On the night of 17 September, Russia conducted another overnight attack on Ukraine using drones and missiles, targeting infrastructure facilities across multiple regions and causing power outages, railway disruptions, and property damage.

Ukrainian Air Forces reported that the attack involved an Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile, an S-300 surface-to-air guided missile, and 172 strike drones including Shahed and Gerbera types.

Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted 136 of the incoming targets, while military officials recorded impacts from missiles and 36 drones at 13 locations across the country’s north, south, and east.

Railway infrastructure targeted

The strikes caused significant disruption to railway operations, with Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukrainian major railway company, reporting that Russian forces conducted a comprehensive attack on electrical substations.

This resulted in delays for passenger trains on Odesa and Dnipro routes, with some services following altered paths and others halted at safe distances from impact zones.

Civilians in Kirovohrad Oblast lose electricity due to Russian attack

Kirovohrad Oblast in central Ukraine experienced what officials described as a massive drone attack targeting infrastructure. The regional center and 44 settlements in Oleksandrivka community had lost partial electricity supply, according to the regional military administration head Andriy Raikovych.

The attacks damaged several private residences in Oleksandrivka and sparked fires that required overnight firefighting efforts involving more than 60 rescuers and 14 fire trucks.

Train delayed after Russian strikes on Cherkasy Oblast

Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine also came under drone attack, with regional military administration chief Ihor Taburets confirming damage to critical infrastructure.

Taburets added that regional defenders neutralized 11 Russian drones during the assault. The infrastructure damage led to additional passenger train cancellations and delays for routes passing through the region.

Emergency services across affected regions worked through the night to extinguish fires and restore services, with officials reporting no casualties from the overnight strikes.

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A study by the Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) at Yale University’s School of Public Health has identified 210 facilities in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories where children abducted from Ukraine are held and “re-educated.” The report also found evidence that some children are being militarized.

“Russia has been engaged in the deportation, re-education, militarization, and coerced fostering and adoption of children from Ukraine since at least 2014 in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, these efforts significantly expanded in scale and scope. Cohorts of children were rapidly included in the Russian Federation’s pre-existing program of Russification from newly occupied regions such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and cities such as Kharkiv and Mariupol.” – the report reads.

210 “re-education” facilities for Ukrainian children

The majority of the facilities identified in the report are located in European Russia and occupied Crimea.

Children are being held in camps and sanatoriums (most frequently), as well as cadet schools, a military base, medical facilities, a religious site, secondary schools and universities, a hotel, and family support centers and orphanages.

Researchers found that re-education activities occurred at 130 sites (62%), involving cultural, patriotic, or military programming aligned with pro-Russia narratives.

Militarization programs were observed at 39 sites (19%), and 49 sites (23%) have been expanded or newly constructed, including two new cadet schools, likely to accommodate more children.

More than half of the facilities (106 of 210) are managed by the Russian federal or local government, including 55% of re-education sites and 58% of militarization sites.

Children in these facilities fall into four main groups:

• children taken to summer camps for what was intended to be temporary “re-education” by pro-Russian patriotic organizations;
• children taken from Ukrainian orphanages and other institutions for children, and/or children with physical disabilities;
• children forcibly separated from parents in frontline areas after the 2022 invasion; and
• children taken directly from their parents in Russian-operated filtration camps in and around Mariupol in 2022 when the city was first occupied.

The report urges international organizations and governments to support the return and reintegration of Ukrainian children, hold perpetrators accountable, and strengthen protections to prevent such abuses in the future.

“The impact of the alleged crimes perpetuated by the Russian government are likely to leave generational scars,” the report concludes.

Russia’s history of abducting Ukrainian children

The systematic abduction of Ukrainian children has accelerated since Russia’s 2022 invasion, building on practices begun in 2014 in occupied Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk.

Over 3,000 children from occupied Kherson Oblast were taken to remote Russian regions during summer 2024 alone. Separate documentation identified 40,000 children relocated to various Russian locations including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and facilities as far as 8,000 kilometers from Ukraine. 

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of illegal child deportation.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published a detailed analysis of Russia’s new turbojet attack drone, the Geran-3 “U” series, showing it relies heavily on foreign components. The drone, a localized version of the Iranian Shahed-238, incorporates parts from the US, China, Switzerland, Germany, Britain, and Japan.

Despite Western sanctions, Russia continues to acquire foreign technology for its weapons programs. Moscow remains able to develop and produce advanced weapons systems for its war against Ukraine.

In total, 45 foreign components were identified in the new Russian Geran-3 drone: 

• roughly half from American manufacturers;
• eight from China;
• seven from Switzerland;
• three from Germany;
• two from Britain, and 
• one from Japan. 

The Russian Geran-3 drone

HUR reports that the drone can operate at ranges up to 1000 km, and can reach speeds of 300-370 km/h, powered by a Chinese Telefly JT80 turbojet engine.

It can reach its top speed in areas covered by Ukrainian air defenses, electronic warfare systems, and drone interception zones, and during the terminal stage of its flight descending towards a target. 

To maintain satellite navigation in contested areas, the Geran-3 also features a jam-resistant navigation system with a 12-element adaptive antenna array known as Kometa-M12.

The drone’s internal layout closely mirrors that of the gasoline-powered Geran-2, including a standard inertial navigation system, air pressure measurement unit, and power distribution unit. The drone also uses cameras and video systems adapted from earlier Geran-2 models.

Russia’s Geran drone is a locally made version of the Iranian Shahed drone, supplied by Iran and used against Ukraine. Moscow is producing its own variants and gradually improving their design and capabilities.

Russia uses these drones to carry out long-range attacks on Ukrainian targets, including civilian areas and critical infrastructure.

HUR published the findings as part of its “Means of Destruction” series, which now catalogs over 5,000 foreign components in 177 weapons systems used by Russia and its allies. The Geran-3 is the eighth Russian weapon system to be detailed in the series.

Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine on 16 September, striking the eastern city of Zaporizhzhia with multiple rocket salvos.

The strikes killed two people and injured 20 others, including four children. The attack also caused widespread destruction to residential areas, according to regional and national officials.

Zaporizhzhia, a major city in southeastern Ukraine, has been a frequent target of Russian strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The city lies close to the front line and just north of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest.

Though never captured, Zaporizhzhia has endured repeated barrages of missiles, drones, and artillery that have destroyed residential neighborhoods, energy facilities, and infrastructure. The region has become a symbol of both Ukraine’s resilience and the ongoing vulnerability of civilian areas to Russia’s campaign of aerial terror.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that around midnight Russian forces launched ten Tornado-S multiple rocket system rounds at Zaporizhzhia. The strikes hit private homes and non-residential buildings, sparking fires across several neighborhoods.

“They struck deliberately to terrorize our people,” said Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

Russian “aerial terror” overnight

The strike on Zaporizhzhia was part of a wider wave of Russian attacks on early 16 September. According to Ukrainian officials, more than 100 drones and 150 guided aerial bombs were used against multiple regions, including Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson.

In Mykolaiv Oblast, a strike on a farm killed one civilian.

Since the beginning of September, Russia has fired more than 3500 drones, nearly 190 missiles, and over 2500 aerial bombs against Ukraine. Fedorov described these attacks as “aerial terror.”

“Now is the time to implement the joint protection of our European sky with a multilayered air defense system. All the necessary technologies exist. What is needed are investments and the will, strong actions, and decisions from all our partners,” he added.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko urged the world to respond by strengthening sanctions against Russia and providing Ukraine with more air defenses to protect cities and people.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has linked the potential end of Russia’s war in Ukraine to European action against countries purchasing Russian oil.

Speaking in a joint interview with Reuters and Bloomberg on 15 September, Bessent said the conflict could conclude within 60 to 90 days if European nations imposed substantial secondary tariffs on Russian oil buyers because it would eliminate Moscow’s primary revenue source.

Bessent also stated that the Trump administration will not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods to halt China’s Russian oil purchases unless European countries implement steep duties on China and India.

“We expect the Europeans to do their share now, and we are not moving forward without the Europeans,” he said.

Bessent’s comments follow President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports.

During talks with Chinese officials in Madrid focusing on trade and TikTok, Bessent said he informed them that the US had already imposed tariffs on Indian goods and that Trump has been urging European countries to impose tariffs of 50% to 100% on China and India. 

The treasury secretary criticized European countries for continuing to purchase Russian oil directly or buying petroleum products refined in India from discounted Russian crude. 

The treasury chief outlined next steps: stronger sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, plus expanded use of the $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets. Small seizures could start immediately, or the funds could serve as collateral for Ukrainian loans.

Meanwhile, Ukraine took matters into its own hands. Drone strikes in August eliminated four major Russian refineries, wiping out one-seventh of the country’s refining capacity. Gasoline prices surged 40-50% since January. Ukrainian forces also severed the Druzba pipeline, Russia’s main oil export route to Europe, cutting supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.

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Fighters from the “Steel Border” brigade are sharing their experience in countering the enemy’s use of fiber-optic FPV drones. According to them, such devices are less vulnerable to electronic warfare systems but are at the same time heavier and less maneuverable, which gives Ukrainian troops certain tactical advantages.

They are used for reconnaissance and precision strikes, posing a serious threat to Ukrainian infantry and armored vehicles. This makes developing effective countermeasures a vital part of Ukraine’s defense effort.

The commander of an intelligence unit with the callsign Veduchyi, serving in the reconnaissance Askold detachment, explained:

UAV operations are a coordinated team effort, where the speed of information exchange and coordination save lives. Border guards said they employ various methods to neutralize fiber-optic copters; sometimes simple tools or accurate fire are enough to disable the device. The report even mentions a case where a drone was destroyed after its fiber cable was cut with scissors.

They also emphasized the difference between mass-produced Russian drones, which come with fixed reels and built-in cameras, and Ukrainian drones, which are modular and can be adapted for specific missions. Because of these differences, Ukrainian units adjust their tactics for using UAVs in urban areas and during clearance operations.

An example from the 225th Separate Assault Regiment describes a method where a fiber-optic FPV drone flies ahead of the infantry to check buildings, significantly reducing risks for assault groups: if the enemy is detected, the drone marks the target and the infantry advance along a safer route. Commanders describe this approach as both safer and more effective in urban combat.

Russian forces struck an educational facility in Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi district with a drone on Tuesday morning, hitting the roof of the building and injuring several people, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and emergency services.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that “Russian forces struck an educational facility in the Slobidskyi district of the city with a UAV in the morning. About 2 women were injured. As a result of the hit, the roof of the facility building was damaged, and a fire broke out over an area of 150 square meters.”

Mayor Terekhov reported 4 people injured in the attack. The prosecutor’s office released video footage capturing the moment of impact on the educational facility.

“It was a strike drone. In the video it might seem like it’s not a drone, but that’s just the angle. A UAV, if you look at it from the side, is not wide but rather flat. Plus there are collected fragments. According to preliminary data, these are parts of a ‘Geran-2’ type drone,” said Valeriia Chirina, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, in comments to Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Suspilne media, the Russians struck the administrative building of the Pharmaceutical University. Vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work Oleksandra Kukhtenko said that employees who were inside the building went down to shelter during the air raid alert, so they were not wounded.