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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Ukraine suspends non-priority spending as PM warns of critical fiscal squeeze
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved a decision on 28 September prioritizing state expenditures toward defense, pensions, social payments and public-sector salaries, while suspending non-critical construction, reconstruction, capital repairs and beautification projects until the end of the war. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said part of the pressure stems from delayed international financing, in part because Ukraine has not fulfilled some of its commitments to international partners. The government has identified about $7 billion through internal optimization against a reported $27 billion Ministry of Defense deficit.
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Russian drone strikes Kyiv's National Academy of Sciences building, killing at least two
On 28 September 2026, a Russian jet-powered drone struck the Presidium building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) in central Kyiv around 13:30, causing a large fire and partially destroying the second and third floors of the historic structure. At least two people were killed — including the personal assistant of NASU Vice-President Volodymyr Horbulin — and multiple others were injured; some NASU staff remained unreachable after the strike. President Zelensky promised a Ukrainian response, Foreign Minister Sybiha called on UNESCO to strip Russia of voting rights, and the strike drew condemnation from European leaders and institutions.
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Ukraine hits two Russian defense plants, oil and drone sites in multi-region strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces struck two Russian defense plants in the Tula and Voronezh regions overnight on September 28, alongside oil facilities in Krasnodar Krai, drone-launch sites in Kaluga and Oryol, targets in Bryansk, and a target in the Black Sea. SBU units struck oil facilities in Krasnodar during the day, and Russian authorities reported downed drones and damage in Voronezh region.
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Ukrainian drones hit Edelweiss-95 oil depot in Krasnodar Krai, SBU claims four depot strikes overnight
In the night of 28 September 2026, drones struck the Edelweiss-95 oil depot in stanitsa Novotitarovskaya, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, sparking a fire. Ukraine's SBU said it struck four oil depots in the region overnight using drones from its Alpha Special Operations Center. Russian regional authorities had not officially confirmed the attack at the time of initial reporting.
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Russian guided bomb strike on Kharkiv residential building injures dozens, including many children
On the night of 28 September, Russian forces struck the Kyivskyi and Saltivskyi districts of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs. One bomb hit a multi-storey residential building in the Saltivskyi district, destroying the second and third floors and injuring dozens of people, including many children. Search-and-rescue operations concluded with no one found under the rubble, though emergency services rescued 32 people from the damaged building.
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Ukraine's defense budget faces $27 billion deficit, PM says $20 billion to come from partners
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said Ukraine's defense budget has a $27 billion shortfall — part of the $155 billion war financing figure declared at February's Ramstein-format meeting. Around $7 billion is to be covered through domestic austerity and internal reallocation, with roughly $20 billion being sought from international partners for drones, missiles and military equipment.
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Zelenskyy: Russia launched over 2,200 strike drones at Ukraine in one week, calls de-escalation signals "fake"
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on September 27 that Russia launched more than 2,200 strike drones, approximately 1,650 aerial bombs, and 38 missiles — many ballistic — at Ukraine over the past week. In a single recent day Russia used 277 strike drones, 155 of them jet-powered. Zelenskyy called Russia's diplomatic signals about de-escalation fake, said the strikes on kindergartens and schools amount to terrorism, and announced that new sanctions packages and the U.S. Lindsay Graham law are being prepared for October.
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Budanov: North Korea learning from Ukraine war and arming itself, including mass-producing strike drones
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Office of the President, said in an interview with Newsforce that North Korea is drawing on its participation in the war in Ukraine to improve its own armaments, including by mass-producing single-use strike drones. He also said North Korea continues to supply weapons and materials to Russia and to send its troops to fight directly against Ukraine.
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Russian drone strikes 9-story residential building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district
On 27 September, a Russian jet-powered Shahed-type drone struck a 9-story residential building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district at the 4th–5th floor level, sparking a fire and injuring one woman. The strike was part of a broader day-long drone attack on the capital that damaged kindergartens, schools, a car-service station, the residence of the Saudi Arabian ambassador, and the Kyivstar head office, with nine people injured citywide by evening.
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Budanov: Ukraine needs expanded Starlink access and Patriot interceptors to counter Russian missile strikes
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said in an interview with Newsforce that Ukraine urgently needs expanded access to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications as well as interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems, in order to counter and strike Russian missile systems. A fragment of the interview was published on Budanov's Telegram channel on Sunday, 27 September.
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Poland offers to host Patriot missile production for Ukraine, citing safety of its own territory
Poland has offered to host on its territory the production of interceptor missiles for U.S. Patriot air-defense systems intended for Ukraine, if Washington grants Kyiv the relevant license. The proposal was made by Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Magdalena Sobków-Czarniecka in a TVN24 interview, and was framed as a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 25 September claim that U.S. President Donald Trump has made a "final decision" to license Ukrainian Patriot production. Poland simultaneously confirmed it is negotiating with the U.S. on a permanent American military base, expected to accommodate around 5,000 troops and their families.
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Russian drones strike Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast overnight, one killed, several injured
On the night and morning of 27 September 2026, Russian drones struck multiple districts of Kyiv and parts of Kyiv Oblast, killing one man in the Solomianskyi district and injuring at least three people including two 16-year-old girls in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Fires were reported at a warehouse, an auto service station, an office building, and a school, while the logistics company Zammler confirmed its Brovarskyi district warehouse was hit. The strikes were part of a nationwide barrage of 170 strike drones, of which 147 were reportedly shot down or suppressed by 07:30.
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Trump pushes for Ukraine-Russia deal before winter; Zelenskyy says Putin shows no intent to end war
After a September 22 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, US President Donald Trump said on September 26 he expects Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to "make a deal before the difficult winter." In an evening address the same day, Zelenskyy countered that Putin is not planning to end the war and keeps finding excuses to avoid meetings and a trilateral format.
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Ukrainian strikes hit Azov optical-mechanical plant, Ilysky refinery, and Russian air-defense assets overnight
On the night of 25–26 September 2026, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant in Rostov Oblast — a facility linked by open-source analysts to several Russian missile programs — along with the Ilysky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, a Pantsir-S2 air-defense system, an ammunition depot in Sievierodonetsk, and a P-18 Terek radar in Donetsk Oblast. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the Azov strike was carried out by its Alpha Special Operations Center together with the Ukrainian Navy, using Neptune cruise missiles and Ruta, Palyanytsya, and Bars jet drone-missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly confirmed the strikes.
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Ukraine says ready for US-mediated trilateral with Russia; Zelensky names UAE as proposed venue
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 25 that the United States has proposed a trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia at the technical level, with the United Arab Emirates suggested as the venue. Ukraine is waiting for Washington to propose a date. The Kremlin confirmed contacts are underway. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine is ready for the format but saw no signals of Russian willingness to engage.
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Ukrainian drones hit two Russian oil refineries and defence-linked plants overnight into 25 September
In the night of 24–25 September 2026, Ukrainian drones struck multiple Russian industrial sites far behind the front line. The Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in Perm was hit and a fire broke out; the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Rostov Oblast suspended operations after being damaged; the Iskra microelectronics plant in Ulyanovsk, part of the Almaz-Antey defence concern, was also struck, along with a synthetic-rubber plant in Voronezh. Russia's General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the strikes on the two refineries, and President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly acknowledged the attacks.
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Finnish President Stubb asks Musk to expand Starlink coverage so Ukraine can strike Russian missile launchers
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in a Reuters interview in New York that he has asked Elon Musk to allow Starlink satellite internet to operate in areas where Russian ballistic missile launchers are based — including on occupied Ukrainian territory and inside Russia — arguing it would save lives. He framed Starlink as a partial substitute for the air-defence assets Ukraine lacks ahead of winter, and said allies are preparing a winter aid package because he does not see the war ending before then.
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Macron proposes "double moratorium" linking halt on Russian refinery strikes and Black Sea hostilities
French President Emmanuel Macron said he intends to propose a "double moratorium" as part of diplomatic efforts to ease energy-market strain, coupling a halt to strikes on Russian oil refineries with a halt to hostilities in the Black Sea. He also outlined broader measures: working to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and urging G7 countries to reuse strategic oil reserves.
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Trump hosts Xi at White House; Ukraine pushes to draw China into effort to end Russia's war
US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24 in a lavish summit that produced no visible breakthroughs on artificial intelligence, trade, Taiwan, or the war with Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Trump to press Xi to influence Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end or de-escalate the war, while US Democratic senators urged Trump to raise the "Graham Law" on Russia sanctions with Xi.
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Ukraine says it obtained Russian plans for winter strikes on energy infrastructure, details defensive preparations
Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukrainian intelligence obtained two Russian documents detailing Moscow's planned strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this winter. The documents contain tables specifying targets, weapons and munition allocations. Shmyhal described protective construction and tripled reserve stockpiles, and said Ukraine will continue deep strikes on Russia if energy attacks continue.