Russian reinforcements are surging into Donetsk Oblast, staging for what many observes anticipate will be a major mechanized assault on the fortress city of Pokrovsk.

But Ukrainian forces aren’t just sitting around waiting for the attack. They’re positioning their own reinforcements around Pokrovsk. And they’re hitting the newly arriving Russian regiments at their assembly points in Donetsk City—potentially with a previously unknown cruise missile type.

That Ukraine can still surprise observers with a new missile type isn’t actually all that surprising. Forty-three months into Russia’s wider war, Ukraine has become a world-leader in deep-strike technology. By necessity.

On Monday, the Ukrainians targeted the defunct Topaz metallurgy plant on the eastern edge of Donetsk City, 50 km southeast of Pokrovsk. The plant is well-known as a staging base for Russian forces moving toward the Donetsk front line.

A barrage of aerial munitions pummeled Topaz. Photos and videos from the plant confirmed no fewer than three different types of munitions. Possibly more.

To make a Flamingo missile, pack in old bombs & add a tiny engine

Among other weapons, it seems the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces or special services struck Topaz with propeller-driven An-196 and, potentially, Morok attack drones. Meanwhile, the air force launched locally made Bars or Peklo cruise missiles as well as British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

The missiles and drones zoomed in one after another, in quick succession. Imagery from the aftermath of the attack pointed to heavy damage. Other imagery may have revealed fragments of a new Ukrainian missile.

The potentially 3-m missile seems to have a simple fiberglass fuselage and wing and a dorsal pylon for what appears to be a K-450 miniature jet engine made by Taiwanese company KingTech.

The wreckage doesn’t match the Peklo’s sleeker profile. Nor does it match the admittedly few things we might know about the Bars. That first imagery of what may be a crashed Bars seems to point to a different engine type—a SW400 from Chinese firm Swiwin.

Is there a third Ukrainian cruise missile type in the class of the Peklo and Bars? Or did the designers of the Bars switch to a Taiwanese engine? We don’t know.

But we shouldn’t be shocked if the Topaz attack involved a new missile type.

1. This soldier was very excited because he scored a jet engine. A big question is, what drone is this a part of? Cutting up a drone before taking photos is common, and makes identification a more interesting challenge. pic.twitter.com/hEvjIK3oAE

Mass production

Ukrainian firms build long-range attack drones at a rate of at thousands per month—and the Ukrainian military and special services launch them at Russian air bases, factories and oil refineries as far as 1,000 km from the front line, on a roughly weekly basis.

Back in December, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine would acquire 30,000 one-way attack drones in 2025. It’s evident actual deliveries will exceed that goal. Fire Point, the firm that builds the Flamingo, claimed it’s already churning out 100 FP-1 attack drones every day.

To add range and firepower to its escalating deep-strike campaign, Ukraine is also developing cruise missiles including the Peklo, the Bars, and the Flamingo. Hundreds of millions of dollars in financing from the United Kingdom and Germany are helping Ukraine ramp up production of these new missiles.

The Peklo and Bars may both range around 800 km, likely with small-ish warheads—possibly lighter than 100 kg. The Flamingo is in a whole different class. It reportedly ranges 3,000 km with a 1,100-kg warhead. All three types are jet-propelled—and thus fast—and probably navigate using a combination of satellites and internal inertial systems.

The Flamingo is a ground-launched weapon; the Peklo and Bars may be compatible with the Ukrainian air force’s upgraded Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, which also launch the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles Ukraine has received from the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.

It’s unclear whether that fourth Ukrainian cruise missile type—if indeed that’s what we witness in the Topaz raid—launches from the ground or from the air.

Ukraine could get a lot more French Mirage 2000 fighters

Exclusives

Thousands more drones: UK and Germany bankroll Kyiv blitz on Putin’s oil. Thanks to allied financing, Ukraine may soon have enough long-range missiles and drones to match Russia’s own bombardment campaign.

Romania is quietly becoming Europe’s defense powerhouse. Romania is reviving its defense industry with US and German partners, building drone and gunpowder plants in Brașov while expanding production of tanks and vehicles.

NATO’s boiled frog moment: 19 drones, zero consequences. Poland has everything needed to stop Russian drones. NATO has the world’s most advanced air defenses. Neither matters when the alliance refuses to use them.

Russia saved armor all year for this moment—150,000 troops close in on Pokrovsk. Russian reinforcements are surging toward Pokrovsk. But so are Ukrainian reinforcements. A big fight looms.

Military

Poland will send troops to Ukraine to learn how to shoot down Russian drones

. Ukraine’s experience defending against drone strikes will help Poland train its military to counter Russian drone incursions.

Russia may have struck Poland to discourage air defense support for Ukraine – Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy warned that modern drone warfare replaces traditional invasions, with strike drones carrying out attacks across borders.

Spasatel Ilyin was the Russian ship hit near Novorossiysk by aerial drone—captain injured, ship disabled. The vessel’s electronics and communications were reportedly taken offline after the bridge was struck.

“Swedish-Ukrainian surprises” to come on the battlefield: Sweden announces $836 million military aid package for Ukraine. The package includes new artillery, upgraded combat boats, radar systems, and secret equipment to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.

Ukraine’s Su-27 pilot killed in combat sortie—Air Force says cause of crash still unknown. Major Borovyk’s jet was operating in Zaporizhzhia Oblast when it suddenly went down. It’s Ukraine’s second such loss this year.

Frontline report: Ukraine flipped the Sumy front upside down—Russia’s elite brigade lost its HQ, general, and last hope. Ukrainian strike aircraft and drones tore through Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod, adjacent to Sumy, with surgical waves of Western bombs.

Russian drone fell on a Polish military base near Warsaw—one of 16 found on 10 September. Authorities say the base is part of the Territorial Defense Forces in Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą.

Ukraine offers joint air defense plan after Russian drones test NATO’s limits through Poland. President Zelenskyy says the Kremlin is studying allied responses—and acting on what it learns. Ukraine is ready to share tech and train Polish crews to defend against Russian drones.

Sweden delivers air defense systems and fighter jets to Poland after Russian drones breach NATO airspace

. Defense officials point to a wave of concrete pledges from across Europe in the wake of the drone incident.

Intelligence and technology

UK signs deal to mass produce Ukraine’s interceptor drones as war tech alliance deepens. The move comes after Kyiv and London expanded their joint defense cooperation this summer.

Ukraine struck a rare Russian spy ship 600 km away—now it’s crippled and useless (video). The drone hit destroyed the vessel’s recon gear and command bridge, HUR confirmed.

Kyiv turns wartime digital playbook into AI city services with Google. Tech giant expands three-year $45M commitment beyond emergency aid.

Political and legal developments

Zelenskyy pushes US for weapons co-production, tougher sanctions on Russia. The Kyiv meeting comes as Russia escalates attacks and Ukraine seeks stronger backing from its international allies.

US lifts sanctions on Belarusian airline in exchange for prisoner releases, wants to “normalize relations”. The move marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough with Russian-allied Belarus, which has long faced Western sanctions over human rights abuses.

Putin’s NATO probe exposes Washington’s strategic paralysis

. Russia just escalated from testing Ukrainian resolve to probing NATO boundaries directly.

Russian empire nostalgia covers occupied Mariupol as authorities paint imperial quotes on apartment walls. All Ukrainian symbols in Mariupol were replaced with Soviet military propaganda, imperial Russian quotes, and re-written history that presents Russia’s invasion as “liberation.”

Humanitarian and social impact

Firefighters targeted by second Russian drone while fighting blaze from earlier attack in Kramatorsk. Authorities reported 15 strikes across Kramatorsk on 11 September, leaving six civilians wounded.

International

Russia’s Krasnodar reopens airport closed since start of full-scale war in Ukraine. Russian airline Aeroflot resumes flights to the city of Krasnodar, 200km from Russian-occupied Crimea, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war.

India warns citizens: Don’t fall for Russian Army job offers. Moscow is accused of tricking Indian men with promises of construction work, then forcing them into combat in Ukraine.

Read our previous report here.

The south-western Russian city of Krasnodar has reopened its airport for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian media reports.

The airport had been closed since February 2022 over what authorities called “security issues.” Krasnodar has since been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes on military infrastructure.

The city serves as a regional transit hub connecting Russia to occupied Crimea, with only 200km between them.

Russian state airliner Aeroflot said it will resume flights between Moscow and Krasnodar on 17 September, with other domestic destinations to follow. The airline also plans to open international routes from Krasnodar to Yerevan, Istanbul, and Dubai.

Krasnodar is the second airport in southern Russia to resume operations after long closures. Gelendzhik airport, located on the Black Sea coast, reopened in July.

Ukraine is about to get more of its best long-range missiles and drones. A lot more, and fast.

At a meeting of Ukrainian and allied leaders on London on Tuesday, German and British officials separately announced major investment in Ukraine’s deep-strike capabilities.

Germany will spend an additional $350 million on long-range munitions for Ukraine. The U.K. will buy “thousands” of one-way attack drones for Ukraine over the next year.

Given that a single Ukrainian attack drone in the class of the Fire Point FP-1 might cost just $50,000—and a heavier Ukroboronprom An-196 might cost a couple hundred thousand dollars—the new German and British spending could put nearly 10,000 deep-strike drones on the tarmac by the fall of 2026.

Did Ukraine just unleash its first Bars cruise missiles? A 500 km strike deep inside Russia suggests it

That’s … a lot of drones. And most of them are destined to strike Russian soil. “Ukraine is increasingly taking the war to Russia now,” American-Ukrainian war correspondent David Kirichenko wrote in a new essay for The Atlantic Council.

Back in December, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine would acquire 30,000 one-way attack drones in 2025. But it’s clear this production will exceed that figure. Fire Point alone claims it’s building 100 FP-1s a day.

Ukraine’s homegrown deep-strike arsenal includes dozens of drone types including pilotless sport planes than can drop bombs and then return to base to reload. It also includes one of the most powerful ground-launched cruise missiles in the world: the new Fire Point Flamingo: a seven-ton behemoth that may range as far as 3,000 km with a 1,100-kg warhead.

Deepening strikes

After two years of escalation, Ukraine’s campaign of deep strikes targeting Russian air bases, factories, and oil refineries can now hold at risk targets thousands of kilometers inside Russia. But the heaviest strikes occur at a range no farther than 1,000 km from the border with Ukraine.

In this zone, no facility is safe. Russia’s air defenses are spread too thin to protect every possible target.

In a series of increasingly destructive raids on Russian oil refineries last month, Ukrainian drones throttled Russia’s refinery output by a staggering 24%. Besides costing the Russian economy billions of dollars, the hits on refineries have also led to gasoline shortages in some Russian regions.

Churning out many thousands of long-range drones and missiles a month at workshops spread across the country, Ukrainian industry is helping the Ukrainian military and special services match Russia’s own drone and missile strikes.

The Russians routinely launch hundreds of cruise and ballistic missiles and Shahed drones at Ukrainian cities, sometimes several times a week. The Shahed is Russia’s main deep-strike munition. Russian forces flung around 6,000 of the explosive drones at Ukraine in July alone.

Soon, Ukraine should be able to fling back roughly as many FP-1s, An-196s, Flamingos, and other munitions.

It gets worse for the Russians. The aims of Russia and Ukraine’s respective deep-strike campaigns couldn’t be more different. Russia’s goal is to inflict terror on civilians. Ukraine’s goal is to inflict military and economic damage.

Ukraine’s Fire Point builds 100 attack drones every day, all day—aimed at Russia

What that means, in practice, is that Russia’s drone and missile campaign mostly targets Ukrainian cities in a country of just 603,400 square km. Ukraine’s drones and missiles target air bases, factories, and refineries in a country of 17 million square km.

Ukraine’s air defense problem is hard but simple. Ukrainian air defenses must contend with nearly daily raids involving potentially hundreds of drones and missiles, but they can concentrate around the biggest cities that are the Russians’ main targets.

By contrast, Russia’s air defense problem is hard and complex. “The Kremlin simply does not have enough air defense systems to protect thousands of potential military and energy targets spread across 11 time zones,” Kirichenko wrote.

Russia’s goal is to inflict terror on civilians. Ukraine’s goal is to inflict military and economic damage.

Ukrainian strike planners already have a lot of options. And these options are only growing as more foreign financing flows into the expanding Ukrainian munitions industry.

It’s possible, as 2025 grinds toward 2026, that Ukrainian strikes on Russia will inflict more lasting damage than Russian strikes inflict on Ukraine. After all, civilian morale is a renewable resource. An oil refinery, by contrast, is a difficult thing to fix once it burns to the ground.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on Thursday. The two discussed defense cooperation, sanctions, and work on international diplomacy, Zelenskyy said on X.

The meeting takes place in the context of intensified Russian attacks and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the war.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has proposed an agreement on co-production of drones and weapons with the US. He added that they are “counting on a positive response from the US.”

He also said they discussed financing production and procurement of Patriot air defense systems under the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative.

Zelenskyy pushed for increased sanctions and tariffs against Russia to enable a leaders’ meeting to “bring this war to an end.”

He added that preparations are underway for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. They discussed coordination with the US and work within the Coalition of the Willing, as well as other potential meetings at the session.

Zelenskyy has met with US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg several times in 2025, including in Kyiv in February and July, and again in Washington in August. The meetings have focused on air defense, weapons production, and broader coordination between Kyiv and Washington.

Poland will send military representatives to Ukraine to learn techniques for shooting down drones, Reuters reported on 11 September.

The move follows Russian-made drones crossing into Polish airspace on the night of 10 September, leaving debris from around 15 drones in various regions. Polish authorities said the incursions were intended as a provocation and to test NATO’s response.

Ukraine has extensive experience defending against Russian drone and missile attacks and will provide guidance for the Polish personnel. The training will give Polish forces practical, hands-on experience under instructors who have faced similar threats on the frontline.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for multi-layered air defense systems combining mobile fire units, interceptor drones, helicopters, and aircraft. He noted that expensive systems like Patriot missiles ($2-3 million each) are not practical for intercepting cheaper Shahed drones, which cost roughly $100,000 each.

Zelenskyy also suggested that the Poland drone strike may have been intended to influence Western decisions on supplying air defense systems to Ukraine.

The incident highlights the growing transnational risks of Russia’s drone operations and the importance of NATO allies coordinating defensive measures.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Russia’s recent drone attack on Poland may have been intended to discourage Western partners from supplying air defense systems to Ukraine ahead of winter. He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Kyiv on 11 September.

Air defense remains critical for Ukraine as it faces continuous Russian drone and missile attacks. Protecting civilians, infrastructure, and military positions requires a multi-layered system capable of countering both high-cost ballistic threats and swarming drones. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s experience in coordinating such defenses can benefit European partners.

The drone attack on Poland on 10–11 September involved Russian-made drones crossing into Polish territory. While damage was limited, the strike alarmed NATO and European countries, showing the reach of Russia’s drone operations.

Zelenskyy suggested the attack also tested NATO’s response and sought to influence decisions on supplying additional air defense systems to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said the strike allowed Russia to test NATO’s political response and Poland’s defenses. “The most terrible thing is that this attack is psychologically similar to Crimea,” he noted, adding that drones have replaced the “little green men” of the 2014 occupation.

The Ukrainian president stressed that high-cost systems like Patriot and SAMP/T missiles, which cost $2-3 million each, are not ideal for countering low-cost drones such as Shaheds, which only cost about $100,000.

Effective defense requires a combination of mobile fire groups, interceptor drones, helicopters, and aircraft. He concluded that building reliable, multi-layered air defenses across Europe is now a top priority.

Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region near the frontlines, with a wave of drones, setting multiple fires across the city on 11 September. 

Firefighters on the scene of an attack came under a second strike while responding to a blaze at an administrative building, Ukraine’s emergency services (DSNS) reports.

Russian forces have repeatedly used so-called “double-tap” strikes, hitting the same location twice – often targeting first responders arriving after an initial attack. These strikes aim to cause additional casualties, disrupt rescue efforts, and increase chaos.

The attack underscores the dangers faced by first responders in Ukrainian cities, as Russian drone strikes target both civilian areas and the emergency services that respond to the initial strikes.

No emergency personnel were injured in the strike, but debris damaged a fire truck ladder. DSNS said that firefighters quickly regained control, extinguished all fires, and assisted civilians trapped in their apartments.

Authorities reported 15 separate strikes across Kramatorsk on 11 September, leaving six civilians wounded in the city. 

Astra has identified the Russian ship hit in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian aerial long-range drone on 10 September as Spasatel Ilyin. The captain was hospitalized with shrapnel injuries. Ukraine’s intelligence confirmed earlier today that the vessel was damaged and disabled.

Spasatel Ilyin confirmed as the target

According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, a Ukrainian drone struck Spasatel Ilyin, an MPSV07-class vessel, near Yuzhnaya Ozereevka during the day on 10 September. The drone hit the ship’s bridge, injuring the captain, Roman Goroshkov. He was hospitalized with multiple wounds.

Local authorities did not acknowledge the incident. The mayor only reported drone debris allegedly hitting a non-residential building near the city and denied any casualties.

Ship disabled, systems destroyed

On the morning of 11 September, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said that Russia’s Russian Black Sea Fleet ship was struck near Novorossiysk. According to the report, the drone destroyed the ship’s navigation, communication, and electronic reconnaissance systems. The vessel was declared disabled and in need of expensive repairs.

Explore further

Ukraine struck a rare Russian spy ship 600 km away—now it’s crippled and useless (video)

Vessel used for reconnaissance

Though officially listed as a civilian rescue vessel, Spasatel Ilyin was reportedly used for military and intelligence purposes. It was equipped with sonar, diving systems, and electronic surveillance tools, according to HUR.

Sweden has announced its 20th military support package for Ukraine, valued at $836 million. The package continues long-term aid commitments, including annual military support of $3.6 billion in 2026-2027.

The move comes as Ukraine faces increased Russian attacks and international partners increase defense assistance. Sweden’s aid is designed to strengthen Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities and maintain operational readiness, while supporting broader European security.

The package includes 18 new Swedish-made Archer self-propelled artillery systems with extra 155 mm ammunition, bringing Ukraine’s total Archers to 44. Kyiv will also receive mobile coastal radar systems, new support boats with grenade launchers, drone systems, and upgrades to 32 previously delivered CB90 combat boats with sensors, weapons, and radar.

Other equipment features 500 motorcycles and vehicles for airfield operations, including trucks and tractors. Air defense systems, particularly the Tridon Mk2, will be enhanced with radar sensors, command modules, and programmable 40 mm ammunition. 

The package also provides $68 million for international coalitions developing Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Certain systems remain classified for battlefield use.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson noted that additional secret systems and projects are included in the package, but their deployment will be revealed directly on the battlefield. 

Additional secret systems and projects are also included, but their introduction will have to be saved for the battlefield. The Russian army can expect Swedish-Ukrainian surprises going forward. Sweden will continue to put hard pressure on Russia until they stop this war. (6/6)

— Pål Jonson (@PlJonson) September 11, 2025

He said that the Russian army can expect “Swedish-Ukrainian surprises” in future operations and affirmed that Sweden will maintain pressure on Russia until the war ends.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Sweden, emphasizing that sustained military aid strengthens European security and helps advance efforts toward lasting peace.

A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet went down in Zaporizhzhia Oblast during a combat mission on 11 September. The pilot, Major Oleksandr Borovyk, was killed in the incident. The cause of the crash remains unclear.

Su-27 fighter crashes during mission

The Ukrainian Air Force’s 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade reported that around 13:30, a Su-27 jet under the control of 30-year-old Major Oleksandr Mykolaiovych Borovyk crashed under unknown circumstances. The aircraft was performing a combat task in the Zaporizhzhia direction — southern Ukraine — when contact was lost.

Jet involved in strikes on Russian air defenses

According to Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, Su-27 fighters of the 39th Brigade have been used actively during the Russian invasion of Ukraine for missions targeting Russian air defense systems with anti-radiation missiles. They also serve as carriers of precision-guided aerial bombs, including JDAM, AASM, and GBU-39.

The aircraft are also engaged in Ukraine’s air defense, intercepting Russian missile and drone attacks deep inside the country.

Second Su-27 loss for Ukraine this year

This marks the second Ukrainian Su-27 loss in 2025. In April, another fighter jet crashed while repelling an attack by Russian strike drones. That pilot survived after successfully ejecting.

Today, there are interesting updates from the Sumy direction.

Here, Ukrainians have completely annihilated the Russian Sumy offensive from the air, launching devastating strikes all across the board. With even redeployed air defense assets falling victim to Western-supplied bombs, Russian operations are falling apart at the seams as each sector is meticulously targeted without mercy.

Ukrainian forces dismantle Russian air defenses before launching full-scale aerial assault

Ukraine’s armed forces have decisively crushed the Russian offensive into Sumy by cutting off their supply and reinforcement routes through continuous targeting from the air.

This success was made possible by Ukraine’s systematic clearing of the skies, with Russian air defense assets stretched across the entire frontline being repeatedly hunted down. Buk and Tor systems, deployed to protect Russian command posts and depots, became prime targets. In one case, a Russian Tor system continuously hampered Ukrainian attempts at air strikes, resulting in the air defense system becoming the target instead. In another, a Russian Tor battery malfunctioned trying to intercept a Ukrainian air strike, with the missile veering off course and striking a nearby Russian ammunition storage instead. Additionally, Ukrainian operators used fiber-optic FPV drones to stalk and destroy Buk launchers. With these systems eliminated or suppressed, the preparation was done, and the Ukrainian strike aircraft were free to operate over the front.

Western bombs shatter Russian spearhead near Tyotkino and across Kursk

The first major blow landed near Tyotkino. Ukrainian fighters used AASM HAMMER bombs and J-dams to strike infantry groups and ammunition stores at Lokot, Tetkino, and Dronivka, while a bridge at Zabolotivka was demolished to sever supply routes.

Drone operators in Glushkovo were targeted with J-dam strikes, while troops sheltering in a grain elevator at Tyotkino were buried under rubble. Additional airstrikes leveled drone coordination centers in Korovyakivka and troop concentrations across Tyotkino, followed by hits on crossings at Zvannoye. Each wave of HAMMERs and J-dams bombs shattered Russian attempts to mass forces, leaving corpses and destroyed buildings across the Kursk villages, feeding the offensive.

Ukrainian aviation strikes deep behind the border, targeting drone hubs and infantry strongholds

Further southeast, on the Sumy side of the border, the blows continued and opened huge gaps in the Russian lines. Ukrainian aviation destroyed bases from where Russian drone operators were operating at Oleksiivka and Loknia, undermining Russian drone support capabilities, before destroying forces concentrations at Kindrativka and Oleksiivka, where Russian infantry had fortified inside of civilian buildings.

In Yunakivka, multiple bridges and troop concentrations were hit, leaving Russian soldiers buried in collapsed structures.

Major General killed as 155th Marine Brigade headquarters destroyed in Korenevo

Perhaps the most devastating blow came in the Kursk region north of the border, where the headquarters of the 155th Marine Brigade was obliterated at Korenevo while preparing for redeployment to Pokrovsk. High-ranking officers, including Major General Gudkov, were killed, gutting the command of one of Russia’s elite formations.

Additional strikes prevented the Russians from being able to fill in these gaps and leveled command centers at Kulbaki and troop concentrations in Sudzha. In each case, Ukrainian reconnaissance drones adjusted the targeting with lethal precision, ensuring no survivors and capturing the events on footage.

Belgorod strikes block Russian reinforcements from stabilizing the front

On the eastern flank, Ukrainian aircraft struck across Belgorod to prevent Russian reinforcements from stabilizing the situation and trying to hit the Ukrainian counterattacks from the side. HAMMER bombs flattened enemy garrisons in Kozynka, while J-dams destroyed drone control posts at Repyakhivka.

Bridges and positions at Guevo and Grafivka were pounded, and strikes at Kolotylivka killed entire groups of infantry. By hammering both the staging grounds and supply arteries in Belgorod and Kursk, Ukraine ensured that Russian columns advancing toward Sumy were bled dry before even reaching the border.

Russia pulls units as offensive collapses, Ukraine controls the skies

Overall, what the Russian high command once threatened as a march on Sumy city now lies in ruins, its spearheads shattered by Ukrainian airpower and its command structure gutted with the evident result of a collapsed Russian offensive.

Russia has begun pulling units from this sector to reinforce Pokrovsk, a clear sign that the offensive has failed. Ukrainian air superiority, established by dismantling Russian air defenses and exploiting gaps with precision bombs, was the decisive factor, and for the Russian command, dreams of reaching the capital of Sumy are gone. For Ukraine, the skies over the region now belong firmly to them, and their dominance has rewritten the course of the campaign.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war

The United States has lifted sanctions on the state-owned airline Belavia, Belarusian state media reported on 11 September. The announcement was attributed to John Cole, deputy special representative of the US president for Ukraine, during a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

Sanctions against Belavia were first imposed by Washington over Belarus’s human rights abuses and its close alignment with Moscow. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he was prepared to ease measures if Minsk moved toward releasing political prisoners.

Cole said the decision had been ordered by Trump and approved by relevant US agencies. He was quoted as saying Washington wants to normalize relations with Belarus and that lifting sanctions is “only the beginning.”

The same day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said 52 former prisoners crossed into Lithuania from Belarus, including six Lithuanians and citizens of several EU states.

He thanked the US and Trump for their role, but stressed that more than 1,000 political prisoners remain jailed in Belarus.

Cole also delivered a personal gift from Trump – cufflinks with the White House emblem. The outreach follows Trump’s August call with Lukashenko, which he described as a “great conversation” ahead of meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Belarus has remained a key ally of Moscow throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use its territory for troop deployments and missile strikes, while avoiding direct involvement of its own army in frontline combat.

The UK Government has announced it will begin mass-producing Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones under a new industrial partnership, marking a major shift in how Britain supports Ukraine’s defense against Russia.

UK to mass produce Ukrainian-designed drones under new tech-sharing deal

The UK Government’s press release says that the first product of the expanded defense partnership is Project OCTOPUS, an air defense interceptor drone developed in Ukraine with UK technical support. The drone has already been used successfully against Russian Shahed one-way attack drones and will now be built at scale in Britain. Officials say production will reach thousands of units per month.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the move a “landmark moment,” adding that the partnership harnesses both countries’ defense industries.

“By helping Ukraine defend itself against Putin’s barbaric attacks, we are also creating British jobs, driving growth, and securing our own future,” he said.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey said the initiative would allow UK companies “unprecedented access” to next-generation designs.

“We will innovate at a wartime pace and support both UK and Ukrainian security,” he said.

Britain to manufacture at scale under new defense strategy

The UK-Ukraine agreement enables sharing of intellectual property and co-development of defense systems. It follows Starmer’s summer meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Healey’s recent visit to Kyiv, where the partnership was expanded.

The UK sees this effort as part of its broader “Plan for Change,” which links national security with economic development through industrial growth and job creation.

Drone production surge and funding spike

The drone deal is part of a wider plan to massively expand drone support for Ukraine. In March, the UK Prime Minister announced a £1.6 billion ($2.16 billion) package to deliver over 5,000 air defense missiles, creating 200 jobs and supporting 700 more.

The UK will also invest £350 million ($470 million) this year to ramp up drone production for Ukraine, aiming to deliver 100,000 drones in 2025—up from 10,000 in 2024. Total UK military aid to Ukraine for 2025 will hit £4.5 billion ($6 billion), the highest annual sum to date.

Hindustan Times reports that Indian authorities have issued a fresh warning to citizens after new reports emerged of men being lured into joining the Russian Army under false pretenses and deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine.

India urges citizens to avoid Russian military recruitment

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong advisory on 11 September 2025 warning Indian nationals against accepting any offers to join the Russian Army, calling such a course “fraught with danger,” Hindustan Times says. The warning comes after The Hindu reported that two Indian men, speaking by phone from Selydove — a town in Donetsk Oblast captured by Russia in November 2024 — said they had been tricked into traveling to Russia on the promise of construction jobs and were then forced into combat roles in Ukraine.

The men said they were part of a group of at least 15 Indian nationals who had entered Russia over the past six months using student or visitor visas. According to the report, the agent who had promised construction work instead sent them to the battlefield. Their claims add to growing fears that Indian citizens are being recruited into foreign armies through deception, placing them at grave risk.

Ministry demands release of Indians forced into frontline roles

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India has raised the matter with Russian authorities in both Moscow and Delhi.

“We are also in touch with the families of the affected Indian citizens,” he said.

Jaiswal emphasized that the government has repeatedly warned citizens over the past year about the dangers of joining the Russian military.

“We once again strongly urge all Indian nationals to stay away from any offers to join the Russian army, as this is a course fraught with danger,” he added.

Russian occupation forces have destroyed all Ukrainian murals, monuments and pedestals in the occupied city of Mariupol.

In their place, authorities have installed Soviet-era military propaganda and imperial Russian imagery—massive murals celebrating World War II pilots, workers from remote Russian regions, and quotes from Peter the Great and Catherine II asserting Russia’s historical dominance.

The Mariupol City Council calls it a deliberate campaign to erase Ukrainian identity from the port city.

Where Ukrainian symbols once stood, Russian tricolors now hang. Murals celebrating local history have been painted over with propaganda promoting “friendship with Russian cities.”

One such mural depicts workers from Russia’s Yamal Peninsula offering traditional bread to local residents, presenting the relationship between the conquered Ukrainian city and distant Russian regions as voluntary partnership rather than occupation.

Russian occupiers emphasize imperial past

Another mural features imperial quotes including Catherine II’s declaration that “Russia itself is vast and powerful, and no one needs it.” The painting also references Peter the Great and military commander Mikhail Kutuzov. Here what the quotes say:

Left portrait (Peter I): “If there is a desire – there are thousands of ways, if there is no desire – there are thousands of reasons! Peter I, first emperor of All Russia.”

Center portrait (Catherine II): “Russia itself is vast and powerful, and it doesn’t need anyone. Catherine II, Empress of All Russia.”

Right portrait (Kutuzov): “Everything comes at the right time for those who know how to wait. Kutuzov M.I., Russian commander”

Russia alters symbols of Ukrainian resistance during siege

The occupation forces also rename historically significant locations. Azovstalska Street, named after the major steel plant where tens of thousands of residents worked and which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance during the 2022 siege, has been renamed Tulsky Prospekt and now features monuments to Tula gingerbread and a samovar.

By installing monuments to these specifically Tula regional symbols, occupation authorities promote “friendship” with the Russian city while encouraging residents to see themselves as part of Russian rather than Ukrainian cultural heritage.

“It’s simply not profitable for Russia for people in Mariupol to remember even Azovstal,” said Mykola Osychenko, director of Mariupol Television, speaking to Espreso media.

Explore further

BBC: “Life is constant tension, fear, distrust” — reality of Russian occupation in Mariupol

Russia aim to rewrite Ukraine’s history on occupied territories

Before the 2022 full-scale invasion, Mariupol had become what Ukrainian officials called a “showcase of post-2014 recovery” in Donetsk Oblast.

The development of the city was happening after pro-Russian separatists briefly seized the city in May 2014, gutting buildings like the police headquarters before Ukrainian forces drove them out by June. The city’s visible prosperity contradicted Russian narratives about Ukrainian governance in the east.

Ukrainian authorities invested heavily in rebuilding Mariupol’s damaged infrastructure, fostering economic growth, and improving public services. By 2021, the city had gained status as a Cultural Capital of Ukraine and earned recognition for transparency and public welfare improvements.

This success directly challenged Russian propaganda narratives that portrayed Ukraine as a failed state hostile to ethnic Russians. Russian media consistently depicted the Ukrainian government as corrupt and nationalist, claiming Kyiv persecuted Russian speakers and had lost control of its territory.

Osychenko, who taught journalism at a local university and witnessed the siege, described the destruction as deliberate.

“Putin needed to completely destroy this showcase,” he said, explaining how Russian forces leveled much of the city before beginning what he calls a systematic effort to “cleanse people’s memory and rewrite history.”

When Russian forces ultimately destroyed the city in 2022, they reframed this devastation as “liberation,” aligning with Kremlin’s narrative that it invaded Ukraine to “free Russian-speaking populations” from what it calls a “fascist Kyiv regime.”

One of the murals that depicts a woman in a traditional dress and her son beneath a Russian flag states that 20 May 2022 is “Mariupol Liberation Day,” while it was the official end of the siege of Mariupol when the last remaining Ukrainian troops defending the Azovstal steel plant, surrendered.

Another mural shows industrial imagery with “Stronger than steel” messaging and winter imagery, directly referencing the Azovstal plant, which is key to Mariupol’s identity and economy. The slogan creates a deliberate play on words as the phrase says “becoming stronger” while it can also be interpreted as “stronger than steel.”

The propaganda twist presents resilience themes while omitting that Russia inflicted the suffering on civilians by invading first, transforming Azovstal from a symbol of Ukrainian resistance into claimed Russian triumph over the very industry that defined the city.

Explore further

Russia legally steals 20,000 homes in razed Mariupol — then charges homeless victims for rent

The Washington Post’s Editorial Board correctly identifies sending nineteen Gerbera drones into Polish airspace as a calculated test of alliance credibility.

However, their proposed response exposes a deeper problem: solutions remain dangerously inadequate even when America’s foreign policy establishment grasps the threat.

Putin moves from Ukraine conflict to testing NATO

For a newspaper warning that “ambiguity telegraphs weakness,” this seems remarkably restrained.

Why Washington’s weak response matters globally

However, this gap matters globally. Very much so.

Putin reads this disconnect perfectly—establishment analysis shows awareness, but policy recommendations show continued caution.

The specific incident proves the pattern. While Trump responded with a dismissive social media post—“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”—Moscow demonstrated it can probe NATO territory and expect limited responses.

The Washington Post warns that alliance guarantees are “ultimately just a promise written on paper,” yet Putin’s calculation appears correct—each escalation meets academic analysis rather than decisive action.

Romania is accelerating the revival of its defense industry with American and German support, prioritizing the domestic production of drones, explosives, and gunpowder, Radio Free Europe Romania reports.

The move comes as the country consolidates its role as a key NATO hub on the Alliance’s eastern flank and a critical logistics lifeline for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

Brașov to become drone and explosives hub

In spring, Romania’s Ministry of Economy announced that the Transylvanian city of Brașov would host new facilities for the production of drones, explosives, and ammunition.

The local Carfil military plant is expected to produce drones using components supplied by American defense company Periscope Aviation.

“This is not a simple acquisition; it is a complete technology transfer, meant to build an indigenous industrial capacity in Romania — a long-term strategic objective for many NATO member states that want to reduce their dependence on imports and strengthen their defense industrial base,” stressed Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan.

Mr. Ivan also confirmed that drone production is scheduled to begin this summer, with an annual target of approximately 3,500 units.

“We are beneficiaries of the European SAFE Mechanism, financed by the European Commission with up to €150 billion. We have submitted Romania’s production capacities for the next ten years, along with proposals on how we can evolve, what we can build, and where we can be competitive,” Ivan said in an interview with Digi24.

Rheinmetall invests €400 million in gunpowder

At the same time, Germany’s Rheinmetall defense conglomerate is building in Brașov what will be the largest military gunpowder factory in Europe, with an investment of €400 million.

Romania’s leadership has emphasized that domestic production of gunpowder is a top priority, as the country currently imports it from Serbia, where much of the supply originates in Russia.

“This is essential for Romania’s security and independence,” said former Economy Minister Radu Oprea, underlining the need to reduce reliance on foreign sources.

Last year, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also declared that Romania would soon host the “most modern gunpowder plant in Europe.”

Broader industrial revival

The new projects in Brașov are part of a broader national strategy to revitalize Romania’s defense industry. German investments are also reinforcing the Mediaș plant, which is set to expand production of military vehicles.

In Satu Mare, plans are underway to launch production of Leopard tanks, further strengthening Romania’s heavy weapons capabilities.

These initiatives align with NATO’s push to ramp up production capacities across Europe in response to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Romania’s geographical position and existing infrastructure make it a frontline state in both logistics and industrial support for Kyiv.

Photo: Rheinmetall Automecanica SRL plant in Mediaș, Romania. May, 2024. Romania. Frame from the Nova Tv Medias video channel

Continuing tradition

Since the 1990s, Romania has cultivated increasingly close ties with major foreign defense companies.

Israel’s Elbit Systems was the first, establishing a joint venture with Aerostar Bacău in 1997 to modernize the Romanian MiG-21 fleet to the LanceR standard. The company also operates a local branch, Elmet International SRL, which produces avionics and drone technology.

Partnerships with US companies such as General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon Technologies have resulted in:

• creating an F-16 maintenance center
• the production of Patriot system components
• an assembly and production line for Piranha V armored personnel carriers in Romania.

Meanwhile, France’s Airbus, Naval Group, and Thales have supplied military communication systems, taken over and modernized the Ghimbav aircraft components factory, and entered into partnerships with the Constanța Naval Shipyard.

In addition, Poland’s PGZ has signalled interest in competing with its Borsuk model in the upcoming tender for Romania’s new infantry fighting vehicles.

Photo: La Airbus IAR Ghimbav, Hotnews

Strategic significance for NATO and Ukraine

Romania is boosting its defense sector under the new 2024–2030 National Defense Industry Strategy, raising military spending above 2% of GDP and prioritizing advanced technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, and drones.

The plan focuses on:

• joint UAV production with Ukraine
• potential submarine manufacturing
• modernization of naval forces,
• fostering research and development, NATO–EU cooperation, and public–private partnerships to strengthen national security and position Romania as a competitive global defense producer.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Romania has re-examined its security posture as a direct neighbor of the war zone. Hosting vital NATO facilities and serving as a transit hub for military aid, Romania has become indispensable to both Ukraine’s defense and NATO’s deterrence strategy.

On 10 September, special forces of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) attacked a Russian Black Sea Fleet ship near Novorossiysk. As a result, the MPSV07-class vessel reportedly sustained serious damage, lost its electronic reconnaissance equipment, and now requires costly repairs.

According to HUR, the strike targeted a multifunctional MPSV07-class ship commissioned in 2015. Each ship of this type is valued at around $60 million, and the Russian Navy possesses only four of them. The vessel is equipped with diving systems, remotely operated vehicles, side-scan sonars, and electronic reconnaissance systems. With a power capacity of about 4 MW, the ship plays a crucial role in underwater and reconnaissance operations.

HUR confirmed that the Ukrainian drone struck the ship’s command bridge, containing navigation and communication systems. According to the report, the attack destroyed the vessel’s electronic reconnaissance equipment, disabling the ship, which would requiring long and costly repairs.

This attack fits into the broader context of Ukraine’s operations against Russia’s naval forces. Just weeks earlier, on 22 August 2025, DIU reported another successful operation in Novorossiysk, during which five elite Russian divers were eliminated.

A Russian drone landed on the grounds of a Polish territorial defense base near Warsaw on 10 September, RMF24 reports. The incident occurred during a wave of at least 19 drones, flying in from Belarus and Ukraine, that violated Polish airspace overnight. No injuries or damage were reported. 16 16 UAVs were later recovered across Poland

Russian drone crash at Polish base

RMF24 confirmed that one of the drones fell on the territory of a Polish Territorial Defense Forces unit in Nowe Miasto nad Pilicą, located in Grójec County, not far from Warsaw. The drone was an unarmed Gerbera-type UAV and did not cause any structural damage, according to the report. This is the first confirmed case of a Russian drone landing within a military facility in Poland, a NATO member state. 

16 drones found across Poland in one night

Polish authorities confirmed 19 Russian drones violated airspace on 10 September, with 16 later found on Polish territory. Most of them came down in rural or uninhabited areas across multiple voivodeships, including Lublin, Świętokrzyskie, and Warmia-Masuria. Some damaged farm buildings or landed near homes, but no casualties were reported.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Sejm that 19 airspace violations were registered during the night. He emphasized that, for the first time, the attack originated not from Ukrainian airspace but from Belarus.

During the attack, Ukrainian airspace monitoring channels reported Russian drone movements to Poland via both Ukraine and Belarus, and later stated that some Russian drones returned from Poland to Ukraine.

Explore further

NATO jets shoot down Russian drones in Poland—but NATO believes it’s not an attack

Investigations continue at crash sites

In Cześniki, near Zamość, a drone was shot down by Polish air defense forces. Prosecutors confirmed that “Cyrillic” inscriptions were found on one of the drone’s components. Nearby, 30 drone fragments were collected, including parts made from foam-like materials and plywood.

Elsewhere, another drone landed on a residential home in Wyryki Wola in Lublin Voivodeship, damaging the roof and a car. No injuries occurred, as the elderly couple living there were tending to animals outside at the time, RMF24 says.

Explore further

Russian drone crashes into residential building in Poland

Google has expanded its partnership with Kyiv to integrate AI-powered city services and accessibility data into Google Maps, as the tech company’s $45+ million Ukraine support program evolves beyond initial emergency response.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko met with Google Europe Vice President Annette Kroeber-Riehl on 10 September to discuss integrating municipal data into the world’s most widely used mapping platform.

Kroeber-Riehl and Klitschko discussed integrating Kyiv’s accessibility route data and bomb shelter locations into Google Maps, using Google’s AI developments for transportation modeling and urban planning.

“We discussed possibilities for integrating municipal data on accessibility, barrier-free routes, shelters on Google Maps; using Google developments in the field of artificial intelligence for transport modeling and urban planning,” Klitschko posted on Telegram.

Kyiv’s digital transformation during wartime

Kyiv’s digital infrastructure has expanded dramatically since Russia’s invasion. The city’s Kyiv Digital app, launched in 2021, now serves 3.3 million users—nearly the entire adult population of Kyiv and surrounding areas—with 37 services.

The platform combines traditional city services like public transport tickets and parking payments with wartime necessities, including air raid alerts, bomb shelter locations, and information about available food and medical supplies.

During the meeting, Google representatives acknowledged the Ukrainian capital’s achievements in digitizing urban services, with Klitschko expressing interest in further bilateral cooperation between Kyiv and Google.

Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, Google has provided over $45 million in financial assistance and more than $10 million in technical solutions.

The company’s support includes 50,000 Google Workspace licenses for the Ukrainian government, expanded Project Shield protection against cyberattacks, and a $10 million startup fund running through 2025.

The partnership represents Google’s continued engagement with Ukraine as the war enters its fourth year, expanding from initial emergency cybersecurity support to long-term urban development projects.

In his 10 September evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a united, coordinated air defense strategy to protect Europe’s skies, warning that Russia’s escalating drone warfare now targets not only Ukraine but NATO territory itself.

Ukraine proposes joint air defense as Russia tests NATO skies

Zelenskyy said more than 400 Russian drones—mostly Shahed explosive UAVs—and over 40 missiles struck Ukraine the previous night. Most were intercepted, but damage was still inflicted across multiple oblasts, including hits on residential homes and infrastructure.

According to him, Ukrainian forces began tracking drone movements from 1 a.m. on 10 September, as they crossed into Polish airspace from both Ukrainian and Belarusian directions.

“This movement was not an accident or a mistake – it was deliberate,” he said. “Almost two dozen drones entered Poland, and it seems that less than half of the total number came from the Ukrainian side,” he added, implying that the rest flew in from Belarus, Russia’s ally.

Calling it a “calculated Russian activity,” Zelenskyy warned that the incursion was designed to probe allied red lines:

“The Russians are testing the limits of what is possible. They are testing reactions. They are watching closely how NATO armed forces act.”

Explore further

NATO’s boiled frog moment: 19 drones, zero consequences

Kyiv offers tech, training, and intelligence to shield Europe

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had offered Poland support in responding to the drone breach.

“We are ready to assist with technology, crew training, and the necessary intelligence.” He stressed that only united European forces can offer real protection. “Ukraine proposes to defend airspace in a coordinated, thoughtful and joint manner. We have presented to our partners how this can be achieved.”

He stated that the proposal includes clear mechanisms to stop Russia’s escalation and prevent the war from expanding.

“The details are clear – how to prevent the war from expanding and how to stop Russia’s escalatory steps.”

He also announced upcoming defense meetings between Ukrainian and Polish defense officials.

“I instructed our military to present all the experience we have in countering drones,” Zelenskyy said.

Kremlin uses Belarus, drones, and disinfo to destabilize

Zelenskyy said Russia’s joint drills with Belarus, Zapad 2025, starting on 12 September, could be linked to this latest escalation.

“Joint Russian–Belarusian exercises have now begun on Belarusian territory. And this may well be part of their ‘training plan’, so to speak.”

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NATO jets shoot down Russian drones in Poland—but NATO believes it’s not an attack

He added that Moscow was simultaneously conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at sowing division between Poland and Ukraine.

“We see how the Russians are trying to humiliate Poland.”

He warned that the number of drones entering NATO airspace could grow if the alliance continues to respond passively.

“No one can guarantee that there won’t be hundreds of drones if there are already dozens.”

Strength is the only language Russia understands

Zelenskyy emphasized that only force will make Moscow reconsider its strategy.

“Russia only listens to strength and takes only the strong into account.”

He urged Ukraine’s allies, especially the United States, to respond with action, not just statements.

“We are very much counting on a strong response from the United States.”

Russian drones breached Polish airspace on the night of 10 September 2025, prompting a rapid NATO response. Sweden will urgently send air defense systems and fighter jets to Poland, confirmed Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in a live appearance on TVN24.

Sweden pledges aircraft and missile systems

“This day is not just about words of support, but also concrete declarations,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said on TVN24. “I just received information from Sweden’s Minister of Defense about the urgent delivery of additional support to Poland—air defense systems and aircraft.”

He stressed that allied decisions are now backed by action.

“Every such escalation makes us more united, not divided,” he said.

According to the minister, Sweden’s military aid will arrive alongside multi-level commitments from other NATO allies, delivered “within dozens of hours.”

Russian drones in Poland

Debris from the drones was recovered, but identifying the models remains difficult.

“They often broke into very small pieces,” Kosiniak-Kamysz stated.

He linked the incident directly to Russia’s broader ambitions.

“Russia’s strategy never changes,” he said. “They may change slogans or shapes, but they always move in one direction: destroying the civilization of the West, destroying our culture, our values, and the civilization of life.”

Allies respond with weapons, troops, and coordination

Support from NATO countries has been swift and tangible. The Netherlands will deliver Patriot batteries, NASAMS systems, anti-drone equipment, and 300 soldiers. Other allies—including the Czech Republic, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Italy, and the Baltic states—have made clear commitments.

“All our allies are ready to provide support,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “They are making concrete declarations.”

Poland triggered consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty—an uncommon move, but one the minister called “a rare and serious situation.” He referenced the 2003 NATO mission near Türkiye’s border with Iraq as a precedent for this type of coordinated defense initiative.

Eyes on Zapad 2025 as drone threats rise

When asked why this particular night saw intensified Russian drone activity, Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to the timing.

“The correlation with the Zapad exercises is evident,” he said.

Zapad 2025, the latest joint Russian-Belarusian military drills, officially begin on 12 September. Poland has already announced it will shut its border with Belarus starting midnight that day, citing security risks tied to the exercise.

Exclusive

NATO’s boiled frog moment: 19 drones, zero consequences. Poland has everything needed to stop Russian drones. NATO has the world’s most advanced air defenses. Neither matters when the alliance refuses to use them.

Russia saved armor all year for this moment—150,000 troops close in on Pokrovsk. Russian reinforcements are surging toward Pokrovsk. But so are Ukrainian reinforcements. A big fight looms.

Ukraine built mobile branches and redundant comms, keeping mail running under fire. Crisis breeds efficiency that comfort cannot match.

Military

Poland shoots down Russian drones, closes 4 airports in “unprecedented” border violation

. For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion, a NATO member country came under direct attack when Polish forces intercepted Russian drones violating national airspace

NATO jets shoot down Russian drones in Poland—but NATO believes it’s not an attack. Despite its own involvement, the Alliance refuses to define it as an act of war.

Moscow programmes drone flight using same corridor as earlier airspace violations – Polish military analyst says. Russian drones followed an 8-kilometer corridor east of Chelm toward Zamosc, which military analysts view as deliberate NATO defense testing rather than Ukrainian electronic warfare disruption.

Intelligence and technology

While West discusses security guarantees for Ukraine, Kyiv offers NATO state training against Russian drones after fist mass attack. Western capitals continue drafting security guarantee frameworks for Ukraine even as Kyiv demonstrates superior defensive capabilities.

New mega-deal on horizon: Germany to invest €300 million in Ukraine’s “deep strike” drones. Berlin bets on Ukrainian drones. The €300 million “deep strike” initiative to scale UAV production and reshape Europe’s security landscape

Ukrainian intelligence may have prevented even bigger destruction on Polish territory amid Russian attack. Ukraine warned Poland of attack before 19 Russian drones breached the NATO member airspace.

NATO state admits it is defenseless against Russian attacks, and cannot respond like Poland

. President Pellegrini warns his country lacks modern air defenses, leaving civilians exposed if drones or missiles cross Slovak skies, while Poland scrambled jets after Moscow’s recent strike.

International

Zelenskyy warns no one is safe in Europe, as Poland invokes NATO’s Article 4 after Russian UAVs breach airspace. Hundreds of drones rained down on Ukraine, but the shock came when Moscow’s UAVs crossed into Polish skies.

EU unlocks $ 7 bn from frozen Russian assets to form drone alliance against Russian mass production. The European Union will provide Ukraine with $7 bn in advance funding for drone manufacturing as Ukrainian unmanned systems account for over two-thirds of Russian equipment losses

Ursula von der Leyen announces summit on return of Ukrainian children. “Every kidnapped Ukrainian child must be returned,” European Commission President declared while announcing an international summit to address tens of thousands of missing Ukrainian minors.

Czech PM calls Russian drone incursion “systematic test” of NATO defenses. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron joined Czech and EU officials in condemning Russia’s “reckless” and “deliberate” drone attack on Poland

Sybiha tells Hungarian counterpart Ukraine ready for “mutually respectful” talks. Ukrainian FM reached out to his Hungarian counterpart, pushing for support on EU accession talks days after the two ministries clashed over pipeline strikes and membership prospects.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drone crashes into residential building in Poland. A Russian drone crashed into a residential building near Poland’s border with Belarus overnight, damaging the roof and a parked car as Polish forces shot down over a dozen unmanned aircraft

Russia launches 415 drones, 43 missiles in massive overnight assault on Ukraine. A garment factory worker died and nine people were wounded when Russia launched its most extensive drone and missile barrage in recent months

Political and legal developments

Antidepressant sales jump 36% in Russia. Putin’s electronic conscription system has inadvertently created a pharmaceutical boom, with Russian citizens spending over $100 million on anxiety medications

Moscow denies responsibility for Russian strike on Poland, Belarus insists drones “just lost their way”. Some 19 drones enter Polish airspace for six hours, forcing NATO Article 4 consultations while the Kremlin denies responsibility.

Prime Minister: Ukraine receives another $1.2 bn loan from the EU at the expense of frozen Russian assets. The funds represent the latest tranche under the ERA Loans program, which converts Russian asset revenues into financial support for Ukraine’s defense efforts.

New developments

London Opera House ignores calls to cancel Putin-linked Netrebko as protesters rally outside. Ukraine’s Ambassador Valeriy Zaluzhnyi condemned the Royal Opera House’s decision to host Russian singer Anna Netrebko, writing that her voice on stage “drowns out the real cries – the cries from destroyed maternity hospitals in Mariupol.”

Read our earlier daily review here

The latest incident

Around 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace during the night of 9-10 September 2025. Ukraine reports that “several dozen” Russian drones moved along the Ukraine-Belarus border and across western regions of Ukraine, “approaching targets on Ukrainian territory and, apparently, on Polish territory.”

The violation lasted over six hours: first drone entered around 21:30 GMT on Tuesday, with the last violation occurring around 04:30 GMT on Wednesday.

At least two drones used Belarusian airspace for the first time. The deliberate route programming followed corridors used in previous violations of Polish airspace.

Poland shot down four Russian drones with Polish F-16s and Dutch F-35s. Seven pieces of debris were recovered, including one that crashed into a residential building.

The telling comparison: Ukraine downs 87.4% of Russian long-range drones. Poland only shot down 17-21% of the drones that entered its airspace.

Was this deliberate?

While Russia has denied intentions to target Poland, many Western officials and NATO members have deemed the breach deliberate and escalatory. Poland sees it as “an act of aggression“, and commentators labelled it a test of alliance resolve and an attempt to strain NATO’s air-defence readiness.

Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski said that the drones “did not veer off course” but deliberately targeted Poland, as he called out “lies and denials” from Russia.

His assessment is supported by the drones entering from Belarus, which, as such, were not part of the complex strike package targeting Ukraine. The scale and coordination of the incursion—far larger than any previous incidents—further support the view.

NATO’s limited response

Prime Minister Donald Tusk invoked Article 4, launching NATO consultations.

It means that Poland considers its territorial integrity, political independence, or security threatened and is launching a consultation mechanism to discuss its security concerns within the North Atlantic Council. This could pave the way for joint NATO action, but it does not necessitate it.

Article 4 has been invoked only 8 times since NATO’s establishment in 1949; five were triggered by Türkiye. Poland previously invoked it in March 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Crimea.

In 2022, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia triggered Article 4 over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and concerns over potential threats to NATO’s eastern flank and possible Russian spillover. As a result, the Alliance dramatically increased its forward presence, activated defense plans, and boosted air policing missions in the east.

But this incident does not constitute significant escalation. It represents one incident in a far too long list of Russian attacks and provocations spanning the last 1,295 days of systematic hybrid warfare.

Russia’s systematic hybrid warfare campaign

Since 2022, Russia has waged a comprehensive hybrid war against Europe. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on 30 January 2025, stressing that “hybrid warfare tactics employed by the Russian Federation through cyber-attacks, arson, disinformation campaigns and sabotage further threaten European security.”

Russia’s acts of malignant activities include:

(1) Terrorism. The EU recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism based on its illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, including indiscriminate attacks against residential areas and civilian infrastructure, summary executions, abductions, sexual violence, torture and other atrocities, and its targeting of Ukrainian critical infrastructure all over the country to terrorize the population and cut access to gas, electricity, water, the internet and other basic goods and services.

This designation also reflects Russia’s responsibility for the global food security crisis, its threats to the safety and security of the whole European continent and the rules-based international order through efforts to undermine the security and safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and threats of using nuclear weapons, as well as Russia’s persistent threats to employ “military-technical measures” in response to Europe’s support for Ukraine, and Russia’s weaponizing energy as a tool of geopolitical coercion.

(2) Assassinations. Russia planned to murder Armin Papperger, the CEO of a powerful German arms manufacturer. Sources said the assassination attempt was one of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defence industry executives across Europe who support Ukraine’s military efforts.

(3) Sabotage. Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has significantly intensified sabotage against European countries that support Ukraine. Key statistics:

• Attacks on critical infrastructure quadrupled in 2023 and tripled in 2024 to 30 attacks
• IISS counted 11 suspected Russian-backed hybrid attacks in Europe between January and May 2025
• Targets include undersea cables, warehouses, and railroad networks across Europe

(4) Arson. Russian intelligence has been linked to a coordinated campaign of arson attacks across multiple European countries, particularly targeting commercial and symbolic facilities. Regional security agencies and NATO have raised alarms over a series of suspicious fires in warehouses, shops, and transport infrastructure—suspected to be part of a synchronized sabotage campaign by Russian proxies. This includes arson attacks in the UK, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, and Poland.

(5) Underwater warfare. Russia attacks pipelines and data cables in the Baltic and interferes with water supplies in Sweden and Finland. At the other end of the scale, Russian spy sensors were recently uncovered in the sea around the UK, which are believed to have been installed to track the movements of the British nuclear submarines.

Russia has long begun preparing for a war with NATO. This strategy involves monitoring and laying the groundwork for possible sabotage of underwater infrastructure. “There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic… We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity.”

(6) Navigation warfare. European countries “have raised concerns to international transport organisations over sharp increases in GPS and signal jamming and spoofing in recent months as well as an increase in Russian electronic warfare (EW) installations in border areas.” Key impact:

• Russian GPS jamming affected 122,600 flights over northern Europe in the first four months of 2025 alone
• A joint report by Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland concludes this poses a serious threat to international aviation safety

(7) Cyberattacks. Russian hackers have intensified their attacks against the UK and other NATO allies providing military aid to Ukraine. Russia has targeted the media, telecommunications, political and democratic institutions, and energy infrastructure. Russia systematically conducts cyberattacks 48 hours before physical missile strikes.

(8) Information warfare. A recent Polish report highlighted a deliberate Russian strategy of undermining trust in democratic institutions, NATO, and the EU. Polish analysts estimated Russia spends $2–4 billion annually on information operations, framing them as a systematic, multi-channel campaign.

(9) Election interference. “Russia leads the charge in spreading fake articles and videos aimed at influencing the US presidential election,” a statement from the National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said. On 6 December 2024, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, due to a coordinated foreign manipulation effort.

(10) Maritime violations. Russia actively restricts freedom of navigation, particularly in strategic maritime zones like the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and parts of the Arctic, often using military pressure, administrative controls, or hybrid tactics.

Russia frequently uses “Notice to Mariners” (NOTMARs) and similar maritime advisories—such as Navigational Warnings (NAVWARNs)—as means, often in ways that exceed international legal norms. These actions challenge international maritime law, especially the principles set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—even though Russia is a signatory.

(11) Airspace violations. Romania has detected Russian drones within its borders repeatedly. Only Belarus—Moscow’s ally—attempts to shoot down drones. Moldova, Romania, Poland, and Lithuania have all failed to intercept drones.

NATO’s utter failure

In September 2021, the EU Parliament concluded Russia is waging hybrid war against EU and NATO members. No NATO member has invoked Article 4 over this systematic campaign.

While NATO acknowledges cyberattacks can trigger Article 5, it refuses to act on Russia’s campaign of terrorism, assassinations, sabotage, arson, infrastructure attacks, navigation warfare, cyberattacks, information warfare, election interference, maritime violations, and repeated airspace violations.

The Alliance has utterly failed to deter Russian aggression. NATO failed to act when war started in 2014, failed again in 2022, and during The Hague Summit even delayed introducing 5% defense budget requirements to 2035—5-8 years after it might be at war with Russia.

Russia has succeeded in cognitive warfare, pacifying the world’s strongest military alliance through fear that action might trigger broader confrontation. The confrontation is already taking place.

The solution

Reactions to Russian aggression will not escalate the war. NATO’s failure to respond has shown that inaction escalates the war. Appeasement fuels aggressor risk-taking, increasing the chances of strategic miscalculations that lead to World Wars.

To ensure strategic clarity and secure NATO territory, the Alliance should:

1. Invoke Article 5 based on Russia’s hybrid war campaign and consequently mobilize its defense industrial base, accelerate rearming and rebuilding military power, and prepare society for possible war with Russia.
2. Immediately close the sky over Western Ukraine to stop Russian missiles and drones from approaching NATO territory.
3. Deploy military forces to Ukrainian cities and ports to stop Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians and crucial infrastructure—health and medical facilities, schools and kindergartens, energy and water infrastructure.

Unfortunately, NATO lacks the courage to stop Russian aggression. This drone “attack” will mark yet another step on the escalation ladder as the Alliance remains trapped in “Boiled Frog Syndrome.”

Hans Petter Midttun

Hans Petter Midttun, independent analyst on hybrid warfare, Non-Resident Fellow at the Centre for Defense Strategies, board member of the Ukrainian Institute for Security and Law of the Sea, former Defense Attaché of Norway to Ukraine, and officer (R) of the Norwegian Armed Forces. 

Editor’s note. The opinions expressed in our Opinion section belong to their authors. Euromaidan Press’ editorial team may or may not share them.

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The Ukrainian army stood up the 156th Infantry Brigade in the spring of 2024. Not long after, the unit converted into a mechanized brigade with additional armored vehicles.

The brigade recruited and trained its thousands of troops through the fall and winter and, this summer, deployed to the front line in Sumy Oblast in northern Ukraine.

Now the 156th Mechanized Brigade is one of the growing number of Ukrainian units rushing south to Donetsk Oblast to meet a mass of Russian troops and tanks poised to strike at the fortress city of Pokrovsk for what Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher described as a “last, final battle.”

As recently as last month, the 156th Mechanized Brigade was helping to hold the line in Sumy alongside other brigades in the new 18th Army Corps. But with the defeat of its infantry-led incursion northeast of Pokrovsk in recent weeks, the Kremlin made a portentous decision.

Rather than give up on Pokrovsk, it doubled down—and surged reinforcements around the city for what’s shaping up to be a powerful, tank-led offensive.

Pokrovsk’s fall would open the path to Ukraine’s last major defensive positions in Donetsk, potentially forcing a strategic withdrawal that could reshape the entire eastern front.

The reinforcements had to come from somewhere. No fewer than five Russian marine and airborne brigades and regiments plus a tank regiment, an infantry regiment, and two motor rifle brigades have redeployed—or are in the process of redeploying—from Sumy to the sector around Pokrovsk.

These fresh forces, plus a motor rifle division redeploying from Kherson Oblast in the south, amount to the equivalent of an entire field army. They join the eight or so Russian field armies already laying siege to Pokrovsk and nearby towns.

There may be 150,000 Russian troops massing around Pokrovsk. And they’re bringing in large numbers of tanks and other armored vehicles for the first time in many months.

Throughout 2025, Russian regiments have mostly attacked on foot or on motorcycle. Now it’s clear why. “Slowly but surely, it’s being proven that Russia was indeed holding back armor in the rear and reducing mechanized attacks to the bare minimum,” analyst Jompy noted.

Russia lost a brigade near Dobropillya—more brigades are coming

Russian commanders were saving their armored vehicles for something. That something, it seems, is the biggest—and potentially last for a while—mechanized assault on Pokrovsk, the last major strongpoint between the Russians and main Ukrainian “fortress belt” threading through Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in western Donetsk.

Russia’s largest armored assault in months

The coming clash “will be bigger, bloodier” than the infantry battles that were common around Pokrovsk earlier this year, Finnish analyst Joni Askola warned. It will fall on newly arriving units such as the 156th Mechanized Brigade to hold off a much larger Russian force.

The 156th Mechanized Brigade hit the road to Donetsk last month, according to Unit Observer. It joins the national guard’s 1st Azov Corps and adjacent units that rushed toward Pokrovsk in early August to block, and then roll back, that Russian infantry incursion that briefly threatened one of the two remaining main supply lines into Pokrovsk.

Other Ukrainian units currently in Sumy could follow the 156th Mechanized Brigade to Donetsk as more Russian troops quit Sumy and head south for the coming push on Pokrovsk. The next round of Ukrainian reinforcements could include the 80th and 95th Air Assault Brigades.

Compared to those elite air assault formations, the 156th Mechanized Brigade is a workmanlike unit. It rides in T-64BV tanks, BMP-1TS with new 30-millimeter autocannon turrets, M-113 tracked armored personnel carriers, upgraded BTR-60D wheeled APCs, Kozak armored trucks and M-109 howitzers. Many of these vehicles sport add-on anti-drone armor.

Russian marines rushed to save the Pokrovsk offensive—HIMARS had other ideas

Ukraine’s tank-killing strategy faces its biggest test

Expect the 156th Mechanized Brigade to dig in and prepare for tank attacks. The older Ukrainian brigades around Pokrovsk are skilled tank-killers, but the 156th Mechanized Brigade’s relatively green troopers should be able to pick up the standard tactics fairly quickly.

In the 43 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have destroyed, damaged or captured around 4,100 Russian tanks. That’s more tanks than Russian regiments had in front-line service before the wider war.

They took out those tanks with mines, artillery, anti-tank missiles and—perhaps most importantly—explosive first-person-view drones and grenade-dropping bomber drones. The Russians are betting that tank-led assaults can help them win the battle for Pokrovsk. The Ukrainians are betting they can blow up the tanks in the usual way.

Russia’s tank reserves running dangerously low

If the Russians can’t break through the reinforced Ukrainian defenses around Pokrovsk in the coming months, they might not get another chance anytime soon—at least not with tanks.

Russia’s Uralvagonzavod tank factory is building new T-90Ms—but it’s unclear how many. The factory’s output may have collapsed this year. Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s vehicle storage bases, once brimming with Cold War leftovers, are now mostly empty of usable vehicles.

Russia’s last tank yards go dark as every inch in Ukraine demands more sacrifice

Kyiv extends a helping hand to Poland. Ukraine has offered Warsaw the necessary assistance in countering Russian drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.

The attack occurred just as Western leaders, including the US, continue working on security guarantees for Ukraine, aimed at protecting the country from Russian strikes, including drone attacks.

Ukraine without modern aviation — but with results

Ukraine does not possess modern fighter jets, yet during the same time frame, it managed to shoot down 380 out of 415 drones launched by Russia.

The question remains: how to force Russia to end the war against Ukraine and stop attacking NATO countries?

“No one can guarantee that there won’t be hundreds of drones if there are already dozens. Only joint European forces can provide real protection. We are ready to help with technology, crew training, and the necessary intelligence,” Zelenskyy stressed.

Dangerous “Zapad-2025” drills

According to Zelenskyy, joint Russian-Belarusian exercises “Zapad-2025” have begun on Belarusian territory, and the attack on Poland may be part of this training scenario.

The program of the drills reportedly includes a rehearsal of an attack on Poland and even the simulation of a nuclear strike.

Despite the attack on a NATO member state, US President Donald Trump did not announce any new sanctions against Moscow or present a clear plan to counter Russia.

“Unfortunately, as of now, Russia has not received a tough response from global leaders to what it is doing,” Zelenskyy said.

According to him, with this attack, Russia is testing the limits of what is possible and probing the West’s reaction.

“They are recording how NATO armed forces act, what they can do and what they cannot do yet,” the Ukrainian president added.

At the latest meeting in the Ramstein format, Germany announced a new ambitious initiative — support for the production of Ukrainian long-range drones. Berlin will invest €300 million in contracts with domestic companies, effectively betting on Ukrainian defense engineering as one of the key forces in the war against Russia.

The decision demonstrates a fundamental shift in Berlin’s approach. While earlier it was mostly about supplying ready-made weapons from Bundeswehr stockpiles, now the German government is betting on the development of Ukraine’s defense industry. This means not only supporting the front now but also creating the foundation for Ukraine’s defense independence.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the new program is called “deep strike.” It envisions the purchase of thousands of drones of various types, from reconnaissance to strike UAVs. Their ranges will allow them to hit targets far behind the frontlines. 

Pistorius stressed that cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturers will be long-term and scalable. 

“This is not only support for today but also an investment in the future of Ukraine and European security,” he said. 

For Ukraine, this news carries another dimension – recognition of its technological capability. Germany is effectively acknowledging that Ukrainian engineers are able to create world-class weaponry. This could open the door not only to military but also to civilian high-tech cooperation in the future.

The deep strike initiative comes amid the growing use of drones in the war. Ukrainian UAVs have already proven their effectiveness, striking oil depots, military warehouses, and ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Due to German investment, the scale of such operations could increase many times over.

At the same time, Berlin announced continued support with air defense systems, including Patriots, reinforcing the comprehensive nature of its assistance: on the one hand, protection of Ukrainian skies, and on the other, the ability to deliver pinpoint strikes on the enemy hundreds of kilometers away.

Explore further

NATO jets shoot down Russian drones in Poland—but NATO believes it’s not an attack

Kyiv warned Poland about the Russian drone threat before the attack occurred. On the night of 10 September, nearly two dozen Russian drones may have entered Polish airspace, although this figure is not final, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

This incident marked the first time since Russian drones massively violated the territory of a NATO member state and prompted the country to down them with strategic aviation. 

“Ukrainian forces informed the Polish side through the appropriate channels about the movement of Russian drones. Around 00:50 Kyiv time, the first crossing of the Ukrainian-Polish border by a Russian drone was recorded,” the Ukrainian president noted.

At least two drones that entered Poland used Belarusian airspace. Meanwhile, dozens of other drones moved along the Ukraine-Belarus border and in western regions of Ukraine, approaching Ukrainian and potentially Polish targets.

Ukrainian air defenses in action

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian defenders destroyed more than 380 Russian drones of various types, including at least 250 Shaheds.

“The number of Russian drones that crossed into Polish territory and penetrated deeply may be higher than previously reported. We are checking,” the Ukrainian president said. 

Ukrainian forces continue to analyze debris to clarify drone types. The president stressed that only joint and coordinated action with allies can ensure reliable airspace protection.

NATO and regional security

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied involvement in the attack.

The incident prompted Poland to appeal to NATO, which activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This allows consultations regarding threats to territorial integrity and security, but does not automatically trigger a military response as Article 5 does. Polish F-16s and F-35s were scrambled to intercept drones, though most threats were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses.

The attack happened in the midst of discussions by European and American allies on security guarantees for Ukraine. 

Intelligence insights

Joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises, “Zapad-2025,” are currently underway in Belarus, with the active phase planned for 12–16 September. During these exercises, scenarios include simulated attacks on Poland and nuclear weapons deployment, UkrInform reports. 

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, stated that the active phase will involve serious information pressure, accompanied by staged leaks and information provocations.

Russia drowns in anxiety – medications are being sold like hotcakes. Since the beginning of 2025, antidepressant sales in Russia have surged amid the war against Ukraine and ongoing economic problems, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

From January to July, pharmacy chains sold 12.9 million packs of such medications worth $118 million, a 36% increase in monetary terms compared to the previous year.

Sales of anxiolytics, which reduce anxiety, rose 10% in the first half of the year, exceeding 9.3 million packs.

Doctors report an increase in patients experiencing symptoms of depression, panic attacks, insomnia, and drug dependence.

Pressure from electronic draft notices and social anxiety

The rise in demand for psychiatric drugs coincides with a large-scale campaign to create a register of military conscripts.

Since July, Russians have been receiving mass notifications about being added to the database, including female medical workers, teenagers, and people with limited fitness.

The Russian parliament emphasizes that the rollout of electronic draft notices does not signify the start of mobilization, but these messages have become a key driver of societal anxiety.

Earlier, Euromaidan Press reported that the Kremlin seeks to avoid repeating the social upheavals that followed the Soviet war in Afghanistan and is attempting to control demobilisation from Ukraine’s war. 

A high number of veterans with PTSD are returning home, posing dangers to their families.

Among the demobilized are individuals who have already served prison terms, including thieves, murderers, and rapists. 

Moscow denies targeting Poland after drones enter NATO airspace. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that no targets on Polish territory were intended, responding to reports of 19 Russian drones violating Poland’s airspace on 10 September for approximately six hours.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the incident as an “unprecedented moment” for both the country and the Alliance, marking the first massive attack on NATO territory.

Massive strike on Ukraine

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed it launched a massive strike on Ukraine “with high-precision long-range weapons from land, sea, and air, as well as with strike drones.”

They are targeting defense-industrial enterprises in Ukraine in Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr oblasts, as well as in Vinnytsia and Lviv.

“These facilities were producing and repairing armored and aviation equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, engines, electronic components, and long-range drones,” said the Russian Defense Ministry.

It added that in Lviv, workshops at the Lviv Armored Plant and Lviv Aircraft Plant were hit, “where armored vehicles were repaired and modernized and long-range UAVs and combat aircraft were maintained.”

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented the attack on Poland by saying that “We do not wish to in any way comment on this. It is outside our competence,” referring to the Ministry of Defense.

He added that the EU and NATO “accuse Russia of provocations daily,” and that Western institutions “lack evidence to support their accusations.”

Belarus claims drones merely “lost their way”

Meanwhile, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense claimed the Russian drones attacking Poland had “lost their way.”

Belarus reportedly alerted Poland about drone movements in its airspace. First Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveiko told The Moscow Times that some of the “lost” drones were destroyed by Belarusian air defenses over its territory.

Muraveiko explained that Belarusian forces “exchanged information on aerial and radar activity” with Poland and Lithuania during the night of 10 September, allowing Polish forces to respond quickly by scrambling jets.

He added that drones from both Russia and Ukraine had been monitored as some lost course due to electronic warfare measures.

Russia, Belarus to rehearse attack on Poland and nuclear strike during Zapad-2025 drills

Ukraine’s response

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine’s and its partners’ air defense systems can and must operate together to intercept Russian missiles and drones.

Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine is ready to provide expertise, experience, technology, and other forms of assistance to ensure reliable security and an effective response to Russian threats.

“Together, we will not allow Russian missiles and drones to fly further into Europe,” he added, calling for rapid and decisive action to send Moscow a clear signal of unity and strength.

Polish forces shot down more than a dozen Russian drones that violated the country’s airspace during a massive attack on Ukraine early on 10 September, marking the first time NATO has engaged Russian military assets over alliance territory since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began.

According to Poland’s Operational Command, the incident occurred between 1:00 and 3:00 am as part of Russia’s broader aerial assault targeting Lutsk and Lviv in Ukraine, cities in the western part of Ukraine. Russia launched 415 Shahed-type attack drones in what Ukraine described as a massive coordinated strike that also involved Kh-101 and Kalibr missiles.

Drone flight path and interception

Polish OSINT analyst Jarosław Wolski reported that the drones entered Polish airspace near Dorohusk-Dubienki and followed a curved path southward, approximately 8 kilometers east of Chelm toward Zamosc and Tomaszow Lubelski. The unmanned aircraft flew roughly 10-12 kilometers east of both cities before continuing south.

“At least two drones were shot down in the vicinity of Czenski-Niewierki, approximately 15 kilometers east of Zamosc,” according to the Polish Operational Command. Unconfirmed reports from observers suggested several drones may have been directed toward Lublin, though this remained unverified.

The drones exited Polish territory several kilometers north of Hrebenne, following what appears to be a deliberate route that mirrors previous incursions into Polish airspace.

NATO response and international reactions

“Our air defences were activated and successfully ensured the defence of NATO territory, as they are designed to do. Several Allies were involved alongside Poland,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an official communication.

The incident prompted Poland to temporarily close four airports: Warsaw Chopin Airport, Warsaw-Modlin, Rzeszow-Jasionka, and Lublin. Fighter jets were scrambled early on 10 September as more than a dozen drones entered Polish airspace, with NATO allies participating in the defensive operation.

European leaders have condemned the violation, with Poland invoking NATO Article 4, which allows members to request consultations when their territorial integrity or security is threatened.

Analysis of Russian intent

Military analysts suggest the drone incursions were not accidental. The flight path closely follows routes used in previous violations of Polish airspace, indicating deliberate programming rather than navigation errors or electronic warfare interference.

“Russians deliberately set the flight route through Polish territory,” according to the OSINT research, InformNapalm. The route appears designed to bypass Ukrainian air defenses and electronic warfare systems while testing NATO’s response capabilities.

OSINT researchers have established that Russia equipped some drones with Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards, demonstrating the premeditated nature of these hybrid operations. The timing coincides with Russia’s planned “Zapad-2025” military exercises, suggesting the incursions serve as reconnaissance for Polish and NATO defensive capabilities.

Implications for regional security

This marks the first direct engagement between NATO forces and Russian military assets since the invasion began. The incident represents an escalation in Russia’s testing of Western resolve, coming after Poland’s decision to close its border with Belarus.

Military sources anticipate an increase in such incidents as Russia conducts its Zapad exercises, using the operations to study NATO decision-making processes and air defense responses. The violations are expected to impact civilian aviation and regional logistics, with Polish company stocks already showing negative reactions.

The successful interception demonstrates NATO’s defensive capabilities while raising questions about future responses to similar violations of alliance airspace.

Russia’s attack on Poland, during which drones violated the country’s airspace for several hours, shocked not only Warsaw but also NATO neighbors. Slovak President Peter Pellegrini has openly admitted his country is now “defenseless” against such a threat, Polsat News reports.

Warning from Tokyo

Pellegrini made the statement during his visit to Japan. He stressed that Slovakia lags far behind in building a modern air defense system, leaving the country vulnerable, Teraz reports. 

“We are defenseless today. If a similar situation happened in Slovakia, people would only have to hope that drones don’t fall on residential houses,” he said. 

The president acknowledged that Slovakia lacks effective response capabilities. Even a technical malfunction or course deviation could cause drones or missiles to crash on Slovak territory.

“We cannot immediately react in case of a violation of our airspace, as it happened in Poland,” he added.

A warning finger for all allies

The head of state called the incident in Poland “an important warning and a raised finger” for all NATO countries. He argued that Slovakia must urgently build its air defense system and integrate it into Europe’s security architecture.

Slovak government reaction

Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár described the Russian drone intrusion into Poland as an escalation of the conflict. He confirmed solidarity with Warsaw and backed its decision to initiate NATO consultations under Article 4.

At the same time, Blanár called for diplomacy, expressing hope that peace talks launched by US President Donald Trump could bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“I want to believe that the drones that entered Poland were not meant to attack it, but were only supposed to land in Ukraine,” he said.

Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok reacted more cautiously, recalling that in the past, a similar case with a “Russian missile” in Poland turned out to be a Ukrainian mistake.

Massive attack on Ukraine

The Polish incident was part of Russia’s large-scale strike on the night of 10–11 September. Moscow launched 415 drones and more than 40 cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Most of the drones were downed by air defense, but one person was killed.

In Poland, the attack lasted for six hours. Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that 19 drones were used, some launched from Belarus. Polish forces managed to shoot down only three to four drones, while the rest crashed on Polish soil.

NATO’s response

Polish government Spokesperson Adam Szłapka has confirmed that NATO had activated Article 4. Consultations among allies have already taken place.

While Article 4 does not mandate an automatic military response like Article 5, it allows member states to consider additional security measures, including troop deployments and reinforcement of air defense systems.

For Russia, this incident was a way to test NATO’s resolve. For Poland’s neighbors, it was a painful reminder that the war against Ukraine directly threatens their own security.

Past events 

Earlier, a poll revealed that 14% of Slovaks surveyed openly want to join Russia, and another 18% consider this possibility.

The idea is most supported by students and the unemployed, which, according to experts, rather reflects economic instability and disappointment with the country’s Western course than genuine loyalty to the Kremlin.

In the night of 10 September, Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine spilled beyond Ukrainian skies. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nearly Russian enemy drones may have entered Polish airspace. This unprecedented incident forced Warsaw to call on NATO allies and activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Polish confirmation

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that Russia used 19 drones in an attack lasting six hours, calling it a serious test of Poland’s defense, Suspilne reports. F-16 and F-35 fighter jets were scrambled, but only 3–4 drones were intercepted, while the rest fell on Polish territory.

Possible reconnaissance of Polish air defenses

Defense Express experts, analyzing debris, have suggested the drones could have been Russian “Gerbera” models, primitive foam UAVs that can carry reconnaissance equipment or small explosive payloads of up to 5 kg. While often used as decoys, this time they may have served another purpose.

The drones were spotted over multiple regions: north of Lublin, near Stalowa Wola with its defense industries, west of Białystok, and even close to Łódź.

Analysts note that their flight paths coincided with key Polish air defense sites, including long-range radar posts in Roskosz (NUR-12M), Labunie (RAT-31DL), and Szypłiszki near the strategic Suwałki Gap, NATO’s link between the Baltic states, the rest of the Alliance, and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast. 

Experts warn the strike may have been a reconnaissance mission, probing Poland’s air defense ahead of possible future scenarios.

Ukraine’s response

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stresses that such incidents prove no European country is safe without joint action. 

“Ukraine is ready to expand cooperation with partners for reliable air defense. Not only information-sharing, but real joint actions in the sky must guarantee the security of neighbors. Russia must feel that Europeans know how to defend themselves,” he claims. 

NATO moves

Polish government spokesman Adam Szłapka told Polsat News that Warsaw officially invoked Article 4, and allies agreed to activate it.

Article 4 provides for urgent consultations when the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of a member state is threatened. Unlike Article 5, it does not trigger automatic military action, but it opens the way for reinforced defense measures, troop deployments, and new security guarantees.

A symbolic signal

For Moscow, this attack could be a test of the West’s reaction. For NATO, it is another reminder that Russia’s war against Ukraine directly threatens European allies.

Threat to the Alliance 

The attack on Poland is an unmistakable threat to NATO. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has so far made no public comments or official statements regarding Russia’s drone incursion into Polish airspace. Moreover, he has not yet implemented new sanctions on Moscow in response to its attacks on the top governmental building in Kyiv, as he previousely claimed. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a 6 billion euro ($7 bn) advance credit for Ukraine’s drone production, funded through profits from frozen Russian assets.

According to the European Parliament, Von der Leyen highlighted Ukraine’s success with drone warfare, saying that Ukrainian drone operations account for more than two-thirds of Russian equipment losses. “This is not just a battlefield advantage. This is a reminder of the power of human ingenuity in our open societies,” she said.

However, the Commission President warned that Russia is rapidly catching up with Iranian-developed Shahed-type drones and leveraging industrial mass production capabilities.

The EU leader emphasized the bloc’s potential to counter this threat through industrial capacity.

“We can help transform Ukrainian ingenuity into battlefield advantage – and into joint industrialization. That’s why I can also announce that Europe will advance 6 billion euros from the ERA credit and conclude a Drone Alliance with Ukraine,” von der Leyen declared.

She framed the initiative as addressing Ukraine’s scaling needs: “Ukraine has ingenuity. Now it needs scale. And together we can provide it: so that Ukraine maintains its advantage, and Europe strengthens its own.”

Von der Leyen also called for urgent development of new military financing solutions for Ukraine based on frozen Russian assets. In 2024, G7 agreed to provide Ukraine with a joint $50 billion loan backed by Russian assets, with funds formally issued as credit but repaid through revenues from frozen Russian assets. The European Union is set to transfer 18.1 billion euros ($21 bn) within this mechanism.

The Drone Alliance represents a shift from Ukraine’s initial drone warfare innovations to industrial-scale production, positioning European manufacturing capacity as a counterweight to Russia’s mass production advantages supported by Iranian technology transfers.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for an international summit focused on returning Ukrainian children during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament, Ukrinform reported on 10 September.

“I can announce that together with Ukraine and other partners, I will host a summit of the international Coalition for the return of Ukrainian children. Every kidnapped Ukrainian child must be returned,” von der Leyen told European lawmakers.

The Commission President illustrated the crisis by sharing the story of teenager Sashko and his grandmother Lyudmyla from Mariupol. After learning her grandson was in Russia, Lyudmyla traveled through Europe to reach Russia and successfully brought him back to Ukraine. The European Parliament welcomed both with applause during the session.

“There are still tens of thousands of Ukrainian children whose fate is unknown. They are isolated, threatened, forced to renounce their identity. We must do everything possible to support Ukrainian children,” von der Leyen said.

According to Ukrinform, Ukraine has confirmed the illegal deportation of over 19,000 children as of August this year. The International Coalition for the return of Ukrainian children, established in 2023, includes 41 countries and the Council of Europe. The coalition facilitated the return of nearly 600 children during 2024.

Earlier, US Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine Julie Davis discussed the issue of returning Russian-abducted Ukrainian children with Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova on suspicion of illegally deporting Ukrainian children from occupied territories. In July 2023, the Prosecutor General’s Office launched an investigation into the Belarusian Red Cross’s involvement in child deportations.

Exclusive

Ukraine just built a European-gauge railway during the war. Ukraine builds European railway cheaper and faster than peacetime EU projects—despite the war.

Military

Ukrainian forces hit Russian command centers in Donetsk — and weaken Moscow’s fall offensive before it begins. The attacks undermine Moscow’s planning and prevent consolidation of forces ahead of fall operations.

Main oil pipeline reportedly blown up in Russia’s Saratov Oblast. An oil pipeline with capacity of 82 mn tons per year that supplied petroleum products to Russian military was reportedly damaged in an explosion

Explosion rocks Russian National Guard base linked to Ukraine war crimes. A new strike deep inside Russian territory hits Khabarovsk, as Ukraine’s intelligence targets forces responsible for atrocities against civilians in 2022

Frontline report: Ukrainian hackers turn Russian security cameras into targeting systems for missile strikes

. Ukrainian forces discovered massive Russian troop concentrations by infiltrating security camera networks near key bases, then launched preemptive strikes that destroyed entire convoys before they reached the battlefield.

Russia buried its 41st Army command in a Donetsk research lab—Ukraine blew it up with domestic cruise missiles (video). Three separate command centers were reportedly hit in one night late on 8 September, including one hidden deep inside civilian infrastructure in occupied DOnetsk.

ISW: Russia’s playbook for invading Ukraine now aimed at Finland — same lies, same threats, new target. The Kremlin begins repeating old propaganda lines, but this time against a NATO country.

Intelligence and technology

Kallas: EU aims to deliver 2 million shells to Ukraine by October. The EU has achieved 80% of its commitment to supply Ukraine with 2 million artillery shells, with member states working to deliver the final 400,000 rounds by October

Rheinmetall to manufacture Skyranger mobile anti-drone systems for Ukraine. Ukraine will receive Skyranger mobile air defense systems capable of creating four-kilometer “drone-free zones”

Russian Iskander missile that hit Ukraine’s Cabinet days ago may contain US, UK, Japanese parts. A presidential adviser says the weapon had over 30 foreign components despite sanctions.

International

German politicians visit Kyiv — and vote against delivering more air defenses to Kyiv

. Despite a €4.5 billion proposal to compensate for suspended US aid, CDU and SPD factions blocked the allocation in the budget committee.

Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska was never about peace — its real purpose was to strengthen Moscow’s power globally. Levada Center polls show 79% of Russians viewed the summit as a personal success for Putin, boosting domestic confidence.

CNN: Trump’s repeated calls to Putin failed to slow Russia in Ukraine. During the last eight months, Russia has consolidated gains, from Chinese and North Korean support to unchecked advances in Donetsk and Kharkiv.

Poland finds what appears to be a Russian drone near Belarus border—officials won’t say if it was tracked on radar. Authorities found styrofoam fragments scattered across the field 300 meters from a Polish border checkpoint. The drone had Cyrillic tags.

“Kremlin’s soft power”: London Royal Opera refuses to cancel concerts of Putin-linked soprano despite protests. Anna Netrebko is set to perform in London on 11 September, as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK writes that “her voice on stage drowns out the real cries – the cries from destroyed maternity hospitals in Mariupol, schools in Kharkiv, kindergartens in Kramatorsk.”

EUROJUST dismantles Belarus spy network across Europe, Moldovan ex-diplomat to Ukraine among suspects. Authorities in Romania captured the 47-year-old after secret meetings with Belarusian KGB officers in Budapest

Ukraine faces $7 billion defense crisis despite aid surplus. Billions in civilian aid sit unused while Ukrainian army faces funding crisis.

Concert of Russian pianist and Putin ally cancelled in Athens after online outcry. Ukrainian diaspora groups and their local supporters are increasingly using online campaigns to block performances by Russian artists tied to the Kremlin.

Polish president calls discussions about Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO “premature”

. “Simply impossible:” Polish President Karol Nawrocki described Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations while the war continues, marking a shift in Warsaw’s stance on Kyiv’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Trump administration ends Biden-era anti-disinformation pact with European allies. The Trump administration has pulled the US out of agreements with 22 European and African countries designed to combat disinformation from Russia, China and Iran

Xi pledges deeper China-North Korea ties after Beijing parade. China will deepen cooperation with North Korea through enhanced communications and exchanges, President Xi Jinping announced

Trump links Charlotte Ukrainian refugee murder to national security crisis. President Trump expressed condolences Monday to the family of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail system, while announcing a new Justice Department task force targeting anti-Christian bias

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian airstrike targets civilians in Yarova, Donetsk Oblast – 24 killed. Civilians targeted while standing in line to receive pensions, with most victims reportedly of retirement age, in what Ukrainian officials describe as a deliberate act of terror.

66-year-old woman injured as Russian forces launch dual drone strike on Zaporizhzhia. Russia continues its pattern of drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia, with the latest overnight assault, striking civilian areas and causing both property damage and human casualties

Political and legal developments

Russia rehearses caution in demobilization from war in Ukraine—but 1989 Afghan lesson haunts Kremlin. Veterans with combat experience, prison records, and psychological trauma could spark unrest reminiscent of the 1990s.

Moscow cuts another lifeline to Europe’s human rights system as Putin moves to exit anti-torture convention. The step shields Russian prisons from international inspectors, raising fears for Ukrainian POWs and abducted civilians.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated that the large-scale violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones was not accidental but demonstrates Russia’s desire to test NATO countries’ defensive capabilities.

“It is hard to believe that this was a mere coincidence. Putin’s regime threatens all of Europe and systematically probes how far it can go. It is reassuring that Poland’s air defence systems responded effectively. It is clear that Russia is attempting to harm the inhabitants of other European countries,” the prime minister said, expressing solidarity with Poland amid these events.

“Please keep this in mind—especially now, when many extremists are trying to convince you that Russia is not an enemy and that the solution lies in disarmament,” Petr Fiala added.

He continued that this incident provides another argument in favor of NATO and greater defense investments.

The Czech Republic will hold parliamentary elections in early October. Current voter preference leaders include the populist party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who wants to curtail the Czech “shell initiative” for finding ammunition for Ukraine.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that the military preliminarily counted 19 violations of the country’s airspace. Three aircraft were shot down, which were identified as immediate threats.

Reports indicate drone crashes in a village near the border with Belarus, resulting in damage to a residential building and car.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaya Kallas called Russia’s drone attack on Poland a deliberate and most serious violation of EU member state airspace after the incident.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Russian drone incursion into Poland “deeply concerning” and Russia’s actions “reckless,” Sky News reported.

The British Prime Minister also called today’s Russian attack on Ukraine “barbaric.”

“This was an extremely reckless move by Russia and only serves to remind us of President Putin’s blatant disregard for peace, and the constant bombardment innocent Ukrainians face every day,” he said.

Starmer added that he contacted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk “to clearly express our support for Poland.”

“My sincere thanks go to the NATO and Polish forces who rapidly responded to protect the Alliance,” he said.

“With our partners – and through our leadership of the coalition of the willing – we will continue to ramp up the pressure on Putin until there is a just and lasting peace,” Starmer added.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Russia to “stop the dangerous escalation” after the unprecedented incursion of Russian drones into Poland.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that the country is turning to NATO allies for consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty after the Russian drone incursion on the night of 10 September.

NATO does not consider the Russian drone incursion into Polish territory this night as an attack on an Alliance member state.

Smilianskyi reported that Ukrposhta had 98% on-time delivery and 24 automated sorting centres operating during the full-scale war. He also pointed out that Ukrposhta—a public company solely owned by the state—maintains 100% domestic coverage, including frontline settlements, and supports exports to 192 countries for Ukrainian SMEs.

The international relevance is immediate.

That divergence matters for e-commerce and small exporters.

Ukraine’s operational capabilities—mobile branches, satellite links, and a diversified fleet—kept services running through blackouts and strikes.

The approach offers insights for hardening national delivery networks against power cuts and physical attacks, with applications for disaster response and grid-failure scenarios.

Dreaming big

On 2IPD components, Ukraine posted gains in reliability (82.6→91), reach (31.6→87.9), and resilience (78.1→85.4). Only “relevance” (business-model fit) lags because Ukraine lacks a full postal bank—a service that can serve over 120 million customers for financial access in other countries like India.

Postal banks serve as financial infrastructure for areas that commercial banks consider unprofitable, handling everything from pension payments to small business loans.

The timing presents both opportunities and obstacles. Ukraine’s postal network already delivers pensions to frontline areas and processes growing e-commerce volumes, creating natural banking touchpoints.

However, the National Bank noted in August that Ukrposhta lacks sufficient capital for a banking license. Smelyansky acknowledged that this gap puts Ukraine behind 87 other postal operators who have successfully launched banking services.

Pressure produces diamonds

For future post-war reconstruction, a postal bank could provide crucial financial access to rebuilt communities and support small exporters relying on limited banking options.

While Europe’s established operators struggled with regulatory changes, Ukraine’s postal service demonstrated how crisis-hardened operations outperform peacetime bureaucracy.

The Dubai recognition documents an approach that combines automation with redundant communications and mobile capacity to maintain services under extreme conditions.

The model suggests that institutions operating under extreme pressure may develop more robust capabilities than those in stable environments.

Ukraine has received another €1 billion tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union under the ERA Loans program, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on 10 September.

The funds were financed through profits from frozen assets of the Central Bank of Russia, representing a continuation of the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative designed to provide Kyiv with financial resources using proceeds from frozen Russian assets.

“This is more than aid – this is a clear signal: Europe is decisively strengthening Ukraine’s defense and resilience against massive missile attacks and attempts at destabilization,” Svyrydenko wrote in her announcement.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis for their leadership.

“These funds mean saved lives, rebuilt cities and a confident European future for Ukraine,” Svyrydenko added.

The payment comes as European leaders intensify discussions about expanding financial support mechanisms using Russian assets. On 10 September, von der Leyen called for urgent development of new solutions for military financing of Ukraine based on frozen Russian assets.

A day earlier, the Socialist and Democratic Group in the European Parliament had urged the EU and United States to impose tougher sanctions against Russia and advocated for the confiscation of Russian assets.

The ERA initiative represents a structured approach to converting frozen Russian central bank profits into financial assistance for Ukraine, providing a steady funding stream while maintaining legal frameworks around asset seizure.

NATO is not treating Russia’s deliberate drone incursion into Polish territory as an attack, a NATO source told Reuters. This unprecedented revelation comes after a large overnight operation involving both Polish and NATO aircraft to intercept incoming Russian drones.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 415 drones and 43 missiles in total during the overnight assault. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least eight Shahed explosive drones were “aimed toward Poland.” Calling it “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,” he urged a strong, united response from Ukraine’s partners in Europe and the United States.

Ukrainian airspace monitoring channels reported that some of the Russian drones that initially entered Poland later returned to Ukraine.

NATO downplays Russia’s deliberate drone strike on Poland

Despite clear indications of intent, NATO is not treating the airspace violation as an act of aggression, a source within the Alliance told Reuters. The source added that initial indications suggested an intentional incursion of six to ten Russian drones overnight on 10 September. NATO radars tracked the drones, and a coordinated operation involving Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes, and mid-air refueling aircraft was launched.

“It was the first time NATO aircraft have engaged potential threats in allied airspace,” the source said.

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Poland shoots down Russian drones, closes 4 airports in “unprecedented” border violation

European leaders condemn Russia and express solidarity with Poland

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the drone strikes as “a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace.” Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she declared full European solidarity with Poland and announced a new Qualitative Military Edge program to boost Ukrainian defense capabilities.

French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the airspace breach “simply unacceptable.” In a post on X, he promised to raise the issue with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, stating, “We will not compromise on the security of the Allies.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Russia’s drone attack “extremely reckless” and said it highlighted “Putin’s blatant disregard for peace.” He confirmed direct communication with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and thanked NATO and Polish forces for their swift response.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that early indications suggested the drone entries into Polish territory were intentional.

Poland details the scale of airspace violation and defensive actions

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 19 drones entered Polish airspace overnight, with many of those flying in from Belarus. According to Tusk, four were probably shot down, with the last interception occurring at 6:45 a.m. Poland’s military command stated that more than 10 drones had been tracked and that those posing a threat were neutralized.

The military described the repeated violations as “an act of aggression.” Airports in Warsaw, Lublin, and two other cities were closed during the threat. Polish authorities urged residents in Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin regions to remain indoors. NATO air command and Dutch F-35s provided assistance throughout the operation.

Czechia and Lithuania express alarm, call out Russian provocation

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the incident was “a test of the defense capabilities of NATO countries.” He called it deliberate and said Putin’s regime “systematically probes how far it can go.” Fiala reaffirmed Czech solidarity with Poland and warned against voices downplaying Russia’s aggression.

Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys, however, told Reuters that there was no confirmed evidence yet that the drone strike was intentional. However, he stressed that Russia remains responsible for keeping its drones out of NATO territory.

Belarus and Moscow close ranks and deny responsibility

Russia and Belarus, longtime anti-Ukrainian allies, dismissed the accusations. Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Poland, Andrey Ordash, was summoned by the Polish foreign ministry. He told Russia’s RIA state news agency, “We see the accusations as groundless,” claiming Poland had presented no evidence linking the Russian drones to Russia.

Belarusian Chief of the General Staff Major General Pavel Muraveiko attempted to shift blame for Russia’s deliberate attack on Poland toward Ukraine. He claimed Belarus had allegedly shot down drones that had strayed into its airspace due to Ukrainian electronic interference. Without specifying their origin, he claimed that both Poland and Lithuania had been warned about the drones’ approach.

One person died and nine others were injured in a Russian combined strike on Ukraine during the night of 10 September, according to regional officials across multiple oblasts.

The attack involved 415 strike drones of Shahed, Gerbera and other types, and 43 missiles of ground, air and sea-based launch, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses managed to neutralize 413 targets – 386 Russian drones and 27 cruise/aviation missiles Kh-101/Kalibr/Kh-59(69). About 16 missiles and 21 drones hit their targets across 17 locations.

The fatality occurred in Zhytomyr Oblast, where a local resident died in hospital from burns of varying degrees, reports the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS). At least five people were injured in Zhytomyr Oblast – four in Zhytomyr city and one in Berdychiv, the DSNS added.

In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the attack injured three people, destroyed a garment factory and damaged destroyed a gas station, transport, and broke windows. “All injured are receiving medical care,” Tyurin said.

Vinnytsia Oblast saw damage to civilian industrial infrastructure and residential buildings, with one person hospitalized in stable condition, reports first deputy head of the regional administration Natalia Zabolotna. About 30 residential buildings were damaged in the oblast. Windows were broken, roofs and adjacent territories were damaged, she said. Twenty-six drones and 11 cruise missiles reportedly operated in Vinnytsia’s airspace during the attack.

In Cherkasy Oblast, two Russian missiles and about ten drones were neutralized, with no casualties reported but infrastructure damage sustained, according to oblast governor Ihor Taburets. The blast wave partially destroyed a barn in Zolotonosha district, killing two cows and causing a fire, while also damaging windows and roofs in five houses and a car.

Volyn Oblast recorded “several dozen Russian drones” overhead, resulting in a fire at one production facility from debris of a downed target, governor Ivan Rudnytsky said. There are reportedly no dead or wounded.

Lviv came under attack from approximately 60 Russian Shaheds and over 10 missiles, but air defenses prevented casualties, according to Mayor Andriy Sadovyi. “Thanks to our air defense forces for preventing disaster. There are no casualties, no destruction of housing stock. There was debris hitting a civilian warehouse on Aviatsiina street. We are now assessing the damage,” Sadovyi stated.

DSNS psychologists provided assistance to 26 people, including three children, in the affected areas.

During the massive overnight attack on Ukraine, Poland’s Operational Command also confirmed that Russian drones violated the country’s airspace.

This marks the first serious attack on a NATO member country since Russia’s full-scale invasion began against Ukraine. Warsaw called this the incident an “act of aggression,” and the country closed four airports.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha held telephone talks with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó on 9 September, discussing Russian escalation and Ukraine’s European integration prospects, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry press service.

“During our call, I informed Péter Szijjártó about Russia’s escalation of terror and reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to peace efforts,” Sybiha said.

He emphasized that Ukraine needs “consolidated support of international community to increase pressure on Russia and advance peace process.”

The ministers addressed upcoming bilateral engagements, including Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka’s planned visit to Budapest and other future contacts between the two countries. Sybiha noted they would hold consultations on Hungarian national minority rights the following day.

“Ukraine is ready to work on all bilateral issues in a mutually respectful manner,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said, according to the ministry’s statement.

Sybiha pressed his Hungarian colleague on Ukraine’s EU accession timeline, underlining “the need to open negotiation clusters in Ukraine’s EU accession talks as soon as possible and secure all EU member states to support this step.”

The Ukrainian minister welcomed Hungary’s recent energy deal, praising the country’s “10-year gas supply agreement with Shell as a milestone step toward strengthening energy security for our region and all of Europe.”

The diplomatic outreach comes after recent tensions between the two foreign ministries over strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline and Ukraine’s EU membership prospects. Following these public disagreements, Sybiha had called on his Hungarian counterpart to engage in direct dialogue rather than social media disputes.

Poland’s Operational Command confirmed that Russian drones violated the country’s airspace during a massive missile-drone attack on Ukraine on the night of 10 September.

This marks the first serious attack on a NATO member country since Russia’s full-scale invasion began against Ukraine. Warsaw called this the incident an “act of aggression.”

“As a result of today’s attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects occurred. This is an act of aggression that poses a real threat to the security of our citizens,” the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command reported on X.

Polish military officials confirmed they intercepted and destroyed multiple drones that crossed into national territory. 

Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed “repeated violations” of Polish airspace and reported that military forces used weapons against the objects. “I am in constant contact with the president and defense minister. I received a direct report from the operational commander,” Tusk wrote on X.

Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland maintains “constant contact with NATO command” regarding the UAV attack. He confirmed that “aircraft used weapons against enemy objects” and activated Territorial Defense Forces for ground searches of downed drones.

The incident prompted Poland to close four airports: Warsaw Chopin Airport, Warsaw-Modlin, Rzeszów-Jasionka (closest to Ukraine), and Lublin, according to BBC reports. Aviation authorities issued NOTAM notices stating airports were closed “due to unscheduled military activity within the framework of ensuring state security.”

Polish officials described the violations as “unprecedented” and warned citizens in the most dangerous regions—Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin voivodships—to remain indoors while the military operation continued.

The Ukrainian publication Nikolayevsky Vanek reported that Ukraine tracked “more than 10 drones that headed to Poland and never returned” during the night attack.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed he received information about Russian drones over Polish territory, telling CNN reporters “Yes” when asked if he was briefed about the incident during a Tuesday evening dinner with President Donald Trump.

Republican Congressman Joe Wilson called the drone attack on Poland “an act of war” that cannot be ignored, while both Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to respond to what they characterized as an unprecedented violation of NATO member airspace.

Poland scheduled an emergency government meeting for 8:00 am local time (9:00 am Kyiv time) and issued warnings to Territorial Defense Forces members about immediate reporting requirements in several regions. In areas marked red on operational maps—covering Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Lublin, and Subcarpathian voivodships—reporting time was reduced to six hours, while “yellow” regions required readiness within 12 hours.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside London’s Royal Opera House demanding the cancellation of concerts by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, after organizers ignored calls to remove her from the program, Radio Svoboda reported on 7 September.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valeriy Zaluzhnyi also spoke out against Netrebko’s participation in the season.

All tickets for the events have already been sold out. Her first appearance at the British Royal Opera in the 2025/26 season is planned for 11 September.

Protesters stood outside the opera house with Ukrainian and British flags, holding cardboard signs calling for the concerts to be cancelled and the soprano to be replaced.

“As an Englishman, I feel ashamed of the Royal Opera’s hypocrisy, and how they have betrayed Ukraine. This is a disgrace to the British nation. This affects me very strongly because Anna is close to Putin, and Russian artists are generally allowed to perform while Ukrainian artists sacrifice their lives,” protester Steven Lacy told Radio Svoboda.

In a column for British newspaper Daily Mail, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi emphasized that Netrebko’s participation is unacceptable for Ukrainians, and the singer herself is not a victim of circumstances as she presents herself:

“Her voice on stage drowns out the real cries – the cries from destroyed maternity hospitals in Mariupol, schools in Kharkiv, kindergartens in Kramatorsk. And while Netrebko will sing about an imagined tragedy, for us these sounds echo a real one. Tosca will be weeping with the tears of Ukrainian children.”

He added that Netrebko’s voice on the international stage is an instrument of cultural influence that “legitimizes murders in Ukraine.”

“This is not just a cultural occasion. This is a test. Will we allow Putin to use art as a curtain to hide his crimes? Will we allow his closest allies to stand on the world’s stages as if nothing has happened? Russia always tries to smuggle betrayal into the very soul. It does so under beautiful words, under music, under the guise of culture. But behind this mask of high art lie blood and ruins,” Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote.

Earlier, more than 50 Ukrainian cultural figures, British, French and New Zealand politicians and activists signed an appeal to the opera administration not to allow Netrebko on the London stage.

Among the signatories were diplomat Serhiy Kyslytsia, writers Andriy Kurkov, Serhiy Zhadan, Kateryna Babkina, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Holodomor researcher Daria Mattingly, political science professor Olga Onuch, British politician Alex Sobel and many others.

“The Royal Opera now faces a defining choice: between status and responsibility, between profit and values, between silence and conscience. We call on you, as you have consistently done, to remain on the ethical side of art and history,” the letter stated.

About Anna Netrebko

Anna Netrebko is a Russian opera singer who has also held Austrian citizenship since 2006, where she currently lives. She was Putin’s trusted person in elections and received awards from him. In 2014, the singer supported the pseudo-republics “L/DNR” and was photographed with the flag of the so-called “Novorossiya.” In 2022, under pressure from her European agents, she published an anti-war statement, hoping to continue her career in Europe.

In January 2023, she was included in Ukraine’s sanctions list. After the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Netrebko was fired from the Metropolitan Opera in New York due to her connection with the Kremlin.

Anna Netrebko filed a complaint against the Metropolitan Opera’s actions with the American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents opera performers. An arbitrator in this case ordered the institution to pay her over $200,000 for 13 cancelled performances. Later, the singer continued to sue, demanding at least $360,000 for discrimination based on nationality, defamation and breach of contract. The Metropolitan was able to challenge her claims.

She was later denied participation in a concert in Stuttgart. The singer was also removed from performances at the Bavarian Opera and Milan’s La Scala.

However, already in autumn 2022, Netrebko continued performing in Europe and worldwide. Her schedule then included performances in Milan, Verona, Belgrade, Baden-Baden, Berlin and other cities.

In May 2023, the famous Milan theater La Scala returned Netrebko to its stage.

But not all countries agree to show audiences performances by Putin’s admirer again. In August 2023, Tallinn, Estonia cancelled a concert by Netrebko and her husband Yusif Eyvazov. Also in early May 2024, a performance by the pro-Putin opera singer was cancelled by the Culture and Congress Centre (KKL) in the Swiss city of Lucern.

In February 2025, Anna Netrebko performed at a gala concert with Palm Beach Opera in Florida. This was her first performance in the United States in over five years.

The Russian opera singer last appeared on an American stage before the pandemic, in 2019. For almost two decades, she was a prima donna of the Metropolitan Opera.

Promises in Kyiv, rejection in Berlin. The German CDU and SPD factions have voted against the Green Party’s initiative to allocate an additional €4.5 billion this year to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and compensate for the suspended US aid, BILD reports. 

A visit to Kyiv – and a refusal in Berlin

Last week, German CDU and SPD leaders Jens Spahn and Matthias Miersch visited Kyiv, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called the trip “a sign of support.” But back in the budget committee, their factions voted together with the Left Party and AfD against releasing the funds.

German politicians’ arguments

Social Democrat Andreas Schwarz has explained that the proposed billions “could not be spent before the end of the year.”

CDU representative Christian Haase claimed that Berlin had already “delivered everything Ukraine needs” and that he was “unaware” of additional requirements from Kyiv.

This contradicts Zelenskyy’s statement in July, where he stressed that Ukraine needed another €6 billion by year’s end to fully scale production of long-range weapons and FPV drones.

Sharp reaction from the Greens

The decision by governing partners drew outrage within the Greens.

“It is hypocrisy — to promise help in Kyiv on Monday and then on Thursday vote together with the AfD and the Left against further support for a country suffering heavy attacks day and night,” said the party’s budget expert, Sebastian Schäfer.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas announced during an address to the European Parliament that European Union member states intend to deliver 2 million artillery shells to Ukraine by October.

“They (EU member states – ed.) have now also provided 80% of our 2 million rounds of ammunition target. We aim [for] 100% by October,” Kallas said.

The announcement comes as EU countries have provided nearly 169 billion euros in financial support to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Kallas emphasized the shells are needed “so that Ukraine can defend itself and its civilian population and repel aggression.”

The October target represents completion of a commitment EU leaders made to supply Ukraine with large-caliber ammunition.

Kallas reported in April 2025 that the bloc had already gathered one-third of the promised 2 million shells.

Czech Republic, which leads a separate procurement initiative, has secured monthly ammunition deliveries to Ukraine through September. The so-called “Czech initiative” involves purchasing ammunition globally for Ukrainian forces.

Czech President Petr Pavel revealed that his country has begun preparing ammunition deliveries to Ukraine for 2026, indicating long-term commitment to sustaining Ukraine’s artillery capabilities.

The 2 million shell target demonstrates EU coordination in addressing Ukraine’s ammunition shortage, which has been identified as a critical constraint in the country’s defense against Russian forces.

The Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin’s summit has strengthened the Russian dictator. The meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska only bolstered the Kremlin’s position and prolonged the war in Ukraine, Foreign Affairs reports. 

Since Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, which altered the world order by forcibly changing the borders of a sovereign country, Putin has played the long game. The Alaska summit gave him even more time and strengthened his position to achieve a military victory in a war of attrition against Ukraine.

The summit was never about peace in Ukraine

Its real purpose was to bend the international system to Moscow’s will and maintain a monopoly on power domestically.

Putin emerged victorious in Alaska

Putin has faced little opposition to the Alaska visit. A Russian Levada Center survey showed that 79% of Russians considered the summit a success for Putin, and 51% were more optimistic about improved relations with the US.

“After the summit, Russian media did not have to put out false pronouncements to highlight Putin’s diplomatic triumph,” the report says. 

Legitimizing aggression against Ukraine

The summit allowed Putin to legitimize Moscow’s claims. Russians who doubted the war’s purpose now had grounds to consider the invasion “just.”

During the Anchorage meeting, the dictator emphasized Russia’s “legitimate concerns,” its pursuit of a “fair security balance in Europe and the world,” and the need to “remove all root causes” of the war in Ukraine.

Trump did not refute any claims, effectively agreeing with Putin’s position on Moscow’s right to influence Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Western security guarantees.

“Putin flew home having demonstrated to his subjects that he was right all along, that they must not waver, and that he will win for them,” the report concludes. 

Ukrainian forces are striking targets in the occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast to halt Russian preparation for an autumn counteroffensive, says Oleksii Hetman, Radio NV reports. 

Ukrainian attacks lay the groundwork for an advance

“The Russians are planning very powerful attacks, so they are pulling in troops and redeploying,” explains Hetman. 

That’s why Ukraine must destroy and weaken them as much as possible, and prepare for its own offensive actions. 

A variety of Ukrainian weapons

Hetman believes that it is difficult to say exactly which weapons were used in the strikes, but that is not critical.

“We have a large arsenal of missiles: ‘Palyanytsya,’ ‘Peklo,’ ‘Trembita,’ ‘Flamingo.’ What exactly hit doesn’t make much difference. We carefully plan attacks and don’t use high-powered missiles where smaller ones are sufficient,” he says.

Precision strike strategy

According to the expert, every attack is carefully calculated. Ukraine employs its weapons based on the strategic importance of each target: more powerful missiles are used only where maximum effect is needed.

These actions drain the Russian military and set the conditions for future offensive operations.