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About 10,000 Hotel Workers Walk Off the Job on Labor Day Weekend

The union representing the workers, UNITE HERE, has planned a rolling strike for several days in cities like Boston, San Francisco and Seattle after contract negotiations stalled.

By Sydney Ember

About 10,000 hotel workers in cities including San Francisco, Seattle and Boston walked off the job on Sunday in an attempt to disrupt Labor Day weekend travel after their union and some of the country’s biggest hotel companies failed to come to an agreement in contract negotiations.

On Sunday morning, workers were striking at some Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotel properties, plus one Fairmont hotel, in eight cities across the United States: Boston; San Francisco; Seattle; San Jose, Calif.; Honolulu; Kauai, Hawaii; San Diego and Greenwich, Conn., according to UNITE HERE, the union. The workers, at 24 hotels total, included front-desk staff, housekeepers and other employees.

In a news release, UNITE HERE said that strikes had also been authorized in Baltimore; New Haven, Conn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Providence, R.I., and could begin “at any time.”

The union said the strikes were expected to last in each city for two to three days, during a long weekend when the busy summer travel season unofficially concludes.

Among the issues the union says it is fighting for are higher wages and an end to pandemic-era service and staffing cuts. During the height of the pandemic, the leisure and hospitality industry, including hotels, laid off millions of workers as it struggled under travel restrictions and a pullback in consumer spending on services. Employment in the sector has since rebounded as travel has surged back, though some hotels have continued to keep in place adjustments they made in recent years to services, such as daily housekeeping.

“We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers,” Gwen Mills, international president of UNITE HERE, said in a statement, adding that many workers were not earning enough to support their families.

Michael D’Angelo, Hyatt’s head of labor relations for the Americas, said in a statement on Sunday that the company was “disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate.” He said the company had contingency plans in place to mitigate the impact of the strike.

A Hilton spokesperson said that Hilton was “committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements” and that its “hotels have contingency plans in place to ensure operations continue to run as smoothly as possible” for customers.

Representatives for Marriott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UNITE HERE, which has more than 250,000 members in the United States and Canada, and is the main union representing hospitality workers in many large American cities, has a history of trying to impede busy travel periods with labor actions. Last year, thousands of workers in Southern California went on strike demanding higher pay and better benefits during the Fourth of July holiday.

Noam Scheiber contributed reporting.

Sydney Ember is a Times business reporter, covering the U.S. economy and the labor market. More about Sydney Ember

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Hotel labor dispute looms over travel industry following Labor Day strike

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Thousands of hotel workers who walked off the job over the Labor Day weekend are back at work this week, but the nationwide labor dispute against three hotel chains continues. Travelers should expect continued picketing and disruption, the Unite Here union warned.

“Strike issues including raises, workloads, and COVID-era cuts have not been resolved, and workers are ready to do whatever it takes to win,” said Gwen Mills, International President of Unite Here, said in a prepared statement .

Over the holiday weekend, more than 10,000 workers went on strike at 25 Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels in nine cities, including Boston, San Diego, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Seven hundred workers in San Diego remained on the picket line Wednesday, and strikes have been authorized in four more cities, the union said.

While the hotel industry has enjoyed the return of travelers after the pandemic, workers say they continue to feel the impact of COVID-era staffing cuts and reductions in guest services such as automatic daily housekeeping and room service. They’re calling for higher wages, fair workloads, and the reversal of the cuts.

Hotel industry post-pandemic stats

The hotel labor dispute comes as the travel industry continues to recover after the pandemic with rising occupancy rates and room revenue..

• Occupancy in US hotels was estimated at close to 64% in 2023, just under 2019’s level, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. In April 2020, nearly 75% of hotel rooms in the US were vacant.
• Average revenue per available room is estimated to reach $101.84 in 2024, which would be a record high. An industry analyst noted that rate growth , more than occupancy, is driving that stat.
• Revenue for the US hotel market is expected to reach $110 billion this year , up from about $100 billion in 2022, according to Statista, which expects the US market to outperform the global hotel market.
• The industry counts 1.9 million workers ; nearly all housekeepers are women, the Associated Press reported .

As the industry returns to pre-pandemic business, many hotels are experiencing a labor shortage, according to the American Hotel + Lodging Association. 76% of hoteliers surveyed said they’re dealing with staffing shortages, with 13% severely understaffed.

AHLA contends that average hotel wages have increased more than 20% faster than wages in the rest of the economy. But Unite Here says staffing and service cuts hotels made during the pandemic resulted in lower income and harsh conditions for workers.

Don’t meet travelers’ expectations. Exceed them.

Hotel workers demand better pay + working conditions.

Hotel workers went on strike after months of unresolved negotiations with the hotel companies, the union said.

“Workers aren’t making enough to support their families, and many can no longer afford to live in the cities that they welcome guests to,” Mills said. “Too many hotels still haven’t restored staffing or the services that guests deserve, like automatic daily housekeeping and room service, and painful workloads are breaking workers’ bodies.”

For example, when a room hasn’t been cleaned for days, it can result in a massive mess that’s hard to clean in the allotted time, workers say.

Wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of living, requiring many hotel workers to work multiple jobs, according to the union.

“I have to work a second job because my job at the hotel is not enough to support my kids as a single mom,” Mary Taboniar, a housekeeper at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu for six years, said in a statement issues by the union. “I’m living on the edge where I’m not sure if I’ll be able to pay our rent and groceries or provide my family with health care.”

Contract negotiations continue

While the labor dispute continues, Hilton and Hyatt both told CNBC they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with the union. Hyatt also said it has contingency plans to reduce the potential impact of more strike activity.

Unite Here urges travelers to stay away from hotels where workers are picketing or have been on strike until a new contract is signed. The union keeps a list of impacted hotels , which is regularly updated.

In 2023, union members won record contracts after striking at Los Angeles hotels and Detroit casinos.

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More journeys to be affected by industrial action as RMT and ASLEF members walk out

The rail network will be hit by more strikes and an overtime ban by the drivers' union ASLEF and the RMT. Here's what you need to know.

Saturday 30 September 2023 03:32, UK

More train journeys will be affected by industrial action causing delays and cancellations across the network into October.

Throughout this year, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has taken strike action over pay, jobs, pensions and conditions, with the ASLEF union imposing overtime bans in a dispute over pay.

But now ASLEF, which represents train drivers, is walking out too.

When ASLEF members go on strike, it usually means there are no drivers.

When RMT members are on the picket line, it causes widespread disruption because people working in different jobs across the network are unable to fulfil their usual duties.

Here is everything you need to know:

Industrial action dates

ASLEF members at 19 train companies will be on strike on Saturday 30 September and Wednesday 4 October.

They will also have overtime bans across the network on Friday 29 September and between Monday 2 October and Friday 6 October.

RMT members are on strike, causing severe disruption across the London Underground, on Wednesday 4 October and Friday 6 October.

On full strike days there are likely to be few to no services operating, with disruption and later starts the day afterwards.

Which train lines are set to be affected?

Avanti West Coast

There will be no Avanti services on 30 September and 4 October.

Despite the ASLEF overtime ban, services should run as normal on 29 September and from 2 October to 6 October - with the exception of the strike day on 4 October.

There will be no c2c services between London Fenchurch Street and Southend Central or Shoeburyness on the two ASLEF strike days.

A reduced service will run - with two trains per hour during peak periods across all routes - on 29 September, 2, 3, 5 and 6 October.

First and last trains will be unaffected.

Chiltern Railways

No Chiltern Railways trains will run on any routes on 30 September and 4 October.

There will be reduced services on 29 September and 2, 3, 5 and 6 October, with trains not stopping at some smaller stations.

The London Underground RMT strike on 4 October and 6 October will mean Chiltern Railways services will be busier than normal.

CrossCountry

There will be no trains running on any routes on the two strike days - 30 September and 4 October.

Some services will be amended on 29 September and on 2, 3, 5 and 6 October.

East Midlands Railway

There will be no trains on 30 September and 4 October.

East Midlands Railway hopes to run normal services on 29 September and on 2, 3, 5 and 6 October, but last-minute cancellations could happen up until 10pm.

Customers are advised to check in advance if their train is running.

Gatwick Express

There will be no services at all on 30 September or 4 October.

A limited Southern service will run between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport on those days.

On 1 October and 5 October, the knock-on effect from strike action will mean services start much later - from 7am.

Non-stop Gatwick Express trains between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport and Brighton will not run on 29 September and 2, 3, 5 and 6 October.

Southern services will still serve the above stations but will be busier than usual.

Greater Anglia

Only limited services will run between Ipswich, Colchester, Southend, Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street on 30 September.

On 4 October trains between Liverpool Street and Norwich will also run in addition to the above.

All Greater Anglia routes are due to operate as normal on the other affected days but will start later the day after full strike days.

Customers for Stansted Airport should expect only a train an hour on 30 September and 4 October - and services starting later than usual on 1 October and 5 October.

Heathrow Express

On the two strike days - 30 September and 4 October - there will be fewer trains going to Heathrow Airport and they will start later and finish earlier.

Trains will run between Paddington and Heathrow between 7.40am and 6.25pm.

Services between Terminal 5 and Paddington will run between 7.42am and 6.57pm.

And there will be trains between 7.47am and 7.02pm from Heathrow Central into Paddington.

The Elizabeth Line will service customers travelling from London to Heathrow.

London North Eastern Railway has said services will be "extremely limited" on 30 September and 4 October.

There will be "minor alterations" on the ASLEF overtime ban days - 29 September and 2, 3, 5, and 6 October.

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London Northwestern

There will be no services on 30 September or 4 October.

On 29 September and 2, 3, 5 and 6 October buses will replace trains between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey, and between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa via Coventry.

There will be fewer trains between Birmingham New Street and Hereford and Shrewsbury.

London Underground

Tube services will be "severely affected" or not run at all on 4 October and 6 October. There will also be no night tube on 6 October.

There will be disruption before 8am the day after strikes on 5 October and 7 October.

The Elizabeth Line, London Overground and tram services are not affected.

South Western Railway

On 29 September, 2, 3, 5 and 6 October there will be reduced services, with hourly trains only on the island line.

There will be "extremely limited" services on 30 September and 4 October.

There will only be trains between London Waterloo and Woking, Guildford, Basingstoke, and between Basingstoke and Salisbury between 7am and 7pm.

On 1 October trains are expected to run as normal.

Southeastern

There will be no trains on Southeastern routes on 30 September or 4 October.

Normal services are expected on 29 September and between 2 and 6 October apart from the strike day on 4 October.

On 30 September and 4 October, only one Southern shuttle between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport will run. They will be extremely busy and a queuing system will be put in place.

There will be fewer services on 29 September, 2, 3, 5 and 6 October with an amended timetable.

There will be no Thameslink services running at all on 30 September and 4 October.

On those days there is only the Southern shuttle between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport, but those services will be extremely busy and a queuing system will be put in place.

Transpennine Express

There will be no trains on either strike day - 30 September or 4 October.

Some early morning and late evening alterations on the days before and after the strikes are also expected.

West Midlands Railway

As with London Northwestern, there will be no services on 30 September or 4 October.

How a government shutdown could upend holiday travel

WASHINGTON — Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers across the country could be working without pay during the Thanksgiving travel rush as the U.S. heads toward a government shutdown days before a record number of air passengers are expected at U.S. airports.

The federal government will shut down and be unable to continue paying its workers starting Saturday unless Congress passes a new funding bill. While airport security and air traffic controllers will still be required to show up for work without pay, past shutdowns have led to increases in absenteeism, which could be a recipe for flight delays and extreme security lines for holiday travelers. 

The air travel workforce is already stretched thin, with TSA officers and air traffic controllers working mandatory overtime amid staffing shortages and a record number of air travelers. The financial uncertainty of not being paid could put even more strain on the system, making it difficult for some to afford the child care and transportation needed to get to work, while others could be forced to take on second jobs. 

“If we’re going to shut down, it’s going to be ugly. I’m very concerned about the mental state of the employees and how long they’re willing to endure this government shutdown,” said an official with the union representing TSA employees, Johnny Jones, a transportation security officer at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. “The No. 1 thing that they’re thinking about is that next paycheck.”

Follow live updates on the government shutdown bill vote

The TSA expects an increase in travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday period, with the busiest day being the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when a record 3 million people are expected to fly.

House Republicans will try again to pass a short-term budget this week, but with just five legislative days left until the deadline, there is little room for error. Over the weekend, House Republicans put forth an unusual approach to averting a shutdown by proposing several spending bills needed to keep the government open into January to bring together opposing Republican factions. 

During the last shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, 2018, travelers faced longer security screening lines after TSA officer call-outs increased as much as threefold at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and the absentee rate among airport screeners peaked at 10%, compared to the average 3% absence rate, according to a report by the research firm Tourism Economics.

Biden administration officials have begun warning about the toll a shutdown could have on employees and the ripple effect it could have on travelers.

“The last government shutdown in 2019 was 35 days, and when you go 35 days without a source of income, that’s very, very hard,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in an interview on NBC’s "TODAY" show. “It’s hard to put gas in your car. It’s hard to pay for parking, hard to pay for child care. So the longer a shutdown goes, the bigger the impact on us.” 

During the last shutdown, airports across the Northeast experienced major delays after an increased number of air traffic controllers called out sick. Hours after the air travel disruptions, the White House announced a deal to reopen the government. 

This time, the impact on air travel could be felt much sooner and more acutely given how thinly stretched the air travel workforce already is, said Joe McCartin, the executive director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University, who has studied past air travel labor disputes. 

“The understaffing at air traffic control facilities is significantly worse now than it was in 2019, so you already have air traffic controllers who are working under more pressure. A lot of them are working mandatory six-day weeks,” McCartin said. “They are already under stress, so if you were to add to that anything like what happened in 2019, where you have an extended shutdown where people are not being paid, and if that also coincides with the holiday season, I think it’s a very tenuous situation.”

Federal Aviation Administration and TSA employees are prohibited from going on strike or organizing sickouts under federal law, but McCartin said nothing prevents individual employees from calling out sick. 

Rail travel could also feel the effects of a shutdown. Amtrak employees will continue to be paid, but during past shutdowns, some Federal Railroad Administration personnel have been furloughed and employees with the Office of Railroad Safety worked without pay.

If the government shuts down, federal workers will receive the paychecks they are scheduled to receive through Saturday, an administration official said. After that, workers wouldn’t receive any additional pay until Congress passes a budget. In past shutdowns, Congress has appropriated back pay to reimburse federal employees for the period where they weren’t paid.  

TSA workers and union leaders held a rally outside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday calling on Congress to act and prevent a shutdown. 

“This is the busiest airport in the world, and the [transportation security officers] here work around the clock to make sure that all of these travelers reach their destination safely,” Tatishka Thomas, a union leader with the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA agents, said during the rally. “The fact that certain members of Congress are willing to play chicken with the pay of these unsung heroes is unconscionable.”

Shannon Pettypiece is senior policy reporter for NBC News.

Hotel workers strike across major US cities. What it means for guests

Hotel workers in seattle join nationwide strikes.

Workers at several hotels in the Seattle area joined thousands of other hospitality staff striking across the country. (Credit: UNITE HERE Local 8 via Storyful)

Some 10,000 hotel workers represented by the UNITE HERE union walked off the job Sunday at 24 hotels in eight cities, including Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego and Seattle. 

There could be even more strikes as contract talks stall over demands for higher wages and a reversal of service and staffing cuts. 

A total of 15,000 workers have voted to authorize strikes.

Unionized housekeepers are continuing to engage in a fierce fight to restore automatic daily room cleaning at major hotel chains, saying they have been saddled with unmanageable workloads, or in many cases, fewer hours and a decline in income.

RELATED: Nearly 30% of young travelers dismiss relaxation-focused vacations: study

The dispute has become emblematic of the frustration over working conditions among hotel workers, who were put out of their jobs for months during pandemic shutdowns and returned to an industry grappling with chronic staffing shortages and evolving travel trends.

Michael D’Angelo, Hyatt’s head of labor relations for the Americas, said the company's hotels have contingency plans to minimize the impact of the strikes. "We are disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate," he said.

US hotel workers demonstrate as they strike over the Labor Day holiday weekend outside of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 2, 2024.(Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

In a statement before the strikes began, Hilton said it was "committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements." Marriott and Omni did not return requests for comments.

The labor unrest serves as a reminder of the pandemic's lingering toll on low-wage women, especially Black and Hispanic women who are overrepresented in front-facing service jobs. Although women have largely returned to the workforce since bearing the brunt of pandemic-era furloughs — or dropping out to take on caregiving responsibilities — that recovery has masked a gap in employment rates between women with college degrees and those without.

RELATED: Alaska Airlines flight makes sudden diversion after pilot says he's not certified to land: report

The U.S. hotel industry employs about 1.9 million people, some 196,000 fewer workers than in February 2019, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 90% of building housekeepers are women, according to federal statistics.

Hawaii hotel workers join nationwide strike

Around ten thousand hotel workers across the US began a multi-day strike on Sunday, September 1, after months of unsettled negotiations. (Credit: @alohadajosh via Storyful)

It's a workforce that relies overwhelmingly on women of color, many of them immigrants, and which skews older, according to UNITE HERE.

Union President Gwen Mills characterizes the contract negotiations as part of long-standing battle to secure family-sustaining compensation for service workers on par with more traditionally male-dominated industries.

The union hopes to build on its recent success in southern California, where after repeated strikes it won significant wage hikes, increased employer contributions to pensions, and fair workload guarantees in a new contract with 34 hotels. Under the contract, housekeepers at most hotels will earn $35 an hour by July 2027.

RELATED: Breaks in main water pipeline for Grand Canyon prompt shutdown of overnight hotel stays

The American Hotel And Lodging Association says 80% of its member hotels report staffing shortages, and 50% cite housekeeping as their most critical hiring need.

Since the pandemic, UNITE HERE has won back automatic daily room cleans at some hotels in Honolulu and other cities, either through contract negotiations, grievance filings or local government ordinances.

The U.S. hotel industry has rebounded from the pandemic despite average occupancy rates that remain shy of 2019 levels, largely due to higher room rates and record guest spending per room. Average revenue per available room, a key metric, is expected to reach a record high of $101.84 in 2024, according the hotel association.

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Ukraine Invasion Day 926: Putin downplays theater-wide operational impact in Kursk Oblast

Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of September 4 to 5.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and 78 Shahed-136/131 drones from Yeysk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai and Kursk Oblast. [72]   The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 60 Shahed drones over Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Poltava, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 15 Shahed drones did not reach their targets, two drones flew into Russian airspace, and one drone flew into Belarusian airspace.

Targeting power generators and   fuel depots , Ukraine aims to   disrupt Russian logistics , limit Russia's ability to   launch air strikes , and restrict fuel as well as electricity supplies to military facilities and the defense industry. Ukrainian military expert Dmytro Zhmailo told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv aims to "break Russia's military logistics and its war machine" and "to make them feel the lack of everything necessary.” “What we are seeing now is most likely the beginning of a larger and longer campaign aimed at the Russian energy system,” Polish military expert Konrad Muzyka said in a social media post. “If the Ukrainians want to   influence public sentiment in Russia , they should focus on attacks on critical infrastructure,” Myzyka said. His comments suggest Ukraine should, to an extent, copycat Russia’s more than two-year campaign against   Ukrainian energy infrastructure , which has aimed to break Ukraine’s will to fight on. Such a strategy by Ukraine in counter-attacking Russia's energy infrastructure, where winters are colder, would come more than two years into Moscow’s relentless airstrikes campaign. kyivindependent.com/...

Key Takeaways: Russian forces have recently intensified their longstanding offensive effort to eliminate the broad Ukrainian salient west and southwest of Donetsk City and advance up to and along the H-15 (Donetsk City-Zaporizhzhia City) highway. Apparently coordinated Russian offensive operations from the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction to the western flank of the Ukrainian defense around Vuhledar likely aim to increase pressure on Ukrainian forces defending in western Donetsk Oblast and set conditions for further gains in Russia's prioritized offensive effort in the Pokrovsk direction. Russian forces are conducting relatively intensified offensive operations elsewhere southwest and west of Donetsk City, and the intensification of Russian offensive operations near Vuhledar likely does not presage decreased Russian offensive tempo elsewhere in western Donetsk Oblast in the near-term . Russian forces intensified offensive operations near Vuhledar shortly after starting to widen the southern flank of the Pokrovsk salient, suggesting that Russian forces intend to conduct mutually reinforcing offensive operations along the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction, immediately west of Donetsk City, along the 0-0532 highway, and near Vuhledar. The Russian military command likely aims for the intended seizure of Kurakhove and Vuhledar to allow Russian forces to make more rapid tactical gains up to and along the H-15 highway, although Russian forces will likely face challenges in leveraging the envisioned seizure of these settlements to eliminate the broad Ukrainian salient in western Donetsk Oblast. The Russian military command continues to prioritize the offensive effort on Pokrovsk and will likely treat the intensified effort in western Donetsk Oblast as a secondary effort. The Russian military command likely intends for this secondary effort, regardless of its success, to fix Ukrainian forces in western Donetsk Oblast and prevent Ukrainian redeployments to reinforce the defense of Pokrovsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to downplay the theater-wide operational impacts of the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast and continues efforts to convince the Russian people that the Kremlin's delayed and disorganized response to the Kursk incursion is an acceptable price to pay for further Russian advances in Donetsk Oblast. The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast has had theater-wide impacts and these impacts will likely continue to affect Russian offensive and defensive capabilities beyond the culmination of the Pokrovsk offensive. Putin's informational efforts are likely intended to convince the Russian public that an ongoing Ukrainian presence in Kursk Oblast is tolerable in exchange for the Russian seizure of Pokrovsk. Russian offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast do not portend the imminent collapse of the frontline throughout Ukraine, despite Putin's efforts to portray the advances in Donetsk Oblast as dramatic. Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, southeast of Kupyansk, and in the Kherson direction and Ukrainian forces recently regained positions north of Kharkiv City. Russian forces continue to forcibly redeploy mobilized Russian military personnel from occupied Ukraine to frontline positions to bolster Russia's crypto-mobilization efforts.

⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - SEP 5, 2024 ■ Engagements & casualties below 7-day average ■ Special equipment & artillery well above average & seven missiles intercepted ■ Janovsky: 36 🇷🇺 23 🇺🇦 net addition (1.6x); 30-day ratio down to 1.8x ■ Unfavorable strike ratio despite fewer 🇷🇺… pic.twitter.com/sqnLdgBh74 — Ragnar Gudmundsson 🇮🇸🇺🇦 (@ragnarbjartur) September 5, 2024

🇷🇺🇺🇦🎞 On the potential actions of the AFU in the Russian borderland 1/2 Despite the problems of the AFU in Donbass region, we should not overlook the enemy's intention to launch a new offensive in several parts of the front. In the previous reviews we analyzed possible… pic.twitter.com/dd4fsBQF26 — Rybar Force (@rybar_force) September 5, 2024

The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast has had theater-wide impacts and these impacts will likely continue to affect Russian offensive and defensive capabilities beyond the culmination of the Pokrovsk offensive.   Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated during an interview with CNN published on September 5 that the Ukrainian incursion spoiled a planned Russian attack into Sumy Oblast and "reduced the threat" of Russian incursions into northern Ukraine. [22]   Syrskyi stated that Ukraine's key objectives for the incursion were to stop Russian forces from using Kursk Oblast as a sanctuary to prepare offensive operations into Ukraine, divert Russian forces from other unspecified areas in Ukraine, create a "security zone," take Russian prisoners of war (POWs), and boost Ukrainian morale. Syrskyi stated that Russian forces have moved "tens of thousands" of troops previously intended to reinforce Russian offensive operations in Ukraine to Kursk Oblast, including small elements of several elite Russian Airborne (VDV) units. Russian forces have reportedly redeployed elements of the 56th Airborne (VDV) Regiment (7th VDV Division) and the 11th and 83rd VDV brigades to Kursk Oblast. [23]   The Russian military command has largely relied on conscripts and regular and irregular forces redeployed from lower priority sectors of Ukraine, such as northern Kharkiv Oblast, to conduct defensive operations in Kursk Oblast. [24]   These forces are extremely unlikely to be sufficient to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk if the Ukrainians choose to defend. The Russian military command may have also redeployed at least a company of the 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade (2nd Combined Arms Army [CAA], Central Military District [CMD]) from the Pokrovsk direction in mid-August 2024. [25]   The redeployment of elements of the CMD — which is reportedly tasked with completing the seizure of Pokrovsk — suggests that the Russian military command has not be able to fully insulate its priority offensive operations from the impacts of the Ukrainian incursion, despite Putin's claims. The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast has also allowed Ukraine to challenge Russia's control of the theater-wide initiative in Ukraine. Russia has possessed the theater-wide initiative in Ukraine since at least November 2023, which has allowed the Russian military command to determine the location, time, scale, and requirements of fighting in Ukraine at will and has forced Ukraine to expend manpower and materiel in reactive defensive operations. [26]   Syrskyi recently stated that Russia has redeployed roughly 30,000 troops from Ukraine to Kursk Oblast to respond to the Ukrainian incursion. [27]   A significant additional redeployment of Russian troops from the frontline in Ukraine would very likely be necessary to let Russia regain control of its territory in Kursk, as US intelligence officials have reportedly assessed, and would significantly impact Russia's offensive operations and Russia's ability to prepare for future operations. [28] www.understandingwar.org/... Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the southeastern area of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast, and Russian forces recently regained limited positions in the northern part of the salient. Geolocated footage published on August 31 showing Ukrainian forces operating south of Spalnoye (southeast of Sudzha) indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced in the area, although likely not within the past several days. [43]   Additional geolocated footage published on September 1 showing Russian forces operating north of Pogrebki (northwest of Sudzha) indicates that Russian forces marginally advanced in the area. [44]   www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... Russian forces have recently intensified their longstanding offensive effort to eliminate the broad Ukrainian salient west and southwest of Donetsk City and advance up to and along the H-15 (Donetsk City-Zaporizhzhia City) highway. 🧵(1/7) Apparently coordinated Russian offensive operations from the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction to the western flank of the Ukrainian defense around Vuhledar likely aim to increase pressure on Ukrainian forces defending in western Donetsk Oblast and set conditions for further gains in Russia's prioritized offensive effort in the Pokrovsk direction. The Russian military command continues to prioritize the offensive effort on Pokrovsk and will likely treat the intensified effort in western Donetsk Oblast as a secondary effort. The Russian military command likely intends for this secondary effort, regardless of its success, to fix Ukrainian forces in western Donetsk Oblast and prevent Ukrainian redeployments to reinforce the defense of Pokrovsk. www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/...

  x 1. A russian soldier surrenders to a #Ukrainian #drone by offering a trade. What is this thing that the russian is offering in exchange for his life? Is this a fair exchange? pic.twitter.com/ek5fT9Qp5f — DanielR (@DanielR33187703) September 5, 2024

Belarusian military forces have begun installing anti-drone cages on their MLRS launchers and armored personnel carriers, which are being deployed along the border with Ukraine. As drone warfare continues to evolve, these "cope cages" are expected to become more common and could… pic.twitter.com/ARIFLyuBzO — OSINT Aggregator (@AggregateOsint) September 6, 2024

Alleged Russian Propagandist Tim Pool Screams That ‘Ukraine is the Enemy of the US’ - Russians get what they pay for. https://t.co/z6wqqyB7FR — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) September 5, 2024

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Ukraine’s foreign minister kuleba resigns as russian strikes kill 7 people in lviv.

Ukraine’s foreign minister submitted his resignation Wednesday ahead of a major government reshuffle – as a Russian airstrike took out seven people in the latest aerial assault from the Kremlin.

Dmytro Kuleba, 43, one of Kyiv’s most recognizable faces in the international stage, stepped down from his position just a day after four other Cabinet ministers handed in their resignation in the biggest government reshuffle since the war began.

Kuleba, who has served as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s most valuable advocate since the Russian invasion, did not state a reason for his departure.

In July, Kubela became the highest-ranking Ukrainian official to visit China amid the war to ask Beijing’s help to push Russia toward a cease-fire.

It remains unclear who will replace him as the Kremlin continues its steady advance in Ukraine.

Several Ukrainian outlets, citing unmanned sources, suggested Kubela’s deputy, Andril Sybiha, would take up the role as Kyiv’s chief diplomat to accompany Zelensky on his latest trip to the UN next week.

Zelensky had indicated last week that a major reshuffle of his administration was imminent as the war nears its 1,000-day mark. The Ukrainian president said Wednesday that his country needed “new energy, and that includes in diplomacy.”

Davyd Arakhamiia, a leader of Zelensky’s party in the Ukrainian parliament, said more than half the current Cabinet will undergo changes, with the new appointments expected to be announced on Thursday.

The government shakeup comes as a major Russian strike hit the city of Lviv on Wednesday, a western area far from the front-lines and near the border with NATO member Poland.

The strike killed at least seven people and injured another 52, according to Ukraine’s Rescue Service. The attack was carried out with a Kinzhal missile and drones, which targeted Kyiv’s defense industry, the Kremlin said.

Liv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi disputed the claim as he shared photos to the press of a mother and three daughters who were killed when their home was struck in the attack.

The European Youth Forum, a platform of the continent’s youth organizations, confirmed the death of the oldest daughter, Yaryna, 21.

“We will neither forget nor forgive” the attack, her colleagues said in a Facebook post.

During his last official duties as Ukraine’s foreign minister, Kuleba said Wednesday’s attack demonstrated yet again the need for the West to support his nation.

“To put an end to this terror, Ukraine’s partners must promptly deliver the promised air defense systems and ammunition, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities and allow us to launch long-range strikes on all legitimate military targets in Russia,” he wrote on X.

Wednesday’s attack took place just a day after two ballistic missiles destroyed a military academy and a nearby hospital in eastern-central Ukraine, killing 53 people and leaving nearly 300 others injured, Ukrainian officials said.

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