Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (HUR) is the military intelligence agency of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Defence and headed by a director appointed by the President. It is responsible for strategic military intelligence outside Ukraine and for special operations. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, it has been one of the principal Ukrainian bodies carrying out strikes on Russian targets, operations in occupied Crimea, and actions against Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
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Russia builds large jet-drone launch base near Ukraine in about six weeks
Russia has nearly completed a large new base for launching jet strike drones in Russia's Rostov Oblast, near the Ukrainian border, built in about six weeks on a site that was an empty field at the end of August. The complex, roughly 0.9 square kilometers in area, sits about 3.5 km from the Millerovo airbase and is intended for launching 'Geran-4' and 'Geran-5' jet drones, according to private intelligence company DroneSec. Construction has coincided with a roughly six-fold increase in Russia's use of jet drones over the summer.
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Ukraine's HUR publishes 3D model and enterprise data for Russia's 'Kinzhal' missile on War&Sanctions portal
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence has released an interactive 3D model and detailed information on the components and production cooperation of the Russian aeroballistic missile Kh-47M2 'Kinzhal' on the War&Sanctions portal. The package names 58 Russian enterprises involved in the missile's production, 22 of them not currently under measures from any sanctions coalition country. HUR called on partners to synchronise sanctions against all involved enterprises and tighten control over technologies used by Russia.
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Ukraine's 'Special Unit Timur' ambushes Russian special forces on Zaporizhzhia axis, taking one prisoner
Operators of Ukraine's military intelligence "Special Unit Timur" carried out a counter-sabotage operation on the Zaporizhzhia axis, ambushing and neutralising two groups from Russia's 10th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade and capturing one servicemember. Ukrainian intelligence said it established the groups' composition and routes through agent work and technical reconnaissance before the ambush. Radio Liberty said it could not independently verify the report.
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Ukraine's military intelligence publishes data on 20 vessels in Russia's sanctions-evading 'shadow fleet'
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence has published information on 20 maritime vessels that export Russian oil, oil products and liquefied natural gas or refuel sanctioned ships. All 20 are under UK or Ukrainian sanctions, and one is also sanctioned by the US. The intelligence service called on international partners to tighten controls on ship sales, block servicing of the sanctioned fleet at foreign shipyards and cut off Russia's energy-export revenues.
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Danish intelligence: Russia running sabotage campaign against Ukraine-linked defence suppliers
Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service (PET) publicly accused Russia on 7 October of conducting sabotage operations against Danish companies that supply goods to Ukraine. Speaking at an internal security conference in Copenhagen, lead analyst Josephine Christensen said the shift from planning to executed operations in early summer represents a significant escalation of Moscow's hybrid warfare. PET said Russia is recruiting unprepared proxies — including homeless and drug-addicted people — via Telegram and other social networks.
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South Korean ports shipped over 176,000 tonnes of fuel to the Russian Far East in July–August, including via sanctioned tankers
A Guardian investigation found that over 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, were loaded onto seven tankers at South Korean ports in July and August and delivered to the Russian Far East. Three of the tankers were under UK and EU sanctions, and South Korea accounted for about 31% of Russia's seaborne oil-product imports in August. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry confirmed the finding, while the South Korean presidential office denied the allegations and said official trade statistics show no fuel exports from South Korea to Russia.
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Trial begins in absentia over Russian strike on Hroza cafe that killed 59
Ukrainian prosecutors have sent to court the case over the October 5, 2023 Russian Iskander-M missile strike on the Sputnik cafe in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv Oblast, which killed 59 people, including a child, during a memorial lunch. Seven defendants — two local brothers accused of guiding the attack and five Russian military commanders — will be tried in absentia.
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Ukraine hits Volgograd oil refinery and Samara Transneft hub in overnight drone strikes
On the night of October 2, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure in Russia's Volgograd and Samara oblasts, hitting the Lukoil-Volgograd oil refinery and the LVDS "Samara" Transneft dispatch station. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed both strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky described them as a fair response to Russian escalation. The attacks came despite US pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities.
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Drone strikes on energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea cause power and water outages across multiple districts
On the night of September 30, 2026, drone strikes hit energy facilities in occupied Crimea, causing power and water outages across several districts and municipalities. The Russia-controlled operator Krymenergo confirmed damage to electrical substations without specifying causes. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed 330 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight, while Ukrainian forces had not commented at the time of reporting.
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Ukraine says Belarus has reactivated signal repeaters boosting Russian drones near Polish border
Ukraine's State Border Guard Service says Belarus has switched back on signal repeaters on its territory that boost Russian Shahed and Gerber drones, allowing them to fly deeper into western Ukraine. Spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said the repeaters, which had been turned off after a presidential warning in June, are now active again and supported recent strikes on Rivne, Volyn and Lviv oblasts, including the September 13 attack on the Yahodyn border crossing with Poland.
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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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Ukraine strikes Russian naval base in Novorossiysk and multiple targets in occupied Crimea and Donbas
On 8 September and overnight into 9 September 2026, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck a series of Russian military targets, including the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk where the Kalibr-carrying frigate 'Admiral Essen' was hit. Other strikes hit a patrol boat in occupied Sevastopol, electronic-intelligence and command-and-measurement antennas in Crimea, and drone storage and ammunition depots in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Ukrainian officials and OSINT channels reported the damage; the mayor of Novorossiysk acknowledged a fire but attributed it to falling debris.
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Russia hits Kyiv with massive missile and drone attack hours after Trump envoys leave
Russia launched a combined missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on September 7–8, striking the capital with ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and 166 strike drones. At least two people were killed, more than 50 civilian objects were damaged across multiple districts, and air defenses downed 175 of the incoming targets. The attack came shortly after US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left the city following talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Ukraine's intelligence warns Russia may test new 800-km ballistic missile by year-end
Ukraine's military intelligence says Russia plans to conduct final tests of a new ballistic missile with a range of up to 800 km by the end of 2026, and may use the launches to strike targets in western Ukraine. The warning was delivered by Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), during a session of the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council.
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Ukraine's military intelligence chief says Russia has resources to wage war through 2027–2028
Head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Oleh Ivashchenko, said in an interview with Ukrinform that Russia is using mercenaries from more than 40 countries and still has enough resources to continue the war through 2027 and 2028, despite a weakened economy, exhausted contract recruitment, and public opposition of more than 60%. He called for sanctions that genuinely work and for international cooperation to cut off supplies of electronics, machinery, and chemicals reaching Russia through intermediary companies.
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Ukraine military intelligence chief calls Kyiv SBU–HUR shooting "unacceptable," denies "war between special services"
Head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) Oleh Ivashchenko publicly commented on the September 2 shooting between SBU and HUR personnel in Kyiv, calling it an "unacceptable incident" and rejecting suggestions of a "war between special services." The shooting occurred in the Berezniaky district during investigative actions linked to Russian Volunteer Corps deputy commander Stepan Kaplunov. The SBU and HUR have given competing accounts of the incident, and the State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General have opened pretrial investigations.
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Ukraine's military intelligence confirms Group 13 destroyed Russian Bastion missile system in occupied Crimea
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) confirmed that its special unit "Group 13" destroyed a Russian Bastion coastal missile system in occupied Crimea in August 2026. The system had been used to launch Zircon and Oniks missiles against Ukraine. Two fuel trucks and a command-staff vehicle were also hit during the same operation. HUR released combat footage on 4 September.
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Ukrainian lawmaker registers bill on state protection for wartime Stavka and RNBO members
A bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada providing state protection for members of the Commander-in-Chief's Staff and the National Security and Defense Council who exercised their powers during wartime. The initiative, authored by Roman Kostenko, also proposes lifetime protection for the wartime president and would expand the State Protection Directorate's authorized headcount.
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Ukraine's General Staff says two major Russian oil refineries halted after Ukrainian strikes
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on 4 September that two large Russian oil refining enterprises — LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez in Kstovo and the NOVATEK-Ust-Luga complex in Leningrad Oblast — have stopped operating after being hit on 26 August and 1 September respectively. The General Staff said both facilities supply the needs of the Russian armed forces.
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Albania bars Russian shadow-fleet tanker HANUMAN from Durrës port
On 29 August, Albania denied the oil tanker HANUMAN, identified by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) as part of Russia's shadow fleet, entry to the port of Durrës. HUR, which announced the incident publicly on 4 September, framed the refusal as evidence of international sanctions solidarity against Russia.