September 26, 2026
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Ukrainian strikes hit Azov optical-mechanical plant, Ilysky refinery, and Russian air-defense assets overnight
On the night of 25–26 September 2026, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant in Rostov Oblast — a facility linked by open-source analysts to several Russian missile programs — along with the Ilysky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, a Pantsir-S2 air-defense system, an ammunition depot in Sievierodonetsk, and a P-18 Terek radar in Donetsk Oblast. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the Azov strike was carried out by its Alpha Special Operations Center together with the Ukrainian Navy, using Neptune cruise missiles and Ruta, Palyanytsya, and Bars jet drone-missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly confirmed the strikes.
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Ukraine proposes Oleshky evacuation, accuses Russia of blocking it as starvation reports mount
Ukraine has proposed a temporary ceasefire and land corridor to evacuate civilians from Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, but says Russia has rejected the plan. Ukrainian officials describe a humanitarian catastrophe with no food deliveries since late May, cases of starvation, and civilians trapped by mines and shelling, while Kyiv appeals to the UN, ICRC, Council of Europe and Pope Leo XIV for help.
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Trump pushes for Ukraine-Russia deal before winter; Zelenskyy says Putin shows no intent to end war
After a September 22 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump said on September 26 he expects Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to "make a deal before the difficult winter." In an evening address the same day, Zelenskyy countered that Putin is not planning to end the war and keeps finding excuses to avoid meetings and a trilateral format.
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Russian strikes on Kyiv data centers force Cosmonova shutdown and knock multiple TV channels off air
Russian strikes on 26 September hit Kyiv's Cosmonova data center for the second time in two days, forcing the facility to shut down permanently and disrupting broadcasts at several Ukrainian TV channels and internet providers. Cosmonova said client data was kept safe through geographic redundancy, while President Zelensky announced new measures to protect critical communications infrastructure following a Staff meeting.
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Zelensky signs decree sanctioning 44 individuals over Russia's occupied-territory Duma "elections"
President Volodymyr Zelensky on 26 September signed a decree enacting a National Security and Defense Council decision to impose sanctions on 44 individuals involved in organising and conducting Russia's State Duma "elections" on temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Thirty-eight of the 44 sanctioned individuals hold both Ukrainian and Russian citizenship. The list includes Russian propagandist Iryna Kuksenkova and former Ukrainian deputy Yuriy Onyshchuk. Ukraine declares the vote illegitimate and plans to share information about the sanctioned individuals with international partners.