Topic: Energy
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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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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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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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Ukraine's military intelligence names 17 tankers and captains in Russian fuel-import scheme
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has publicly identified 17 tankers and their captains — citizens of Russia, China, and India — involved in supplying Russia with over 562,000 tonnes of gasoline and diesel fuel during July–September 2026 via transshipment through Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and South Korea.
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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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Ukrainian drones strike Russian naval base and fuel-oil terminal in Novorossiysk
In the night of September 8–9, 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian naval base and the Novorossiysk Mazut Terminal in Krasnodar Krai. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed the strike on the base and reported fires on its territory and at the seaport's fuel-oil terminal, as well as explosions in ship basing areas. Mayor of Novorossiysk Andriy Kravchenko confirmed drone debris fell on enterprise territories and near a residential building; the governor of Krasnodar Krai later reported 4 killed and 29 injured.
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At virtual Ramstein meeting, Germany announces Patriot interceptors and 'City Dome' shield for Ukraine
At the 36th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on 8 September, held virtually, Germany announced the urgent transfer of PAC-2 Patriot interceptors and additional AIM-9 missiles from Bundeswehr stocks, launched the 'City Dome' project to shield Ukrainian cities from drone and missile strikes, and committed to financing tens of thousands of long-range artillery shells. The UK pledged £100 million through PURL for air defense, the EU approved financing for 3.2 billion euros of Patriot missiles, and Ukraine outlined plans to contract around 1,000 Patriot missiles and several thousand additional IRIS-T missiles with partner support. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said civilian deaths in Ukraine are at their highest since May 2022 and warned that delays cost lives.
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External power restored to occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after nearly three weeks on diesel
On 7 September 2026, Ukrainian specialists reconnected the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to the external grid via the 330 kV 'Ferosplavna-1' line at 19:02, ending more than two weeks of reliance on emergency diesel generators. The repair was carried out under an IAEA-brokered local ceasefire that took effect on 5 September. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called the reconnection an important step in preventing a nuclear accident.
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US envoys visit Kyiv for first time, signal return to trilateral talks but report no breakthrough
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Kyiv on 6 September 2026 for their first visit to Ukraine since Donald Trump's second presidential term began, after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 5 September. They held three rounds of talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, joined in the second round by national security advisers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and announced a planned return to the US–Ukraine–Russia trilateral format and US support for a 'winter package' of assistance for Ukraine. Zelensky reported receiving a message that 'the Russians are ready to negotiate' but remained sceptical, while the Kremlin, Bloomberg sources and the Institute for the Study of War said the Moscow talks produced no substantive concessions.
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Russian drones strike four Ukrnafta fuel facilities in three oblasts
Russian forces struck four Ukrnafta fueling complexes in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts over the evenings of September 5 and 6, causing fires and equipment damage but no injuries. Ukrnafta chairman Bohdan Kukura characterized the attacks as systematic strikes on civilian infrastructure with no military purpose.
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Drones hit Perm oil refinery and other Russian sites; Zelensky claims strikes on refineries in three regions
On the night of 7 September, drones attacked the Russian city of Perm, home to the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery, one of Russia's largest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces struck oil refineries in Perm Krai, Ryazan Oblast and Tatarstan, as well as a drone launch site in Kursk Oblast and a target in the Black Sea. Local authorities reported one death and four injuries in Perm, with additional damage and casualties in Belgorod, Voronezh, Chuvashia and Taganrog.
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Ukrainian drones strike Ryazan oil refinery and Rostov airfield overnight
On the night of September 6, 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked targets in Russia's Ryazan and Rostov oblasts. Ukraine's General Staff said the Defense Forces struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery, the Rostov-on-Don airfield, a Podlyot radar station, and two Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems, with the refinery hit using an FP-1 drone produced by Fire Point. Russian officials acknowledged a drone attack and a fire at an unnamed enterprise in Ryazan, but did not officially confirm damage to the refinery.
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ATESH says it destroyed communications tower near Perm ahead of Ukrainian strike on LUKOIL refinery
The ATESH partisan movement reported that its agents destroyed a communications tower in the Perm area of Perm Krai, Russia, shortly before Ukrainian drones struck the LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery on August 21. ATESH said the tower served as a backup channel for coordination between the facility's security and Russian military units covering it, and that the sabotage was carried out by a Russian serviceman who had gone AWOL and later joined ATESH.
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Russia strikes Kyiv and Boryspil airports as US envoys prepare to visit
In the night of September 4–5, Russia launched drone strikes across at least eight Ukrainian regions, with President Zelensky saying the attacks deliberately and for the first time in a long time targeted the Kyiv (Zhuliany) and Boryspil airports. Zelensky linked the airport strikes to discussions about the upcoming visit by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. A drone hit a nine-story residential building in Boryspil, injuring two women, and a strike on an industrial enterprise in Kamianske killed and wounded civilians. Zelensky announced Ukraine would adjust its operations regarding Russian airspace the following week.
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Ukraine's General Staff says two major Russian oil refineries halted after Ukrainian strikes
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on 4 September that two large Russian oil refining enterprises — LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez in Kstovo and the NOVATEK-Ust-Luga complex in Leningrad Oblast — have stopped operating after being hit on 26 August and 1 September respectively. The General Staff said both facilities supply the needs of the Russian armed forces.
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SBU detains Kharkiv couple suspected of spying for Russian military intelligence
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) detained a married couple in Kharkiv on suspicion of transmitting information about Ukrainian forces, defensive positions, and energy infrastructure to Russian military intelligence (GRU). The husband, a mobilized soldier in a Territorial Defense brigade, allegedly tracked air defense, electronic warfare and fortifications in Kharkiv and marked power facilities on Google Maps, while his civilian wife reportedly gathered information on Ukrainian troop locations and eventually reported directly to a Russian handler. Both face state-treason charges under martial law and are in custody without bail.
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US Treasury Secretary says Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries deepening global energy shock
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries are deepening a global energy shock, in remarks on Fox News following two-day G20 finance ministers' meetings in North Carolina. Bessent attributed the shock both to the war in Ukraine — including Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure — and to the conflict in Iran, and defended his decision to engage with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at the meeting.