Ukrinform
Ukrinform is the Ukrainian state news agency, founded in 1918. It publishes official news and statements from Ukrainian government bodies.
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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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Zelensky and Trump meet in New York: energy ceasefire, Patriot production and a push to end the war before winter
On September 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. Zelensky proposed a mutual energy ceasefire, raised licensing of Patriot interceptor missile production in Ukraine, and said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin with Trump's help. Trump said the war will end "sooner than people realize" and warned he is ready to use the newly-signed "Graham law" sanctions against Russia.
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Macron at UNGA calls for more interceptor missiles for Ukraine and a 'double moratorium' on strikes
French President Emmanuel Macron used his September 22 address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York to call for more interceptor missiles for Ukraine ahead of winter, propose a "double moratorium" on strikes against energy and civilian infrastructure and on hostilities in the Black Sea, and urge reform of the UN Security Council. He framed Russia's war on Ukraine as part of a "new era of barbarity" and said "there can be no peace without justice." On the sidelines he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump to discuss the moratorium and a winter support package.
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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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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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Zelensky and Trump agree to meet in New York after phone call; Trump presses on Russian oil strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on the evening of 20 September, during which the two leaders agreed to a personal meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Zelensky publicly framed the call as constructive, thanked Trump for the recent visit of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv, and for signing the Lindsey Graham sanctions law against Russia. According to Axios sources, Trump repeatedly asked Zelensky to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing rising global diesel prices.
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NATO's top general says Alliance ready for possible Russian escalation on eastern flank
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, said on 19 September in Copenhagen that NATO is prepared to respond to a possible Russian escalation on the Alliance's eastern flank. His remarks came at a meeting of NATO's 32 top military chiefs, against a backdrop of warnings from several European countries about Russian hybrid threats and a recent spike in airspace violations and sabotage attempts.
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Trump signs 'Graham Act' imposing up to 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian energy
US President Donald Trump signed the 'Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026' on September 18, 2026 (overnight into September 19 Kyiv time). The law authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that remain among the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, and continues existing US sanctions against Iran. China, India, and Turkey are named as the most likely targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump and Congress, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the signing a 'truly historic day.'
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Russian drone strike hits commuter train in Kharkiv Oblast, killing one
On 18 September, Russian forces struck a suburban electric train near the Lypkuvativka platform in the Novovodolazka hromada of Kharkiv Oblast with a Geran-4 jet drone. One person was killed and several others injured, even though Ukrzaliznytsia's monitoring group had detected the threat and ordered an evacuation before impact.
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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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U.S. House passes sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for signature. The bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Russian leadership, oligarchs, banks, energy firms and the shadow fleet, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine welcomed the measure; China, India and Russia sharply criticized it; Germany praised it; Hungary is seeking an exemption.
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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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Zelensky's Staff meeting focuses on protecting rail and energy infrastructure from Russian strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff centered on contracts for protection systems for critical infrastructure and logistics. The meeting addressed the needs of Ukrzaliznytsia, gas station networks, and other priority targets for Russian strikes, approved a significant strengthening of electronic warfare capabilities, and tasked the Ministry of Finance with securing additional resources for logistics.
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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.
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Ukraine plans $2–3 billion war-risk insurance fund for businesses, partly funded by VAT hike
Ukraine's Minister of Economy Oleksandr Kravchenko announced plans for a $2–3 billion insurance fund to compensate businesses for losses from Russian attacks, with payouts targeted to begin on January 1, 2027. The government proposes funding part of the fund by raising VAT from 20% to 21%, a politically sensitive move that has not yet been finalized.
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Ukrainian drones hit Saratov oil refinery and Ozon logistics hub overnight
In the night of 10–11 September, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Saratov, hitting the Rosneft-owned Saratov oil refinery and an Ozon logistics and delivery centre. Fires broke out at both sites. Saratov Oblast governor Roman Busargin reported damage to "civilian infrastructure" and the activation of emergency services; Ozon confirmed the strike, said staff were evacuated and suspended orders in the region.
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Zelensky warns of retaliation if Russia hits Ukraine's energy system, proposes 'energy ceasefire' in talks
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 11 that Ukraine will respond "with dignity" if Russia strikes its energy system or causes blackouts this winter, while also outlining a negotiating alternative that includes an "energy ceasefire" and unblocking the Black Sea. He spoke during a conversation with journalist Fareed Zakaria at the Yalta European Strategy 2026 meeting and in a Telegram post, calling for continued prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children held in Russia.
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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 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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Russian strike on Orlivka border crossing with Romania forces second suspension in a week
On the night of September 5–6, 2026, Russian forces struck border infrastructure in Izmail district of Odesa Oblast, causing the Orlivka international ferry crossing checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Romanian border to suspend operations for the second time within roughly a week. Romanian radar detected inbound aerial targets and the country declared a brief air-raid alert; no violation of Romanian airspace was recorded. Operations resumed on the morning of September 7.