Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
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Zelensky's Staff meeting sets accelerated timeline for interceptor drones against jet-powered Shaheds
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff focused on accelerating Ukrainian production of high-speed interceptor drones designed to counter Russian jet-powered Shahed-type attack drones. Prototypes of the new weapons have been developed, with work underway to bring them to the required effectiveness, and specific deadlines have been set for involving business in air defense production. Zelensky framed the effort as part of an asymmetric response to Russia's growing output of high-speed attack drones.
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Kyiv shootout between SBU and GUR erupts over alleged FSB plot against Chechen exile leader Zakayev
Ukraine's SBU said it prevented an FSB-ordered plot to assassinate Akhmed Zakayev, the exiled head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's government, who was in Kyiv for Independence Day on 24 August. The case targeted Stepan Kaplunov, a Russian-national volunteer and deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) embedded in a GUR special unit. On 2 September, a shootout in Kyiv's Berezniaky district during a search of Kaplunov's apartment left three GUR personnel wounded. Kaplunov and RDK say he was abducted by SBU officers on 23 August and his confession was extracted under pressure; the SBU says his group attacked its investigative team. President Zelensky called the incident 'absolutely shameful,' an SBU official was dismissed, and the DBR and Prosecutor General's Office opened investigations.
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Putin says Russia and Ukraine must negotiate peace bilaterally, calls Zelenskyy's airspace warning 'state terrorism'
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 3, Vladimir Putin said Russia and Ukraine must negotiate an end to the war directly between themselves, with other countries only supporting, and claimed there is a chance for a peaceful settlement. He described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's warnings that Russian airspace is unsafe for civil aviation as state terrorism that complicates peace talks, and accused Ukraine's Western partners of silence. His comments come a day after Ukraine formally notified the ICAO that Russian airspace is dangerous for civil aviation.
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Armed clash between SBU and HUR in Kyiv linked to missing Russian Volunteer Corps deputy commander
On the morning of 2 September, an armed confrontation broke out on Yurii Shumskoho Street in Kyiv's Dnipro district between operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and personnel of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence. The SBU said its Alpha unit used weapons against an armed group that attacked its investigative team during a search tied to a joint SBU–HUR operation that allegedly foiled an FSB terrorist plot against a Russian opposition figure in Ukraine for Independence Day. Media and Kaplunov's lawyer say the shooting was opened by the SBU against unarmed HUR personnel after a handshake agreement, with several HUR servicemen wounded. President Zelensky condemned the incident as "absolutely shameful" and signalled personnel decisions and internal investigations.
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Ukraine asks EU to finance Patriot missiles from €90 billion loan; von der Leyen says review is "moving in the right direction"
Ukraine has formally asked the European Commission to use several billion euros from the EU's €90 billion support loan to finance PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed receipt of the request on 2 September in Brussels, ahead of a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and said EU member states are reviewing it. Because PAC-3 missiles are produced in the United States, the purchase requires a formal exemption from the loan's "buy European" rule, with the final decision resting with member states.
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Musk remains opposed to letting Ukraine use Starlink for strikes on Russia despite talks with Fedorov, sources say
Elon Musk has engaged in talks with former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov about allowing Starlink to be used to control drone strikes on Russian territory, but remains opposed after what one source described as "extremely unsuccessful" negotiations. According to sources cited by Kyiv Independent, Musk does not believe that granting such permission would help end the war and wants a deal rather than escalation. The Financial Times, citing Fedorov's account, earlier reported Musk was willing to allow strikes conditional on White House approval — a version of events that, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, prompted Donald Trump to accuse him of "deceiving" him.