General Staff
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the senior military command body responsible for strategic planning and leadership of the Ukrainian army. It is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, appointed by the President. It publishes daily updates on enemy losses and the course of hostilities.
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Ukrainian drone strike halts Moscow oil refinery on day of State Duma vote
On the night of 20 September, Ukrainian forces struck the Gazpromneft-Moscow refinery in the Kapotnya district of Moscow with a combined drone and missile attack, setting both primary crude distillation units ablaze and forcing a full halt of oil processing. Ukraine's General Staff says cumulative strikes have now knocked out more than 45% of Russia's designed oil refining capacity. The attack fell on the day of Russia's State Duma election, with Moscow authorities not activating air raid sirens or SMS warnings, an omission analysts at the Institute for the Study of War linked to a priority on voter turnout over civilian safety.
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General Staff: 238 clashes recorded in past day, heaviest fighting on Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk directions
Ukraine's General Staff reported 238 combat clashes across the front over the past day, the 1671st day of what Ukraine terms Russia's full-scale armed aggression. The Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk directions saw the most intense fighting. Russian forces carried out 91 airstrikes, dropped 295 guided aerial bombs, used 10,237 kamikaze drones and shelled Ukrainian positions and settlements 2,903 times.
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Ukraine ends simplified СЗЧ return program; longer general procedure now in place
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence announced that the simplified voluntary return program for servicemembers whose unauthorized absence (СЗЧ) was recorded before 12 June 2026 ended on 20 September. Returns are now processed under a general procedure through the Military Law Enforcement Service (ВСП) and reserve battalions, with a longer process, longer wait for pay restoration, and no option to independently choose a unit.
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Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery and logistics complex in largest drone attack on Russian capital
In the night of 19–20 September 2026, Ukraine launched a massive drone and missile attack on Moscow and Moscow Oblast, hitting the Gazpromneft Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya and a warehouse complex in Sofyino. Fires broke out at both sites. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it the largest drone attack ever on the Russian capital. At least two people were killed and six injured across Moscow Oblast, and more than 400 flights were cancelled or delayed at Moscow airports. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the operation involved the SBU, Unmanned Systems Forces, SSO, HUR and Foreign Intelligence Service.
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Ukraine strikes Russian drone control points, training ground, and depots in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
Ukraine's Defence Forces struck a series of Russian military targets on 18 September and during the night of 19 September, including UAV control points, a training ground, and ammunition and materiel depots in the occupied parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russia had not commented on the strikes at the time of reporting.
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Ukrainian drones force one of Russia's largest refineries to halt after strike hits key unit
A Ukrainian drone strike damaged the AVT-3 primary processing unit at the Slavneft-Yaroslavnefteorgsintez (YANOS) refinery near Yaroslavl, about 250 km northeast of Moscow, forcing the plant to halt crude oil processing on 17 September. AVT-3 accounts for roughly 40% of the refinery's capacity, and a second large unit was already offline from an earlier strike. Fuel from the plant disappeared from Russia's domestic commodity exchange the same day.
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Zelensky announces another successful test of Ukrainian interceptor against jet-powered Shahed drones
On 17 September, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported a new successful test of a Ukrainian-made interceptor against Russian jet-powered Shahed-type drones, including at least one confirmed shoot-down. He said production would be scaled up, thanked the developers and military, and noted that contracts were being signed with two companies whose interceptors had passed combat trials.
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Ukraine hits Rostov airfield and Yaroslavl oil refinery in overnight strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck a military airfield in Rostov-on-Don and the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl on the night of September 17. The SBU carried out the airfield strike, while the refinery hit was a joint operation of the SBU, the Unmanned Systems Forces, military intelligence (HUR) and the Foreign Intelligence Service. Russian governors reported no casualties from either attack.
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Russian Major General Anton Grunis killed in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's drone forces claim strike
Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion "Rarog" carried out the strike on September 12. Grunis had earlier briefed Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture of Kostiantynivka, a claim Ukraine denies.
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Ukraine strikes Russian Su-24 bomber at Saky airfield in occupied Crimea
Ukraine's Defence Forces struck a Russian Su-24 bomber at the Saky airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea during the night of 16 September, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the same operational period, Ukrainian forces reported strikes on Russian drone storage and launch sites, drone control points, ammunition and fuel depots, and reconnaissance posts across occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. The extent of damage to the Su-24 is being clarified.
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Ukraine reports 208 combat clashes on September 16; Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka most active
Ukraine's General Staff reported 208 combat clashes on the front line on September 16, 2026, with the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka directions identified as the most active sectors. Russian forces carried out 71 airstrikes, dropped 233 guided aerial bombs, deployed 4,704 kamikaze drones, and conducted 1,250 shellings of Ukrainian positions and settlements. The operational update was published as of 22:00 on September 16.
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Ukraine's Third Army Corps confirms "Vivaldi" offensive near Lyman
Ukraine's Third Army Corps publicly confirmed on September 15 that it has been running an offensive operation codenamed "Vivaldi" in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, east and northeast of Lyman. The corps revealed details of the first phase, which targeted Russian troop infiltration and logistics, and reported Russian losses in personnel, drones and equipment. The announcement broke months of operational secrecy around the fighting.
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Ukraine's General Staff reports strikes on Russian drone launch site, EW stations, radar and fuel depot
Ukraine's General Staff said that on 14 September and overnight into 15 September, Ukrainian forces struck a series of Russian military targets. Hits were reported on a strike-drone storage and launch site in the Donetsk area, three electronic warfare stations in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, two radar stations, a MESH-network communications relay in Zlyntsi, and a fuel and lubricants warehouse in Luhansk Oblast. The extent of the damage is still being clarified.
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Ukraine strikes S-400 radar in Sochi and multiple Russian military targets
Ukraine's Defense Forces struck a 92N6 multifunctional radar station of a Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, on September 13 and overnight into September 14, 2026, according to Ukraine's General Staff. In the same operational window, Ukrainian forces hit drone storage, preparation and launch sites in the Kursk area and occupied Donetsk, a drone control point in Novohrodivka, radar stations and repeaters in Bryansk Oblast, and a short-range navigation radio system near the Saky airfield in occupied Crimea. The extent of the damage is being clarified; local Krasnodar Krai authorities reported damage to private houses in Sochi.
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Trump urges Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, blames them for global shortage
On 13 September 2026, visiting his Doonbeg golf club during the Irish Open in County Clare, Ireland, US President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop striking Russian diesel fuel infrastructure, saying those attacks are causing a global diesel shortage. Trump said the deficit stems from the Russia–Ukraine war and not from US actions in the Middle East, and noted he had already discussed the issue with Zelensky. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly disagreed, and a senior European official briefed on US-mediated talks called the reasoning "absurd."
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Ukraine's General Staff reports roughly 1,500 Russian personnel losses in past day
Ukraine's General Staff released its daily and cumulative Russian combat-loss update for September 12, 2026, reporting approximately 1,500 Russian personnel killed or wounded over the previous day and around 1,505,380 personnel lost since February 24, 2022. The update also tallied equipment losses across tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, air defense systems, drones, and other categories, with the General Staff noting that figures are subject to clarification.
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Ukraine's General Staff reports strikes on Russian drone sites, command points in four oblasts
On 11 September and overnight into 12 September, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck Russian UAV control points, strike-drone storage sites, and weapons and materiel warehouses across several occupied locations, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. Targets were reported hit in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts. The General Staff said the extent of the damage is being verified and that work against key enemy targets is continuing.
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General Staff: 277 combat clashes recorded over past day, Pokrovsk remains hottest direction
Ukraine's General Staff reported 277 combat clashes on the front over the past day, with the Pokrovsk direction again identified as the most active sector, where 44 Russian assaults were stopped. Russian forces carried out 91 airstrikes, dropped 331 guided aerial bombs, and used 10,913 kamikaze drones during the same period.
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Ukraine's General Staff confirms strikes on Makhachkala port and Russian ships in Novorossiysk
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that in the night of 10 September, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Makhachkala seaport in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, where a fire was recorded. The General Staff also confirmed strikes on fuel-oil storage facilities in Novorossiysk on 9 September and on at least three Russian naval vessels there, including a minesweeper, a frigate, and a large landing ship.
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Ukrainian drones strike Russian naval base and fuel-oil terminal in Novorossiysk
In the night of September 8–9, 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian naval base and the Novorossiysk Mazut Terminal in Krasnodar Krai. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed the strike on the base and reported fires on its territory and at the seaport's fuel-oil terminal, as well as explosions in ship basing areas. Mayor of Novorossiysk Andriy Kravchenko confirmed drone debris fell on enterprise territories and near a residential building; the governor of Krasnodar Krai later reported 4 killed and 29 injured.