition calling for President
Vladimir Putin to resign.
13 September (Kharkiv region) after missile strike on 13 September On the
Kherson front, it was reported that Russian forces had withdrawn from
Kiselyovka, a settlement 15 km from Kherson. The Ukrainian armed forces announced that the frontline in Kherson Oblast had advanced by 12 km and that including 13 settlements had been recovered. Ukrainian
Governor of Luhansk Oblast,
Serhiy Haidai, stated that Russian forces had left
Kreminna three days ago and that the Ukrainian flag had been raised by local residents but Ukrainian forces had not yet entered the town. He also said that Russian forces had fled
Starobilsk, adding that the city was "practically empty". Russian forces launched eight cruise missiles at the dam of the Karachunivske reservoir causing extensive flooding in
Kryvyi Rih and a increase of water level in the
Inhulets River.
15 September The United States announced a $600 million aid package for Ukraine, including additional HIMARS ammunition, "tens of thousands" of 105 mm artillery rounds, one thousand 155 mm rounds, counter-drone systems, winter gear, and night vision devices.
16 September BM-21 missiles and heavy artillery shelled
Nikopol, injuring 1 and damaging 11 high-rise buildings, a kindergarten, a school, gas furnaces, and power lines.
17 September Two people were killed after a rocket attack by Russian forces on residential buildings in the town of
Chuhuiv.
18 September Catherine, Princess of Wales met
Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, at
Buckingham Palace.
19 September The
Ukrainian Ground Forces recaptured the village of
Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast during their advance on
Lysychansk. A Russian missile hit the outskirts of the
South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, damaging buildings and a neighboring hydroelectric power station. Nuclear reactors were not damaged.
20 September The Russian
State Duma introduced laws prohibiting voluntary
surrender and
looting, with
aggravating circumstances including committing the crime "during
mobilization or
martial law". Under those circumstances, refusing to obey a superior's order or participate in military action was also made illegal. Penalties for not reporting for military duty, or
leaving it without permission, were increased. The Russian-appointed officials of the self-proclaimed
Donetsk and
Luhansk People's Republics announced
referendums to approve their annexation by Russia on 23–27 September. Similar referendums were announced by the
occupying Russian officials in Kherson and
Zaporizhzhia. The Council of the EU approved 5 billion euros of macro-financial assistance for Ukraine.
21 September announces a partial mobilization in his address on the morning of 21 September. In a prerecorded speech, Putin officially announced
partial mobilization to begin immediately. Although Putin's address stated only
reservists will be called up, with a focus on reservists with military experience, the official decree allowed for any citizen to be conscripted with exceptions for only age, sickness, and imprisonment status; it was reported that anti-war protesters who had been arrested were being conscripted. Furthermore, militants in the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics were to be considered soldiers of the Russian Federation going forward, and the LPR and DPR military units will be reordered according to Russian standards. Defence minister
Sergei Shoigu said that 300,000 reservists will be mobilized. Putin also raised the threat of a nuclear response, saying "Russia will use all the instruments at its disposal to counter a threat against its territorial integrity—this is not a bluff". The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia reported that Russia released ten foreign prisoners of war after
mediation by Prince
Mohammed bin Salman. According to
Robert Jenrick, the junior health minister of Britain,
Aiden Aslin is among the prisoners released.
Viktor Medvedchuk was reportedly freed as part of the deal. A record 215 Ukrainian soldiers, including fighters who led the defence of the
Azovstal steelworks in
Mariupol, were released in a
prisoner exchange with Russia after mediation by Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Zelenskyy announced that, as part of the agreement, five of the freed captives would remain in
Turkey in secure but comfortable conditions until the war is over.
23 September Russian-occupied regions
held referendums to join Russia. US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to them as shams. In
Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, the exhumation of a
mass grave was completed. A total of 436 bodies were recovered, of which thirty had traces of torture. The Armed Forces of Ukraine reestablished control over the settlement of
Yatskivka in Donetsk Oblast, east of the
Oskil river.
26 September The United Kingdom introduced new
sanctions against Russia due to Russia's holding of pseudo-referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories. The sanctions list included 92 individuals and legal entities, including 33 Russian officials sent to the occupied territories of Ukraine as well as 55 top managers of Russian state-owned companies.
27 September More than 1600 Russian propaganda accounts were taken down by Facebook. The
Armed Forces of Ukraine retook the village of
Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in Kharkiv Oblast. As of 27 September, up to 6% of the oblast's territory remained under occupation. The results of the
referendums in the Russian-occupied territories were announced, all of which were in favor of annexation into Russia, with Donetsk Oblast 99.23% in favour, Luhansk Oblast 98.42% in favour, Kherson Oblast 87.05%, and
Zaporizhzhia Oblast at 93.11%. There were planned votes in the
Mykolaiv and Kharkiv oblasts that never materialized, mainly owing to limited control of territory. As a side effect of these referendums, Russia now claimed that the "very existence of the state is at risk", since much of the war was happening on what it now illegally considered Russian territory, and could be used as justification of using
nuclear weapons. Over 194,000 Russian citizens, primarily fighting age men and their families,
left Russia in what has been called a "mass exodus" after the announcement of a draft of 300,000 citizens to fight in the war. Many have gone to Kazakhstan, Serbia, Georgia, and Finland.
28 September NATO Secretary-General
Jens Stoltenberg attributed the
Nord Stream pipeline leaks to acts of sabotage. The next day, the
Swedish Coast Guard found a fourth leak on
Nord Stream 2. Ukrainian police recorded at least 582
war crimes committed by Russia in the formerly occupied territories of Kharkiv Oblast. The United States announced a $1.1 billion aid package to Ukraine, including: • 18
High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and ammunition • 150
Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (Humvee) • 150 tactical vehicles to tow weapons • 40 trucks and 80
trailers • 2
radars for
unmanned aerial systems • 20 multi-mission radars
29 September Finland announced the closure of its borders to Russian citizens at midnight. The
Finnish Government deemed that the Russian mobilization and the rapidly increasing volume of tourists arriving in and transiting via the country endanger Finland's international position and relations. Ukraine fully captured
Kupiansk. Russian soldiers held positions on the eastern beach of the river
Oskil that flows through the city. Exchange of fire happened until the positions had been taken. Putin signed decrees recognizing the sovereignty and independence of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.
30 September At least thirty civilians died and dozens more were injured in
Zaporizhzhia when a
Russian missile hit a humanitarian convoy. Putin held a speech in a so-called "signing ceremony" intended to mark the
Russian annexation of Southeastern Ukraine. In the speech, Putin announced claims on Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, saying they were now "four new regions" of the Russian Federation. In response, Zelenskyy asked
NATO to give Ukraine membership into the military alliance. ==October 2022==