Sep 28, 2026
South Korea's presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and then falsely denying the agreement.
Around 2,000 civilians, including 50 children, face starvation in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky as Russian forces block road access and shoot down aid deliveries. Ukraine has used drones to airlift 4 tonnes of food supplies and brought the humanitarian crisis before the United Nations.
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed a drone strike on the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, located approximately 400 kilometers from the launch point. The attack, carried out by the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces and the 414th Separate Brigade, caused a fire at the facility.
European Union member states have agreed to release €6.6 billion ($7.5 billion) from the European Peace Facility for military aid to Ukraine, ending a months-long stalemate that had blocked the fund since 2023, largely due to Hungarian opposition. The decision comes as Ukraine faces a significant shortfall in its defense budget.
Russia could quickly restore up to 80% of its grain terminal capacity in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov if diplomatic efforts lead to a ceasefire halting mutual attacks with Ukraine, according to a Reuters analysis of industry data. The finding comes amid ongoing discussions over Black Sea shipping arrangements.
President Donald Trump announced the U.S. is working on a deal to purchase potash fertilizer from Belarus at lower prices than Canada currently provides, pivoting toward a Russian ally amid deteriorating trade relations with Canada. The move has drawn criticism given Belarus's role in supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's Moscow Oil Refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, completely halted crude oil processing after Ukrainian drones struck both primary distillation units on September 20, causing fires. Russia's total oil refining capacity has reportedly fallen 45% following the attack.
European Union envoys agreed to lift sanctions imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, as long as no EU government objects within a set timeframe. The move has drawn criticism from Ukraine and comes as part of a broader sanctions review.
Vladimir Putin's United Russia party secured a record supermajority with approximately 355 of 450 State Duma seats in Russia's first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in a tightly controlled vote that excluded opposition parties critical of the Kremlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed to meet in New York during UN General Assembly week. Zelenskyy said the meeting "could change a lot" in terms of finding a resolution to the 4.5-year war with Russia.
The State Department approved a potential $2.68 billion sale of air defense equipment to Ukraine, including S-300 Clone missiles, GAM-67 missiles, counter-drone radar systems, and mobile launcher modification kits requested by Kyiv to defend against ongoing Russian attacks.
Russia opened polling stations for a three-day parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin frames as a referendum on support for the war in Ukraine. United Russia is expected to win decisively, with most anti-war candidates barred from running.
As artificial intelligence enables drones and missiles to operate without GPS or constant communication, Ukraine's armed forces continue to rely on reconnaissance soldiers for critical battlefield intelligence. The 60th Mechanized Brigade demonstrates the ongoing need for human operators despite advancing drone technology.
Ukraine fired a barrage of drones targeting 16 Russian regions as Russia held parliamentary elections, the first since the invasion began. The Black Sea resort city of Sochi temporarily closed beaches due to threats of Ukrainian sea drone attacks.
Amnesty International has accused Russia of illegally trafficking foreign nationals to fight in Ukraine by deceiving them with fake job offers, then forcing them into military service upon arrival. The report, based on interviews with prisoners of war, describes victims as typically under 40 from poorer countries lured by promises of employment.
Ukrainian officials announced that three-way negotiations between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia could resume in early October, following recent visits by US special envoys to both Kyiv and Moscow with new peace proposals. The talks come after a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Kyiv for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking the Trump administration's renewed push to end Russia's war in Ukraine following their earlier visit to Moscow.
President Trump announced he will ask European nations to retroactively pay back the United States for military aid and munitions previously sent to Ukraine, marking a significant shift in US policy toward allied burden-sharing.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly floated a trilateral summit between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a secret visit to Moscow. The proposal came as Washington seeks to restart stalled Russia-Ukraine peace talks, though Putin has rejected similar meeting formats in the past.
A Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in a civilian area west of Kyiv, triggering massive explosions and fires that killed at least 37 people and forced nearly 400 evacuations. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a criminal investigation into negligence, stating the depot "definitely shouldn't have been there," marking the second such incident in two months.
A Russian drone fitted with an Nvidia chip and guided entirely by AI killed three Ukrainian civilians in July, according to Ukrainian officials and the New York Times. The attack represents a significant escalation in autonomous weaponry.
Australian Federal Police charged Vladimir Teslov, a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian citizen, with foreign interference for allegedly attempting to infiltrate the Ukrainian military and pass intelligence about Ukrainian military activities to Russian intelligence services.
The U.S. Army plans to phase out its Unmanned Assault Battalion, a specialized infantry unit established to study and incorporate lessons from drone warfare in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war. The decision comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Army leadership pick makes organizational changes.
A Russian missile attack killed at least 10 people in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday, while Ukrainian forces staged one of their largest drone attacks on Russia since the invasion began, firing nearly 800 drones at Moscow just days after a similar assault.
Russia has threatened the United Kingdom with consequences following reports that British-made drones were used by Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirmed London's full support for Ukraine despite the warnings.
A Russian oil refinery in Orsk, located more than 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine, has been completely shut down following a Ukrainian drone strike, with repairs expected to take up to six months according to the local governor.
Ukraine has sent Russia a proposal through an intermediary to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, following a massive Ukrainian drone strike on Russian grain terminals at Novorossiysk that killed three people and disrupted global food exports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv has delivered new proposals to American negotiators aimed at ending the war with Russia, while Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov told the BBC that Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine. The developments come as Russia reportedly increases ballistic missile production and Ukraine warns against territorial concessions.
Former Ukrainian detainees and officials accused Russia of systematically torturing prisoners of war and civilian detainees, including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual abuse, with thousands still held in captivity. The accounts come from Ukrainian service members who surrendered at locations including the Azovstal steel works.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting and destroying 502 Ukrainian drones across various regions overnight, while also hitting a fuel depot in the port of Odesa. Ukraine continues its campaign of long-range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
Moldova recalled its ambassador to Russia for consultations after an unidentified drone crashed and exploded in the village of Crocmaz near the Ukrainian border. The Moldovan president condemned Russia over the incident, calling it a serious violation.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland are tightening security around critical infrastructure including dams, power plants, and gas facilities, fearing Russia may stage a false-flag attack using Ukrainian drones to destabilize NATO. The concern intensified after a drone with explosives breached defenses at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a key NATO hub, on August 4.
Russia is deploying its Rassvet satellite communication system faster than planned, with the network already providing two daily communication windows over Ukraine of more than an hour each. Ukrainian intelligence reports Moscow aims to have nearly 300 satellites in orbit by 2027, creating a Starlink-like capability for military communications.
Russia and Ukraine conducted multiple rounds of strikes between August 9-11, 2026, killing at least 20 people including civilians. Ukrainian drones struck an oil facility in Nizhnekamsk killing 13, while Russian forces targeted warehouses in Kyiv and industrial facilities in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainian drones targeted multiple Russian oil refineries on Saturday, August 8, 2026, causing fires at the Ilsky refinery in Krasnodar region and the Syzran facility. The attack on Ilsky injured five people before the fire was extinguished, while Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight strikes including a missile barrage on Kyiv.
Ukraine has conducted multiple drone strikes on warehouses belonging to Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries, hitting facilities over 2,000km from the border in the Ural Mountains and Voronezh region, killing at least one person. The attacks have prompted major advertisers to slash their spending on the platform.
Turkey has begun restricting commercial ship traffic in the Black Sea and called on Russia and Ukraine to impose a moratorium on attacks against vessels in the region, following a surge in drone strikes on civilian cargo ships, including Turkish-linked vessels, in early August 2026.
Four people, including a three-year-old child, were killed in overnight Russian attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region on August 8, 2026, as Ukrainian air defense systems failed to intercept all incoming missiles and drones. Ukraine responded by striking another oil refinery inside Russia.
U.S. supplies of Patriot air defense missiles and other munitions have reached dangerously low levels after five months of war with Iran and continued support for Ukraine against Russia. Despite White House denials, officials confirm interceptor stockpiles are 'extremely low,' raising concerns about America's defense capabilities.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and Black Sea shipping routes reduced Caspian Pipeline Consortium oil loadings by one-fifth in July, disrupting Kazakhstan's exports and adding strain to global commodity markets already facing Middle East tensions.
Russia's Federal Security Service raided nine unregistered cryptocurrency exchange offices in Moscow City, detaining more than 20 people accused of laundering money stolen from Russian scam victims and transferring proceeds to Ukraine-based operations.
The United States is pressing ahead with negotiations to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles domestically, even after President Donald Trump publicly cast doubt on the deal. Ukrainian officials reveal they have been seeking production licenses for two years amid urgent defense needs against Russian attacks.
At least 17 people were killed and 44 wounded in overnight Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas, with Ukrainian air defenses unable to shoot down any of the more than two dozen ballistic and anti-ship missiles due to depleted Patriot interceptor supplies. President Zelenskyy blamed allies for delayed air defense deliveries as strikes hit civilian targets including a brewery, warehouse, and postal facility.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief now serving as ambassador to the UK, stated that Ukraine has no chance of joining NATO, citing the country's inability to meet the alliance's military standards. The remarks represent a stark departure from Ukraine's constitutional aspiration for NATO membership.
Two Turkish-owned roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels were struck by drone attacks near Russia's Novorossiysk port in the Black Sea, leaving three crew members seriously injured. Turkey has called on both Russia and Ukraine to ensure safe navigation for commercial shipping in the region.
Ukrainian forces conducted extensive drone strikes across Russia and occupied Crimea in early August 2026, targeting commercial logistics hubs including multiple Wildberries retail facilities, a university allegedly involved in drone development in Belgorod, oil refineries, and military airfields. The attacks resulted in at least 14-22 deaths and significant infrastructure damage.
Ukraine conducted a series of drone strikes on Russian territory in early August 2026, killing at least five people and repeatedly targeting warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, in regions including Tver, Vladimir, and Samara. The attacks represent an escalation in Ukraine's cross-border drone campaign against Russian infrastructure.
Russia launched an intense barrage of ballistic missiles and drones on Kyiv overnight Saturday, killing at least nine people and injuring 28 others, with fires and destruction reported across five districts of the Ukrainian capital. The attack marks the second such intense strike on Kyiv in a week.
Ukrainian forces hit two of Russia's largest oil refineries in overnight long-range strikes on Wednesday, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump in Washington. The attacks are part of Ukraine's sustained campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure that has contributed to fuel shortages across Russia.
Ukraine's newly appointed acting defense minister stated that the country must employ asymmetric tactics and careful resource management rather than direct confrontation when fighting Russia militarily.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is preparing to mobilize an additional 30,000 North Korean troops and expand domestic conscription as battlefield losses outpace recruitment. Intelligence reports suggest Russia is laying groundwork for a major mobilization wave.
Three grain industry sources told Reuters that Russia had introduced a temporary ban on vessel movements in and out of Novorossiysk between midnight and 5 a.m. because of Ukrainian drone attacks. The measure follows earlier traffic restrictions in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait and a July 21 government order banning vessels from anchoring in areas without air defences at the ports of Azov and Kavkaz.
Ukraine and nine other countries including the UK, Germany, and France announced the formation of a coalition to develop shared anti-ballistic missile defense capabilities for Europe, leveraging Ukraine's combat experience against Russian attacks. The initiative marks a shift away from reliance on US defense systems.
Russian forces killed at least five people, including a teenager, in aerial bomb strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia, while Ukrainian forces continued targeting Russian oil tankers and infrastructure.
President Donald Trump announced he would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air-defense interceptors under U.S. license, a potential diplomatic breakthrough for Kyiv. However, defense experts and Ukrainian officials caution the complex process could take years to implement and won't address Ukraine's immediate air defense needs against Russian attacks.
Russia is experiencing widespread fuel shortages leading to extensive queues at petrol stations, rising prices, and growing public frustration. The crisis, linked to Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries and the ongoing war's economic toll, has forced Putin to publicly acknowledge the problem in a rare admission of domestic difficulty.
President Donald Trump is attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week to enforce defense spending pledges secured last year, while also meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to push for an end to the Ukraine war. Trump has criticized the alliance as 'one-sided' and suggested the U.S. relationship with NATO is 'not reciprocal,' even as he shifts focus from financial contributions to demanding loyalty from allies.
Authorities have identified a suspect and issued an arrest warrant following a parcel bomb attack in Monaco that seriously wounded sanctioned Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev and two others. The bombing occurred outside an apartment building in the wealthy principality, shattering the city-state's sense of security.
Russia conducted an 18-month drone surveillance campaign targeting nuclear facilities in the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, while simultaneously stepping up jet-powered drone attacks against Ukraine. The escalation comes as Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have created fuel shortages across Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly admitted that Ukrainian long-range strikes are causing fuel supply problems across Russia, with the Siberian region of Irkutsk implementing a 50-litre limit at state-run gas stations. Videos show fights breaking out at Russian fuel stations amid the shortages.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly admitted to fuel shortages and operational problems in the ongoing Ukraine invasion, while vowing to continue efforts to capture four Ukrainian regions. The acknowledgment comes as Ukraine escalates attacks on Russian oil refineries and weapons facilities, causing significant disruption.
Ukraine conducted long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, igniting a major facility in southern Russia and killing at least two people. President Vladimir Putin publicly acknowledged Russia is experiencing a difficult period as Ukraine intensifies strikes on energy infrastructure up to 1,200 miles inside Russian territory.
Moscow-installed authorities in Crimea declared a state of emergency on Friday after weeks of Ukrainian aerial attacks caused widespread power outages, fuel shortages, and damage to the peninsula's energy infrastructure. The declaration marks an escalation in Ukraine's campaign to target the Black Sea peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Russian officials expressed readiness for peace negotiations with Ukraine while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioned whether President Trump has shifted his stance on the war following suggestions by French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit. The Kremlin indicated it expects to resume contacts with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces launched extensive drone attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea, causing widespread power outages in Sevastopol and other cities. The strikes targeted energy infrastructure, railway bridges, and power plants as part of Ukraine's intensifying campaign to isolate the annexed peninsula.
Hungary has delayed a key procedural step in the EU membership applications of Ukraine and Moldova, while EU officials are considering separating the two countries' accession processes that have been informally linked since the beginning.
Russia is pushing Belarus to take a more active role in the Ukraine conflict, while the Kremlin accuses Kyiv of threatening Belarusian sovereignty after Ukraine demanded removal of signal relay stations used to guide Russian attacks. The developments come as Putin claims readiness for peace talks following Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Ukraine has escalated attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea, causing fuel shortages for civilians, power outages, and forcing authorities to cancel the tourism season as part of a strategy to cut off the peninsula from mainland Russia and increase the cost of occupation.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled fresh energy sanctions on Russia and a £210 million deal to support Ukraine's nuclear plants for two years at the G7 summit in France. The announcement came as the BBC reported that arson attacks targeting Starmer last year have been linked to Russia.
A massive Russian aerial attack on Kyiv sparked a fire that severely damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ukraine's most important religious and cultural landmarks. The strike killed at least 10 people and marked the heaviest Russian attack on the capital in two weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated the central bank may cut interest rates at next week's meeting, while praising absent central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina. The announcement comes as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine reaches 1,569 days, now exceeding the length of World War I.
A French Rafale fighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday. Latvian military officials attributed the incursion to Russian electronic warfare, marking the latest security incident along NATO's eastern border amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's open letter request for direct talks on the four-year conflict, saying he sees no point in such a meeting. Ukrainian officials indicated the letter was aimed at a broader audience including Putin's inner circle and the Russian public.
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, setting it ablaze during the city's annual economic forum promoted by President Putin. In response, Putin announced Russia will bolster its air defenses to counter the escalating Ukrainian drone attacks that have reached deep inside Russian territory.
Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukrainian cities using more than 70 missiles and 650 attack drones, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens. The Kremlin accused Kyiv of 'acts of terror' in response to the strikes.
The Russian government announced a ban on jet fuel exports lasting until November 30, 2026, citing ongoing Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries that have caused domestic production declines and fuel shortages. The ban triggered declines in Indian aviation stocks, with SpiceJet and IndiGo shares falling up to 2.5%.
A Russian drone crashed into a 10-story apartment block in eastern Romania near the Ukrainian border during an overnight attack on Ukraine, injuring two people and forcing the evacuation of approximately 70 residents. The incident has heightened tensions on NATO's eastern flank.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attacking a vocational school in Russian-occupied Luhansk, killing at least six people with reports of up to 18 children trapped in rubble. Russia has requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting while Ukraine claims it struck a drone command unit.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting NATO allies in Sweden and India as the Trump administration's abrupt policy decisions create uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine and strain relations with key partners. The visits come as European allies face pressure to assume greater defense responsibilities.
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow to date, with Russia reporting over 550 drones intercepted. At least five people were killed, including three in the Moscow region and others in Belgorod, marking an escalation in Ukraine's ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.
Latvia's defense minister resigned following a Ukrainian drone strike on an empty fuel depot in Latvia. Ukrainian officials stated Russia is spoofing Ukraine's drones, causing them to strike Baltic nations instead of Russian targets. This marks the fifth eastern NATO country to see defense minister turnover recently.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a significantly reduced Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2026, coinciding with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The downsized event reflects security concerns and marks a notable departure from previous years' celebrations.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire from May 9-11, 2026, with both sides exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war. The agreement was announced by US President Donald Trump following American mediation efforts.
A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed into a cliff in occupied Crimea, killing all 29 people on board due to a suspected technical malfunction. The incident adds to a series of Russian military aviation accidents since the invasion of Ukraine.
European intelligence agencies report Russia is in final stages of completing phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran amid ongoing conflict. The Kremlin has denied the Financial Times report as 'lies.'