Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

[MagicFox]

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

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https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-27-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. A prominent Kremlin-affiliated milblogger is embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new theory of victory that relies on expansive long-range combined ballistic missile and jet-powered drone strikes against Ukraine to force Ukraine to capitulate over Winter 2026-2027.
2. Putin’s modified theory of victory heavily relies on Russia’s ability to launch cheap jet-powered Geran-type drones at scale and with relatively high penetration rates – requirements that Ukraine’s interceptor program is aimed at attacking.
3. Putin likely does not envision Russia’s long-range strike campaign against Ukraine to last indefinitely as he is likely attempting to force Ukraine to capitulate before Spring 2027.
4. Russian forces appear to be actively interfering with Ukrainian efforts to provide food to residents of occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast (southeast of Kherson City and on the left bank of the Dnipro River), threatening to prolong and intensify an already dire humanitarian crisis.
5. An unidentified aerial object that was likely a Russian drone entered Romanian airspace on the night of September 26 to 27, as Russia continues to normalize its violations of European airspace.
6. European security officials continue to investigate incidents of sabotage, some already attributed to Russia, against European defense and logistical infrastructure.
7. Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil infrastructure continue to restrain Russia’s oil processing capacity. Russia launched 170 drones against Ukraine overnight.
8. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Chasiv Yar tactical area and the Oleksandrivka direction.

More info about the attempted bomb attack on RAF Fairford

Counter-terror police investigate Iran link to suspected RAF base bomb plot - Five men arrested after farmer stumbled across suspicious vans at key US air force outpost

And according to the farmer, no one was answering the phone at an MoD police number local residents were given;

She said: “It is pretty incredible, realising you had a brush with potential terrorists face to face and may have foiled a terrorist plot. It was clear they had just got there. Thank God we spotted them.”

She said that she had initially struggled to reach the authorities when nobody answered a Ministry of Defence police number that residents had been given to report suspicious activity.

And Trump's assertion of prior knowledge of the plot does indeed appear to be bilgewater;

Donald Trump later suggested that US authorities had been aware of the suspected bomb plot. He said the men were “looking to do big damage” and “we had them under view for a long time”.
The Telegraph understands, however, that the arrests were not part of a planned operation and were not intelligence-led.

@MissConductUS

Problem here is some in the UK MSM and the general population do love a story about a plucky Brit saving the day, and love it even more if it can be also be spun that the intelligence services (especially the US ones) were incompetent.

It does seem from SM ( so unconfirmed) that some of the Fairford plane spotters, bless 'em, were moved on from their usual perches near the airfield boundary Sat PM by police...they were told in no uncertain terms to stay away...

There's also talk that the base threat level was raised to a higher level than that of the other UK bases...

Now if any of that is true IMO it looks like the spooks had a bit of a hint that something was going to happen, but not enough until the local resident spotted the gang with the vans.

Of course I'm not sure if we will ever get the full story...it'll be interesting to see what the individuals get charged with....

Live:Ukraine

⚡️ The priest injured in the attack at a Polish monastery has called on the faithful not to blame all Ukrainians for the attacker's actions.

Two days after the incident, Father Adrian celebrated Mass — his head and arm were bandaged, and he had bruises on his face. He said he forgives the attacker — a 31-year-old Ukrainian — and asked the faithful to pray for him so that he "may come to know the grace of conversion."

The priest recalled that after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainians came to the monastery and were helped by local residents. He called for maintaining that attitude going forward.

▪️The attack on the monastery in Jarosław, Poland, occurred on September 24. A priest was killed, and four others were injured. A Ukrainian man, Ihor M., is suspected of the crime; he has already been placed under three months' arrest — the term to be served in a psychiatric hospital.

🇨🇭Swiss voters have rejected the idea of strengthening the country's neutral status — Switzerland will continue to be able to support sanctions against Russia.

According to preliminary results of today's referendum, about 31% of voters voted in favor, while 69% opposed the initiative to enshrine the principle of "perpetual and armed" neutrality in the Swiss Constitution.

If citizens had supported the idea, Switzerland would not be able to cooperate with military alliances such as NATO, nor impose sanctions on countries unless approved by the UN.

The referendum was prompted by Switzerland's decision to join EU sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Supporters of the proposal believed this step violated the country's neutrality. Moscow shared this view and called on the Swiss to vote in favor.

At the same time, the government, parliament, and all leading political parties except the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) opposed the proposal. Former SVP leader and billionaire Christoph Blocher spent about $2.4 million on the campaign in support of the idea.

The referendum result does not mean the Swiss are abandoning the country's neutral status. Instead, the country retains its current model, under which the government has more freedom to determine how to apply the principle of neutrality depending on the international situation.

⚡️ Throughout the day, the Russians attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs — there are dead and wounded. Here are the main consequences in the regions:

🔴 Kyiv. Since approximately 4:00 PM, the drone attack on the city has not stopped. During this time, UAVs struck an administrative building in the Holosiivskyi district, an apartment building and a kindergarten in the Darnytskyi district, and debris fell directly onto the road in Solomianskyi. One woman is reported injured.

🔴 Kharkiv region. Russian FPV drones struck two vehicles during the day. In the village of Shestakove, the driver was killed and his wife was injured. In the village of Velykyi Burluk, a 41-year-old woman was killed in the attack, and a 46-year-old man is in the hospital.

🔴 Sumy. Russian forces attacked the city with three guided bombs. An elderly woman and a 16-year-old girl were killed. Five other people were injured, including a child.

🔴 Dnipropetrovsk region. In Dnipro, a sports school, an educational institution, apartment buildings, and vehicles were damaged, while in Kryvyi Rih an enterprise was hit.

⚡️ Meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, EU sanctions against Russia without oligarchs, and mass Russian attacks on data centers. Top news of the week.

🔴 On September 22, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Presidents of the United States and Ukraine held a meeting. Trump officially approved the transfer of production licenses for Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

🔴 On the same day, the EU extended individual sanctions against Russia until September 22, 2029. However, Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the list—a move advocated by France and Slovakia. In Ukraine, this decision was called "shameful".

🔴 On September 23, Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in the United States for the first time in 11 years. He was personally greeted by Trump at Andrews Air Force Base. On the eve of the visit, Zelenskyy asked Trump to urge Xi Jinping to leverage his influence on Putin to end the war.

🔴 The Council of the EU approved the eighth regular payment to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program, totaling nearly €3 billion. This was finalized after Ukraine fulfilled all 10 required benchmarks.

🔴 Over the course of the week, Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 2,200 drones and 38 missiles. In particular, Russian forces began targeting data centers. In Kyiv, facilities belonging to companies such as Pavutina, MiroHost, Utels, Datagroup, Cosmonova, and others were damaged. TV channels including Suspilne, Army TV, My-Ukraina, and News. LIVE temporarily suspended their broadcasts.

⚡️ The Russians attacked Ukraine with 165 drones; air defense neutralized 112. Here is what is known about the aftermath:

Kharkiv. Russia struck the Saltivskyi district with a guided aerial bomb. 22 people are reported injured, including 8 children.

Kyiv. Four people were injured in the overnight Russian attack on Kyiv. Destruction is reported in the Podilskyi, Holosiivskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Pecherskyi districts.

🇺🇦🇰🇵🇰🇷South Korea is demanding explanations and an apology from Ukraine over the disclosure of information about North Korean prisoners, Reuters reports.

South Korea claims that Kyiv violated an agreement on the confidentiality of the transfer of two North Korean military personnel and then denied its existence.

The Ukrainian Presidential Office denied this, stating that Kyiv had not promised to keep the transfer of the prisoners confidential.

According to senior South Korean presidential secretary for public communications Son Gi-hun, the situation has seriously undermined trust between the governments and could affect bilateral relations.

▪️In 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured two North Korean military personnel. In July 2026, Seoul and Kyiv agreed on their transfer to South Korea. During his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about this.

⚡️ In Krasnodar Krai, drones likely struck the Edelweiss-95 oil depot, OSINT channels report.

Preliminary reports indicate the facility is located in the village of Novotitarovskaya. The oil depot holds up to 4,500 cubic meters of fuel — diesel and gasoline. It also has its own railway branch to receive and ship fuel.

According to the company, Edelweiss-95 has been operating in the fuel market for about 30 years and buys petroleum products directly from large Russian refineries.

Explosions were also heard near temporarily occupied Mariupol, in Voronezh, Tula region, and Tuapse.

United 24 Media:

🔹Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will visit Russia from September 28 to 30.

“I am leaving today. Meetings with Russian officials are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

My mission has the Pope’s backing and is humanitarian in nature. Even if we manage to help just one person, it serves as a small sign of hope that the consequences of the war can be mitigated or the conflict itself brought to an end. It is also proof that dialogue is possible and can lead to solutions.

We know the suffering war brings, and we are trying to help bring it to a close,” he said in an interview with the Russian propaganda agency TASS.

According to Zuppi, this time he has been tasked with helping to address issues related to:

▫️ Ukrainian children abducted by Russia;

▫️ the mutual release of prisoners;

▫️ other civilian issues arising from the war.

🔸 Russian forces dropped three guided aerial bombs on Sumy, killing two people, including a 16-year-old girl.

One of the strikes hit near a family and child support center. Fortunately, there were no visitors there at the time of the impact.

🔹 Today in Kyiv, Russian forces attacked two kindergartens, two schools, a residential building, an auto repair shop, several warehouses and communications facilities, as well as the residence of the Saudi Arabian ambassador, President Zelenskyy said.

The Russians used 277 strike drones against the capital, 155 of which were jet-powered. Dozens of people were injured, and people were killed.

🔸 “A forced digital detox”: The Russian Ministry of Defense has cynically announced new strikes on Ukrainian data centers.

The Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung previously reported that Russia had launched a new terror campaign against civilians, with attacks on internet infrastructure and communications set to join strikes on energy and water supply systems.

While experts do not predict a total internet blackout, connection quality may deteriorate. Meanwhile, providers have already announced phased price increases.

🔹 Switzerland has rejected a referendum proposal for stricter neutrality that would have precluded the country from cooperating with military alliances or imposing sanctions on Russia, Bloomberg reports.

According to preliminary results, with the vote count still underway, only 31% of participants supported the initiative, while 69% voted against it.

The vote did not concern the fundamental issue of Swiss neutrality itself, which enjoys broad public support, but rather the government’s ability to exercise flexibility regarding that status.

The impetus for the vote dates back to 2022, when Switzerland joined EU sanctions against Russia. Opponents of that move argued that it violated the country’s principle of neutrality.

“This view was backed by Moscow, which urged Swiss voters to support the proposal to strengthen neutrality.

“Meanwhile, billionaire and former leader of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) Christoph Blocher spent 2 million francs ($2.4 million) campaigning for the initiative,” the report states.

🔸 North Korea is practicing tactics involving massed drone and missile attacks, methods already employed in the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The initial exercises began this month and continued throughout September.

Massed attack tactics can overwhelm an adversary’s air defenses, particularly those relying on expensive Western interceptors. The United States has already encountered this challenge in confrontations involving Iran.

Despite financial constraints, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently designated the modernization of the country’s armed forces as a key priority, ranking alongside its nuclear program. Notably, at a ruling party congress in February, Kim pledged to develop new AI-powered unmanned strike systems within five years.

Compared with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, a conflict involving China or North Korea would place even greater strain on the stockpiles of the U.S. and its allies, warn CSIS analysts Benjamin Jensen and Tobias Ostrich.

Increasingly, the outcome of such conflicts will hinge on whether one side can produce missiles for these combined attacks faster than the other can replenish its air defense capabilities. If hostilities break out on the Korean Peninsula, the addition of drones to North Korea’s missile arsenal could deplete South Korea’s air defenses and increase the chances of success for subsequent attacks using far more powerful weaponry, such as tactical nuclear weapons, notes Lami Kim of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

🇺🇦🇯🇵 Ukraine receives $51.5 million from Japan for healthcare development

The funds were provided under the THRIVE project, which involves payments based on the achievement of specific performance indicators, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported.

Ukraine received this tranche thanks to improvements in stroke treatment in hospitals, particularly the increased use of thrombolysis to dissolve blood clots.

🔹 Overnight, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 165 drones. Air defense units shot down 112 of them, while impacts were recorded at 14 locations.

In Kyiv, four people were injured in the overnight attack, and buildings were damaged in four districts of the city. In the morning, Russian drones struck a gas station in the Obolonskyi district and a café near a gas station in the Holosiivskyi district.

On the evening of September 27, a drone struck a residential area in the city of Novhorod-Siverskyi, Chernihiv region, injuring four people, including two children.

Russian forces also struck an apartment building in the Saltivskyi district of Kharkiv, injuring 25 people, including nine children.

🔸 An oil depot belonging to Edelweiss-95 caught fire in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai following a drone attack, according to Russian media.

The facility specializes in the wholesale supply of diesel fuel (Euro-5) and gasoline (AI-92, AI-95, AI-100). The depot has a reported capacity of 4,500 cubic meters. It also has its own railway spur for receiving and shipping fuel.

🔹The General Assembly of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has decided not to lift the suspension of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF).

During a meeting held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, delegates voted by a majority to reject a proposal from the chess federations of Armenia, Belarus, Cuba, and Nicaragua to reinstate the RCF’s rights.

Newly elected FIDE President Timur Turlov stated that the organization must abide by the rulings of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding this matter. At the same time, he expressed hope that the RCF might eventually regain its membership if it complies with all the court’s conditions.

In March of this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the Russian Chess Federation to cease operations in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Due to its failure to meet these conditions, FIDE suspended the Russian organization’s membership for three years.

🔸 The Russians struck the “Rud” ice cream factory in Zhytomyr for the second time in a month.

❗️Russian attack on a business center in downtown Dnipro: four people injured — Regional Military Administration

Rescuers have also evacuated 47 people from the burning building. People are being evacuated from the upper floors using an aerial ladder.

Kyiv Independent:

⚡️Zelensky says over 10,000 Russian troops killed or wounded this week as Ukrainian military advances in Lyman sector.

"The occupiers continue to be eliminated, and the designated objectives are being achieved," Zelensky wrote on X, citing a report by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi.

⚡️Poland offers to host Patriot system production site for Ukraine after Kyiv secures license from US.

The offer follows President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement on Sept. 25 that U.S. President Donald Trump granted Kyiv permission to produce its own Patriot air defense missiles.

⚡️Russian drones, missiles continue to batter Kyiv for fourth consecutive night of strikes.

Over central Kyiv, air defense systems were reported to be active, filling the city with sounds of blasts and explosions.

⚡️Update: 2 killed, 4 injured by Russian strike on market as drones, missiles continue to batter Kyiv.

The deadly strike on the Stolichny wholesale food market caused a fire, while Russian forces attacked targets across Kyiv.

⚡️Serbia's Russian-friendly President Vucic announces resignation, plans to run for PM.

Resigning early, Vucic can now run as the Serbian Progressive Party's right-wing populist candidate for prime minister in the Oct. 25 elections.

⚡️Ukraine war latest: Russian attacks kill 14, injure 57 across Ukraine in 'mass strike'

In southern Odesa Oblast, Russia launched "a mass strike," damaging a residential building, a medical facility, a hotel, a shop and a grain storage facility, local governor Oleh Kiper said. One person was killed while two others were injured, he added.

⚡️Ukraine enters winter better prepared than last year, PM says, but risks remain.

Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi struck an optimistic note in a Sept. 27 interview on the national United News telethon, saying Ukraine is entering this winter better prepared than last year.

⚡️Fire reported at oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar Krai amid drone attack.

A fire was reported at the Pavlovskaya oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai overnight on Sept. 28 amid a large-scale drone attack on the region, according to local reports.

⚡️French far right gains ground in Senate months before presidential election

France's National Rally (RN) party and its allies secured a record 14 seats in France's 348-seat Senate, a result RN co-leader Marine Le Pen hailed as a "historic victory."

⚡️ These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Sept. 28, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

@notimagain,

Now if any of that is true IMO it looks like the spooks had a bit of a hint that something was going to happen, but not enough until the local resident spotted the gang with the vans.

This could well be the case. I find myself particularly vexed that no one was answering the phone at the MoD police number the locals had been given to use for exactly this situation. It should have forwarded the call to the officer on duty if no one else answered. Let's hope they look into that failure and take steps to prevent a repeat.

By the way, I am actively monitoring the Ukrainian offensive around Lyman. Local reports say they're pushing the Russians back and using some new tactics (e.g. drone dropped ground UAVs that sneak into Russian positions and explode), but the Ukrainians are saying very little about the situation on the battlefield. The Russians are definitely on the back foot and struggling to supply their forces in the area.

Kyiv Post:

⚡️ Ukraine is preparing for a worst-case scenario in which Russian strikes could disrupt internet and mobile communications, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.

His warning follows a series of Russian attacks on data centers and communications infrastructure across Kyiv that left hundreds of thousands of subscribers temporarily without internet access.

⚡️ After meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first time since January 2022, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Moscow showed NO willingness to hold serious talks to end the war in Ukraine.

⚡️ Ukraine will have to “pay the price” for its actions in recent months, and that is now happening through Russian strikes, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia must ensure that “no one dares” to announce plans to deal it crushing blows, he added.

This could well be the case. I find myself particularly vexed that no one was answering the phone at the MoD police number the locals had been given to use for exactly this situation.

Be interesting to get to the bottom of that...

Have say whilst we can't do Threads About Threads as a general point it's worrying to see how many people would appear to be quite happy to throw the Iranian population and the population of Ukraine under a bus if it meant it would reduce the short term risk to them in the UK...not a thought as to the possible/probable long term consequences.

The days of "Blitz spirit", "stiff upper lip", "keep calm and carry on",thing have largely gone..if they ever really existed...

It's that same short-term thinking that's contributed to decades of cuts to defense spending. I couldn't find the thread you've obliquely referred to, but if you DM a link, I'll have a look. I think that blitz spirit and keep calm and carry on did exist back in the day, but the British population has changed demographically since then, and the threat to Britain was much more immediate than it is now. Poland and the Baltic countries are taking it much more seriously.

@notimagain, I found the thread.

If it is the Iranians behind the attempted attack at RAF Fairford, the British government will have to make some response. Perhaps the incident will make the threat more immediate as well.

In better news, Russian troops are surrendering by the hundreds around Lyman.

Operation Vivaldi: Ukraine attacks Russian troops with kamikaze armoured vehicles and captures over 250 soldiers – photos, video

That's a company-sized surrender, which is highly unusual and indicates that they were unable to withdraw in the face of overwhelming Ukrainian pressure. That's some jolly good news to start the week with.

Operations like this show the qualitative edge the Ukrainians have gained over the Russian army, which has handled the situation around Lyman quite ineptly. It feels to me like they have a lot of unqualified or incompetent officers at the regional level. So many cockups.

An awful lot of officers have been killed. Although the ones that have survived are supposed to be quite fearsome now - battle hardened.

The survivors do have a lot of combat experience, but the Russians will have had to fill the vacancies with less qualified officers, who have either been rushed through training and have minimal combat experience, or lower-ranking officers who have been promoted above their level of competence. Promoting a mediocre lieutenant to major is unlikely to work out well.

The Fairford Five have been released on bail. From what we know, it looks like they were probably trying to nick some red diesel from a farm rather than anything more sinister.

Makes Trump's remarks look particularly stupid, but hopefully this is a wake-up call for MoD Plod.

Has any explosive been found?

(Gol, the moral here is "check what else is local before you go on a farm raid", isn't it!)

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Russia beginning 'additional mobilization' of troops, North Korean recruitment, Zelensky warns.
North Korea is also preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops against Ukraine, in addition to the more than 8,000 military personnel currently stationed in Russia, Zelensky said.

⚡️Russia to raise military spending by 27% in 2027, highest level in war so far, media reports.
Russia is planning to spend 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.58 billion) on its military in 2027, an increase of around 27% over its previously budgeted amount.

⚡️Estonia says Russia responsible for arson attack against defense tech company
Estonia can say "with certainty" that the attack overnight on Aug. 15" was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement shared with the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️ Russian drone strikes near Ukraine-Poland border crossing in Volyn Oblast.

⚡️Kremlin seizes control of German retailer Metro AG's Russian properties.
Metro AG first entered the Russian market in 2001 and operated 91 wholesale stores, employing around 9,000 employees in the country.

⚡️Russian troops allegedly using civilians as 'human shields' to flee via Kupiansk pipeline, Khartiia Corps says.
Children, elderly people, and a person on crutches walked alongside draft-age men who were likely Russian soldiers wearing civilian clothes, according to Khartiia Corps' drone footage.

⚡️Putin restricts publication of Russian refinery, energy data amid Ukrainian strikes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Sept. 28 restricting access to data on the country's oil refineries and energy exports amid an intensifying Ukrainian campaign against Russia's oil infrastructure.

⚡️Russian missiles strike Kyiv educational facility in overnight attacks.

⚡️Norway to allocate $2.6 million for humanitarian programs in Ukraine
The Norwegian government said it had set aside 15 million Norwegian kroner ($1.5 million) to assist UNICEF's work in reintegrating previously deported Ukrainian children and tracing those who are still missing.

⚡️ Ukrainian Chess Federation blasts presidential aide after accepting FIDE position alongside a Russian, urges SBU probe.
The Ukrainian Chess Federation (UCF) issued a protest on Sept. 28 after Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Presidential Office, accepted the title of vice president at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) alongside a former Russian minister.

⚡️ Ukrnafta installs concrete shelters at Kyiv gas stations amid Russian attacks.
The shelters will initially be installed at stations in densely populated areas and near major roads and will be available to anyone nearby, Ukrnafta CEO Bohdan Kukura said.

Unfreezing Europe's Russian assets debate
There has been little movement in EU circles on the question of using over 200 billion euros ($227 billion) of immobilized Russian assets since Sweden reopened the topic a month ago, but those wanting to move the matter forward are increasingly going public with their ideas.
Months after the idea of directly using Russian assets was shot down in Brussels, Sweden led a new push on Aug. 27 to reopen the question as a way to deliver new support to Ukraine without hurting EU taxpayers and voters.

EU's decision to pay for alleged 'anti-reform' draws criticism from Ukrainian experts
A decision by the European Union last week to disburse funds to Ukraine in exchange for what Ukrainian experts called a judicial “anti-reform” has sparked controversy.
On Sept. 24, the Council of the European Union approved providing 3 billion euros as part of the Ukraine Facility lending plan to Kyiv. The Kyiv Independent has requested comment from the European Commission and will publish its response once it is received.
This amount includes 386.3 million euros provided in exchange for a controversial law on integrity declarations for judges passed by Ukraine in June and heavily criticized by judicial experts.

⚡️Russian attacks kill 1, injure 56 across Ukraine over past day, as yet another overnight attack pounds Kyiv
The Air Force said that Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with an Onyx and Zircon anti-ship missile, two Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, and 152 attack drones, 82 of which were jet-powered. It reported downing all three missiles and 106 of the attack drones.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social

⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — SEP 29, 2026
■ Engagements and casualties below average Drone losses above average, but land-based equipment well below average
■ Overnight 🇷🇺 attacks: all missiles intercepted; 70% drone interception rate; 40 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 drone launches above average; nine 🇺🇦 air and artillery strikes reported Key 🇺🇦 targets: Kasta radar station, UAV command posts and depots

ooookay .... try clicking on the link now!

:)))

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

During the offensive in the Lyman direction, a large number of Russian Armed Forces personnel surrendered en masse.
More than 250 Russian soldiers have been taken prisoner during Operation Vivaldi alone.

Putin has increased the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces for the fourth time this year, by 15,500 personnel.
According to the document, the total strength of the Russian Armed Forces now stands at 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 military service members.
This marks the fourth increase in troop strength this year and the seventh since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
Previous increases in authorized troop strength took place in March, June, and July.
Specifically, in July, the size of the Armed Forces was increased by 25,000 personnel due to the creation of military construction units within the army.
In June, the force size was expanded by another 10,000 personnel.

❗️The Russians have effectively already begun additional mobilization — President Zelenskyy
They are increasing the number of recruits through various methods. They also plan to step up the recruitment of foreign nationals. It is crucial that the governments of the countries from which the Russian Federation recruits personnel for its army take action to counter this. We will inform every such government, the President said.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has new information regarding Russia’s recruitment of military personnel from the DPRK.
Currently, more than 8,000 North Korean troops are present on Russian territory. Preparations are also underway to deploy an additional contingent of 10,000 troops, who are being selected for training and subsequent transfer to Russia. Russia pays for this, notably with technology. In exchange for this assistance, the production of “Shahed”-type strike drones has been launched in North Korea with Russian technical support, the President added.

Staryi Khutor in the Belgorod region: The enemy continues to use the village as a deployment site for UAV pilots, while Ukrainian aviation regularly conducts clearing operations in the area.
A strike confirmed the elimination of 10 drone specialists, including pilots, technicians/configurators, and engineers, with another six wounded. The enemy also lost equipment and a large number of ready-to-use FPV drones.

The Darnytsia pharmaceutical plant in Kyiv has been attacked for the third time, the press service reported.
The strike occurred this morning. All employees are safe, and there were no injuries.

😠 Russia is preparing for a record increase in war spending. This is double the amount in Ukraine’s budget — Reuters
According to Reuters, citing Russian Finance Ministry documents, the figure involves a record 17.1 trillion rubles ($202.6 billion) in 2027 — 27% higher than initial budget plans. Total defense spending for the 2025–2027 period is set to reach 50 trillion rubles.
At the same time, the Russian government has raised its 2026 budget deficit forecast to 3.2% of GDP, is ramping up borrowing, and is preparing new taxes to cover the financial gap.
The news agency reports that, amid a decline in projected oil and gas revenues, Russia’s national debt will continue to rise, exceeding 20% of GDP by 2027 — a level authorities previously considered safe.

EU countries failed to reach an agreement on additional Patriot missiles for Ukraine but approved future procurement plans worth €28.3 billion, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said following a meeting of the EU Council on defense matters.
“Regarding interceptors, unfortunately, there were no new commitments made today to supply them.
Missile production (in the US — Ed.) takes time, yet Kyiv needs Patriot missiles now. One option is for EU member states and partners to supply missiles to Kyiv from their own stockpiles in exchange for future replenishment, funded by the €90 billion loan supporting Ukraine,” Suspilne quotes Kallas as saying.

Hungary’s largest bank, OTP Bank, has begun planning its exit from the Russian market, Bloomberg reports.
Bank Chairman Sándor Csányi told the outlet that OTP would review its strategy regarding Russia by the end of the year.
Following the outbreak of the full-scale war, the bank halted corporate lending in Russia and gradually scaled back its operations. It remains one of the country’s largest banks.
The bank said selling its Russian subsidiary is currently complicated by restrictions. A complete wind-down of the business could also result in losses.

The EU considers the humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky unacceptable and is calling for unhindered humanitarian access to the civilian population.
The EU is working with international partners to secure such access, European Commission spokesperson Grnčířová said.

Estonia has officially accused Russia of orchestrating the arson attack on the Milrem Robotics plant in Tallinn in August.
“Based on information gathered by the Estonian Internal Security Service, we can confidently conclude that the arson attack on the Milrem Robotics facility in Tallinn on the night of August 14–15 was an act of sabotage orchestrated by Russian special services,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote.
“The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon Russia’s Chargé d’Affaires today,” he added.
The perpetrators have been detained and “no longer pose a threat to our national security,” Tsahkna said.
He described the attack as part of a broader Russian campaign across Europe aimed at intimidating European countries and weakening their support for Ukraine.
“Our response will be the opposite: we will intensify both our support for Ukraine and the pressure on Russia to halt its aggression,” Tsahkna wrote.

The Netherlands is developing a new laser weapon to counter UAVs.
The country is collaborating with Australian company EOS to develop a laser air defense system designed to combat drones and mass aerial attacks.
The project is based on the 100-kilowatt Apollo laser, capable of engaging between 20 and 50 drones per minute.
Unlike missile systems, the laser uses a focused beam to disable targets, significantly reducing the cost of intercepting inexpensive drones.
Plans are in place to transform the prototype into a fully operational combat system, with the possibility of manufacturing it in the Netherlands.
In the future, the laser weapon could be integrated into military vehicles to protect troops while on the move.

🤬 Eight people were injured in a Russian attack in the Odesa region — State Emergency Service
Residential buildings and an animal shelter were damaged, and fires broke out. A manufacturing plant, warehouses, a school, a dormitory, and various vehicles, including passenger cars and trucks, also sustained damage.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Russia has rejected all proposals to revive the Black Sea grain deal, Ukraine’s agriculture minister said, warning that Ukraine’s agricultural exports could remain disrupted for months.
The collapse of sea-borne shipments is already hitting one of Ukraine’s main sources of export revenue and threatens to further restrict grain supplies to global markets. Russian grain exports have also declined amid disruptions at Black Sea ports following recent attacks.

ANALYSIS:* Ukrainian intelligence reveals that Russia supplied satellite surveillance supporting Iranian targeting of US and Gulf military facilities. Moscow also offered to halt its intelligence-sharing and targeting-data pipeline to Iran in exchange for the US severing its vital intelligence support to Ukraine.*

A Russian Tu-154 aircraft has reportedly crashed in the Amur region.
The plane belonged to the Ukrainka airbase. Six of its seven crew members were reportedly killed.

A Russian guided aerial bomb struck a school in Sumy where children were studying. One child was running to a shelter when the attack hit.
Rescue efforts are continuing at the scene. The number of casualties is not yet known.

Ukraine will receive three F-16 fighter jets from Belgium by the end of this year under an accelerated delivery procedure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Belgium, Spain and other partners have also provided urgent ammunition supplies for Ukraine’s F-16s.

Zelensky said that as Russia escalates its daily attacks, Ukraine must strengthen its ability to shoot down aerial targets and protect civilians. He thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and his government for their support.

Amnesty says Malian forces and Russia’s Wagner mercenaries committed war crimes against civilians, documenting at least 34 unlawful killings, drone strikes that killed 23 people — including children — and torture at military bases.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation announced in June that construction is underway on the first flying prototype of the Su-75 Checkmate – Moscow’s answer to the Lockheed Martin F-35.
Promoted as cheaper and more advanced with AI-assisted systems, the project has been plagued by years of delays and remains untested in flight.

Eight people were injured in Russian attacks across the Odesa region, which damaged homes, a school, an animal shelter and other facilities.
Separate strikes on infrastructure in Odesa destroyed three trucks and damaged eight more.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

🇪🇺The EU is preparing a concrete plan for completing accession negotiations for Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania, Politico sources say.
Special "roadmaps" are intended to more specifically define the sequence of reforms and indicative timelines for completing key stages of membership negotiations.
For Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, such roadmaps are not currently planned, as these countries are at earlier stages of negotiations.
Additionally, the EU wants to change its approach to countries preparing for accession. They may be gradually granted access to the European market and joint projects even before full membership, in order to incentivize further reforms.

⚡️Ukraine is asking the EU for €1.1 billion to save exports and ship up to 22 million tons of agricultural products bypassing the blocked deep-water ports of Greater Odesa. This was reported by Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi at a briefing in Brussels, Babel's correspondent reports.
Ukraine's agricultural sector is in its most difficult situation since the start of the full-scale war: in September, export volumes may reach only 46% of what is needed, while the maximum capacity of alternative routes is about 50%.
If the routes are not expanded, Ukraine risks failing to export about 30 million tons of agricultural products worth $10 billion.
This threatens the loss of up to UAH 90 billion in state budget revenues and a 35–40% reduction in sown areas in the spring, which could cost the economy up to 5% of GDP.
To save the situation, Ukraine proposes increasing rail transportation and the possibility of delivering Ukrainian products to ports in Germany and the Netherlands. Since delivery there is more expensive (an additional €50 per ton), Kyiv is calling on the EU to allocate €1.1 billion to compensate costs specifically for European carriers.
This would allow for the export of 22 million tons of agricultural products. These cargoes will transit to third countries, so they will not harm the EU's internal market.

In Hungary, the immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar has been suspended in order to investigate a phone theft case. 139 MPs voted in favor.
The investigation believes that in the summer of 2024, during a conflict in one of Budapest's nightclubs, Magyar took a mobile phone from a man who was allegedly filming him, after which the device was thrown into the Danube.
During the same vote, immunity was also stripped from Fidesz party MP Balázs Hankó and Christian Democratic People's Party representative Miklós Pásztor.
In particular, Miklós Pásztor is suspected of receiving approximately $34 million in bribes while serving as Minister of National Development.
Balázs Hankó is suspected of causing $53.6 million in damages to the state — funds that, as Minister of Culture, he may have spent on the 2026 parliamentary election campaign.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 152 drones, 82 of which were jet-powered, as well as an anti-ship missile and two ballistic missiles. Air defense neutralized all three missiles and 106 UAVs. The enemy struck 24 locations, with debris falling in 16 others.
🔴In Kyiv, the death toll from the Russian strike on the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has risen to two. In the Holosiivskyi district, a 6-story building was damaged — one person was injured. In the Solomianskyi district, missile debris fell in the courtyard of a building, and an administrative building of an infrastructure facility and a building of an educational institution caught fire. In the Pecherskyi district, a non-residential building caught fire.
🔴In the Kyiv region, Bucha district, a drone strike caused a private house and the roof of a neighboring one to catch fire. The injured were hospitalized.
🔴Russia attacked civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region — 8 people were injured. A civilian enterprise was destroyed, and port facilities, a lyceum, an animal shelter, a private house, and transport were damaged.
🔴In the Zhytomyr region, Russia carried out about 10 strikes on civilian infrastructure. Transport and fuel infrastructure facilities, as well as civilian enterprises in Zhytomyr, Korosten, Zviahel, and Ovruch, were hit.

[yesterday]
A rally in support of the residents of temporarily occupied Oleshky, where a humanitarian crisis is ongoing — with limited access to food, water, and electricity — is taking place in Brussels, Babel's correspondent reports.

I know. An old friend of mine is married to an NYPD detective. He was in a bar for a colleague's retirement party when two lads with handguns came in to rob the bar. There were over 50 police officers in the bar, all armed, when they came in, drew their guns, and announced the robbery. They handcuffed them and got them out the door in about two minutes, and the party resumed.

Oops!

understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-28-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps publicized details on the third phase of Operation Vivaldi in the Lyman direction, which included successfully feinting and deceiving Russian forces and the liberation of Nove, Ridkodub, Katerynivka, Karpivka, and Novomykhailivka (all north of Lyman).
2. Operation Vivaldi is fueling Russian ultranationalist milblogger discourse about how the pervasive culture of lying within the Russian military is harming Russian forces and facilitating Ukrainian successes in the Lyman direction.
3. The Kremlin is restricting publicly available information regarding Russia’s oil and gas industry, likely in an effort to conceal and protect Russian oil supplies for a variety of reasons, including from Ukrainian strikes, Western sanctions, or domestic Russian discontent and panic stemming from fuel shortages.
4. Russian forces conducted a drone strike mere kilometers from the Ukrainian-Polish border near the Yahodyn border crossing for the second time in September 2026. Poland announced its intent to change its air defense rules of engagement following the strike.
5. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on September 28 transferring the assets of German wholesale retailer Metro AG in Russia to “temporary” management under Russian company UK Torg Rus LLC.
6. Russian Colonel General Alexander Lapin, who previously commanded the Central and Northern groupings of forces in Ukraine, became the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Tatarstan on September 28.
7. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
8. Russia launched 289 drones against Ukraine overnight.
9. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and military assets on the night of September 27 to 28.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️ Trump's Ukraine peace effort could land in UAE next week with energy truce, grain corridor on table.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials have already shared their vision for the next steps with Russia, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent, adding that "the ball is on the Russian side."

⚡️ Putin signs latest decree increasing Russian military staff in wake of monster military budget, looming mobilization.
Compared to the most recent figure from July 2026, the decree increases total staff by only around 15,500, is the fourth such incremental raise announced this year.

⚡️Trump faces bipartisan pushback over possible Russia sanctions relief
"Sanctions relief will embolden Russia and prolong the war," a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers said.

⚡️ Trump's push for an Ukraine energy truce runs into a Putin problem.
U.S. President Donald Trump privately doubts that Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to an energy ceasefire with Ukraine before winter, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️Ukraine receives air defense missiles for NASAMS systems, Zelensky says amid shortage.
Ukraine received a new delivery of missiles for NASAMS air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sept. 29, as the country faces a shortage.

⚡️Missile alerts cost Ukraine $45 million for every hour businesses stop, economy minister says
Russian attacks have caused an estimated $10 billion in damage to fixed assets in Ukraine this year alone, according to Kravchenko. Steel plants, warehouses, logistics hubs, and data centers have all been hit as Moscow increasingly targets infrastructure supporting the country's economy.

⚡️Ukraine, over 50 allies sign pledge on return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Fifty countries and four other organizations signed a pledge on Sept. 29 calling for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, unlawfully detained civilians, and children abducted by Russia.

⚡️US imposes sanctions against Russian companies tied to Iran weapons procurement.
The United States implemented sanctions on Sept. 29 against several individuals and entities, including two Russian companies, associated with the procurement of Iranian weapons, the Treasury and State departments announced.

⚡️Drone crashes in Moldova amid Russian mass attack on Ukraine
A drone flew into Moldovan airspace, crashed outside a village, and exploded in the early hours of Sept. 30 amid a Russian mass attack on Ukraine, Moldova's Defense Ministry said.

⚡️Russia issues new nuclear threat over Kaliningrad as tensions with NATO rise
Russia would be ready to use nuclear weapons if NATO countries attempt to isolate Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian Embassy in Ireland said in a statement published Sept. 30.

⚡️Zelensky visits Lyman sector, says Operation Vivaldi reclaimed 125 square kilometers.
The operation is a rare example of offensive success on the Ukrainian side, achieved despite a major disadvantage in manpower and the domination of the drone-based "kill zone" above the front line.

Ukraine's finances: everything we don't know
Ukraine, the EU, the IMF, and G7 partners were all in Brussels on Sept. 29 to discuss the state of Ukraine's finances until the end of 2027, but a sense of who will pay what, and how much money is even needed, remains elusive.

⚡️Europe's compensation register for Russia's victims in Ukraine now fully operational
"The Register of Damage for Ukraine represents the legal memory of this unjust war," said the Council of Europe's Secretary General Alain Berset.

⚡️Top Zelensky staffer's associates get properties worth $1 million in controversial projects, media report says.
Two alleged associates of Oleh Tatarov, a deputy head of the President's Office, have acquired 11 apartments with an estimated total value of over $1 million in two troubled Kyiv developments that could have involved fraud schemes, the media outlet Bihus. info reported late on Sept. 28.

⚡️Kremlin denies Russia has political prisoners as Trump weighs sanctions relief for releases

⚡️Update: 2 killed, 4 injured in Kyiv amid Russian missile, drone attack.
At least two people have been killed and four others injured in the Russian missile and drone attack on the capital overnight on Sept. 30, officials reported.

⚡️Update: Russia strikes Kyiv energy infrastructure, kills 3, injures 5 in overnight attack on Ukraine's capital
The latest strikes came as Russia intensifies its attacks on Kyiv since August, relentlessly launching drone attacks, even in daytime, to exhaust the Ukrainian air defense.

⚡️Russian attacks kill at least 6, injure 34 across Ukraine as Kyiv faces another overnight missile, drone attack
The Air Force said Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with Zircon and Onyx anti-ship missiles, Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles, and 188 attack drones of various types.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social

⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — SEP 30, 2026
■ Engagements and casualties below the 7-day average
■ Drone losses slightly above average; land-based equipment losses well below average
■ Overnight 🇷🇺 attacks: five ballistic missiles intercepted; improved drone interception rate; 18 locations hit or affected by debris ■ 🇷🇺 shelling above average; five 🇺🇦 air and artillery strikes reported
■ Key 🇺🇦 targets: UAV depot, command and observation post and support facilities in occupied 🇺🇦

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

"Very difficult weeks and months lie ahead,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
He said Russian attacks on Ukrainian border infrastructure have become a regular occurrence. Polish aircraft are frequently scrambled, while services in the country’s east remain on high alert.
Recently, a Russian jet-powered drone struck about 2 km from the Polish town of Dorohusk, on the Ukrainian side of the border. Polish airspace was not violated, but air raid sirens were sounded and alerts were issued in the Lublin Voivodeship.
Tusk emphasized that Russian strikes are drawing closer to Poland.

👀 Poland is preparing to shoot down Russian aerial targets without visual confirmation, while Sweden is preparing not only to defend its territory but also to strike military targets deep inside Russia.
Poland is the first NATO member to change its rules of engagement so that pilots no longer need to visually confirm an aerial target. Decisions to destroy a drone, missile or other object will instead be based on multiple data points, including radar readings, trajectory, speed and other indicators of a threat.
The new procedures are expected to significantly reduce reaction times to Russian missiles and jet-powered drones.
Meanwhile, Sweden is changing its approach to a potential war with Russia. Rather than focusing solely on defending its own territory, the Swedish Air Force is preparing for offensive operations against military targets deep behind Russian lines.
Potential targets include military bases, airfields, logistics hubs, missile launchers and ammunition depots.

Russia plans to increase war spending by nearly a third in 2027, to more than 17 trillion rubles ($201.2 billion), according to The Moscow Times.
The federal budget will allocate 17.1 trillion rubles ($202.4 billion) to the military and weapons procurement next year — 32% more than the 12.9 trillion rubles ($152.7 billion) previously earmarked for 2026.
Under the draft budget approved by the government this week, military spending will account for 35% of all federal expenditures in 2027. That would be the highest share since the Soviet era.
On average, the war will cost Russian taxpayers 1.42 trillion rubles ($16.8 billion) a month, 46.9 billion rubles ($555 million) a day, or nearly 2 billion rubles ($23.7 million) an hour.
The government also does not expect military spending to decline significantly in the following years.
In 2028, Russia plans to spend 16.6 trillion rubles ($196.5 billion) on defense, or 32.6% of total expenditures. In 2029, the figure is set at 16.3 trillion rubles ($192.9 billion), or 30.4%.
Those figures are significantly higher than projections made a year ago. The government had previously forecast 13.5 trillion rubles for defense in 2027 and 13 trillion rubles in 2028.
The new plans increase those amounts by 3.1 trillion rubles ($36.7 billion) and 3.3 trillion rubles ($39.1 billion), respectively — increases of 23% and 25%.

Iran’s parliament will consider a proposal to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad said, according to Fars.
“A draft bill on withdrawing from the NPT is under consideration and has been marked as a matter of extreme urgency. Once it reaches parliament, it will be reviewed that same day. The Iranian Parliament will also examine the international implications of this move,” Nikzad said.
He added that Iranian lawmakers do not trust the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or its Director General, Rafael Grossi.
According to Nikzad, Grossi makes only “superficial” visits to Iran’s nuclear facilities and then publishes negative reports.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said repeated drone incursions into Alliance territory signal an “evolution in the nature of the threat.”

The UK is offering its nuclear umbrella to nine NATO allies, Iltalehti reports.
The offer concerns members of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF): Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, alongside the UK.
An agreement is scheduled to be signed in November.
If signed, it would mean that nuclear deterrence for these countries would no longer be provided solely through NATO’s nuclear defense system.

Air raid alerts cost Ukraine approximately $45 million for every hour that business operations are halted, according to Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksandr Kravchenko, speaking to The Guardian.

“What we didn’t fully anticipate was how quickly Russia would develop these jet-powered drones and use them to attack everything in sight,” Kravchenko said, referring to Russia’s use of the new weapons against Kyiv in recent weeks.
The attacks repeatedly bring a significant portion of the economy to a halt, as workers are sent to bomb shelters and air raid sirens sound for up to 10 hours a day.
“If people are in a bomb shelter, business stops,” Kravchenko said.
To reduce the economic impact, the government recently introduced a two-tier alert system designed to allow businesses to continue operating during prolonged air raid alerts.
A “red” alert indicates a missile threat and requires people to seek shelter. A “yellow” alert is used for drone threats, allowing many businesses to remain open.
According to Kravchenko, more than half of businesses continued operating during “yellow” alerts.
But a “yellow” alert does not guarantee safety. On Monday, a jet-powered Russian drone struck the National Academy of Sciences building in central Kyiv during a “yellow” alert, killing two people who were still working inside.
Ukraine now faces a difficult trade-off between maintaining economic activity and protecting people as Russian aerial attacks intensify.
Kravchenko said Russian attacks have caused approximately $10 billion in damage to Ukraine this year alone. Targets have included steel plants, warehouses, logistics infrastructure and, more recently, data centers.
Russia has also effectively blockaded Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, which handled most of the country’s exports before the blockade.

❗️ Fires broke out at critical infrastructure facilities and private enterprises in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region following a Russian attack, the State Emergency Service reported.
The fires occurred in the Korosten, Zhytomyr and Zviahel districts of the region.

🤬 Russia is preparing staged videos featuring residents of occupied Oleshky to conceal a humanitarian catastrophe, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
“According to our intelligence, Russia is preparing to stage dozens of videos in occupied Oleshky. Local residents will be forced to say on camera that they are happy, well-fed, and grateful to the Russian occupiers… This is yet another step in Russia’s weeks-long, vile propaganda campaign, which denies any problems in Oleshky and claims there is no humanitarian catastrophe there,” Sybiha said.

❗️Russian troops seized food supplies dropped by the Armed Forces of Ukraine for residents of Oleshky, according to the Oleshky Military Administration.
Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Administration, said Ukrainian forces dropped about 4 tons of food into the city the previous day, marking the largest humanitarian operation of its kind.
According to Hasanenko, Russian forces accuse residents of collaborating with the Ukrainian military and confiscate the food packages.[...]
She also reported that the abduction of civilians continues in the community, with Russian security forces taking away entire families whose whereabouts later remain unknown.
Russia continues to refuse to authorize civilian evacuations despite established mechanisms, while the last delivery of food supplies to the city took place in late May.

🇺🇦 President Zelenskyy presented state awards to soldiers of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade carrying out missions in the Lyman sector.

🤿 Ukrainian diver Oleksii Pryhorov won the Red Bull Cliff Diving season finale in Italy.
Pryhorov secured the victory with a spectacular forward four-somersault dive with two-and-a-half twists in the pike position, earning the highest score of the event: 385.05 points.

Russians killed a child in Vyshhorod during a nighttime attack. The child’s body was recovered from the rubble.
Three people were also injured, including another child.
In Kyiv, two people were killed and four others injured in the attack. Fires and destruction were reported in four districts.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

NATO has the tools to respond to Russian hybrid attacks, but its response will not always be public, symmetrical or “tit-for-tat,” Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
“You will not always see them public. They will not always be symmetric. It will not always be tit-for-tat,” Rutte said.
His comments come amid growing Russian drone incursions and border incidents across Europe.

The European Commission has approved five joint defense projects worth $369 million, with Ukraine participating in four.
The projects cover drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed defense, air and missile defense, and security along the EU’s eastern flank. Ukraine is involved in every area except space.

Russia is expanding the Tsymbulova drone base in Oryol as it increases the use of jet-powered UAVs against Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported 3,177 such drones launched in September and said F-16 pilots have downed more than 3,150 aerial targets.

A petition calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold an open press conference with independent media has secured the required 25,000 signatures.
The petition names several major Ukrainian and international outlets and calls for journalists to be allowed to ask questions WITHOUT prior approval.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned the Kremlin during an August visit to Moscow that Russia could face a Soviet-style collapse if it continues its war in Ukraine, a German outlet reported, citing a senior diplomat.
While there are few signs that Moscow is ready to de-escalate, historical data suggest that the Russian economy has not reached the levels seen in the final days of the USSR – not yet, at least.

BREAKING: A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel diverted to Saudi Arabia after its pilots got into a physical fight and transmitted emergency signals.
The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, while Israeli officials said the incident was not believed to be a hijacking.

Ukrainian troops have used a domestically developed amphibious UGV for the first time in a logistics mission, covering more than 40 kilometers (25 miles) across land and water.
The system is designed to overcome rivers, canals and marshes that can block conventional ground robots.

Zelensky said that Ukrainian authorities had approved long-range operations for October and determined delivery routes for F-16 supplies.
Kyiv is negotiating aviation packages with several partners, including Belgium, and has identified prototypes of a system to counter jet-powered Shahed drones.

Putin has slashed the amount travelers can take from Russia to neighboring countries to 1 million rubles, or about $11,900 — down from $100,000 in March.
The move comes as Russia faces a projected $70 billion budget deficit in 2027.

Ukraine’s drone strikes are hitting Russian travelers in the pocket.
Russian airlines carried 7% fewer passengers this summer as repeated airport disruptions cut traffic from 42.6 million to 39.5 million people.

Kyiv spent an average of 7.5 hours a day under air raid alert in September — nearly five times longer than in July, when alerts lasted 1.6 hours a day on average.
Alerts also sounded more often: from an average of 1.9 times a day in July to 6.2 times a day in September.
The growing disruption comes at a steep price. Ukraine’s Economy Ministry estimates that every hour of a missile alert costs the country $45 million.

Ahead of Latvia’s Oct. 3 election, Russian-speaking residents in the eastern Latgale region say Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped their identity and deepened fears of Kremlin influence.

Russia struck a school in central Sumy during classes with guided aerial bombs, killing two people and injuring at least six, including three children, according to preliminary reports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukraine’s partners to respond with real pressure on Russia, not just words.

A Russian overnight missile strike destroyed an animal shelter in the Odesa region, setting the building and its enclosures ablaze.
At least three dogs and 10 cats were killed. The shelter’s head, Olha Shyliimina, described trying to save the animals as a second attack unfolded. https://t.me/Kyivpost_official/40367