Ukraine's military
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU) are the military forces of the Ukrainian state, comprising the Ground Forces, the Air Force, the Navy, and Special Operations Forces among other branches. The General Staff serves as the highest command body, with the current Commander-in-Chief being Oleksandr Syrskyi. Since 24 February 2022, the ZSU have been engaged in full-scale combat operations against the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the war initiated by Russia. The force was built on the foundations inherited from the Soviet-era Ukrainian SSR's military and has expanded significantly since the start of the full-scale invasion.
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Zelensky says Russia gained only 90–100 sq km net in 2026 at cost of 260,000–270,000 Russian casualties
In a Wall Street Journal interview during his US visit, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces captured around 890 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2026 while Ukraine's Defense Forces deoccupied around 800 square kilometers, leaving a net Russian gain of roughly 90–100 square kilometers at a cost he put at 260,000–270,000 Russian casualties.
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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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Ukrainian drones strike Kuibyshev refinery in Russia's Samara region, causing large fire
On the night of 22 September 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the Kuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara Oblast, Russia, igniting a large-scale fire. Ukraine's General Staff and the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed the strike, with the Unmanned Systems Forces stating the distance to the target exceeded 1,000 km. The same night, Ukrainian forces also struck the Bashneft-UNPZ refinery in Ufa.
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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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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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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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Ukrainian churches appeal to Pope Leo XIV over humanitarian crisis in occupied Oleshky
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has appealed to Pope Leo XIV, the UN, the ICRC and other religious bodies to intervene in what it calls a humanitarian catastrophe in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. Ukraine says the city has had no food deliveries since late May 2026, with civilians cut off from supplies and prevented from leaving, and announced it will raise the situation at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
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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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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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Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces report 300 Russian air defense targets hit in 2026
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said on September 19 that they had destroyed or damaged 300 Russian air defense units and systems during the first 261 days of 2026. Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi identified the 300th target as a Buk-M3E system struck near Ukrainka in Zaporizhzhia 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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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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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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EU to send Ukraine additional €3.3 billion for missiles and drones
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, after a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the EU would allocate an additional €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones, to be disbursed on Friday, 18 September, under the Ukraine Support Loan program. The announcement was paired with a proposed new joint EU–Ukraine defense initiative, funded through remaining SAFE program funds, aimed at developing a European air and missile defense system based on the joint Freya/Freyja anti-ballistic system.
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Ternopil doctors charged with selling forged mobilization deferrals for up to $12,000
Law enforcement in Ukraine's Ternopil region has exposed a medical advisory commission that allegedly sold around 1,000 forged health conclusions over three years to help men obtain deferrals from mobilization, charging four doctors and two intermediaries with criminal offenses including obstruction of the Armed Forces and facilitating illegal border crossings.
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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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US indicts five alleged Russian intelligence operatives for murder-for-hire and sabotage plots targeting Ukraine's allies
The US Department of Justice has charged five people it says are linked to Russian intelligence services with conspiracy to finance terrorism and, in three cases, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege the network recruited US-based individuals to surveil and kill Russian opposition figures in Washington and Lithuania, and coordinated sabotage attacks in European countries that support Ukraine. All five defendants remain at large; the Kremlin has rejected the allegations.
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Russia hits Ukraine with 80 drones overnight; bus strike kills five, train evacuated
On the night of September 15–16, Russia launched 80 strike drones — including Shahed (some jet-powered), Gerbera, and Parodia decoy types — from Russian and occupied Crimean directions. Ukraine's Air Force Command reported that air defense shot down or suppressed 63 drones, with hits recorded at seven locations and falling debris at two. Downstream strikes and debris damaged a passenger bus, a passenger train, warehouses, and residential buildings across multiple regions, killing at least seven people.