Air Force
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Russia launches large-scale combined missile and drone strike on Ukraine overnight, killing two in Kyiv
On the night of 24 September 2026, Russia attacked Ukraine with Zircon anti-ship missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 282 drones, with the main strikes directed at Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Odesa Oblast. Ukrainian air defence destroyed or suppressed 227 targets. Two people were killed and eight injured in Kyiv, and damage was reported in multiple regions.
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Russia launched 161 drones at Ukraine overnight, including 82 jet-powered Shaheds; 122 targets intercepted
On the night of 23 September 2026, Russia attacked Ukraine with 161 strike drones of various types, including 82 jet-powered Shaheds, Gerbera drones, Parodia decoys and Banderole/Dan-T missiles. Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 122 of the incoming targets by 08:00, but strikes and falling debris hit 26 locations across multiple regions, with casualties reported in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv.
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Russian combined strike hits industrial sites in three Dnipropetrovsk Oblast cities; two killed in Dnipro
On the night of September 22, Russian forces carried out a combined missile and drone attack that simultaneously struck industrial enterprises in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Fires broke out at the impact sites. In Dnipro, two people were killed and six were injured, including a 25-year-old man in serious condition, and a search-and-rescue operation continued amid reports that people may remain trapped under rubble. The broader overnight assault also extended to Kyiv, parts of Chernihiv Oblast, and the Kremenchuk district of Poltava Oblast.
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Russia strikes 13 oblasts and Kyiv in mass overnight drone and missile attack; four killed in Dnipro
Russian forces launched a combined drone and missile attack on the night of 21–22 September, striking 13 Ukrainian oblasts and Kyiv. In Dnipro, a missile strike killed four people and injured six, with a rescue operation ongoing. Ukrainian air defence intercepted 186 aerial targets, but hits and debris were recorded at 26 locations, with damage to energy and railway infrastructure, fuel storage, food warehouses and residential buildings.
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Russia strikes Kyiv overnight, hitting residential building and damaging five districts
Russia launched a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on 22 September 2026, hitting a five-story residential building in the Dnipro district and causing damage in at least four other city districts. Rescuers saved 15 residents from the damaged building; the number of injured reported rose from three to five over the course of the morning. No fatalities were reported from the Kyiv strikes.
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Russian drones hit Zaporizhzhia, damaging heritage-listed university building, shopping mall, and apartment blocks
Russian drone strikes hit Zaporizhzhia overnight on September 21, 2026, damaging two nine-story residential buildings, the Intrade shopping mall on Soborny Avenue, and three buildings of Zaporizhzhia National University, including a direct hit on its 1902 heritage-listed Building No. 3. Most Ukrainian sources report five civilians wounded, though later updates cite six. The strike was part of a nationwide overnight barrage of 172 strike UAVs and other munitions, with hits recorded at 14 locations across Ukraine.
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Russia hits 10 Ukrainian oblasts in massive overnight drone salvo; Zelensky links it to signals of war expansion
Russian forces launched 172 strike drones at Ukraine overnight on 20–21 September, hitting 10 oblasts and damaging civilian and energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky described a strike on Zaporizhzhia as "harsh and targeted" and said Russia is sending signals about readiness to expand the war, tying the attack to upcoming UN General Assembly diplomacy.
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Russia strikes Ukraine overnight with two Zircon missiles and 174 drones; 141 aerial targets intercepted
On the night of September 18–19, Russia attacked Ukraine with two Zircon anti-ship missiles launched from Kursk Oblast and 174 strike drones of various types. Ukrainian air defense reported shooting down or suppressing 141 of 176 aerial targets as of 08:00 on September 19. Main strike directions were Odesa and Kyiv oblasts. Earlier strikes on the evening of September 18 killed civilians in Sumy and Balakliya and injured people in Kyiv Oblast.
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Zelensky: SBU military counterintelligence deploys new drone interceptor against Russian 'Geran-5'
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on September 19 that the SBU's military counterintelligence created a new interceptor drone and used it successfully against Russian reactive "Geran-5" Shahed-type drones, including twice in a single day. Zelensky said he was informed of the results by acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, and published video footage of the intercept. The development comes as Ukraine faces an interception gap with faster reactive drones and is testing multiple interceptor models while seeking to scale up production.
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Russia hits Ukraine with 93 drones overnight; 69 downed as of 08:00, attack still ongoing
On the night of September 18, Russia struck Ukraine with 93 strike drones and Banderol/Dan-T loitering munitions launched from multiple directions. Ukrainian air defense had neutralized 69 drones and 3 loitering munitions as of 08:00, with the attack still ongoing and direct hits recorded at 13 locations.
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Two Ukrainian firms pass combat trials of new interceptors for jet 'Shaheds', Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the Carpathian Eight summit on September 18 that two Ukrainian companies have successfully completed combat trials of new interceptors capable of shooting down Russian jet-powered "Shahed" drones. Contracts with the firms are already being signed, and 67 companies overall are working on solutions. Zelensky said he had discussed addressing funding shortfalls with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Russian drone strike hits Odesa high-rise, injuring at least seven including two children
Russian forces struck Odesa and Odesa Oblast overnight on September 16–17 with drones and other weapons, damaging a 19-storey residential apartment building and multiple civilian sites. At least seven people were injured across the oblast, including two children, with the casualty count updated multiple times as reports came in.
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Russian Gerbera drone shot down over Lithuania after being diverted by Ukrainian EW
A Russian Gerbera-type drone, originally heading toward Ukraine, was diverted off course by Ukrainian electronic warfare and shot down over Lithuanian airspace on the night of September 15 by Italian NATO air-policing fighter jets — the first such drone interception in Lithuania. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the incident was most likely not a deliberate attack on Lithuania, but warned similar events could recur.
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Ukraine's F-16 squadron commander says pilots rationing air-to-air missiles, sometimes using cannons against Russian drones
The commander of a Ukrainian F-16 squadron, callsign Phantom, said in an interview with the American channel Newsmax that Ukraine is critically short of AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, forcing pilots to ration munitions and on some combat missions engage Russian aerial threats using only the F-16's built-in 20mm cannon. The interview fragment was distributed by the Ukrainian Air Force on September 16. Phantom also called for additional Patriot interceptor missiles and either faster deliveries or a license for Ukraine to produce the weapons.
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Russian drone attack on Kyiv hits gas stations and warehouses, killing one and wounding eleven
Russia struck Kyiv with drones overnight and throughout the day on 15 September, hitting two Ukrnafta gas stations in the Darnytskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, warehouse premises in Obolonskyi, and garage cooperatives in Solomianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA) reported one person killed and eleven injured across the day, with air defence active and Kyiv City Express service temporarily suspended.
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Trump announces Russia–Ukraine energy-strike deal; Kyiv says no agreement exists yet
On September 14, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to mutually stop targeting each other's energy facilities. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed the claim. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to refrain from striking Russian infrastructure only if partners guarantee Russia would stop striking Ukrainian energy and other critical infrastructure, and he stressed no final deal exists.
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Russia launches 108 drones at Ukraine overnight; 85 intercepted, hits at seven locations
Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight into September 14 with 108 strike and decoy drones launched from multiple directions, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported. Air defence shot down or suppressed 85 of the drones as of 08:00, with hits recorded at seven locations. Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat warned that further drone strikes could follow from northern and eastern directions during the day.
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Russian drones strike Kyiv-Warsaw train and infrastructure near Polish border, prompting Polish emergency meeting
On the morning of September 13, 2026, Russian drones struck infrastructure near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk international border crossing on the Ukraine-Poland border in Volyn Oblast, damaging a gas station, hitting a truck on the Polish side, and striking the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train about two kilometers from the Polish border. Poland scrambled fighter jets, issued air alerts in Lublin and Podkarpackie voivodeships, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting at the Government Centre for Security, warning that Russian escalation could reach Polish territory in the coming weeks. No passengers or railway workers were injured in the locomotive strike after a Ukrzaliznytsia monitoring group warned the crew in advance and gave an evacuation signal roughly 15 minutes before impact.
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Russian drone strike hits apartment building in Ivano-Frankivsk, injuring at least one
On the morning of 13 September, Russian drones struck Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, damaging a residential high-rise and a non-residential building and injuring at least one person. Air defenses were active during the attack, and the city's railway station and public transport were suspended while the air-raid alert remained in effect.
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Russia launches 453-drone overnight attack on Ukraine, one of largest of the conflict
Russian forces struck Ukraine overnight from 18:00 on September 12 with 453 strike UAVs of multiple types, including Shahed and jet-powered variants. Ukrainian air defense reported neutralizing around 405–409 of the incoming drones plus four Banderol missiles, while hits were recorded at 13 locations and falling debris at 7 more.