Topic: Russia
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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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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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RIA Novosti briefly publishes, then deletes column threatening nuclear strike against Lithuania
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published and then removed a column that openly threatened a nuclear strike against Lithuania, days after the Lithuanian parliament moved to lift its constitutional ban on hosting weapons of mass destruction. The agency said the piece reflected only the author's personal opinion, not its editorial or state policy.
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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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Swiss to vote September 27 on enshrining stricter neutrality in constitution
Swiss voters head to the polls on Sunday, September 27 to decide whether to enshrine a stricter definition of the country's centuries-old neutrality in the constitution. A 'yes' vote would effectively bar Switzerland from imposing sanctions on Russia unless approved by the UN Security Council and rule out military cooperation with alliances like NATO outside cases of direct attack. Polls indicate nearly two-thirds of voters oppose the initiative.
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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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NATO's top Europe commander warns of rising Russian-linked sabotage, urges calm
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grinkevich, told Reuters the Alliance is increasing intelligence sharing in response to a wave of sabotage and other incidents likely linked to Russia. He urged calm, called NATO "the most powerful alliance in history" and assessed the risk of a limited Russian attack on NATO territory as "unlikely but cannot be ruled out." Grinkevich also rejected the assumption that Vladimir Putin could exploit depleted US long-range precision missile stockpiles to strike the Alliance.
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Danish intelligence warns of growing risk of limited Russian attack on NATO eastern flank
Denmark's Defence Intelligence Service published a threat assessment on September 24 warning that Russia is likely to intensify hybrid operations against Western countries and NATO in the coming months, including a "small but growing" risk of a limited military attack on a NATO country bordering Russia. The Danish Civil Security Agency subsequently raised its cyber threat level, and Denmark reaffirmed its continued support for Ukraine.
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El Mundo reports CIA warning of Russian drone plot against Spain, France or Italy; Macron and Crosetto reject claim
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the CIA shared intelligence with several European governments about an alleged Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy, with launches from containers hidden on civilian ships in international waters. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto publicly rejected the report, with Macron saying the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack and Crosetto calling the El Mundo publication baseless.
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Zelensky declares Ukraine ready for energy, grain and maritime ceasefires as Russia rejects energy proposal
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 22 September 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump and announced Ukraine is ready for reciprocal ceasefires in energy, grain and maritime domains. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 23 September that both sides expressed interest in a limited ceasefire, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the energy proposal and Russia's Vladimir Putin again insisted on maximalist war aims. The prospect of a trilateral meeting was left to the G20 summit in Miami on 14–15 December, where Putin's participation remains disputed.
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Putin envoy meets Trump administration officials in New York during UN General Assembly
Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, traveled to the United States for meetings with representatives of President Donald Trump's administration, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The talks took place in New York during the UN General Assembly session and are described as a continuation of an earlier Kremlin meeting between Putin and US representatives. The visit comes as 50 countries and the European Union issued a joint statement at the UN calling on Russia to cease fire — a statement the United States did not join.
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At UN General Assembly, Zelensky calls Putin 'patient zero' of global war, unveils FREYJA air-defense program, and warns of painful winter for Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, calling Vladimir Putin a "patient zero" spreading war, announcing the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, and disclosing that Russia is using citizens of 47 countries in its war against Ukraine. He detailed Ukrainian strike figures, threatened retaliation against Russian energy infrastructure this winter, and unveiled the FREYJA anti-missile defense program with 10 partner countries. The speech followed a day of high-level diplomacy, including his meeting with US President Donald Trump and a Rubio-Lavrov exchange on a possible energy ceasefire.
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51 UN member states call on Russia to agree to unconditional ceasefire; US does not join
On 23 September, during the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, a group of UN member states issued a joint statement calling on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and engage in meaningful peace negotiations. The statement, presented by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, notes that Ukraine had already agreed to such a ceasefire since March 2025. The United States did not join the appeal.
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Zelenskyy discloses annual frontline figures, confirms readiness for trilateral summit with Trump and Putin
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, President Zelenskyy said Russia captured 890 km of Ukrainian territory in 2026 while Ukraine liberated 800 km, leaving roughly a 100 km net gain for Moscow. He also cited 270,000 Russian casualties this year and stated that "almost everything on the battlefield has stalled." Speaking after his 22 September meeting with Donald Trump in New York, Zelenskyy said he is ready to meet Putin with Trump's help, while the Kremlin's spokesman said there are no preconditions for a "peace track" and repeated that Zelenskyy could come to Moscow.
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EU extends Ukraine sanctions for three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman, prompting Ukrainian criticism
On 22 September, the EU Council extended Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months until 22 September 2029, the first time the regime has been renewed for three years instead of the usual six-month cycle. In the same decision, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the delisting "shameful" and unjustified, and the Baltic states announced national sanctions in response. A day later, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges that France rejects.
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Poland scrambles jets, suspends airports amid Russian strikes on Ukraine
On the morning of 23 September, Poland scrambled military aircraft and placed air-defence systems on heightened readiness in response to a Russian air attack on Ukraine. Operations at Lublin and Rzeszów airports were temporarily suspended, and border crossings with Ukraine were put on alert.
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Rubio to meet Lavrov in New York on Wednesday during UN General Assembly
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, September 23, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. The meeting comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky met President Donald Trump in New York, and against statements from both Moscow and Washington suggesting no ceasefire is currently in place.
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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.