Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

[MagicFox]

Thanks as always to everybody consistently posting and keeping us all up to date 🇺🇦

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Kyiv Independent:

⚡️ ⚡️Update: Zelensky, US envoys holding another round of talks with European officials.

Zelensky gifted the U.S. envoys T-shirts reading "Kyiv Regime" — a tongue-in-cheek reference to how Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov referred to the Ukrainian government a day earlier, a person familiar with the matter said. [Did wonder what the significance of this was! See photo of T Shirt]

⚡️ ⚡️Russia's Lavrov claims start of 'real war' with Germany after Moscow accused of Leipzig Airport attack.

Russia's foreign minister claimed Germany has started "a real war" after his country was accused of launching explosive-laden drones at Leipzig Airport. [What a dick]

⚡️Update: 'The war will continue' — US peace push fails to achieve deal after Witkoff, Kushner's first visit to Kyiv.

The latest round of U.S.-led peace talks in Kyiv and Moscow did not appear to yield a diplomatic breakthrough.

"We expect the war will continue," Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine is counting on U.S. energy and air defense support this winter.

⚡️Trump's first call after peace talks briefing will be Putin, source says.

Trump will consult with his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, before calling Putin and then speaking with President Volodymyr Zelensky, a U.S. official told the Kyiv Independent. The calls will likely take place on Sept. 7.

⚡️Germany's far-right, pro-Russia party on brink of winning majority in key regional election.

The latest projections show AfD leading in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt with around 44.2% of the vote, a result that could earn the party an absolute majority in the state's 83-seat parliament.

⚡️Russia strikes Ukraine-Romania border crossing for 2nd time in week.

The Orlivka–Isaccea crossing links Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast with NATO and EU member Romania across the Danube River, which has become Kyiv's primary grain export route amid Russian attacks.

⚡️Pro-Ukrainian partisans sabotaged communication tower ahead of oil refinery strike, Atesh group claims.

The pro-Ukrainian saboteur reportedly contacted the Atesh group, a partisan force operating behind Russian lines, and burned through wiring in a communications tower around the Russian city of Perm, roughly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine, in August.

⚡️Sochi oil depot reportedly erupts in flames again days after Ukrainian strikes.

An oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi appeared to reignite on Sept. 7, three days after being struck by Ukrainian drones, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

⚡️Update: Court sets bail at $2.7 million for senior prosecutor in scam call centers case.

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court remanded Serhii Kropyva in custody until Nov. 2. He is suspected of running protection for scam call centers and laundering assets worth more than Hr 89 million ($2 million).

⚡️Russian attacks kill at least 3, injure 38 across Ukraine, day after Witkoff, Kushner visit Kyiv for renewed peace push.

The Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 92 attack drones against Ukraine overnight, of which 71 were shot down or intercepted.

⚡️France cannot finance Ukraine 'without anything in return', far-right leader says.

Jordan Bardella, co-leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, said France should help Ukraine defend its territorial integrity but cannot finance Kyiv indefinitely "without any guarantees," in an interview with Bloomberg TV published on Sept. 6.

⚡️Russia, North Korea open first cross-border road bridge as partnership deepens

The one-kilometer bridge crosses the Tumen River, connecting Khasan in Russia's far-eastern Primorsky Krai with North Korea's Tumangang.

⚡️Russian missile brigade equipped with Oreshniks deployed in Belarus, Ukraine's military intelligence says.

The Oreshnik is a missile believed to be a modified version of the Rubezh surface-to-surface missile.

⚡️Kyiv shortens curfew to 1-5 am.

The changes will take effect at midnight on Sept. 10, and the public transportation schedule in Kyiv will also be extended by an hour, according to Klitschko.

⚡️Russia has enough resources to wage war through 2028, Ukraine's military intelligence says.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said Ukrainian strikes are contributing to Russia's budget deficit, "which today stands at $82 billion".

⚡️Exclusive: Trump envoys find Putin still unwilling to compromise on Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains committed to escalating his war against Ukraine despite a new U.S. push to revive peace talks, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️Kremlin doesn't rule out restarting three-way peace talks with Ukraine, US.

The statement comes after U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Washington hopes to resume negotiations in a trilateral format.

⚡️ These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Sept. 7, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Kyiv Post:

⚡️ Ukraine, the US, and European partners set key priorities following intensive talks in Kyiv on Sunday.

Discussions focused on a winter energy package, security guarantees, and restarting peace negotiations.

⚡️ US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner cited significant progress in Moscow and expressed hope for reviving trilateral peace talks with Ukraine and Russia.

They noted near-daily coordination with Kyiv.

⚡️ President Zelensky said Ukraine counts on the US to pass a major new sanctions package spearheaded by Lindsey Graham.

He added that battlefield gains give Kyiv stronger diplomatic leverage.

⚡️ US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin and Zelensky in a renewed diplomatic push — but three former US ambassadors see little sign that Moscow is changing course.

Territory, security guarantees and Russia’s refusal to de-escalate remain major obstacles to any peace deal.

⚡️ Kyiv is stockpiling food and drinking water ahead of winter as Russia continues targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The city says it can provide hot meals for up to 25,000 people and plans to purchase 20,000 additional food packages for prolonged blackouts and other emergencies.

⚡️ “Don’t you find it disgusting?”

Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon confronted Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Kyiv over his repeated meetings with Vladimir Putin.

Gordon asked whether Putin had been deceiving Witkoff and US President Donald Trump — and how the envoy felt about sitting at the same table with an international war criminal responsible for the tragedy in Ukraine.

Witkoff defended maintaining direct contact with Moscow, saying communication with both sides is essential to reaching a peace settlement. He said he had traveled to Moscow around eight times and had always been treated with respect by Putin.

According to Witkoff, the talks are intended to help Washington understand Moscow’s position and narrow the gap between Russia and Ukraine.

⚡️ Ukraine moves to take control of bottled-water giant IDS Ukraine over its links to sanctioned Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman.

But British shareholders who own a separate 34% stake insist they are being unfairly targeted — and are threatening an international legal battle.

⚡️ Moscow does NOT rule out resuming peace talks in a trilateral format involving Russia, Ukraine and the US, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

However, he added that it was “too early to discuss the venue or exact timing.”

Peskov also said peace in Ukraine may have moved closer following talks in Moscow and Kyiv with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

⚡️ “I can’t mislead people.” Ukraine’s spy chief warns Russia may have enough resources to wage war through 2028 — and is preparing intensified winter attacks using missiles, jet-powered Shahed drones and new loitering munitions.

⚡️ Putin’s belief that Russia can seize all of the Donetsk region by year-end is built on a fictional battlefield picture, ISW says.

At the current pace, Russian forces would need until 2032 to capture the remaining territory – if they can take it at all.

⚡️ Putin claimed Russia had captured Sviatohirsk. Ukrainian commander Andriy Biletsky answered with a video from the city center: “Take off your clown noses and colorful wigs.”

Ukraine’s 60th Mechanized Brigade remains in full control.

You’re definitely not flogging a dead horse @MissConductUS.
I posted that article because it neatly backed up what you have been saying. Being on these threads has opened my eyes somewhat, I realise that America’s issue with NATO is not purely down to Trump, but rather he is the President who doesn’t seem to care who he upsets, and is therefore putting his money where his mouth is with regard to no longer allowing European countries to freeload off American NATO funding.

Bob Gates would never have delivered that speech if President Obama hadn't been on board with every word of it. Diplomatically, Obama felt it was better and more authoritative to have it come from his Secretary of Defense.

The US has no control over the level of defense spending by other NATO members, so all we can do is point out the long term implications of the problem. And it wasn't new with Obama. President Kennedy said this in 1963

Remarks of President Kennedy to the National Security Council Meeting

One of our big tasks is to persuade our colleagues in Europe to increase their defense forces. If we are to keep six divisions in Europe, the European states must do more. Why should we have in Europe supplies adequate to fight for ninety days when the European forces around our troops have only enough supplies to fight for two or three days? Our forces in Europe are further forward than the troops of de Gaulle who, instead of committing his divisions to NATO, is banking on us to defend him by maintaining our present military position in Europe. While recognizing the military interests of the Free World, we should consider very hard the narrower interests of the United States.

That was a very pointed and direct warning as well.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-5-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. The US delegation arrived in Moscow City on September 5 as Ukraine and Russia reached a temporary agreement to halt long-range strikes against Kyiv and Moscow cities for three days to facilitate the delegation’s travel.
2. Putin rejected a broader frontline ceasefire proposed by Ukraine during the US delegation’s visit.
3. Russian officials continue discussing efforts to strengthen Russian air defense systems in order to defend against Ukraine’s long-range strikes.
4. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces advanced on September 5.
5. Russian forces launched an unspecified number of Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles and 167 drones against Ukraine overnight.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-6-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Russia’s unwillingness to make any meaningful compromises in the peace negotiations process to end the war in Ukraine.
2. Putin is doubling down on the fictional battlefield situation that he defines as “reality” and insisting that his misrepresentation of the actual state of the war become the basis for any peace negotiations on Ukraine.
3. The lies and distortions of Russian military commanders at many levels are likely leading Putin to harden his perception that Russian forces can achieve his intended objectives in Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2026 and thus that he need not make any compromises in his aims.
4. Russia is failing to achieve its battlefield objectives in reality, however, and is specifically failing in its priority objective of seizing the remainder of Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2026.
5. Russian forces will not seize Donetsk Oblast until 2032 at their current rate of advance — if they can seize it at all.
6. ISW is not prepared to assess that Russian forces will be able to take the rest of Donetsk Oblast on any timeline, however.
7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Witkoff and Kushner in Kyiv City on September 6 and agreed on fundamental principles for ending the war in Ukraine, including security and economic guarantees for post-war Ukraine.
8. Putin’s demands transcend Donbas, however, as both his 2024 speech (to which Russian officials constantly allude) and Russia’s military operations demonstrate.
9. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and the suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) campaign in Rostov Oblast on the night of September 5 to 6. Russian forces launched 108 drones against Ukraine overnight.
10. Russian forces have achieved tactically-significant advances in the Hulyaipole direction in the past several months.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Zelensky gives cautious backing to Trump envoys' 'good' ideas (https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-gives-cautious-backing-to-trump-envoys-good-ideas-to-end-russias-war/) to end Russia's war
President Volodymyr Zelensky also said he hopes to meet U.S. President Donald Trump around Sept. 20 and plans to raise Ukraine's need for additional anti-ballistic missiles.

⚡️Breaking: Ukraine's prosecutor general resigns (https://kyivindependent.com/breaking-ukraines-prosecutor-general-resigns-amid-major-corruption-scandal/) amid major corruption scandal.
Earlier on Sept. 7, he said he was not planning to resign.

⚡️UK pledges 100 million pounds (https://kyivindependent.com/uk-pledges-100-million-air-defense-package-for-ukraine-ahead-of-winter/) air defense package for Ukraine ahead of winter
The package will include air defense interceptors, large-calibre artillery rounds, and drones to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attacks this winter, and will be provided through NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).

⚡️NATO jets scrambled (https://kyivindependent.com/nato-jets-scrambled-multiple-times-over-baltic-region-in-one-week/) multiple times over Baltic region in one week.
NATO fighter jets were scrambled three times between Aug. 31 and Sept. 6 in response to Russian military aircraft operating near the Baltic states, according to data from Lithuania's Defense Ministry.

⚡️Russia's deadline (https://kyivindependent.com/russias-deadline-to-capture-donbas-slips-again-as-military-asks-for-more-time-ukraine-says/) to capture Donbas slips again as military asks for more time, Ukraine says
Russia has again postponed its deadline to fully capture Ukraine's Donbas, now setting March 31, 2027, as the target date, Deputy Presidential Office head Pavlo Palisa said on Sept. 7.

⚡️Update: Russian drone hits We-Ukraine TV channel (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-pounds-kyiv-in-overnight-attack-as-brief-truce-ends-in-missile-fire/)building during live broadcast, injuring at least 5 people.
“‘Shaheds’ against the media is a new chapter in Russia’s degradation, and there must certainly be a response from Europe and the world to this,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

⚡️ Russia to close (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-to-close-german-consulate-in-st-petersburg/) German consulate in St. Petersburg amid Leipzig drone attack dispute.
The step comes after Germany accused Russia of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport in early August and said it was closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin.

⚡️2 Russian Su-35S fighter jets collide (https://kyivindependent.com/2-russian-su-35s-fighter-jets-collide-over-kursk-oblast-russian-media-reports/) over Kursk Oblast, Russian media reports
The circumstances and cause of the collision remain unclear, and Russian authorities have not publicly disclosed details of the incident. Russian reports said one pilot was killed in the collision, while the other survived.

⚡️Russia pounds Kyiv in overnight attack (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-pounds-kyiv-in-overnight-attack-as-brief-truce-ends-in-missile-fire/) as brief truce ends in missile fire.
At least two residential buildings have been damaged during a combined drone and missile strike on Kyiv overnight on Sept. 8, local officials said. The strike signals a definitive end to Kyiv's brief respite while hosting U.S. envoys.

⚡️Putin may seek to give Trump diplomatic win before US midterms (https://kyivindependent.com/putin-may-seek-to-give-trump-diplomatic-win-before-us-midterms-zelensky-says/), Zelensky says.
“My feeling (is) that Putin needs Trump,” Zelensky told Axios, adding that the Russian leader does not want to upset the U.S. president.

⚡️Ukrainian drones ignite blaze at Russia's Saratov Oil Refinery, (https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-strike-saratov-oil-refinery-fire-reported/) locals report.
The Rosneft-owned Saratov refinery is a major oil-processing facility that has been targeted by Ukrainian forces in multiple previous strikes.

The drone war is becoming a race to adapt, rather than perfect (https://kyivindependent.com/the-drone-war-is-becoming-a-race-to-adapt-rather-than-perfect/)
"Warfare has become a competition to learn and apply what you learn fastest. Ukraine builds a new drone; Russia replies with drone countermeasures; Ukraine tweaks the drone to overcome those countermeasures; Russia tweaks its counter-countermeasures. A system that takes ten years to develop risks becoming useless before it's even out in the field," writes Robert Brull, CEO of FibreCoat, in this op-ed.

Can women solve Ukraine's manpower problem? (https://kyivindependent.com/can-women-solve-ukraines-manpower-problem/)
The servicewomen and female veterans interviewed by the Kyiv Independent questioned the need to debate women's mobilization now, saying the government should first improve conditions for women willing to serve voluntarily.
Yuliia Mykytenko, a reserve officer and active member of the women's movement Veteranka, said she was not opposed to women joining the military, but raised concerns about the need for mass mobilization of women.
"At the beginning of the full-scale war, we had an almost million-strong army of motivated soldiers, where one was worth ten. How was this resource squandered to the point where we are now talking about mobilizing women?" Mykytenko said.

⚡️Update: 2 dead, 7 injured after Russia bombards Kyiv overnight.
At least two people have been killed and 7 injured in the capital following Russia's overnight assault with ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
Communities in Kyiv Oblast also came under fire in the night, authorities said.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦 @ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
· 1h
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — SEP 8, 2026
■ Increased engagements, with casualties slightly above average
■ Equipment losses below average; three air defence systems hit
■ Major 🇷🇺 overnight attack: 33 missiles intercepted; 86% drone interception rate; 38 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 air strikes above average; 11 🇺🇦 strikes reported, with 370 🇺🇦 strike drones launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦 (no official word on the targets

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

We made significant progress in the talks in Moscow and Kyiv, particularly on the issue of trilateral negotiations, said U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. [...]
According to several Western media outlets, the Treasury Department representative was expected to explain to the Russians the consequences of the “hellish sanctions” awaiting approval in the House of Representatives in an effort to push Moscow toward productive negotiations.
At the same time, the Financial Times reported that the proposals brought by Witkoff and Kushner contained few genuinely new ideas. The main effort was focused on narrowing the differences between Russia and Ukraine on issues that had already been discussed.”

The next trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. could be held in the UAE, Switzerland or Türkiye. We have invitations from several countries, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a conversation with the media.
Energy, grain and humanitarian issues will be discussed, primarily the mutual release of prisoners.
“Grain and energy are painful issues for both Ukraine and Russia. Both sides should take steps here, rather than expect compromises only from Ukraine. We need not only to discuss these issues, but also to achieve concrete results.”

The Volkswagen plant in Osnabrück will become the first car factory in Germany to be converted into a defense production facility.
The state of Lower Saxony and Israeli investor Aurelius will take control of the plant and transform it into a defense technology center over the coming years.
The first project at the plant will involve air defense systems and components for Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the manufacturer of the Iron Dome.

World faces fuel oil shortage, could hit global trade and power — Reuters
The world is expected to face a shortage of fuel oil used in ships and power plants by the end of the year as refineries increasingly face shortages due to wars that have disrupted both crude processing and transportation, and prioritize production of diesel and other products at the expense, Reuters writes.
While the price of oil has avoided significant jumps in recent months, prices for petroleum products have risen sharply as strikes have damaged refineries in Russia and the Middle East, and shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz block oil supplies. China has also cut refining capacity and exports to avoid burning through stocks.
The agency said the reduced oil supply threatens to further increase costs for shipowners and power producers already facing disruptions related to the war. Higher fuel oil costs could also impact shipping rates.
Asia will be hit hardest, as it relies most on Gulf flows disrupted by the war with Iran. Energy Aspects, a consultancy, predicts the likely deficit will reach 218,000 barrels per day in the third quarter, the first deficit it has estimated since the third quarter of 2025, when it was just 6,000 barrels per day.
“Due to the prolonged supply disruptions in the Middle East, we expect fuel oil supplies to remain critically tight in the third quarter,” Rystad analyst Valerie Panopio told Reuters.

French OSINT analyst Clément Molin has published an animated map showing Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and its surroundings over the past 100 days.
At least 255 strikes have been recorded. In June and July, Russia mainly used ballistic missiles, while in August, Geran-4 drones became the primary weapon used in the attacks. https://t.me/United24media/45852

❗️At night, Russian forces attacked Odesa with missiles, hitting the “7-Kilometer” market.
Several shopping pavilions were damaged, and a security guard was injured.
The market is the largest clothing market in Ukraine and Europe, covering more than 75 hectares.

17-year-old Ukrainian driver Oleksandr Bondarev became the first Ukrainian to win a race in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC). He won the third race of the round.

UEFA has appointed Ukrainian referees for the Champions League match between PSG and Slovan Bratislava.

❗️In Kyiv, the death toll from the Russian attack has risen to 3, while 16 people have been injured.
Russian forces have again targeted a warehouse in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district. A fire is raging at the site.

❗️Russian forces struck the regional passenger train traveling from Dnipro to Zaporizhzhia.

In Zaporizhzhia, wreckage from a Shahed-type UAV was found in a regular trash can. The warhead was not among the debris.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

France and Italy are working to deliver Ukraine a SAMP/T air defense system and Aster missiles, while countries operating Patriot systems are exploring ways to rapidly send additional units to Kyiv ahead of winter.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and US President Donald Trump agreed to continue efforts toward a ceasefire after US envoys held back-to-back talks with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin’s war machine is burning through nearly $29 MILLION AN HOUR.
Russia’s military spending hit $123.4 billion in just six months — up 30% in a year, swallowing almost 44% of federal spending.

Russia has threatened unspecified “additional measures” over Norway’s growing military presence near its Arctic border and the deployment of a US missile system capable of launching Tomahawk missiles.
Oslo says the war in Ukraine has proved long-range weapons are essential to modern defense.

FACT CHECK: Putin claimed major Russian gains in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, including Kozacha Lopan, Sviatohirsk and a 2,000-man “cauldron.”
Kyiv Post fact-checked that and found Putin lied. Independent observers and even Russian milbloggers say the Russian leader was just making up military victories.

NATO scrambled fighter jets nearly 700 times in two years to intercept Russian aircraft near Alliance airspace, its top military official said, warning that threats from Moscow extend beyond conventional warfare.

Russia deliberately targeted a Kyiv–Sumy passenger train with a drone.
Passengers had left the train with the help of Ukrainian Railways staff before the attack. Rescuers extinguished the fire and evacuated 90 people.
According to preliminary reports, no one was injured.

Ukraine intercepted 175 Russian aerial targets overnight, but ballistic missiles still broke through, Zelensky said.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Finland has completed construction of a 200-kilometer barrier on its border with Russia. The project cost the country €365 million, YLE News reports.
The barrier consists of a metal fence, a parallel road, and a cleared forest strip. The fence is equipped with surveillance cameras, lights, and loudspeakers.
The barrier runs through 17 municipalities — from Lapland to the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Its construction used land from approximately 1,000 landowners, who were paid nearly €3 million in compensation by Finland.
In this way, the country aims to prevent illegal entry and so-called targeted migration.

[more info] Russia and North Korea have opened the first road bridge between the two countries — it is expected to reduce transport costs and simplify logistics, Bloomberg reports.
Construction of the approximately 1 km long two-lane bridge over the Tumen River began last year. Previously, the countries were only connected directly by rail and air.
The bridge was named after Soviet soldier Yakov Novichenko, who is considered a national hero in North Korea. According to the official account, he saved the founder and first leader of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, from a grenade in 1946.
At the ceremony, a convoy of vehicles crossed the bridge, led by a restored car belonging to Novichenko.
Bloomberg also recalls that North Korea has supplied Russia with tens of thousands of containers of weapons, and about 15,000 North Korean soldiers participated in combat operations on Russian territory following the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with Onyx and Iskander-M / S-400 / KN-23 missiles, launched 32 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 166 drones. Air defense neutralized 2 ballistic missiles, 31 cruise missiles, and 142 UAVs.
The enemy struck 29 locations, with debris falling in 9 others. Here is what is known about the aftermath:
🔴Kyiv. Two people were killed in the overnight attack, and the number of injured has risen to 10. Fires broke out in at least seven districts of the capital. The Russian attack damaged residential buildings, a school, shops, an administrative building, and vehicles.
🔴Kyiv region. In Bila Tserkva, a man was injured. Houses, enterprises, warehouses, and vehicles were damaged. Specifically, in the Boryspil district — a warehouse, an enterprise, and seven trucks; in the Brovary district — three houses and vehicles.
🔴Odesa. A market was hit — a security guard was injured. The attack damaged market pavilions. [The number of injured in the strike on the market in Odesa has risen to three.]

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-7-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. The Ukrainian military demonstrated, and a Kremlin-affiliated milblogger acknowledged, the falsity of one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s more outrageous claims of fictitious Russian gains in Donetsk Oblast.
2. The pervasive culture of lying within the Russian armed forces paradoxically both damages Russian forces’ ability to fight effectively and supports exaggerated Kremlin claims that Putin weaponizes to enhance Russia’s negotiation position.
3. Negotiations to secure the durable and lasting peace that US President Donald Trump has said he aims for cannot be based on Russian lies. They can only be based on the actual realities of the battlefield and the real trajectory of the war, which does not favor Russia.
4. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction and the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
5. Russia launched 92 drones against Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian military assets and oil infrastructure on the night of September 6 to 7.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-8-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin likely used his September 8 phone call with US President Donald Trump to push Putin’s misrepresentation of the battlefield situation.
2. The Kremlin is notably maintaining its long-standing position that Ukraine accept all of Russia’s demands even as the battlefield dynamics have fundamentally changed.
3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to express support for US proposals for intensifying negotiations by moving to a trilateral format.
4. A Russian drone spent just under one hour flying in Moldovan and Romanian airspace on September 8.
5. The Kremlin benefits from such drone incursions into NATO and Moldovan airspace, particularly if Russia is using its faster jet-powered drones that limit the reaction times of states neighboring Ukraine. [Russia is using incursions into NATO airspace to send drones into Ukraine? How is that ok?]
6. Russian and open-source sources continue to report unconfirmed Ukrainian counterattacks near Lyman. ISW is not prepared to assess the extent or results of these counterattacks at this time, however.
7. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against oil infrastructure in Russia. Russia launched an unspecified number of Onyx anti-ship missiles and Iskander-M, S-400, and KN-23 ballistic missiles, 32 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 166 drones against Ukraine overnight.
8. Russian forces recently advanced in the Pokrovsk direction and Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️EU to approve (https://kyivindependent.com/eu-to-approve-patriots-spend-request-september-11/) Ukraine's Patriot funding request on Sept. 11, officials say
EU countries have already backed the request, but the European Commission is set to give a final green light on Sept. 11, EU and national diplomats confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️ Germany 'ready to provide (https://kyivindependent.com/germany-ready-to-provide-missiles-for-patriots-zelensky-says/) missiles for Patriots,' Zelensky says.

⚡️ Trump calls (https://kyivindependent.com/trump-calls-with-putin-after-peace-envoys-visit-to-moscow-kyiv/) with Putin after peace envoys visit to Moscow, Kyiv.

⚡️ Russian drone violates (https://kyivindependent.com/russian-drone-violates-moldovan-and-romanian-airspace-crashes-in-moldova/) Moldovan and Romanian airspace, crashes in Moldova.
Spanish F/A-18 fighter jets, deployed as part of a NATO air-policing mission, were scrambled.

⚡️Kyiv airports ready to host foreign delegations (https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-says-kyiv-airports-ready-to-receive-foreign-delegations-if-russia-allows-safe-corridor/) if Russia guarantees safe corridor, Zelensky says.
A day before a U.S. delegation arrived, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had deliberately targeted the runways at Kyiv's Zhuliany airport and Boryspil International Airport.

⚡️Hungary kicks out (https://kyivindependent.com/hungary-kicks-out-10-russian-diplomats-as-moscow-vows-harsh-retaliation/) 10 Russian diplomats as Moscow vows 'harsh' retaliation
"This decision protects Hungary's security and sovereignty," Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban said.

⚡️ IMF report (https://kyivindependent.com/imf-report-groups-moldova-with-eu-applicants-ahead-of-ukraine/) groups Moldova with EU applicants ahead of Ukraine.
Ukraine's EU membership could lead to "another Wirtschaftswunder ('economic miracle') in Europe," provided the country delivers on reforms, said EU enlargement chief Marta Kos.

⚡️Russia's FSB detains Moldovan citizen (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-detains-suspect-in-shooting-of-general-linked-by-ukraine-to-deadly-okhmatdyt-childrens-hospital-strike-fsb-says/) allegedly recruited by Ukraine to assassinate Russian general.
The assassination attempt reportedly targeted Nikolay Varpakhovich, a Russian Aerospace Forces general and commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, according to Russian independent media outlet Astra.

'We will sow' — Odesa farmers defiant in face of relentless Russian assaults (https://kyivindependent.com/how-russia-is-trying-to-choke-odesa-and-the-black-sea/)
Since mid-July, Russia has intensified its attacks on Odesa's ports and adjacent infrastructure. Although the ports remain technically open, fewer ships now dare to enter this new maritime kill zone. "The ports are almost blocked," says Dmytro Barinov, president of the Ukrainian Ports Association Ukrport.
Barinov describes the increase in Russian attacks on civilian commercial vessels in the Black Sea this summer as a systematic targeting campaign rather than sporadic hits. "It's ship hunting," says Barinov. "They are afraid for their lives. It's not a matter of money."

⚡️2-year-old girl suffers shrapnel injury (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-pounds-kyiv-in-overnight-attack-as-brief-truce-ends-in-missile-fire/) in Russian attack on Kyiv Oblast.
A child was injured in a Russian attack on Sept. 8 and hospitalized with a shrapnel wound to the eye, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Oblast Administration, said.

⚡️ Russia pounds Kyiv in overnight attack (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-pounds-kyiv-in-overnight-attack-as-brief-truce-ends-in-missile-fire/), killing 3, injuring 25.
The strike signals a definitive end to the aerial truce the Kremlin declared while Kyiv hosted U.S. officials for peace talks.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social

⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — SEP 9, 2026
#■ Engagements, casualties and equipment losses above the 7-day average
■ Total casualties have now reached 1.5 million (an estimated 397,000 killed)
■ Overnight attacks: 84% drone interception rate; 27 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 MLRS strikes above average; 16 🇺🇦 strikes reported, with 380 🇺🇦 strike drones launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦
■ 🇺🇦 targets: no official report yet

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Europe will be present in all future formats of negotiations with Russia and the United States, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a conversation with the media.
“Europeans have intelligence and diplomatic contacts with the Russians. Europe is very important at the negotiating table.
Europe is not just about aid, although aid is essential during the war. It is not just a wallet or weapons. It is about real security.
It is important for Europe to be part of the negotiation process because it is thinking about both Ukraine’s security and its own.”

Russia struck the runways at Boryspil and Zhulyany airports ahead of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visit to Kyiv, so the U.S. envoys traveled to Ukraine by train, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a conversation with the media.

❗️Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the results of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Putin praised the U.S. mediation efforts aimed at finding a solution to the war in Ukraine. He also gave Trump what Ushakov described as a “clear and comprehensive” assessment of developments during Russia’s so-called “special military operation.”

Total Russian military casualties in Ukraine have officially surpassed 1,500,000 personnel, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia has no aggressive plans toward Europe, according to Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to the Russian leader.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense thanked the European Commission for allowing Ukraine to use the €90 billion EU loan to purchase non-European weapons, primarily Patriot missiles.
“This amounts to €3.2 billion to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.[...]"

🇩🇪🇺🇦 Germany launches the City Dome project to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles and drones, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
Germany will support the creation of a shield over Ukrainian cities to strengthen their air defenses against drone and missile attacks.

❗️Two people killed in Russian drone attack on Starokozache checkpoint in Odesa region
The drones struck the infrastructure of the automobile checkpoint on the border with Moldova and the surrounding area, killing two people and injuring others.
The attack sparked fires. The checkpoint has been temporarily closed, and the Moldovan side has been informed of the situation.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Norway to attend a farewell ceremony for King Harald V.

The missile lineup of Ukraine’s state-owned Luch Design Bureau is on display at the MSPO 2026 defense exhibition in Poland.
The stand features the Corall, Vilkha, Palianytsia and Neptune missiles, among others.

At 10:00 a.m., Russian forces launched a drone strike on a railway station near the village of Iskra. The drone hit the rear of a train traveling on the Kharkiv–Izium route, causing a fire.
Six people were injured. Emergency medical teams are working at the scene and providing the victims with the necessary assistance, according to the Izium Military Administration.
Information about the consequences of the attack is being clarified.

The Russians targeted a residential building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district this morning. An enemy UAV struck the 22-story building on the 12th floor.
As of 9:20 a.m., five people were injured, including a pregnant woman, according to the National Police.

Russian forces massively attacked Mykolaiv and the region, damaging port and civilian infrastructure as well as residential buildings. One woman was killed and four other people were injured.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

The 36th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, exposed Kyiv’s immediate need for 300 Patriot interceptors (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84068), a $27 billion defense funding gap and growing concern that Russia is preparing for a longer war.

Zelensky said he expects to meet Trump (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84024) in the second half of September, possibly on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
He plans to press for US ballistic missiles and support for Ukraine’s Freya missile program. “God willing, there will be a result,” he said.

Hungary blocked the opening of EU accession clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84061) for a fourth time on Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to sources, who also said that Budapest refused to disclose which legislative steps regarding the minority issue it expects Kyiv to take.

US and European officials increasingly expect Russia’s war against Ukraine to continue into 2027 (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84076) after the latest push to revive peace talks with the Kremlin failed to produce a breakthrough.
Moscow is instead preparing for intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Poland’s special services chief Tomasz Siemoniak met CIA Director John Ratcliffe near Washington to discuss security amid growing fears of a Russian threat to NATO (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84078).
The talks followed Ratcliffe’s recent contacts with senior Russian officials.

The UK is providing Ukraine with a new £100 million air-defense package, including Patriot missiles expected to arrive before winter, the British government said.
The package will also include air-defense interceptors, large-caliber artillery shells and drones to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks during the winter months.

Ukraine has unveiled the domestically produced RK-19 air-defense missile (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84080) to replace dwindling Soviet 9M33 stocks used by Osa-AKM systems.
It can intercept targets up to 10 km away and 5 km high, reaching speeds of 600 metres per second.

Russia wants postwar Ukraine turned into a giant “buffer zone (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84091),” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, rejecting any settlement that would leave Kyiv’s current government in place.
“Everyone argues that Russia needs a ‘buffer zone.’ Let Ukraine become this buffer.”

Russia plans to complete testing of an unnamed ballistic missile with a range of up to 800 kilometers (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84100) by the end of 2026, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate.
The agency added that Moscow is seeking to both expand missile production and intensify mobilization after monthly battlefield losses exceeded recruitment in August.

Russia has recorded its first known case of a military reservist being barred from leaving the country by a draft office (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84030).
The 24-year-old learned of the ban only at passport control, despite no restriction appearing in the electronic register before his trip.

Witkoff and Kushner’s peace mission left Kyiv facing even harsher Kremlin demands (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84052), including constitutional changes recognizing territorial concessions, Ukrainian opposition MP Anna Skorokhod said.
She called the renewed diplomatic push a “complete failure” and “political theater.”

Kyiv is under Russian attack again. Explosions have been reported across the capital, with smoke rising near residential area.
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a drone struck a high-rise building. At least nine people have been injured, while a fire has broken out at a warehouse.
The attack is ongoing. Residents are urged to remain in shelters.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Overnight, explosions were heard during a drone attack in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, monitoring channels report.
According to OSINT analysts, the port was attacked, including grain and fuel oil terminals. Russian authorities confirmed the drone attack and reported fires on the premises of several enterprises.
Novorossiysk is one of Russia's key ports on the Black Sea, through which oil, petroleum products, grain, and other cargo are exported.

🇩🇪Germany is ready to help Ukraine identify men of conscription age residing in the country, said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
According to the minister, these men must return to Ukraine. Berlin is willing to assist, as it has data on them, including information on social benefits, registration, and residence permits.
Wadephul also stated that Ukraine should purchase more weapons from German manufacturers. He explained this by noting that Germany is one of Ukraine's largest donors.
"Currently, we are not fully satisfied with the volume of orders we are receiving in Germany," the minister said.

[more info]
🇭🇺Hungary has expelled 10 Russian diplomats at once, but there is no talk of breaking relations with Russia, said Foreign Minister Anita Orbán.
According to her, a representative of Hungary's Foreign Ministry informed the Russian ambassador in Budapest that 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission had been engaged in "activities unacceptable under the Vienna Convention for diplomats" — and were ordered to leave the country.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar supported the decision, stating that this is how the country protects its sovereignty.
At the same time, Hungary plans to continue maintaining "the necessary dialogue with Russia on the basis of mutual respect and according to the rules."
▪️In May, Hungary expelled a Russian spy who had been working under diplomatic cover. According to Hungarian authorities, he had attempted to infiltrate think tanks and institutions close to Viktor Orbán's government.

[more info] Russia has claimed that it detained a suspect in the assassination attempt on a high-ranking military officer in the Saratov region — Ukraine links him to the strike on Okhmatdyt.
The FSB claims that a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen, Nicolae Coju, was captured in the Astrakhan region. According to Russian authorities, on September 3, he fired six shots at a high-ranking military officer — the officer survived, and Coju was detained while attempting to leave Russia.
The shooter was allegedly recruited in 2025 via social media while looking for work in Moldova. In March 2026, he reportedly underwent mine-explosive and firearms training in Kyiv, and in June arrived in Russia.
The handler allegedly provided Coju with target data, an address, a weapons stash, and instructions via Telegram — with a promised payment of $70,000.
The Russians have not officially named the wounded officer. However, Russian media earlier reported that it could have been Major General Nikolai Varapakhovich — commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.
▪️According to the SBU, Varapakhovich ordered the missile strike on Okhmatdyt on July 8, 2024. His units were also involved in the strike on Uman on April 28, 2023, which killed 24 people.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Banderol munitions, and 196 drones. Air defense neutralized 165 UAVs. However, missiles and drones struck 23 locations, with debris falling in 4 others. Here is what is known about the aftermath:
🔴Mykolaiv region. A combined strike killed a woman and injured four people, including a child. Port and civilian infrastructure, a shopping center, a postal terminal, a café, houses, and vehicles were damaged.
🔴Dnipro. Rescuers pulled three people from a damaged building. A construction materials warehouse caught fire; 10 private houses and an apartment building were damaged.
🔴Kharkiv region. In Zolochiv, three people were injured in a UAV attack. Administrative buildings and three private houses were damaged. In Kharkiv, drones struck an apartment building and a warehouse.
🔴Kyiv. Two trucks, a garage, and a non-residential building caught fire in two districts. In the morning, the enemy struck a 24-story building.
🔴Kyiv region. Six districts of the region came under attack. In Bila Tserkva, a food industry enterprise caught fire.
🔴Kherson. The Russians attacked a market in the city center with a drone. A woman was injured. At another location, a man was injured.

In Kyiv, people are saving cars by pulling a burning Shahed drone fragment with their bare hands https://t.me/liveukraine_media/43247

British man, Joshua Cammidge, arrested last week in Swindon and charged under the National Security Act for allegedly receiving instructions from an individual believed to be linked to the GRU Volunteer Corps (which is controlled by Russian military intelligence).

Man charged with assisting Russian intelligence service
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7v4l9vy8m6o

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-9-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian milbloggers continue to acknowledge Ukrainian counterattacks near Lyman and are criticizing the pervasive culture of lying within the Russian military.
2. The Kremlin is conducting increasingly expansionary fiscal policy amid high war spending, which stifles Russian economic growth and forces Russian authorities to sacrifice non-war related spending, likely at the expense of citizens’ wellbeing.
3. Russia may be attempting to establish a rough analogue to Ukraine’s Brave1 defense platform in order to support decentralized procurement for good and limited defense articles that would bolster Russian air defense of industrial infrastructure.
4. Russian forces have reportedly suffered over 1.5 million personnel casualties thus far in the war.
5. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces advanced on September 9.
6. Ukrainian forces struck multiple military targets along the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar Krai on the night of September 8-9, in part to reduce Russia’s cruise missile strike capabilities. Russia launched an unspecified number of Iskander-M ballistic missiles and S8000 Banderol-type loitering munitions and 196 drones against Ukraine overnight.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Ukraine to sign contracts for around 1,000 Patriot missiles (https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-sign-contracts-for-around-1-000-patriot-missiles-with-partner-support-and-eu-loan-funding-defense-minister-says/) with partner support and EU loan funding, defense minister says.
The defense minister cautioned that the contracted missiles would take time to arrive.

⚡️Xi, Putin pledge stronger ties (https://kyivindependent.com/xi-putin-pledge-stronger-ties-with-north-korea-on-founding-anniversary/) with North Korea on founding anniversary.
In a separate message, Vladimir Putin pledged continued close cooperation with Pyongyang under their "comprehensive strategic partnership."

⚡️Top EU court throws out (https://kyivindependent.com/top-eu-court-throws-out-orban-era-attempt-to-block-funds-for-ukraine/) Orban-era attempt to block funds for Ukraine
The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU has thrown out Orban's attempt to block military aid for Ukraine as "it does not fall within the jurisdiction" of the court.

⚡️Zelensky arrives in Canada to discuss (https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-arrives-in-canada-to-discuss-ukraines-air-defense-needs/) Ukraine's air defense needs
"Important meetings and agreements are planned that will shape our cooperation and cement the strategic level of our relations for years to come," Zelensky said in a social media post.

⚡️Russian drone in Moldova nearly hit Zelensky's plane (https://kyivindependent.com/russian-drone-in-moldova-nearly-hit-zelenskys-plane-source-says/), source says.
At the time of the drone violation, Zelensky's plane was taking off from Moldova en route to Norway.

⚡️Exclusive: EU lawmakers join pressure to use 200 billion (https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-eu-lawmakers-join-pressure-to-use-200-billion-russian-assets-to-help-ukraine/) euros in Russian assets to help Ukraine
Ukraine needs substantial, long-term financing now, but Belgium should not have to shoulder Europe's responsibility alone, EU lawmaker Karin Karlsbro told the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️Russia-friendly Serbian president dissolves parliament (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-friendly-serbian-president-dissolves-parliament-in-a-bid-to-remain-in-power/) in a bid to stay in power.
The announcement comes amid an apparent rapprochement between Serbia and Ukraine.

⚡️Trump considering giving CIA chief Ratcliffe greater role (https://kyivindependent.com/trump-considering-giving-cia-director-ratcliffe-greater-role-in-russia-ukraine-peace-negotiations-ft-reports/) in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, FT reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering giving CIA Director John Ratcliffe a larger diplomatic role in attempting to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sept. 9, citing sources familiar with the plan.

⚡️EU frontrunner Montenegro ready to help (https://kyivindependent.com/eu-frontrunner-montenegro-ready-to-help-ukraine-with-its-homework/) Ukraine with reforms.
"Believe me, this is not an easy process at all," Montenegro's European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic said, expressing solidarity with the EU reform work still to be done by Ukraine.

⚡️Zelensky, Norway’s Store discuss air defense (https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-norways-store-discuss-air-defense-freyja-program-ahead-of-king-haralds-funeral/), Freyja program ahead of King Harald’s funeral.

⚡️Russia plans to test new ballistic missile type with 800 kilometer (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-prepares-new-ballistic-missile-with-800-kilometer-range-ukrainian-intelligence-says/) range, Ukraine's military intelligence says
Russia may use the missile tests to strike at western Ukraine, Ukraine's military intelligence agency deputy head said.

⚡️US destroys 5 Iranian oil tankers, 3 linked (https://kyivindependent.com/us-destroys-5-iranian-oil-tankers-3-linked-to-russias-shadow-fleet-ukrainian-official-says/) to Russia's shadow fleet, Ukrainian official says.
Three of the tankers, the Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco, have direct links to Russia's shadow fleet and have been involved in transporting Russian oil, Ukraine's sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk said.

⚡️New record set: Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facility over 3,000 km away (https://kyivindependent.com/new-record-set-ukrainian-drones-strike-russian-gas-facility-over-3-000-km-away-in-siberia/) in Siberia.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) carried out Kyiv's deepest strike into Russia so far in the full-scale war, attacking a natural gas facility 3,200 kilometers (1,988 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the General Staff said on Sept. 9.

⚡️Russia's Sochi port hit in fiery strike (https://kyivindependent.com/russias-sochi-port-hit-in-fiery-strike-by-ukrainian-sea-drone-officials-claim/) by Ukrainian sea drone, officials claim.
Russian officials said a fire broke out on a port embankment in Sochi as a result of a Ukrainian unmanned surface vessel (USV) strike. The attack reportedly disrupted a nearby concert.

⚡️Fires reported in Russia's Dagestan amid Ukrainian drone attack (https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-strike-dagestan/).

⚡️'We know who lives here' — German foreign minister floats giving (https://kyivindependent.com/we-know-who-lives-here-german-foreign-minister-suggests-giving-kyiv-data-on-ukrainian-men-of-fighting-age/) Kyiv data on Ukrainian men for conscription
Berlin could share information about Ukrainian men of fighting age in Germany with Kyiv so Ukraine can contact them about their military service, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in an interview with Bild on Sept. 8.

Explainer: How a corruption scandal and loyalty to Zelensky brought down Ukraine’s prosecutor general (https://kyivindependent.com/explainer-how-a-corruption-scandal-and-loyalty-to-zelensky-brought-down-ukraines-prosecutor-general/)
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko once helped lead the crackdown on Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). On Sept. 7, a corruption scandal ultimately led to his downfall after the same bureau broke through the gates of his office.
Kravchenko, long seen as a staunch loyalist of President Volodymyr Zelensky, resigned on Sept. 7 after NABU detectives exposed an alleged scam call center protection racket run from the Prosecutor General's Office — only the latest in a string of scandals that had forced out top Zelensky allies.

⚡️Ex-Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko to head (https://kyivindependent.com/ex-ukrainian-pm-yulia-svyrydenko-to-head-kse-business-school/) KSE Business School.
According to the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Yulia Svyrydenko will focus on business education, taking on the role after a year as prime minister.

⚡️ 3 former law enforcement officers involved (https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-law-enforcement-uncovers-alleged-plot-to-frame-former-battalion-commander-with-planted-drugs/) in plot to frame outspoken ex-commander with planted drugs.
Three former law enforcement officers now serving in a Ukrainian army brigade, whose name has not been disclosed, allegedly conspired with unidentified accomplices to illegally monitor Oleksandr Shyrshyn and gather confidential information about him, according to the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) and the Prosecutor General's Office.

⚡️Russia tells Trump ending US support (https://kyivindependent.com/russia-tells-trump-ending-us-support-for-ukraine-could-help-end-war/) for Ukraine could help end war.
"They should stop providing any assistance to Kyiv," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.

Why Russia keeps fighting despite the mounting costs (

‘Our desire to create is bigger than our fear’: How one Kyiv restaurant rebuilds, adapts and keeps going after 3 Russian attacks (https://kyivindependent.com/our-desire-to-create-is-bigger-than-our-fear-how-one-kyiv-restaurant-rebuilds-adapts-and-keeps-going-after-3-russian-attacks/)

⚡️Russian drones strike Kyiv gas station (https://kyivindependent.com/russian-jet-powered-drones-strike-kyiv-again-as-near-daily-attacks-continue/), injure four, as near-daily attacks continue

⚡️Deadly Russian drone strike targets Sumy shopping center (https://kyivindependent.com/deadly-russian-drone-strike-targets-sumy-shopping-center-killing-2-injuring-20-including-3-children/), killing 2, injuring 20, including 3 children.
Footage from the attack site shows firefighters battling flames engulfing cars and pools of blood from victims on the asphalt near the mall.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — SEP 10, 2026 (#1) ■ Engagements increased, and casualties remain above the 7-day average ■ 2nd highest losses of unarmored vehicles (including fuel trucks); 2nd helicopter loss this month #
■ Overnight attacks: 86% drone interception rate; 22 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 drone launches above average; 10 🇺🇦 strikes reported, with 410 🇺🇦 strike drones — including USVs — launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦
■ 🇺🇦 strike: Makhachkala sea port in Dagestan, and damage to three ships in Novorossiysk confirmed (Sep 9)

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

US prepares plan to resume talks between Ukraine and Russia
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington could develop an action plan to resume talks between Kyiv and Moscow within the next few weeks.
According to Rubio, meetings between U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and the Ukrainian and Russian sides were meaningful. The meetings produced new ideas and showed a certain openness to proposals.

😡 Russia recorded its largest monthly budget surplus of the year in August, at $7.7 billion, Bloomberg reports.
The main driver was dividends from state-owned banks and companies, which contributed about $8 billion to the budget. Oil and gas revenues, including these dividends, rose 17% year over year despite continued increases in military spending.
However, the surplus has not changed the broader picture. Russia’s budget deficit reached 5.8 trillion rubles in the first eight months of the year, exceeding the full-year target of 3.8 trillion rubles.
The Russian government is expected to revise its budget forecasts in late September.

The Novorossiysk Naval Base lost several military vessels, including missile carriers, overnight on September 9 following a complex strike by Ukraine’s Defense Forces involving the Unmanned Systems Forces, the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces said.
In Anapa, the Unmanned Systems Forces’ “Birds” destroyed a Su-33 carrier-based fighter and an Mi-8 helicopter. They also destroyed two radar systems in the Gelendzhik area — a Kasta 2E2 and a 92N6 radar from the S-300/400 air defense system, Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi added.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has proposed a way to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine based on rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.
Although Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe and ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights six months later, the Russian Federation remains subject to ECHR rulings concerning violations committed previously, the lawmakers note.

Russia has ramped up ballistic missile production to approximately 100 per month, while Ukraine’s stocks of Patriot interceptors are nearly exhausted, reports The Economist.
Russia currently produces about 60 Iskander-M missiles and 40 other ballistic missiles each month. Notably, during the first eight days of August, only one of the 57 ballistic missiles launched at Ukraine was successfully intercepted.
The primary issue is a shortage of PAC-3 interceptors, which remain the most effective means available to Ukraine for countering ballistic missiles. No significant new deliveries are expected in the near term: U.S. military commitments regarding Iran have depleted American Patriot stockpiles, while other countries are in no rush to part with their own interceptors.
Europe is preparing an alternative. Ukraine is set to receive new SAMP/T NG systems capable of countering Iskander missiles, while production of Aster and PAC-2 missiles is being expanded. However, the necessary quantities will not be available for several years, meaning there is currently no quick fix for the threat posed by Russian ballistic missiles.

There are currently no formalized roadmaps for a settlement in Ukraine. There is a general initiative to resume trilateral negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
▪️ Russia hopes trilateral negotiations will resume in the foreseeable future, while contacts with U.S. counterparts are ongoing.
▪️ Putin and Donald Trump discussed the possibility of holding a trilateral Russia-China-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
▪️ Work with Ukraine on the mutual release of prisoners is continuing.
▪️ The release of people detained, arrested or serving sentences in Russia and the U.S. also remains on the agenda of Russian-American contacts, including at the highest level.
▪️ European countries are struggling to fill their underground gas storage facilities, with winter approaching. Peskov claimed that they could have used Nord Stream, saying one of its lines remains operational and could be brought online quickly. He accused Europe of being driven by a “manic desire” to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
▪️ Hungary’s decision to expel Russian diplomats will negatively affect bilateral relations, Peskov said, adding that Russia would respond accordingly. At the same time, he said Moscow remains open to further developing bilateral ties.

Ukrainian drones attacked the Novy Urengoy Condensate Preparation Plant (ZPKT) in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets region. The target is more than 3,300 kilometers from Ukraine.
The facility is one of the region’s key gas-condensate infrastructure sites, with a designed capacity of about 19.5 million tons of raw materials per year.

A drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis known as EurA1.1 has been detected in several regions of Russia, with researchers finding resistance to multiple antibiotics used to treat the disease.
Details: https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/russia-faces-spread-of-tuberculosis-strain-resistant-to-key-antibiotics-22393

🤦‍♂️ The Russian Orthodox Church has sent a relic attributed to medieval Prince Dmitry Donskoy to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, presenting the move as an effort to provide spiritual support to troops.
A reliquary containing a fragment of the right hand of medieval Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy is being taken toward Russian troops fighting in Ukraine as part of a Russian Orthodox Church initiative aimed at providing spiritual support to soldiers.

🤬 Russia attacked the KIDDISVIT warehouse in Kyiv, where children’s toys were stored, with a Shahed drone.
There were no casualties in the attack. The damage is still being assessed, but the company’s co-founder said it was significant.

❗️A drone crashed onto the premises of a gas station in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district — Mayor Klitschko
The mayor reported that three people were injured.
The fire and the burning vehicle were quickly extinguished.

A Shahed drone struck a child’s room in Kryvyi Rih but failed to detonate, leaving a massive hole in the apartment building it pierced.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Ukraine is rapidly running out of missiles to defend its skies.
Patriot interceptor stocks are nearly exhausted, while F-16s are also running low on AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles used to shoot down Russian cruise missiles, The Economist reports.

Ukraine is putting two of its most battle-tested commanders in charge of revamped formations in Donetsk.
Andriy Biletsky will lead the Center grouping, while Mariupol defender Denys “Redis” Prokopenko is expected to command Azov — strengthening defenses and drone warfare coordination.

Despite Vladimir Putin dismissing rumors of a new draft, Russians report a surge in military summonses (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84143) and advance call-up orders.
Companies are also actively hiring wartime mobilization specialists.

Anti-drone nets have appeared over roads leading toward Chornobyl as Ukraine strengthens approaches near the Belarusian border.
The barriers are designed to protect vehicles and pedestrians from FPV drones by trapping them or causing their explosives to detonate before reaching a target.

Ukraine unveiled Pegas, its new domestically designed tracked infantry fighting vehicle (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84134), at the MSPO 2026 defense expo in Poland.
If mass-produced, it will be Ukraine's first locally built tracked IFV.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Jonas Gahr Støre met defense leaders in Oslo to advance the FREYJA missile defense initiative (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84144).
The European program aims to build alternatives to US Patriot interceptors.

Ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says Ukraine will soon launch its largest Defense Tech (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84168) venture fund.
The initiative will back military startups developing battlefield robotics, air-defense interceptors and low-cost missiles.

Kim Jong Un publicly praised North Korean troops taking part in “overseas military operations (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84153),” further normalizing Pyongyang’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
North Korea has sent an estimated 14,000–15,000 soldiers to support Moscow, with around 6,000 reportedly killed or wounded.

"I believe the Baltics are next."
Former CIA Chief of Station Sean Wiswesser warns Moscow is preparing to test NATO, betting the Alliance hesitates on Article 5.
Is the West underestimating Putin's next move?
https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/84135

Ukraine’s Security Service says it foiled an alleged FSB plot to assassinate prominent activist Hennadii Druzenko, a veteran and co-founder of the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital.
Authorities detained a 19-year-old suspect who allegedly planned to shoot Druzenko during his morning dog walk after spending the night in woods near his home.
Three pistols fitted with suppressors, ammunition and phones containing alleged evidence of cooperation with the FSB were seized. The suspect faces life imprisonment.

Russian billionaire and former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has lost his third attempt to overturn EU sanctions (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84108) imposed over Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The court rejected his challenge and compensation claim, leaving his asset freeze and EU travel ban in place.

Russia's Yakutsk replaced a memorial to Poles and Lithuanians exiled to Siberia (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84125) with statues of two soldiers who fought in Ukraine.
One served in the 155th Marine Brigade, accused of murdering civilians in Bucha.

With more Russian attacks happening during the day, Ukrainian Fashion Week just wrapped one of its most challenging seasons yet – but it carried on despite the constant air alarms – and even held three shows – guests dressed to the nines – in a bomb shelter. https://t.me/Kyivpost_official/39614

McDonald’s is reducing its menu in Ukraine due to frequent air-raid alerts and supply delays, with available items varying by location.
The company said the move is intended to keep its most popular dishes consistently available.

The Oleina sunflower oil plant in Dnipro, owned by a US corporation, was hit in a Russian attack, local authorities said.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal personally visited the facility not long ago.

Two 21-year-olds were killed and at least 20 people injured after a Russian drone struck the Manufaktura shopping center (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84154) in central Sumy during the evening rush.
Three teenage girls were among the wounded, while four victims remain in serious or critical condition.

At least five people were injured in a massive overnight Russian drone attack on Kryvyi Rih (https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84157). Two were hospitalized, including a 42-year-old man in serious condition.
Drones struck five locations, damaging homes, apartment buildings, and educational, cultural and business facilities.

Four people were killed and 19 injured in Russian attacks on Mykolaiv over the past 24 hours, police said.
Residential and administrative buildings, a hotel, vehicles, garages and warehouses were damaged.

Two people were killed and two injured after Russian forces struck a food-processing plant in Dnipro twice on Thursday morning, regional authorities said.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

European and US officials have resigned themselves to the fact that Russia's war in Ukraine will continue into next year, acknowledging that the latest US peace initiative has yielded no results in negotiations with Putin — Bloomberg.
According to one source, Russia's plan for the next six months is to intensify strikes on energy infrastructure to make civilian life unbearable, as well as to step up hybrid attacks in Europe aimed at undermining support for Kyiv.
The Kremlin leader expects that by next spring he will be able to emerge from the conflict in a stronger position, while keeping Russia's increasingly strained economy afloat. Serious negotiations are unlikely to take place until at least next year, the source noted.

The White House wants to more actively involve CIA Director John Ratcliffe in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the FT reports, citing sources.
The US is also considering scaling back the involvement of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to sources, Ratcliffe will play a more active role in so-called shuttle diplomacy.
Sources also clarified that President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision.
Ratcliffe and Witkoff are currently arguing over who will lead the negotiations. Kushner has already told friends that he expects to step back from the Ukraine portfolio soon and would like to focus on diplomatic efforts related to the Gaza conflict and the US-Iran war.
▪️Witkoff and Kushner were in Russia on September 5 and arrived in Ukraine on September 6. In Kyiv, they announced a new trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in the near future, a US peace package, and "significant progress" in talks in Moscow.

Drones attacked the port of Makhachkala — the capital of Dagestan, OSINT channels report.
This is Russia's only deep-water port in the Caspian Sea that does not freeze. It operates year-round and handles both liquid and dry cargo.
Locals also heard explosions in temporarily occupied Donetsk, Yevpatoria, and Sevastopol overnight.

The Unmanned Systems Forces attacked 34 energy facilities in occupied territories over the week, reported Commander of the UAS Robert "Madyar" Brovdi.
Among the targets were electrical substations, traction substations, and gas distribution stations in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, as well as in Crimea.
The UAS also struck an anti-aircraft missile system in Mala Bilozerka and substations in Henichesk, Donetsk, and the Kherson region. The military also reported an attack on the Luhansk thermal power plant.
In Crimea, gas distribution stations "Nyzhnyohirskyi," "Natashyne," "Yevpatoriia," "Veresaieve," "Dibrivka," "Heroiske," "Pervomaiske," "Kolosky," "Azovske," and other facilities were attacked.
▪️In total, since the start of Operation "Crimean Switch Off," which has been ongoing since July 6, the UAS has attacked 374 energy nodes in the occupied territories.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 149 drones, half of them jet-powered. Air defense neutralized 128 UAVs, but the enemy struck 13 locations, with debris falling in 9 others. Here is what is known about the aftermath in the regions:
🔴Khmelnytskyi. A UAV attack caused a market to catch fire. A secondary detonation occurred during the rescuers' work — four State Emergency Service workers were injured.
🔴Kharkiv region. Russia struck Izium with a guided aerial bomb. Two people were injured. Buildings were damaged.
🔴Dnipropetrovsk region. In Kryvyi Rih, five people were injured in the attack. Nine apartment buildings, 17 private houses, two schools, and civilian infrastructure were damaged in seven locations.

My brother's friend who went to volunteer in Ukraine has died

Oh god. Oh I'm so sorry @Natsku .

Such sad news @Natsku.
So many good people lost because of one deranged old man’s power grab.