Topic: Air attacks
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Russia launches nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine on September 12, Zelensky says campaign targets the economy
On September 12, Russia conducted a sustained day-and-night drone barrage of nearly 500 strike drones against Ukraine, hitting railway infrastructure, food warehouses and other civilian economic targets. Ukrainian air defence downed or suppressed 336 of the 410 drones launched during the daytime period. President Zelensky framed the strikes as a deliberate effort to destroy Ukraine's economy and break Ukrainian resistance.
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Zelensky calls on EU to strengthen sanctions on Russian business, names Fridman and Usmanov
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union to increase sanctions pressure on Russian business and oligarchs, singling out Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov. His appeal came as Russia has launched nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine since the morning of September 12, and as EU ambassadors have again failed to agree on extending personal sanctions ahead of a September 15 deadline.
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Ukraine better prepared for winter energy strikes than last year, PM tells YES forum
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told the YES 2026 conference in Kyiv that Ukraine is significantly better prepared for Russian attacks on energy infrastructure than last winter, while warning that full protection is impossible and the coming months will be difficult. He outlined contingency planning and decentralized support for regions and said the government must prepare for a prolonged war, even if a ceasefire is reached.
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Drone from Ukraine crosses Moldova and crashes in Romania's Suceava county
On 12 September, an unauthorized drone entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine, prompting Moldova to temporarily close parts of its airspace before the device crashed in a cornfield in Romania's Suceava county. Romanian F-16 fighters were scrambled to monitor the situation, RO-Alert messages were issued for Suceava and Botoșani counties, and several civilian flights were delayed. No casualties were reported.
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Ukraine's defence minister meets US senators, hands over list of military needs focused on air defence
Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara met with US senators Tom Tillis, John Curtis and Alan Armstrong and presented a concrete list of Ukrainian needs to counter Russian aggression, with air defence as a priority. The talks covered the battlefield situation, Russian threats, Ukraine's air defence requirements and further support for the Defence Forces, including through the PURL and JUMPSTART weapons-supply mechanisms.
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Ukrzaliznytsia reroutes Sumy trains via Konotop after Russian drone strike on passenger train
Ukrzaliznytsia has temporarily rerouted trains in Sumy Oblast to terminate at Konotop station, citing intensified Russian strikes on railway infrastructure following a drone attack on the Kyiv–Sumy passenger train. The Sumy Oblast Military Administration and the State Emergency Service (DSNS) have organized bus transfers between Konotop and Sumy to maintain multimodal connectivity. The rail operator warned that the situation could change daily and said full routes would be restored when the risk level decreases.
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Ukraine's General Staff reports strikes on Russian drone sites, command points in four oblasts
On 11 September and overnight into 12 September, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck Russian UAV control points, strike-drone storage sites, and weapons and materiel warehouses across several occupied locations, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. Targets were reported hit in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts. The General Staff said the extent of the damage is being verified and that work against key enemy targets is continuing.
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Russian ballistic missiles hit Kryvyi Rih metallurgical plant in overnight attack
In the night of September 11–12, 2026, Russian forces struck Kryvyi Rih with ballistic missiles from several directions, hitting the ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih metallurgical combine. Local officials reported multiple casualties and damage to nearby apartment buildings, a healthcare centre, and schools. The strike was part of a broader overnight Russian assault on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and other Ukrainian regions.
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Russian drone strike destroys Zaporizhzhia house, two civilians killed
A Russian drone strike on a private residential sector of Zaporizhzhia on the night of 11–12 September destroyed one house, killed two civilians and injured others. The head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, reported the casualties and a wider pattern of oblast-wide bombardment.
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Russian drones hit two Kyiv petrol stations, killing two civilians
Russian drone strikes on the morning of September 11 hit two Ukrnafta petrol stations in Kyiv's Dnipro and Obolon districts, killing two people and injuring several others. The Obolon station was hit twice. It was the second consecutive day of strikes on Ukrnafta fuel sites in the capital.
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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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EU approves €6.1 billion credit for Ukraine to buy drones and Patriot missiles
The European Commission has formally approved a €6.1 billion credit tranche for Ukraine, earmarked for drones and missiles for Patriot air defense systems, including PAC-3 interceptors. The decision required five separate EU member-state derogations from standard procurement rules to allow EU funds to be used for arms purchases from third countries, including the United States, and for Ukrainian-made drones exceeding price thresholds.
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Ukrainian drones strike Azot chemical plant deep inside Russia
Ukrainian drones attacked the Azot branch of Uralchem in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on the morning of September 11, causing explosions, smoke and a full halt of production at Russia's largest nitrogen fertilizer facility, roughly 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border. Plant workers reported multiple blasts; the Russian Defense Ministry said drones were shot down and the Perm governor reported no casualties.
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Polish foreign minister makes unannounced visit to Kyiv
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski arrived in Kyiv on September 11 for an unannounced official visit, announcing his arrival with a photo from a Kyiv railway station posted on X with the caption "Good day from Kyiv." The Polish Foreign Ministry described the trip as a gesture of support for Ukraine during a period of active Russian attacks, including drone strikes on Kyiv the same day.
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Russia strikes Ukraine overnight with Banderol missile and 161 drones; Kyiv residential building hit
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on September 11 with an S8000 "Banderol" cruise missile and 161 strike drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Parodia decoy variants. Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 138 drones, but hits were recorded at 19 locations and debris fell at three more. In Kyiv, a nine-story residential building caught fire and at least seven people were injured.
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Russian drone strike on Pavlohrad kills five, injures 67 including eight children
Russian drone strikes hit Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the evening of 10 September 2024, killing five people and injuring 67, including eight children. Local authorities declared 11 September a day of mourning in the city.
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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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Ukraine's General Staff confirms strikes on Makhachkala port and Russian ships in Novorossiysk
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that in the night of 10 September, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Makhachkala seaport in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, where a fire was recorded. The General Staff also confirmed strikes on fuel-oil storage facilities in Novorossiysk on 9 September and on at least three Russian naval vessels there, including a minesweeper, a frigate, and a large landing ship.
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Ukraine's air-defense missile stocks nearly exhausted as Russia scales up drone and ballistic missile output
Russia fired jet-powered Geran drones at Ukraine every day in August, with monthly totals rising from 350 in June to 2,800 in August, according to Ukrainian Air Force data cited by the BBC. Ukraine's stockpiles of PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot systems and AIM missiles for F-16s are nearly exhausted, and Kyiv is turning to European SAMP/T batteries and a joint European-Ukrainian project called Freyja to field cheaper, mass-produced alternatives.
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Poland scrambles twice in one day as Russian drones hit western Ukraine
On 10 September, Poland's Operational Command raised the readiness of its air forces twice in response to Russian jet-type drone activity over western Ukraine. Polish fighters, ground-based air defence and radar systems were activated, airspace restrictions were introduced in the east, SMS alerts were sent to residents of two border voivodeships, and flights at Lublin and Rzeszów airports were suspended. No violations of Polish airspace were recorded, and the alerts were cancelled once the threat had passed.