What did 20 September 2024 add to Ukraine's war picture?

What did 20 September 2024 reveal about where the war stood? Three strands of reporting, on money, nuclear safety and strikes inside Russia, pointed in different directions.

On that date, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a loan of up to €35 billion (US$39 billion) for Ukraine in military and energy support. The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drafted a new victory plan against Russia. The size of the sum made it the day's most consequential piece of news.

The same day, Russian management at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant accused the Armed Forces of Ukraine of creating threats to the plant's safety. The accusation concerned a drone that, according to the plant's Russian management, was launched to attack a nearby electrical substation. It was an allegation from one side, made by those running the plant under Russian control.

Two days earlier, on 18 September 2024, a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian weapons depot in Toropets, in Tver Oblast, caused an explosion large enough to be detected as an earthquake by monitoring stations. Local residents were told to evacuate, and schools in the region were closed. The event was still part of the news cycle on 20 September.

Money, plans and pressure

Taken together, the reports show a pairing of financial commitment from Europe with continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. The loan was tied in the announcement to military and energy support, and it followed the drafting of the victory plan. The Zaporizhzhia allegation showed that the safety of the nuclear plant remained a matter of dispute between the two sides.