Volodymyr Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky is a Ukrainian politician and former actor who was elected President of Ukraine in 2019. Before entering politics he gained fame as a comedian and producer, notably starring in the television series "Servant of the People", in which he played a schoolteacher who becomes president. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 he has led the country's wartime leadership and become the principal international spokesperson for Ukraine.
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Russian attack hits Teva pharmaceutical warehouse in Ukraine twice in one day
A Teva pharmaceutical warehouse in Kyiv Oblast was struck twice in a single day by Russian drones as part of a massive drone attack, the company said. Teva reported that no employees were injured, stated it is continuing to operate, and is working to preserve medicine supplies for Ukrainian patients.
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Kyiv shooting between SBU and HUR leaves three wounded; both agencies face dismissals
On the night of September 1 and the morning of September 2, 2025, an armed clash broke out in Kyiv's Berezniaky residential area between personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) near the apartment of Russian Volunteer Corps deputy commander Stepan Kaplunov. Three HUR servicemen were wounded and hospitalized. One SBU officer and one HUR serviceman were later served with suspicion notices and released under personal surety by the Pechersk District Court. President Zelensky publicly called the incident "absolutely shameful" and announced dismissals of deputy heads of both agencies.
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Russian drone strikes SBU headquarters in central Kyiv, Zelensky orders 'mirror' response
On 4 September, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street in central Kyiv, with the warhead directed at the office of acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who was not present. President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly ordered Poklad to prepare an adequate, tangible, and where possible mirror response to the strike. The fire in the SBU building was extinguished, the adjacent Consistory House of the UNESCO-listed Sophia of Kyiv complex was damaged, and Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko's casualty figures rose through successive updates to nine injured, seven of them hospitalized.
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Russian drone strikes SBU headquarters in central Kyiv, damages UNESCO-protected Saint Sophia reserve
On 4 September 2026, a Russian drone hit the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, opposite Saint Sophia Cathedral. President Zelensky said the drone was aimed at the office of SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who was unharmed. The blast wave damaged an 18th-century building within the Saint Sophia reserve and a nearby café-bakery, and injured civilians across several districts of the capital.
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Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner plan Moscow-then-Kyiv trip on September 5–6, Kyiv leg in question
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were set to visit Moscow and then Kyiv on September 5–6 in what would be their first trip to Ukraine under President Donald Trump. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the itinerary in a 4 September video address and said Ukraine would hold off on air strikes to ensure the envoys' safe arrival, calling on Russia to mirror that restraint. Kyiv Independent, citing a source, reported the envoys were weighing alternative plans after Witkoff "began to fear" the Kyiv leg due to alleged Russian intimidation; Reuters said Russia was trying to pressure the Americans to change plans. Axios and RBC-Ukraine reported the Kyiv stop was still expected on 6 September. The Kremlin declined to confirm the Moscow meeting.
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Budanov reveals years of back-channel contacts with Russia's GRU chief and Prigozhin, advises Zelensky against Donbas concessions
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The New York Times published on 4 September that he maintained long-running contacts with Russian military intelligence chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov and the late Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. He advised President Volodymyr Zelensky not to accept any compromise on Donbas that would give Russia formal control over territory its military failed to seize on the battlefield.
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Head of Ukraine's anti-corruption prosecutor's office reveals 'Femida' operation was first code-named 'Disneiland'
SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko said the operation later known as 'Femida' was initially code-named 'Disneiland' because the main suspect was nicknamed 'Miky Maus,' and was split into the 'Forest Gamp' and 'Femida' cases as the scheme developed. The cases target an alleged criminal organization that investigators say included a deputy head of the Office of the President, a former MP, state bank officials and a former head of financial monitoring at Sense Bank, with the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) setting preventive measures for several suspects in August and early September.
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Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies raid Office of the Prosecutor General over call center 'cover' scheme
On September 4, Ukraine's NABU and SAP announced a special operation to expose a criminal organization led by an official of the Office of the Prosecutor General, suspected of providing cover ('kryshuvannia') to a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering assets. According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, NABU and SAP detained Serhiy Kropyva, head of the OPG's cyber department. The OPG's response was reported inconsistently across outlets, with some saying the agency had suspended the suspect and others noting it had not yet commented.
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Shooting between SBU and HUR in Kyiv leads to dismissals and dismissal announcements at top of both services
On the night of 1 September into the morning of 2 September 2026, a shooting on Yurii Shumskoho Street in Kyiv's Berezniaky district brought the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) into an armed confrontation during investigative actions at the apartment of Stepan Kaplunov, deputy combat commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), who had been missing since 23 August. Three HUR servicemembers were wounded. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the incident "absolutely shameful," signed a decree dismissing Oleh Khramov from the SBU Department of State Secrets Protection and Licensing, and announced that deputies of the heads of both the SBU and HUR would also be dismissed. On 3 September, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said two participants — an SBU officer and a HUR servicemember — had been served with notices of suspicion.
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Putin at Eastern Economic Forum calls Ukraine airspace warnings 'state terrorism,' says chance for peace exists
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Vladimir Putin said Russia and Ukraine must primarily negotiate an end to the war between themselves, while other countries including the United States and China are ready to support. He said there is a chance for a peaceful settlement but described Ukraine's recent warnings about the dangers of Russian airspace for civil aviation as state terrorism that complicates peace talks, and accused Ukraine's Western partners of silence.
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Indian foreign minister makes first standalone bilateral visit to Ukraine, meets Zelensky and Sybiha in Kyiv
India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrived in Kyiv on 3 September for the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to Ukraine, meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Talks covered peace efforts, Black Sea freedom of navigation, global food security, bilateral trade (currently $2.6 billion), and India's purchases of Russian oil, with Jaishankar insisting the war must be resolved through diplomacy rather than decisions on oil purchases.
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Ukraine's military intelligence warns of disinformation campaign amid clash with SBU
On 3 September, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said a targeted disinformation campaign is being rolled out to discredit military intelligence and its combat units. The warning came the day after an armed shootout in Kyiv between HUR-affiliated personnel and SBU operatives linked to the detention of Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, who is accused by the SBU of ties to Russia's FSB.
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Ukraine's SBU says it foiled alleged FSB plot to kill Chechen exile Zakayev; shootout with GUR in Kyiv sparks inter-agency crisis
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on 3 September that it had prevented an alleged FSB-ordered plot to assassinate Akhmed Zakayev, the exiled head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's government, who had travelled to Kyiv for Independence Day on 24 August. The SBU named Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) deputy commander Stepan Kaplunov as the alleged organizer. The case triggered a shootout between SBU and military intelligence (GUR) operatives in Kyiv's Berezniaky district on 2 September that left three GUR personnel wounded, and has escalated into an open clash between the two agencies over who is telling the truth about what happened.
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Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports halt flights for second night after Zelensky's airspace warning
Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports suspended arrivals and departures for a second consecutive night following warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russian airspace is becoming unsafe for civil aviation due to drone activity linked to the war. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, said temporary restrictions had been imposed at Moscow-region airports, and Flightradar24 data showed hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed during the previous disruption. Ukraine has formally notified ICAO and is pushing for an international ban on civil flights over Russia, while Moscow has rejected the warnings as legally invalid and insisted its aviation remains safe.
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Zelensky offers Zaporizhzhia OVA head Fedorov the post of Restoration Agency chief
President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, the position of head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. Fedorov disclosed the offer during a report marking his 1,000 days in office and said the new role would combine heading the agency with continuing as co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council. As of reporting, no official decision on his dismissal from the OVA or his appointment to the new post had been made.
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Russia strikes 13 Ukrainian oblasts overnight; drone hits Odesa high-rise, 17 injured
On the night of September 3, Russian strikes caused destruction or damage across 13 Ukrainian oblasts. In Odesa, a drone hit a residential multi-story building, injuring 17 people including 3 children. Strikes also hit Obukhiv and Boryspil districts in Kyiv Oblast, where a fire broke out at a pharmaceutical company's warehouse. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is continuing to escalate and called on partners to strengthen Ukraine's air defense.
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Massive overnight Ukrainian drone and sea-drone strike hits Moscow region and Sochi port
Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted 416 drones overnight on September 2–3, as uncrewed surface vessels struck the port of Sochi and set fire to a Russian ship. Ukraine's Naval Forces confirmed it hit the supply vessel Nefrit in Sochi. In the Moscow region, drone debris hit an apartment building in Kubinka, near a Russian airbase, and a factory in Bolshoye Bunykovo.
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Ukrainian F-16 pilots running out of air-to-air missiles, falling back on cannons
Ukraine's F-16 pilots are facing an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles during daytime combat sorties, in some cases engaging Russian aerial targets with the aircraft's 20mm cannon, the commander of Ukraine's 107th Air Wing has warned. The shortfall affects AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles that are also used by NASAMS air defense systems protecting Kyiv.
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Zelensky's Stavka meeting accelerates production of high-speed interceptors to counter jet-powered Shaheds
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff focused on accelerating the production of high-speed interceptor drones designed to counter Russian jet-powered Shahed-type attack drones. Zelensky said Ukrainian manufacturers are capable of the task, prototypes have already been developed, and specific deadlines were set for engaging business in air defense production, supply and configuration. He also said Ukraine will act asymmetrically in response to Russia's growing production of high-speed attack means.
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Trump claims US has "virtually unlimited" ammunition, says Europe will be asked to repay aid to Ukraine and NATO
On 3 September, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social claiming the United States has practically unlimited medium- and high-class ammunition stockpiles and is producing at record volumes. He said the US is currently keeping munitions for itself but will resume sales to allies soon, accused the Biden administration of having given Ukraine more ammunition than the US used in Iran, and said the US will demand reimbursement from Europe for hundreds of billions of dollars previously provided free of charge to Ukraine and NATO. The post also attacked media coverage of US ammunition shortages during the Iran war.