Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a classified resolution this week allowing NATO forces to operate on Polish soil, according to Poland’s National Security Bureau.

The move comes as part of the alliance’s new “Eastern Sentinel” initiative that began on 12 September to strengthen Europe’s eastern flank.

NATO troops will now reinforce Polish defenses under the program, though the presidential resolution remains classified, the Poland’s National Security Bureau reports.

Secretary General Mark Rutte said military operations would begin “in the coming days” with forces from Denmark, France, Britain, Germany and other allies. Ground troops will deploy across eight countries, with room to expand if needed.

The catalyst?

Russia’s massive assault on Ukraine on 10 September that violated Polish airspace. Moscow launched over 400 drones and more than 40 cruise and ballistic missiles that night, killing one person and injuring several others in Ukraine.

However, 19 Russian drones also crossed into Polish territory—not the usual strays from Ukraine, but aircraft flying directly from Belarus. 

Poland scrambled advanced fighters, including F-35s and F-16s, marking the first time Polish forces used airborne weapons against the unmanned vehicles. Even with sophisticated aircraft deployed, Polish forces couldn’t intercept all targets.

The incursions triggered NATO’s Article 4, requiring member states to consult when any ally faces threats to territorial integrity or security. However, NATO decided not to treat this deliberate drone incursion as an attack.

The Eastern Sentinel rollout suggests the alliance views recent escalations as more than isolated incidents requiring a measured but substantial response along NATO’s eastern frontier.

Trump’s limited response to Russian drones entering Polish airspace this week has worried European allies who doubt whether he’s serious about NATO defense duties, Reuters reported.

Poland fights a pro-Kremlin disinformation wave, PAP reports. Pro-Russian sentiments are rising in Poland, and the responsibility of politicians is to stop them, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after Russian drone attacks on the country.

A wave created by the Kremlin

“A wave of pro-Russian sentiment and anti-Ukrainian feeling is rising, created by the Kremlin using real fears and emotions,” Tusk wrote on X on Sunday, 14 September.

He emphasized that the task of politicians is to stop this wave before it affects society.

As expected, the attack caused strong fear and insecurity among Polish citizens. The country hosts points through which foreign weapons are delivered to Ukraine, heightening concerns.

These sentiments are actively supported by some Polish right-wing politicians and media, which build campaigns on anti-criminal emotions while ignoring the significant contributions of Ukrainians to Poland’s economy and society.

The Kremlin deliberately spreads disinformation and provokes confrontation between Poland and Ukraine to weaken Western support for Ukraine.

Ukrainians’ contribution to Poland

In 2024, the Ukrainians in Poland contributed about 2.7% of the country’s GDP, over 99 billion zlotys, which is nearly $20 billion . They established more than 77,700 private enterprises between 2022–2024, accounting for about 12% of all new businesses in the country during that period.

Poland is fully aware of the attack

Earlier, Tusk assured that Polish services and the military know who is responsible for the drone attack.

“We will not be sensitive to manipulation and disinformation from Russia. Poland is confident about the sources, launch location, and intent of this action,” the Polish prime minister added.

Call for caution

The head of government urged Poles to rely only on verified information from official sources, including the military, services, and state media, to avoid panic and fake news.

Moscow bares its teeth on the NATO border, Defense Express reports. In the Belarusian city of Grodno, near the Gozhsky training ground, a new Russian BTR-22 armored personnel carrier was spotted. It is involved in the joint Russia-Belarus exercises Zapad-2025. 

Deliberate “leak” of photos

According to the experts, the vehicle’s geolocation on Kirova Street was identified by the Telegram channel Military Journal. They suggest the BTR-22 photo may have been deliberately released by Russia, signaling strength to Poland, alongside related events:

• incursions of Russian Gerbera drones into Polish airspace;
• deployment of two Iskander missile launchers in Kaliningrad Oblast. 

“Budget Boomerang”

The BTR-22 was first unveiled at the Army-2023 forum. Its unofficial nickname is “Budget Boomerang”, as it is a simplified modification of the BTR-82A. Even Russian sources admitted the vehicle lags 20 years behind modern standards, making it essentially a failed attempt to “reimagine” the old BTR-87 design.

Belarusian contrast

Experts note that in 2025, Belarus finally adopted its own Volat V-2 APC after a 15-year delay. The Russian BTR-22’s appearance in Belarus is seen more as a political propaganda signal than a real enhancement of allied combat capabilities.

President Donald Trump’s restrained reaction to Russian drones violating Polish airspace this week has triggered anxiety among European allies who question his commitment to NATO defense obligations, according to Reuters.

The incident occurred on 10 September when 19 Russian drones, many flying from Belarus, crossed into Poland during attacks on Ukraine, prompting NATO members to fire on Russian targets for the first time since the full-scale war began.

Poland, using Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, and Italian AWACS, shot down at least four drones that had entered its airspace.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala characterized the incident as Putin’s regime “systematically probing how far it can go,” though Russia and Belarus denied responsibility for the airspace violations.

Trump’s response

Trump’s initial reaction came through a cryptic post on his Truth Social platform: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

When pressed by reporters the following day about the Russian drone incursion, Trump suggested “it could have been a mistake.”

However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected this notion, flatly contradicting the assessment that drones could have entered Poland in error.

Poland activated Article 4 of NATO’s treaty following the incident, under which alliance members can demand consultations when a member’s territorial integrity or security is threatened.

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Ukraine offers joint air defense plan after Russian drones test NATO’s limits through Poland

European diplomatic concerns

Multiple European diplomatic sources described reactions ranging from dismay to confusion. A senior German official told Reuters that while the US participated in drone discussions with NATO allies, America appeared “hesitant” and the drone attack revealed significant gaps in NATO’s preparedness.

The official stated: “With this US administration, we can’t rely on anything. But we have to pretend that we could.”

An Eastern European diplomat characterized Washington’s response as problematic, telling Reuters:

“No one in NATO has been particularly reassured by the US at this point. Washington’s silence has been almost deafening.”

An Italian official indicated that alliance members formed a mostly negative impression of the US response while avoiding open criticism.

Contrast with previous crisis management

The response differed markedly from previous US handling of threats against NATO allies. When reports suggested a Russian missile struck a Polish village in November 2022, then-President Joe Biden quickly convened emergency meetings with world leaders and shifted into crisis management mode. That incident was later determined to involve a misfired Ukrainian air defense missile.

Ivo Daalder, US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013 and now a senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center, told Reuters:

“This episode underscores that Trump, in contrast to every president since Roosevelt, does not see Europe’s security is fundamental to American security.”

Trump’s pattern of sanctions threats

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Moscow to agree ceasefires with Ukraine or face new sanctions, only to withdraw from these positions.

He told Fox News Friday that his patience with Putin was “running out fast,” though he stopped short of threatening new sanctions over the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Instead, Trump welcomed Putin at a peace summit in Alaska in mid-August but failed to secure major concessions.

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

Official NATO response

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced plans to strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank defense, stating that Trump had made “absolutely clear that we all stand together on this.”

Explore further

Zelenskyy warns no one is safe in Europe, as Poland invokes NATO’s Article 4 after Russian UAVs breach airspace

US military role in the attack

US warplanes played no role in shooting down the drones that violated Polish airspace, which US officials attributed to Dutch military responsibility for Polish air space under NATO’s air policing mission at the time.

A White House official told Reuters that the president “wants this war, which was brought on by Joe Biden’s incompetence, to end as quickly as possible” and that Russia and Ukraine should halt the conflict while Europe should “do its part by putting economic pressure on countries that finance the war.”

Ukrainian special operations disrupt Russian supply lines right on their own routes. Partisans from the Atesh movement have successfully carried out a sabotage operation on the railway in the Adyge-Khabl District of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, which is about 520-530 kilometers from Ukraine. 

As a result, a relay cabinet was set on fire between the Sadovy and Erken-Shakhar stations, near the Sadovoe settlement.

Halting ammunition supplies

This railway branch transports ammunition and military equipment from North Caucasus industrial centers to the Rostov Oblast and from there to the front in Ukraine. The sabotage disrupted train traffic, delaying the delivery of MLRS munitions, tube artillery, repaired equipment, and rotating personnel.

Chain reaction on the front

Every strike creates a domino effect: troops in occupied territories receive fewer shells, replenishments and repairs are delayed, and Ukrainian units gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield.

Russia asks Turkiye to return S-400 systems amid battlefield losses and effective Ukrainian drone strikes, Nefes reports. 

Moscow seeks to replenish its air defense stock

According to media reports, Russia approached Turkiye with a proposal to return two S-400 systems, purchased by Ankara in 2017 for $2.5 billion and delivered in 2019.

The reason — a shortage of equipment in Russian stockpiles after battlefield losses, where Ukrainian forces actively destroy Russian air defense systems, including S-400s.

Turkiye is considering the proposal

Turkish outlet Nefes reports that Ankara views the proposal “positively”, but has not officially confirmed readiness to finalize a deal. The S-400 systems are not integrated with NATO, their missiles are already halfway through their service life, and the equipment requires maintenance, creating additional costs for Turkiye.

Impact on international deliveries and allies

Due to the S-400 shortage, Russia is postponing delivery of similar systems to India until 2026–2027. Demand for such systems from third countries is rising, strengthening the Kremlin’s urgency to get the S-400s back from Turkiye as soon as possible.

Russian developers on the brink of collapse: 1 in 5 companies already in the critical zone as the government directs all the support to the war against Ukraine, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service has reported. 

Around 20% of developers in Russia are facing bankruptcy due to falling sales and high mortgage rates.

The most vulnerable are mass housing companies, which rely heavily on mortgage demand. Over 19% of developers are officially delaying project completions, and delays exceeding six months push them into the “problematic” category.

Impact of the economy and the war

The sector suffers from low demand, limited government support, and resource diversion to the war in Ukraine. This results in declining sales, rising debt burdens, and construction freezes.

Investments in real estate in the first half of 2025 fell by 44%. Banks reject half of mortgage applications, while effective interest rates reach at least 25% per year, even for reliable borrowers.

Corporate sector and potential solutions

In the corporate segment, the share of troubled loans rose to 10.4% ($111.9 billion), with $8.6 billion added in three months. The real estate sector saw the greatest deterioration. Russian authorities are already considering moratoriums on developer bankruptcies, external restructuring, and the creation of temporary state funds to complete problematic projects.

Ukrainian forces destroy occupiers in their underground lairs. The 34th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion “Wolfhounds” has demonstrated how the Ukrainian Armed Forces throw anti-tank mines into basements and underground tunnels where Russian occupiers are hiding.

Anti-tank mines directly into shelters

The conditions faced by Ukrainian infantry in Vovchansk go beyond human endurance. Enemy positions are just meters away, above ground, no buildings remain intact, and beneath the layers of concrete and asphalt, the occupiers’ fortifications and tunnels lie hidden.

“To flush out the enemy or destroy fortifications, we have to manually throw explosives into their lairs,” say the soldiers.

Underground networks do not save the enemy

Russian forces use basements, sewer pipes, and reinforced tunnels to move personnel. The same tactics were used by the occupiers in Sudzha, Kursk Oblast.

The operation involved underground pipes of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod gas pipeline, which Russia used to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine until 1 January 2025. Each pipeline section had a diameter of 1.4 meters. 

Hollywood couldn’t stage this: one Ukrainian T-64 plowing through three Russian T-72s and surviving. From Soviet tanks turned against their former masters to American Abrams and German Leopards, Ukraine’s armored forces have rewritten battlefield rules. These are the stories of skilled operators like “Adam” and “Song” who break encirclements, save thousands of comrades, and turn desperate defenses into victories.

1. “Adam”: the tank operator whose T-64 withstood three Russian T-72s

A Ukrainian T-64 against three Russian T-72s — and victory stayed with the Ukrainians. This was the battle of Yevhen Mezhevikyn, call sign “Adam”, in the fall of 2014 during the defense of Donetsk Airport, Army Inform reports. His tank didn’t just stop the enemy advance — it pushed through fire to reach the terminals, where the Ukrainian “cyborgs” held out for months without water or heat.

At that time, the Ukrainian army was only beginning to recover after the collapse of the 1990s and early 2000s: outdated equipment, minimal supplies, and almost no combat experience.

But due to operators like “Adam”, the army held the airport and endured.

Mezhevikyn not only destroyed enemy vehicles, but they also trained fellow operators on the frontline, repaired damaged tanks, and led the riskiest breakthroughs.

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, “Adam” formed a tactical group. With volunteers and repaired tanks, they immediately went into battle near Kyiv and then fought near Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Bakhmut. For this path, from “cyborg” to commander of a legendary group, Mezhevikyn became the first tank operator awarded the Order of the “Golden Star” Hero of Ukraine. Mezhevikyn now serves on the General Staff.

2. “Captured tank against a column”: one operator against a Russian column

A single Ukrainian tank faced an entire Russian column. In August 2014, during the battle for Ilovaisk, Colonel Yevhen Sydorenko took a captured T-72B into combat and stopped the enemy advance. Cases like this are rare in military history, mostly seen in World War II.

Ukrainian forces were outmatched: surrounded by regular Russian troops, with minimal equipment and ammunition, against full battalion groups. Despite the odds, they fought on and prepared for a breakout.

On 29 August, after repelling an attack, the column moved to break out of encirclement. Sydorenko’s tank led the movement, covering retreating comrades.

For this action, Yevhen Sydorenko was awarded Hero of Ukraine. Their feat became a symbol of self-sacrifice, showing how one tank can change the course of a battle.

3. “Song”: three tanks breaking encirclement, thousands saved

In the early days of the full-scale invasion, 23-year-old platoon commander Yevhen Palchenko, call sign “Song”, defended his brigade’s escape from encirclement near Kherson, risking their life.

Breaking through the Russian ring, their three tanks held positions near the Antonivsky Bridge, allowing comrades to escape. About 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and their equipment were saved. On 2 March 2022, Lieutenant Yevhen Palchenko was awarded Hero of Ukraine for this heroic action. Their story shows how the courage of a single tank operator can save an entire brigade.

4. “Company under fire”: one tank against two dozen enemy vehicles, and it survived

One tank against two dozen enemy vehicles, and the crew survived. Captain Serhii Ponomarenko’s company was thrown into combat just hours after arriving near Barvinkove on 12 March 2022. Since then, the 3rd Separate Tank Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces has been continuously defending Kharkiv Oblast.

During an assault on Topolske near Izium, six Ukrainian tanks engaged more than twenty Russian vehicles. Due to skill and training, nine enemy tanks were destroyed. One Ukrainian T-72 took multiple hits, and Ponomarenko risked their tank to save the operators, as per Facty. 

“The T-64 has an excellent fire control system, with a ballistic calculator measuring wind and direction and automatically adjusting. The sight has a zoom for precision. The T-64 works like a sniper rifle of a large caliber. The T-72’s sight is poor,” Ponomarenko explains.

However, the T-72 engine starts more easily in the cold, but the T-64’s acceleration is comparable despite needing preheating. The T-72 may be faster, but the T-64 holds its own in maneuvering.

The operators supported their commander, suppressed enemy positions, and recovered the damaged tank under fire. On 2 April 2022, Serhii Ponomarenko was awarded Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the “Golden Star”.

5. “Phoenix on the battlefield”: T-64 crew rises twice from the dead

A mine exploded, but the operators kept fighting, destroying an enemy mortar team. Sergeant Vitaly Shevchenko, gunner Andrii Mukhin, and mechanic-gunner Maksym Kravchuk survived two near-fatal attacks near Sloviansk — first from a mine, then from an anti-tank guided missile. Twice, like a mythical Phoenix, they rose from the flames to continue the fight, according to Uriadovyi Kurier.

From the first day of the war, this crew has been on the frontline, performing missions in the toughest zones. Their tank became a guardian for infantry, its gun a deadly weapon against enemies. During one attack, additional fuel tanks exploded, yet the operators advanced, breached a concrete barrier, and destroyed enemy mortar positions. The commander personally extinguished flames, protecting the crew. After minor repairs, the tank returned to combat.

6. “Ramming for comrades”: a young tank operator against a T-72

One tank against a T-72 to save comrades. On 12 August 2014, tank operator Artem Abramovich, 24, rammed a Russian T-72 near Stepanivka, covering the retreat of Ukrainian soldiers. The enemy tank was destroyed, but Artem died in battle. Their heroism became a symbol of self-sacrifice. Posthumously, on 13 August 2015, they were awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III class.

7. American hardware in Ukrainian hands

BMP Bradleys, in coordination with Abrams tanks, became a formidable battlefield force.

During operations near Novoivanivka in the Kursk Oblast, operators of the 47th Mechanized Brigade showcased extraordinary skill.

They rotated personnel, provided fire support, and destroyed enemy forces hiding in buildings. Every shot and maneuver was precise, and every decision was life-or-death.

“American hardware is decisive on the battlefield, but without skilled operators, it’s nothing,” the brigade noted.

The operation decimated Russian forces, halted the invasion of Sumy Oblast, and showed that Ukrainian forces could take the fight into enemy territory.

8. “He lost a leg but saved the tank”

The driver of a Leopard from the 33rd Brigade saved lives despite losing a leg in combat. Known as “Hor,” a former bartender, his comrade recounts the moment as a defining act of courage. Mobilized in March 2022, they began on a T-72, fought in counteroffensives, and then retrained on the Leopard.

Near Mala Tokmachka, Russian helicopters fired missiles. Their mechanic lost a leg. Despite this, they drove the tank out of combat, saving the entire crew. Later, near Kurakhove, their crew fired 49 rounds, destroying two tanks, two BMPs, one BTR, and three Russian positions.

Ukrainian forces hit a chemical facility deep in Russia’s Perm Oblast that produces components for military explosives, demonstrating Kyiv’s expanding reach into Russian industrial targets.

Drones struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Gubakha on 13 September, according to regional governor Dmitry Manohin, who reported no casualties and said the facility continued normal operations.

Russian news channel Astra later identified the specific target: a newly built urea production workshop that opened just last year.

The facility represents a significant strategic target due to its dual-use chemical production capabilities. According to defense publication Militarnyi, the plant produces urea, a key component in ammonium-nitrate mixtures that can serve as explosive filling for both civilian and military applications, including artillery shells and mines. 

While Metafrax Chemicals avoids public ties to Russia’s defense sector, its parent company Roskhim supplies chemical products directly to military industries.

Metafrax ranks among Russia’s largest methanol producers and landed the 200th spot in Forbes’ 2021 ranking of the country’s biggest private companies.

Local residents posted footage showing building damage and smoke rising from the facility, located approximately 1,600 km (994 miles) from the Ukrainian border, while Ukraine’s intelligence later confirmed their responsibility for the strike.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 80 drones overnight, though that number couldn’t be verified.

Ukrainian railway attacks inside Russia

Intelligence services simultaneously struck railway lines that Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate and Special Operations Forces have now openly claimed responsibility for.

The rail operations hit Oryol and Leningrad oblasts on 13-14 September, an intelligence source told RBC-Ukraine.

“These railway branches are critically important logistical links in supplying occupying forces in the Kharkiv and Sumy directions,” the source explained.

The goal: create major supply headaches that would “substantially affect their ability to carry out active operations.”

In Oryol Oblast, explosive devices killed three Russian National Guard personnel during track inspections, governor Andrey Klychkov reported.

Leningrad Oblast saw a locomotive derail with 15 cisterns attached. Governor Alexander Drozdenko called them empty, but Ukrainian sources claimed they carried fuel. A separate derailment killed a train engineer. Russian investigators suspect sabotage in both cases.

Two separate train derailments hit Russia’s Leningrad Oblast on 14 September—one involving 15 fuel tanker cars, the other killing a train driver. Just a day earlier, three Rosgvardiya personnel were killed by an explosive device planted on railway tracks in Oryol Oblast. Russian authorities are investigating all incidents as possible sabotage.

15 tankers derail in Luzhsky district

According to Russian Governor of Leningrad Oblast Alexandr Drozdenko, a locomotive pulling 15 empty tank cars derailed in Luzhsky district at the Stroganovo-Mshinskaya rail section. No casualties were reported. Drozdenko stated that two emergency recovery trains were dispatched from St. Petersburg to the site of the incident.

As a result of the derailment, train movement was blocked in two directions. Ten suburban electric trains were delayed or canceled.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported on the derailment, and another channel, Supernova+, claimed sabotage affected two separate railway segments in Leningrad Oblast—specifically in Luzhsky and Gatchina districts.

Train driver dies in second derailment near Semrino

Russian news Telegram channel Astra reported another derailment in the same oblast near the station of Semrino, located in Gatchina district. In this incident, a lone locomotive left the tracks. The train driver was trapped inside the cabin and later died in the ambulance, Astra wrote.

Governor Drozdenko confirmed that sappers were deployed to the scene. He also noted that investigators were examining the version of sabotage.

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Ukraine’s drones hit deep—St Petersburg’s main fuel plant engulfed in flames (video)

Three Rosgvardiya members killed in Oryol Oblast rail explosion

On 13 September, an explosive device detonated on the Maloarkhangelsk–Glazunovka rail segment in Oryol Oblast, killing two Rosgvardia national guard members and injuring another. One day later, the injured officer died, bringing the total death toll to three.

Governor of Oryol Oblast Andrei Klychkov initially confirmed the deaths of two personnel, and a day later, he announced the third fatality. Acting Governor of Kursk Oblast Aleksandr Khinshtein later clarified that all three victims were Rosgvardiya officers.

Explosive devices detonated on railway tracks in Russia’s Oryol Oblast close to Ukraine’s border during a routine inspection, killing three officers and disrupting rail traffic.

The incident may be connected to Ukrainian sabotage operations targeting Russian railway infrastructure, though authorities have not confirmed the source of the explosives.

[Update] Ukrainian intelligence sources confirmed the railway attack was carried out by fighters from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate and Special Operations Forces, according to hromadske news agency citing informed sources.

The targeted railway branches serve as critical logistical links for supplying Russian occupation forces on the Kharkiv and Sumy directions, the source stated.

On the evening of 13 September, Russian Railways workers discovered unknown mines on the Maloarkhangelsk — Glazunovka railway section, after which an engineering unit of the Russian National Guard special forces was called to the scene.

Three Russian National Guard officers died in the blast, with the death toll rising after an officer initially reported as critically wounded succumbed to his injuries.

Oryol Oblast Governor Andrei Klychkov said the blast occurred during inspection of the railway line.

“During the inspection of railway tracks, explosive devices were discovered, one of which exploded,” Klychkov stated.

The explosion caused significant disruption to rail traffic. Neighbouring Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that 10 trains were delayed as of 8:40 p.m., affecting 457 passengers bound for Kursk.

Railway officials have restored traffic flow using alternative routing systems, though the investigation into the explosive devices continues.

The incident follows a pattern of infrastructure incidents in western Russian regions. On 1 June, two bridge collapses occurred overnight in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.

In Bryansk, a highway bridge collapsed onto a passenger train near Vygonichi, killing seven people and injuring 66 others. A freight truck was crossing the bridge at the time of collapse.

In Kursk’s Zheleznogorsky district, a railway bridge collapsed as a freight train was crossing, causing the locomotive to catch fire and fall onto a highway below, injuring one crew member. Russian authorities initially attributed both June incidents to Ukrainian sabotage but later removed those claims.

A major fire broke out at the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery near St Petersburg overnight on 14 September after Ukrainian drones struck the facility. Telegram channels shared videos showing a drone strike and flames at the site.

Ukrainian drones strike fuel-producing giant near St Petersburg

The refinery, located in the city of Kirishi in Leningrad Oblast, roughly 100 km southeast of St Petersburg and 800 km north of Ukraine’s border, is among Russia’s top 10 oil-processing facilities.

According to Ukrainian Telegram channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+, drones struck the plant, triggering a fire. Satellite data from NASA’s FIRMS wildfire monitoring platform confirmed a high-temperature anomaly over the facility starting at 3:56 on 14 September, Militarnyi noted.

Second strike on the same facility in six months

This is not the first time the KINEF refinery has come under attack. Ukrainian drones targeted the same facility on 8 March 2025, damaging a fuel storage tank. At the time, governor Drozdenko also blamed the damage from a direct drone hit on “debris”: “During the fall of debris, the external structure of one of the reservoirs was damaged,” he wrote back then.

Meanwhile, Astra also relayed a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming Russian air defense forces had intercepted 80 Ukrainian drones overnight across several oblasts. According to the ministry, this included 2 drones over Leningrad Oblast, where Kirishi is located, along with other interceptions over Bryansk, occupied Crimea, Smolensk, Kaluga, Novgorod, Oryol, Ryazan, and Rostov oblasts, and the Azov Sea area.

Ukrainian Naval Forces conducted a strike against a Russian Black Sea Fleet communication facility in occupied Crimea during the early hours of 11 September, according to an official Navy statement.

The operation targeted the 184th Research Experimental Base in Sevastopol, which housed a communication node responsible for coordinating Black Sea Fleet operations, the Navy reported. The facility served as a command and control center for Russian naval units operating in the region.

The military statement confirmed the strike occurred “on the night of September 11th” but did not disclose specific details about the extent of damage caused by the attack.

The targeted installation is situated in Kozacha Bay, according to the monitoring group “Crimean Wind,” which tracks military activities in the peninsula. 

In April 2022, Ukraine sank Russia’s flagship missile cruiser Moskva using Neptune anti-ship missiles and recently, drone strikes disabled a Russian MPSV07 vessel near Novorossiysk, damaging electronic reconnaissance capabilities.

Exclusives

Ukraine rolled back Crimea’s air defenses—then hit a ship in home waters. The Black Sea has become Ukraine’s hunting ground.

Russia’s war games on NATO’s doorstep: “unstoppable” missile, nukes—and SIM-card drones. This year’s Zapad drills feature the testing of the new Oreshnik missile, nuclear decision-making scenarios, and evidence of Russian drones using Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards to probe NATO’s defenses.

IMF finds Ukraine needs $20bn more than estimated as US support dwindles. Ukraine’s funding needs through 2027 may be $20 billion higher than Kyiv estimates.

Latest News

Sat Sep 13 2025

“Ukraine controls the front,” but the situation is not that simple – Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said that Russia’s main advantage is manpower, and insists that Russia is not making major gains in eastern Ukraine despite heavy assaults and large troop deployments.

“I don’t see anyone wanting to fight Russia” – Polish FM casts doubt on Western “security guarantees” for Ukraine. Sikorski warned Saturday that proposed security guarantees for Ukraine are unlikely to deter Russian aggression, suggesting the term “guarantees” itself may be misleading, and calling for a focus on military and financial support instead.

“A deliberate expansion of the war by Russia”: Romania scrambles jets after Russian drone enters NATO airspace for the 2nd time this week. Russian drones have entered NATO airspace for the second time this month, following a wave of incursions into Poland on 10 September that prompted heightened defenses along NATO’s eastern borders.

Poland scrambles jets and closes Lublin airport in reaction to new Russian drone threat. Poland has heightened defenses along its eastern border following a wave of Russian drones that entered its airspace on 10 September.

Trump doubts his ability to influence Putin, so he shifts responsibility onto Europe

. “Major sanctions” on Russia will come only if other NATO nations do the same and Europe stops purchasing Russian oil, Trump said.

Drone strike reported at Russian oil refinery 1400 km from Ukraine. Eyewitness videos posted online show flames and a drone over Ufa, but officials have not confirmed any strike on the Novo-Ufa refinery.

Ukrainian drones shutdown of Russia’s key Baltic oil terminal for first time. Ukrainian Security Service drones struck Russia’s Primorsk oil port on 12 Sept, damaging two shadow fleet tankers and forcing the first-ever suspension of operations at the Baltic Sea terminal that exports $100 million worth of oil products daily.

Poland announces the start of NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission. French military transport aircraft have begun delivering armaments for Rafale fighters to Poland as NATO’s “Eastern Sentry” mission becomes operational

Estonia сloses eastern border airspace after drone attacks hit St. Petersburg. Finland, Latvia and Estonia have now all restricted civilian flights near their Russian borders as Ukrainian drone operations targeting facilities in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region

From Catherine II to Putin: How a Swedish flag became symbol of resistance in occupied Ukraine. A Swedish flag gifted by King Carl XVI Gustaf to a Ukrainian village in 2008 survived 8.5 months hidden from Russian occupation forces

EU’s Kallas: “Territorial concessions to Russia would bring more war, not less”

. The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas identified a deliberate Russian pattern of demanding non-existent rights, issuing threats, then mobilizing Western voices to offer Moscow exactly what it never possessed

Russia launches military satellite and student-built spacecraft from Arctic base. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from Plesetsk Cosmodrome carrying the Mozhaets-6 satellite to test astronavigation systems alongside an undisclosed military spacecraft.

Russian Forces use gas pipeline network for third infiltration operation into Kupiansk – Deep State. Russian infiltrators are using electric scooters and wheeled stretchers to navigate underground pipeline systems to prevent significant casualties

Prince Harry receives Ukrainian borsch during Kyiv visit, honoring Princess Diana’s favorite dish. Prince Harry’s 12 Sept visit to support wounded Ukrainian veterans included an unexpected culinary connection to his late mother, as local chef Yevhen Klopotenko served dishes based on Princess Diana’s documented preference for Ukrainian borsch.

Polish parliament adopts new law on aid to Ukrainians after Nawrocki’s veto. President Karol Nawrotcki’s August veto prompted Parliament to pass alternative legislation requiring Ukrainian refugees to earn at least 50% of minimum wage or attend school for 800+ family benefits

NATO’s Eastern Guardian Operation won’t cover Ukrainian airspace, Commander confirms. NATO launched Operation Eastern Guardian in direct response to Russian drone breaches of Polish territory on 10 Sept., but ruled out extending the air defense operation over Ukraine

Zelenskyy: Ukraine offers to intercept Russian targets together with NATO. President Zelenskyy called for accelerated security guarantee negotiations with NATO allies, proposing joint air defense operations

Read our previous daily report here.

Today the biggest news comes from the Pokrovsk direction.

Here, Ukrainian forces are closing the gap around the remaining Russian forces in their Dobropillia salient. As Ukrainians finish off pockets of Russian resistance, the Russians’ only hope is to surrender to the advancing Ukrainian army or be annihilated completely.

After conducting a successful penetration from the high ground in the west, Ukrainians are now launching their attacks from the north as well, well, completing the pincer around the Russian Dobropillia salient.

Ukrainians are using highly trained infantry squads to move in, engaging with Russian forces along the way.

Superior supply lines give Ukraine tactical edge

The main advantage of the Ukrainians here is their far superior ground lines of communication, enjoying a direct supply line from Kramatorsk and Ruzhivka, functioning as central operating hubs for Ukrainian forces in northern Donetsk.

Additionally, if we take a look at the topographic map, we can see that as the Ukrainian supply lines approach the front, they cross through several settlements in the valley between two hills.

This blocks signals for Russian drones, who mainly rely on FPV-type kamikaze drones, in stead of munitions dropped from drones.

Russian fiber optics also still only makes up approximately 20% of FPVs used by the Russians, so the valley Ukrainians move through is largely protected against most Russian strikes.

The buildings in the settlements and tree lines running along them offer additional concealment factors to Ukrainian infantry units passing through.

Heavy drones dominate battlefield from above

The last major Ukrainian advantage is their extensive utilization of heavy drones like the Heavy Vampire and Baba Yaga variants.

Because these drones drop heavy explosives or a series of smaller mortar rounds from a height, they are able to fly and hover above the valley, unaffected by the weaker signal strength that Russians suffer from lower to the ground.

Coordinated assault eliminates Russian positions

Geolocated footage shows how Ukrainian infantry squads move south through the settlements under the watchful eye and in constant communication with Mavic reconnaissance drones that detect any Russian presence.

The Ukrainian squad initially engaged the position with grenade launchers using high explosive rounds.

However the rounds were not penetrating into the basement, where some of the Russians were hiding, so to save manpower, ammunition and time, a Vampire hexacopter drone was called in.

The drone then dropped four mortar rounds directly on the basement, wiping out the structure and scoring several direct hits into the underground structure itself.

Russian infantry attempting to flank Ukrainian attacks from the high ground to the east are also promptly intercepted by Ukrainian FPV drones patrolling the area, as signal strengths are much less disrupted on the high ground and the slopes that the Russians must move across first.

Systematic advance tightens the noose

In this manner, Ukrainians are systematically moving south. south, having already consolidated full control of Volodymyrivka and expanding the grey zone to fully encompass the Russian salient.

As you remember from a previous report, Ukrainians avoided finishing off the two Russian encirclements further north to lure more Russian forces in to attempt to rescue them, while keeping them away from important positions.

However, with the trap now sprung, there is little reason to keep these pockets alive and the final clearing operations have begun.

Final clearing operations eliminate remaining pockets

Ukrainian soldiers on the ground report that the western pocket has been cleared completely, as their attention is now moving to the one to the east.

Every Russian is first offered surrender and to be taken as a prisoner of war, however if they hold out and refuse they are promptly dispatched, as Ukrainian forces are much needed elsewhere, and maintaining a tight perimeter costs a lot of resources.

Overall, Ukrainians are closing the gates and finishing off any Russian soldiers who remain. remain, as Ukrainian soldiers on the ground are already reporting that the Prisoner of War Exchange Fund is rapidly being replenished.

In the grey zone, Russian units moving through are now eliminated by drones, as Ukrainian infantry is making their way forward, leaving the fields covered in Russian bodies.

Russian command faces reckoning

The Russian Dobropillia breakthrough event is coming to a close, as many Russian generals will soon start shifting the blame to one another, as a hammer of consequences is sure to soon come from the direction of Moscow.

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that while Ukraine maintains control of the battlefield, the situation remains highly complex due to the scale of Russian forces and rapid shifts in drone and electronic warfare technology.

“As for the battlefield, the situation is not simple. It is complicated by the number of enemy forces, the number of drones, and changing technologies: today one type of drone is in use – one electronic warfare (EW) system works; tomorrow drones change, engines change – and other EW systems operate. What’s most important to understand is this: we are controlling the front,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. 

He dismissed claims of major Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, calling such narratives disinformation. “Russians are far better at disinformation than they are on the battlefield,” he said.

“They have more troops than Ukrainians – that is their advantage. Their strongest grouping is in the east, but they are in very difficult conditions,” he continued, adding that predictions of Russia occupying the entire east in a matter of months were “lies,” arguing that such an outcome would take years, if at all.

Zelenskyy also urged closer coordination between Western and Ukrainian intelligence, calling for daily consultations “directly from the battlefield” to counter Russian narratives.

The fighting in Ukraine’s eastern regions has intensified in recent months, with Russia massing around 150,000 troops near Pokrovsk and cutting key supply routes amid heavy bombardment. Ukrainian forces, however, have carried out counterattacks, including the liberation of Novomykhailivka and strikes on Russian command centers, even as Russian assaults and civilian casualties continue to mount.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski questioned the effectiveness of discussion about security guarantees for Ukraine, suggesting the term itself may be misleading, according to European Pravda.

In recent months, Ukraine’s western partners have been discussing “security guarantees” aimed at preventing further Russian aggression in the event of a ceasefire. 

Proposed measures include formal security treaties, peacekeeping forces, military support, and economic sanctions. However, the effectiveness of these guarantees remains unproven, as they largely depend on Russia agreeing to a ceasefire in the first place.

Speaking at the annual Yalta European Strategy meeting in Kyiv, Sikorski said that Ukraine already had “guarantees”, even if they were called differently, in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. 

The Budapest Memorandum was an agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom that was intended to safeguard Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in exchange for Kyiv giving up its nuclear arsenal. The memorandum ultimately failed when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014.

Sikorski argued that any new, more concrete guarantees would likely fail to deter Russian aggression.

“The purpose of security guarantees is to deter Russia from renewed aggression. In essence, if we give security guarantees to Ukraine, we are saying we could go to war against Russia,” Sikorski said. 

“I don’t think that’s convincing. Who wants to fight Russia? I don’t see many volunteers. In international relations, nothing is worse than offering guarantees that are not trusted.”

Sikorski called for a shift in focus away from guarantees, urging instead for monitoring of peace and strengthening Ukraine’s capabilities. 

He emphasized prioritizing military and financial support, warning that prolonged discussions on guarantees could distract policymakers from urgent funding needs for 2026 and 2027.

Romanian authorities issued an alert on Saturday for the northern area of Tulcea County after a Russian drone was detected in the country’s airspace, Romanian media outlet Digi24.ro reports. Citizens were warned of potential falling objects and urged to take protective measures.

The incident follows a pattern of Russian drones violating NATO airspace in recent days. On 10 September, a wave of Russian drones entered Poland, causing alarm among NATO members. 

The Romanian Ministry of National Defence said two F-16 fighter jets from Fetesti Air Base took off at 18:05 to monitor the airspace near the border with Ukraine, following Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian infrastructure along the nearby Danube river. 

The jets detected the drone near Chilia Veche, tracking it for roughly 50 minutes as it operated about 10 kilometers inside Romanian territory before disappearing from radar. 

The drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no imminent threat to civilians. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the incident, noting that Russian drones were active throughout the day in various regions of Ukraine. 

“The Russian military clearly knows the targets of their drones and how long they can stay in the air. Flight routes are always carefully calculated,” Zelenskyy said. 

“This cannot be accidental, a mistake, or the result of rogue actions by lower-level commanders. This is a deliberate expansion of the war by Russia.”

Zelenskyy called for sanctions, trade tariffs, and a coordinated system of collective defense. He said Ukraine has urged its partners to establish such protections proactively, warning against waiting for further drone or missile attacks before taking action.

The Tulcea Emergency Situations Inspectorate emphasized that Romania’s territory is not the direct target of Russian attacks and that the air alert, lasting roughly 90 minutes, was precautionary. 

Poland also responded to a separate threat on Saturday, mobilizing military aircraft after Russian drones were reported in Ukrainian regions bordering the country.

Polish authorities scrambled fighter jets and suspended operations at Lublin Airport on Saturday after reports of Russian drones in Ukrainian regions near the Polish border.

The incident comes after a wave of Russian drones entered Poland on 10 September, prompting NATO to review its eastern defenses. 

“Due to the threat of drone strikes in Ukrainian regions bordering Poland, military aircraft have been deployed in our airspace,” the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said on Facebook. 

“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have been placed on the highest state of readiness,” the statement continued.

The Operational Command said that the measures are preventive, aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish airspace and protecting citizens near areas under threat. 

US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on 13 September that the United States would impose “major sanctions” on Russia only if NATO nations agreed to do the same and stopped purchasing Russian oil.

These remarks come after Axios reported that, despite his public promises to end the war in Ukraine, Trump is having doubts about his ability to influence Putin. A source told Axios that Trump has “misjudged Putin’s desire for peace.”

Trump has repeatedly threatened harsher US sanctions on Russia if no ceasefire is reached with Ukraine. He has set several deadlines this year, all of which have been missed, yet no new sanctions have been imposed by the administration.

In the post, Trump appeared to shift responsibility for US sanctions onto NATO and European allies.

He argued that European reliance on Russian oil weakens NATO’s bargaining power and called for additional tariffs on China, which he said holds significant influence over Moscow.

“I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote.

Hungary and Slovakia continue to buy Russian oil, despite criticism from US, European, and Ukrainian officials.

Trump also said that NATO should also place 50% to 100% tariffs on China, claiming that this will help end the war in Ukraine. 

He added that “This is not TRUMP’S WAR, it is Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s WAR. I am only here to help stop it, and save thousands of Russian and Ukrainian lives.”

Russia has dramatically scaled up attacks on civilian areas since Trump took office in January. 

Footage circulating on Russian social media on Saturday suggests that Ukrainian long-range drones have struck the Novo-Ufa oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa, Bashkortostan, nearly 1400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The strike on Novo-Ufa marks one of the deepest drone attacks inside Russian territory since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

According to local Telegram channels, an explosion was recorded at the refinery at around 13:30, allegedly caused by drone impact.

Eyewitness footage appeared to show flames at the site as well as a drone flying over one of Ufa’s neighborhoods.

By evening, the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, confirmed that the Novo-Ufa refinery had been attacked by long-range drones.

Khabirov said security forces shot down a drone that crashed on the refinery grounds, sparking a fire and minor damage but no casualties. Another drone was later downed nearby, with the scale of its impact still under review.

Earlier in the day, Russian media, citing the aviation agency Rosaviatsia, reported that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at Ufa Airport at about 14:20. The reason was not officially disclosed.

The Novo-Ufa refinery, operated by Russian oil company Bashneft, is one of three major oil processing facilities in Ufa. Together, they form a refining hub with an output exceeding 20 million tons annually. Novo-Ufa alone is estimated to have a capacity of 7.5 million tons of crude oil per year.

This is not the first reported drone strike at the complex. In March, Ukrainian drones allegedly struck the nearby Orgsintez plant, part of the same refining cluster, sparking explosions and a large-scale fire.

As of now, Ukrainian authorities have issued no official statement confirming an attack on the Novo-Ufa refinery. 

Estonia has imposed temporary flight restrictions along its entire eastern border following increased military activity in Russia’s Leningrad region, according to ERR.

The restrictions, which affect flights up to 6,000 meters altitude, will operate nightly from 8 PM to 7 AM for the coming weeks. The measure responds to heightened activity from Russian forces and Ukrainian drones operating in the border area.

“We are only restricting part of aviation activity. In simple terms, this means that those who contact us and justify their actions, like the Police and Border Guard Department last night when they searched for a missing person using a drone, can continue working,” explained Estonian Air Force Commander Riivo Valge.

The flight ban aims to reduce the number of objects air surveillance operators must track.

“If an incident occurs, it will be easier to remove civilian aircraft from the zone or land them,” Valge added.

Estonia’s Defense Forces will conduct detailed air surveillance, training exercises, and flexible airspace protection in the region over the coming weeks. The restrictions followed the closure of St. Petersburg’s airspace due to drone attacks on 11 September.

“We received information that Petersburg’s airspace was closed due to an attack. We carefully observed Russian aircraft and helicopters near our borders and strengthened our surveillance capabilities. This happened last night,” Valge said.

The measures initially affected the Helsinki-Tartu airline route. Air Traffic Control Service representative Mihkel Haug noted that information arrived unexpectedly and rapidly Wednesday.

“Our goal is passenger and pilot safety. Therefore, the initial measures were strict. Today we reviewed the restricted zone, discussed with the Air Force the part of the zone needed by Finnair for Tartu flights at certain hours, and made it free,” Haug said.

Finnair confirmed it can operate under the modified conditions after the Air Force officially changed the restricted zone boundaries.

Estonia’s Defense Forces maintain their threat assessment remains unchanged, with no direct or immediate military threat to the country. However, the region has experienced increased air incidents caused by Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.

Finland and Latvia have introduced similar flight restriction zones in their border areas.

On 25 August, a farmer in Estonia’s Tartu County discovered fragments of a strike drone with an explosion crater at the site. Security Police assessed the drone crashed in Estonia early Sunday morning and may have been Ukrainian.

The drone attacks targeted objects in St. Petersburg and the oil terminal at Ust-Luga port near Estonia’s border. Multiple Russian airports introduced restrictions and airlines modified their schedules in response to the incidents.

Military officials say it remains too early to determine how long the flight restrictions will remain in place.

Ukraine’s new Ambassador to Sweden, Svitlana Zalishchuk, presented King Carl XVI Gustaf with a photograph showing residents of the now-occupied village of Zmiivka holding a Swedish flag that the monarch himself had gifted during his 2008 visit to Kherson Oblast.

Zalishchuk shared the story on Facebook following her credentials presentation ceremony with the Swedish king. She reminded him of his 2008 visit to Kherson Oblast, when he traveled to the village then known as Staroshvedske, now called Zmiivka.

The village has unique historical significance. In the late 18th century, Russian Empress Catherine II relocated Swedes from present-day Estonia to the Kherson Oblast. “They essentially became internally displaced persons of imperial times. But despite several centuries spent away from their homeland, they preserved their identity: traditions, language, church rituals,” Zalishchuk explained. “I knew that the King cares deeply about this village.”

To gather current information about Zmiivka, one of the embassy’s diplomats contacted Oleksandr Alchiev, head of the Beryslav Civil-Military Administration. Alchiev reported that despite Russian shelling and damage to the school, church, and other buildings, residents managed to save the Swedish flag that the king had personally brought to the village community in 2008.

According to Zalishchuk’s account, the flag had hung in the village council building from the time of the royal visit until Russia’s full-scale invasion. When Russians occupied the village in 2022, they attempted to confiscate the flag “because Sweden is an ‘unfriendly’ country.”

“But then village head Mykola Kuryvchak, by hook or by crook, saved the flag and hid it for 8.5 months. The flag survived. Although it was damaged because it was stored in a house that was hit. And after the village’s liberation, it was taken to a safe place,” the ambassador recounted.

Zalishchuk showed the Swedish monarch a special photograph taken by Zmiivka residents featuring the preserved flag.

“To show that Russians may succeed in destroying our buildings. But they cannot reach some important things,” she said, adding: “You can imagine how touched he was.”

The residents of Zmiivka, who are now internally displaced due to ongoing shelling, quickly organized to create the commemorative photograph for the king. The ambassador noted the historical parallel, describing current villagers as displaced persons from “the same empire” that originally relocated their Swedish ancestors centuries earlier.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas warns that even discussing possible territorial concessions by Ukraine means falling into a Russian trap, according to an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

Kallas outlined what she described as Russia’s classic three-step negotiation tactic: “First, Moscow demands something that never belonged to it. Then follow ultimatums and threats of violence. Finally, voices in the West are mobilized that are ready to offer Russia exactly what it never had before.”

The Estonian diplomat was commenting on German polls showing that a majority of Germans support territorial concessions by Ukraine for the sake of peace.

“In the end, the Russians get more than they ever dared to dream. This discussion about possible territorial concessions is a trap, and we must not fall into it,” Kallas said, according to the report.

She emphasized that Russia wants the West to debate what Ukraine should give up for peace while completely ignoring that the Kremlin itself has made no concessions so far.

“The Russians want us to discuss what Ukraine should give up for peace, while it is completely overlooked that the Kremlin itself has not made any concessions so far,” she said.

According to the diplomat, the Kremlin now sells it as a compromise if it “only” keeps the territories it has already conquered. “But that is not really a compromise if completely excessive demands were made beforehand. That’s why I say once again: We must not fall into Putin’s trap. Our goal must be that this war does not pay off for Putin. The reward for aggression would bring more war, not less,” Kallas stressed.

The interview comes as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, on the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland, recalled that these events were preceded by attempts to appease the aggressor and called for not making the same mistake now regarding Ukraine.

Many top officials from Central and Eastern Europe have already drawn comparisons between current negotiations around Ukraine and the “Munich Agreement” of 1938, along with other warnings about the inadmissibility of concessions to Russia based on lessons from World War II.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported the successful launch of a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region on 13 September, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

The launch deployed two spacecraft into orbit: a military satellite serving Defense Ministry interests and the Mozhaets-6 educational-research apparatus. Space forces personnel from Russia’s Aerospace Forces conducted the operation.

“On 13 September 2025, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk region), a combat crew of the Aerospace Forces’ space troops conducted the launch of the medium-class Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a spacecraft in the interests of the Defense Ministry of Russia and the educational-research spacecraft Mozhaets-6,” the ministry stated, according to the report.

The Mozhaets-6 satellite represents an academic project developed by a student at the Mozhaisky Military Space Academy. The Defense Ministry specified that the apparatus was “designed for working out astronavigation algorithms.”

The launch marks another deployment from Plesetsk, Russia’s primary military launch facility located approximately 800 kilometers north of Moscow. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket serves as a workhorse for Russian military and commercial satellite deployments.

No details were provided regarding the military spacecraft’s specific mission or operational parameters. 

Ukrainian military analysts from the DeepState project report that Russian forces have used underground pipes for the third time to infiltrate their groups, following previous incidents near Sudzha, Russia, and in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

According to DeepState, “Entrances to the pipe are located in the Lyman Pershyi area. For movement through the pipe, specially developed wheeled stretchers are used, as well as electric scooters where height allows.”

The infiltration route represents a four-day journey to the outskirts of Kupiansk.

“The route to the vicinity of Kupiansk takes approximately 4 days, so special rest areas and food supplies have been prepared along the way,” DeepState analysts reported.

According to the Deep State, organized Russian groups reach Radkivka without serious losses, and then move south to the forest they control. After this, they disperse in Kupiansk and reach the railway.

Once in Kupiansk, Russian forces have established operational infrastructure. According to the analysts, positions for launching Russian FPV pilots are already present within the city itself.

The presence of Russian forces in Kupiansk creates additional operational challenges for Ukrainian forces. Deep State reported that the problem lies in the absence of forced evacuation of local residents who remain in the same buildings as the enemy, which prevents strikes from being carried out.

This infiltration method follows a pattern established in March, when approximately one hundred Russian military personnel passed through a gas pipeline to Defense Forces positions in the Sudzha area on the morning of 8 March.

Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko prepared traditional Ukrainian dishes for Prince Harry during his recent visit to Ukraine, drawing inspiration from Princess Diana’s documented love for borsch.

Klopotenko wrote on social media that when he learned of Prince Harry’s arrival in Ukraine, he “immediately thought: he must taste what his mother loved.” The chef referenced a story about an English woman who once wrote to the palace asking about Princess Diana’s favorite dish.

“The answer was simple — borshch soup. A bit adapted, but the essence remains,” Klopotenko said.

According to foreign media reports from 2022, a charitable organization for elderly homes in Johannesburg, South Africa, contacted celebrities in 1981 requesting favorite recipes for a new cookbook. Among the responses discovered years later was a letter from Princess Diana confirming her love for borsch.

Working with the restaurant “100 Years Forward,” Klopotenko prepared borsch, buckwheat porridge, vereshchaka, and syrnyky for the prince. He took all the dishes with him on the train and gave Prince Harry his phone number, asking him to “write to me when you cook it.”

“Because Ukrainian food is not just about satiation. It’s about us, about roots and even about royal families,” Klopotenko wrote.

Prince Harry arrived in Kyiv on 12 September at the invitation of the Ukrainian government. The visit aimed to support thousands of servicemen who suffered serious injuries during the Russian-Ukrainian war. This marked his second visit to Ukraine, following an April trip to Superhumans in Lviv with an Invictus Games delegation.

During the current visit, the delegation met with over 250 veterans and Invictus Games participants. The Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry, have demonstrated in various countries that sport serves as a powerful tool for veteran rehabilitation and reintegration.

After meeting with veterans, Prince Harry visited the memorial for fallen soldiers on Independence Square and a residential building destroyed during a recent attack on the capital.

“Thank you, Ukraine, for showing the world who you really are. This is extremely powerful, and the world will always stand with Ukraine,” Prince Harry said.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko showed the Prince damage to the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv from Russian attacks. Prince Harry also witnessed destruction of civilian buildings and memorial sites honoring heroes.

Ukrainian forces struck and damaged another ship supporting Russia’s war effort on the Black Sea on Thursday night.

Another ship strike isn’t remarkable. In the 43 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine, the Ukrainians have sunk or damaged roughly a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s three dozen warships. Most notably, the cruiser Moskva, holed by two Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles way back in April 2022.

What’s notable about the Thursday strike on the Project MPSV07 rescue and salvage ship was how and where Ukrainian operators hit it. The 73-m salvage ship, operated by Russia’s auxiliary rescue agency, was patrolling just outside the port of Novorossiysk, in southern Russia, 400 km from the front line.

Rather than send a squadron of comparatively slow drone boats or expend a precious cruise missile that might cost $1 million or more, the Ukrainian military intelligence service, the HUR, flew a fixed-wing attack drone at very low altitude all the way to Novorossiysk, and struck the Project MPSV07’s bridge area, where many of the most delicate electronics are.

The hit on the Project MPSV07 had the effect of “destroying its electronic warfare systems and forcing it out of action,” the Ukrainian strategic communications service announced.

The raid came just two weeks after a Ukrainian drone team scored a hit on a Black Sea Fleet missile corvette in a similar way—by maneuvering an attack drone at wave-top height and striking the corvette’s topside electronics.

Blowing up topside radar masts and satellite receivers with a small drone might not sink a ship, but it can inflict a lot of difficult-to-repair damage—and at low cost and risk to the attacker. Even the priciest attack drones cost just $200,000; most are in the range of five figures.

It’s worth noting that the Project MPSV07 is an ice-hardened vessel, with a reinforced hull for sailing through icy northern waters. All that extra steel makes a Project MPSV07 a harder target than, say, a thinner-hulled missile corvette.

In that context, the attack on the vessel’s electronics makes even more sense. The Ukrainians hit the ship where it’s most vulnerable.

Rolling back the air defenses

The virtuosic raid didn’t come together overnight. Until recently, the waters around Russian-occupied Crimea were protected by one of the densest air-defense networks in the world: dozens of Russian radars, mobile guns, surface-to-air missile vehicles, and batteries, including long-range S-300 and S-400 SAM sites.

Moreover, Ukraine’s Starlink satellite terminals, which most of its drones rely on for control and communication, work just fine over Crimea. They generally don’t work over Russia proper—likely a deliberate choice by Starlink founder Elon Musk.

Bayraktar is back—and it’s all over Crimea

That the airspace over and around Crimea is becoming more favorable to Ukraine is evident—and not only in the Thursday hit on that Russian salvage ship. Ukraine’s Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 drones are now very active over Crimea, flinging tiny precision missiles at Russian boats and other equipment.

Explore further

Ukraine just brought back its Bayraktar TB-2 drones—and they’re breaking through Russia’s air defenses

Ukraine’s 60 or so TB-2 led Ukraine’s initial drone counterattack in the first weeks of Russia’s wider invasion in early 2022. However, the big, expensive TB-2—it weighs nearly 700 kg and costs millions of dollars—eventually lost relevance.

TB-2s were big, fat, and hard to replace. Smaller, better, and cheaper drones—many of them made in Ukraine—soon displaced the surviving TB-2s.

That some TB-2s are back in action over Crimea speaks to the insatiable demand for drones as Russia’s wider war grinds into its 43rd month. But it also points to yawning gaps in Russia’s air defenses.

The TB-2s were vulnerable three years ago. They’re even more vulnerable now, but only when the Russians can deploy their best air defenses.

It’s clear that, over southern waters, the Russians can’t deploy their best air defenses. At least, not without them swiftly coming under attack by the very drones they’re supposed to defeat.

Explore further

Spasatel Ilyin was the Russian ship hit near Novorossiysk by aerial drone—captain injured, ship disabled

The Polish Sejm approved new legislation on 13 September, regulating the status of Ukrainian citizens who fled Russia’s full-scale invasion and their eligibility for financial assistance, according to the Polish media PAP.

The bill, passed with 227 votes in favor, 194 against, and seven abstentions, emerged after President Karol Nawrotcki vetoed earlier amendments to the so-called 800+ aid program for Ukrainian citizens in Poland at the end of August.

“The 800+ benefit should only go to those Ukrainians who work in Poland,” Nawrotcki explained his decision to reject the previous legislation.

The new law ties benefit eligibility to professional activity and children’s enrollment in Polish schools, with exceptions for people with disabilities. Foreigners must earn at least 50% of the minimum wage – 2,333 zloty gross in 2025 – to qualify for payments.

Polish authorities will conduct monthly checks on whether Ukrainians are working, suspending 800+ payments for those who are not. The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will also verify through Border Guard records whether Ukrainian citizens have left Poland.

The legislation introduces mandatory PESEL numbers for benefit applicants and their children to improve identification. Officials will verify children’s presence in Polish territory when assigning these identification numbers.

Healthcare access for adult Ukrainian citizens faces new restrictions under the law, limiting medical rehabilitation, dental treatment, and pharmaceutical programs.

The Sejm extended the legal status of Ukrainians who fled the war until 4 March 2026, aligning with the European Union Council decision. Current regulations provide temporary protection until the end of September 2025, after which Ukrainians would face problems with legal employment.

Deputies rejected several opposition amendments during the vote. The Law and Justice (PiS) party’s proposals for harsher penalties for illegal border crossings, anti-Bandera propaganda laws, and extending the residency requirement for Polish citizenship from three to 10 years all failed.

Claudia Jachira from the Civic Coalition wanted to link 800+ benefits to employment activity for both foreigners and Polish citizens, but her amendment was rejected. The Together (Razem) group’s proposal to restore previous benefit conditions also lacked support.

The new regulations integrate databases from various institutions to monitor foreigners’ eligibility and eliminate benefit fraud attempts. The law takes effect the day after publication in the Official Journal.

NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Aleksus Hrinkevich declined to commit to shooting down Russian missiles and drones over western Ukraine during a press conference on Operation Eastern Guardian, the Alliance’s new air defense mission.

When asked by a journalist whether NATO countries on the eastern flank should intercept Russian projectiles approaching their borders over western Ukraine, and whether it was time to “fully integrate” with Kyiv since both face “the same enemy,” Hrinkevich said with measured restraint.

“I would say that Eastern Guardian is focused on defending Alliance territory,” the commander added.

The general said that he sees no conflict between individual countries’ support for Ukraine and their contributions to Operation Eastern Guardian.

The operation emerges as NATO’s direct response to repeated violations of member states’ airspace, particularly by Russian drones over Poland. The Alliance announced the mission would begin “in the coming days” and continue for an indefinite period.

The timing follows a series of escalating incidents. On 10 September, Russian drones breached Polish airspace. President Zelenskyy said the following day that Russia may have deliberately targeted Poland to prevent Ukraine from receiving air defense systems before winter.

NATO’s announcement of Operation Eastern Guardian came one day after Zelenskyy’s remarks, signaling the Alliance’s commitment to protecting member territories while maintaining its current approach to Ukraine support.

The operation represents NATO’s most direct military response to Russian incursions into member state airspace since the war began, though Hrinkevich’s comments indicate the mission will focus strictly on Alliance territory rather than extending defensive cover over Ukrainian airspace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine proposes joint interception of Russian aerial targets with NATO forces, according to his statement following a meeting with advisors to the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, and Italy.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized the urgent need to finalize security guarantees currently being developed by the advisors, citing Moscow’s escalating behavior.

“Russia not only shows no desire to end the war, but resorts to escalation, to real threats to Europe,” Zelenskyy said, referencing drone launches into Poland.

“We also discussed our state’s readiness to share experience and contribute to NATO’s common defense. We propose to jointly intercept all Russian targets,” the president said.

The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about NATO’s defensive posture. Earlier, Supreme Allied Commander Europe Christopher Cavoli was asked whether it was time to shoot down Russian targets over western Ukraine as they approach the border. The military leader responded that under the new “Eastern Guardian” operation, the Alliance focuses on defending NATO territory.

Zelenskyy said that security guarantee negotiations must be accelerated, pointing to what he described as Moscow’s continued threats to European security through cross-border drone operations.

Exclusives

Russia’s war games on NATO’s doorstep: “unstoppable” missile, nukes—and SIM-card drones. This year’s Zapad drills feature the testing of the new Oreshnik missile, nuclear decision-making scenarios, and evidence of Russian drones using Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards to probe NATO’s defenses.

IMF finds Ukraine needs $20bn more than estimated as US support dwindles. Ukraine’s funding needs through 2027 may be $20 billion higher than Kyiv estimates.

Mystery in Donetsk: did Ukraine just launch a secret cruise missile?. Ukraine launched a barrage of drones and missiles to slow Russian reinforcements massing in Donetsk. Did the raid reveal a new missile?

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.

Latest News

Fri Sep 12 2025

Ukraine’s General Staff considers turning off mobile network during alarm – media. Ukraine’s military leadership is evaluating emergency mobile network shutdowns during air attacks as Russian forces potentially exploit telecommunications infrastructure for drone guidance systems

“Eastern Sentry” – NATOs new plan to defend from Russian drones. NATO Secretary General and SACEUR announced a new defensive operation combining air, ground, and counter-drone capabilities, in response to recent Russian drone incursions into NATO territory.

After 19 drones cross border, Poland’s Foreign Minister says diplomacy channels stay open. Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukraine prove Moscow is not ready for peace, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorsky said

Ukraine quietly hits key Russian fuel node—twice in one week (video). New footage confirms a repeat strike on the fuel pumping station linking Russia’s Ryazan and Moscow.

Ukraine stops Russia’s offensive in Sumy Oblast – Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian troops have lost their ability to advance in Sumy oblast after repeated Ukrainian defensive operations.

Claims of Ukrainian provocation over drone attacks echo Russian propaganda – Polish FM Sikorski

. Calling the drone intrusion “a moment of truth,” Sikorski insisted Poland is certain the attack was a Russian operation, not an accident.

Frontline Report: Domestic missiles give Ukraine the edge – Russian generals eliminated before major assault begins. Ukrainian intelligence tracked Russian reinforcement convoys through hacked traffic cameras and partisan networks before launching precision strikes that eliminated dozens of high-ranking officers.

Preparing for another brutal Ukrainian winter, EU allocates €40 million to protect civilians. In previous winters, Ukraine has faced increased Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, leaving millions across the country without light and heating during the cold months.

Russian gas stations are shutting down across 10 regions—but Moscow blames vacation season, not Ukrainian drones. Russian officials deflect from strike campaign impact as fuel union reveals weeks-long delivery failures, ISW says.

Israel sends cops and medics into wartime Ukraine — to protect pilgrims at a rabbi’s grave. Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews will arrive in Uman despite Russian missile threats.

Ukraine slashes red tape, saves citizens $12 billion with genius app. According to government calculations, citizens using Diia pay six times less for services than offline procedures.

SIM cards in downed drones expose Russia’s months-long plan to target Poland and Lithuania. Russia prepared drone strikes on Poland and Lithuania for months, using local SIM cards to test network connectivity.

Rheinmetall to build shell factory in Ukraine after finalizing joint production procedures

. German defense giant moves forward with major manufacturing investment as cooperation deepens across multiple defense sectors.

UK responds to Russian aggression with Ukraine aid, not military escalation. British Foreign Secretary used her first official visit to Kyiv to send Moscow an unmistakable message.

Bundestag defense chief wants drone factories in Russia destroyed and NATO to shoot down Moscow’s drones. Chair of the German Bundestag Defense Committee Thomas Röwekamp stated that NATO should shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine and increase support to Kyiv to target their production facilities

Ukraine’s long arm: 1000 km deep, a drone ignites Russia’s Baltic Sea oil terminal near Finland. A ship caught fire and airports shut down as explosions echoed from Smolensk to Leningrad Oblast.

ISW: The Kremlin’s Europe distraction playbook just opened to the Balkans chapter. From airspace threats in Poland to Dodik’s referendum push, Russia’s divide-and-distract game expands.

A Shahed found its victim in Sumy—Russia’s second strike erased any chance of rescue from the rubble. Emergency crews in Sumy couldn’t reach the trapped man before Russia sent a follow-up drone to block recovery.

Moscow’s oil income squeezed as market surplus overwhelms war premium. Russian oil revenues hit wartime low as oversupply overwhelms geopolitics.

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.

Read our previous report here.

Ukraine’s General Staff is considering the possibility of shutting down mobile networks or significantly slowing mobile internet during air raid alerts to prevent Russian forces from using Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure for drone navigation, according to Suspilne media.

A source in the General Staff told the outlet that while current countermeasures are sufficient to prevent Russia from exploiting Ukraine’s mobile network for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation, the situation could change in the future.

“There is sense in such measures [turning off mobile networks]. How much this is needed depends on the specific situation and conditions. Therefore, it may be appropriate in some cases to apply a reduction in mobile internet speed to limit the operation of UAVs specifically in FPV mode,” the General Staff source said, referring to first-person view drones used in kamikaze attacks.

The effectiveness of such restrictions depends on the type of drone being used by Russian forces, the source explained. Drones without cameras do not require high internet speeds to transmit data, while camera-equipped UAVs need high-speed data transmission, making mobile network limitations particularly relevant for countering them.

“There is sense in applying mobile communication restrictions” specifically against camera-equipped drones, the source added.

The consideration comes after defense committee parliamentarian Fediyenko said in July that several measures were being explored to counter Russian Shahed drone attacks. These included identifying SIM cards on drones, shutting down mobile networks or internet, calculating and blocking these SIM cards.

The potential network restrictions represent a new phase in Ukraine’s electronic warfare efforts against Russian drone attacks, which have intensified throughout the war. The measure would affect civilian communications during air raids but aims to disrupt Russian military operations that may exploit Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure.

NATO has announced a new defensive initiative, “Eastern Sentry,” aimed at strengthening the alliance’s ability to respond to Russian drone incursions. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G. Grynkewich made the announcement at a joint press conference on 12 September 2025. 

This comes just two days after a wave of Russian drones entered Polish territory, sparking alarm among NATO members.

The operation is a direct response to Poland invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which calls for consultations among allies when a member’s territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.

Rutte said Eastern Sentry will bolster the eastern flank, ensuring the safety and security of alliance nations.

The operation will begin in the coming days and involve military assets from Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other member states.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the effort will combine traditional military capabilities with measures specifically designed to address drone threats. 

“Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture, and make clear that, as a defensive alliance, we are always ready to defend,” he said.

SACEUR highlighted that integrated air- and ground-based defenses will be central to the initiative. While the immediate focus is on Poland, he emphasized that the threat transcends national borders and affects the entire alliance. 

Eastern Sentry will enhance deterrence, increase information sharing, and allow rapid deployment of counter-drone technologies.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorsky said his country has no plans to sever diplomatic ties with Russia despite recent drone incursions, stating he sees no grounds for such action during a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv.

The Polish foreign minister’s comments came following Russia’s 10 September attack on Ukraine, during which at least 19 drones entered Polish airspace from Belarus in what Polish officials called the first direct incursion from Belarusian territory rather than accidental overflight from Ukraine.

“In diplomacy, communication channels are maintained not only with friends, but also with competitors and opponents. Therefore, as of now, I see no grounds for breaking off relations. The best response to Russian aggression will be solidarity with Ukraine and Western unity,” Sikorsky told journalists, according to Wyborcza.pl.

He explained that current diplomatic relations between Warsaw and Moscow consist of “mutual summons (of embassy heads) and delivery of protest notes,” while Russian diplomats face movement restrictions within Poland. Poland has already limited Russian diplomatic activity in certain voivodeships and called on European partners to reduce their numbers.

Drone incursion called “act of aggression”

Sikorsky characterized the drone intrusion as a “moment of truth” and rejected suggestions the incursion was accidental. “They flew in from Belarus, and it lasted seven hours. Anyone who says these are Ukrainian drones is repeating Russian propaganda,” he said.

Polish operational command of the Armed Forces labeled the 10 September incident an “act of aggression.” For the first time, Poland used aircraft weapons against the drones, temporarily closed four airports, and activated territorial defense reserves in border voivodeships.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted this marked the first time drones entered Poland directly from Belarus rather than from Ukraine “as a result of errors or minor Russian provocations.”

Poland invoked NATO Article 4, which provides for consultations when member states believe their territorial integrity, political independence or security faces threats. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it achieved all targets in Ukraine during the night attack and had not planned to strike objects on Polish territory.

Military cooperation expansion

The escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine demonstrates that Russia is not ready for peace and ceasefire, Sikorsky said. Against this backdrop, Poland is prepared to expand military cooperation with Ukraine.

“Poland was the biggest beneficiary [of aid], and we are ready to provide 40 million euros,” the Polish foreign minister announced.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha responded that Ukraine is ready to assist Poland in countering Russian threats. “Ukraine is already successfully repelling attacks. We need to work on a joint drone defense system,” he said.

Sybiha called for increased pressure on Moscow to achieve peace, specifically expanding sanctions on Russian banks and the “shadow fleet.” He added that he and Sikorsky “touched on the topic of the past” between the two nations, agreeing to facilitate “constructive dialogue on historical issues.”

Russian response and NATO consultation

The drone incident prompted Poland to request NATO Article 4 consultations for the first time regarding Russian actions. Polish territorial defense forces announced they might shorten response times for reservists in voivodeships bordering Ukraine.

Sikorsky also said that the intensification of Russian strikes following Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Donald Trump indicates Russia’s desire to continue its war of aggression.

Following the airspace violation, Polish military personnel will travel to Ukraine to learn drone interception techniques, according to previous reports.

Ukraine has struck the same Russian fuel facility for the second time in a week. The long-range drone attack targeted the Vtorovo pumping station, a critical node in Russia’s internal fuel infrastructure. Video of the surfaced on Ukrainian Telegram channels on 12 September. It is unclear if the strike took place on the same day or earlier.

Kyiv hits Vtorovo hub again

The video, shared by Telegram channel Supernova+, shows Ukrainian long-range drone Liutyi struck the Vtorovo pumping station, located in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast, for the second time since 7 September.

Ukrainian OSINT project Cyberboroshno analyzed the footage of the impact and concluded that the strike directly affected the overpass infrastructure carrying key operational systems. 

According to Cyberboroshno’s analysis, the drone hit a technical overpass structure at the station, damaging pipeline segments, signal cables, and power lines.

The station is owned by the company Verkhnevolzhsknefteprodukt, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned pipeline monopoly Transneft. It serves as an intermediate pumping point on the route from Vtorovo to Tuma and then to Ryazan, supporting diesel and aviation fuel transportation.

Vtorovo plays a critical role in maintaining pressure and flow within Russia’s main fuel pipeline network. It contains reserve tanks for operational stock and helps stabilize supply toward the Ryazan oil refinery. The station also oversees the eastern segment of the system, connecting the Upper Volga region with Ryazan.

Explore further

Russian gas stations are shutting down across 10 regions—but Moscow blames vacation season, not Ukrainian drones

First strike on 7 September

The first drone strike occurred on 7 September, when UAVs from Ukraine’s 14th regiment of unmanned systems hit the Vtorovo facility. Satellite imagery reviewed by Dnipro OSINT showed visible damage to two fuel reserve tanks. These tanks were part of the system used to maintain pipeline pressure and flow stability.

Following the 7 September attack, the commander of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Unmanned Systems, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), hinted at its impact.

“Fuel in Moscow is a bit glitchy, they say,” he noted, referencing damage to the Vtorovo pumping station and its link to the Moscow Ring Petroleum Products Pipeline.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Russian attempts to advance in the Sumy oblast have been fully repelled by Ukrainian forces.

Russian forces have been trying to break through Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast for months, but made little progress. 

Sumy Oblast is in northeastern Ukraine, bordering Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions. The city of Sumy lies about 15 miles from the Russian border, making the area a frequent target for Russian drones, missiles, and guided bombs.

Zelenskyy added that while fighting continues along the border, Russian units have lost their offensive capability due to heavy losses.

Last month, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian forces had been defeated in Sumy Oblast and lost several settlements. He added that Russia is now redeploying troops to other fronts, including Zaporizhzhia.

Although Russian forces initially captured several villages this year, they were ultimately halted by Ukrainian defenses.

Russia and Belarus have begun their joint military drills Zapad-2025, simulating missile attacks and nuclear scenarios. Analysts warn the exercises serve as both a rehearsal for war and a signal to NATO, echoing Soviet-era shows of force.

Missile launches and nuclear decision-making

Zapad-2025 started on 12 September and is scheduled to last until 16 September on Belarusian and Russian territory. One of the declared goals is to conduct missile launches, including tests of the Oreshnik system— a missile that Putin claims to be “unstoppable.”

The official theme is framed as the “application of groupings of troops in the interests of ensuring the military security of the Union State,” — Putin’s long-stalled project to absorb Belarus into a single country.

This year’s exercise will also simulate decision-making around the use of nuclear weapons and the deployment of nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles that Moscow has promised to transfer to Minsk.

While Russia has not disclosed exact numbers, Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed last December that “several dozen” tactical nuclear weapons were already on Belarusian soil.

According to the Chief of the General Staff of Belarus, the Zapad-2025 exercises on Belarusian territory will be held at three training grounds located in the Vitebsk, Minsk, and Hrodna regions.

Investigators from Skhemy tracked the buildup of Russian military equipment and the deployment of additional infrastructure in these areas, allowing them to localize the sites of the upcoming drills.

While Belarusian authorities have not officially disclosed the exact locations, Lukashenka confirmed that Zapad-2025 will take place at training grounds near the city of Barysaw.

Polish and NATO concerns grow

The drills follow the latest Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace, incidents that Warsaw says had been prepared for months. In anticipation of Zapad-2025, Poland has reinforced its eastern border with around 40,000 troops.

“Poland has been preparing for the Zapad manoeuvres for many months,” Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk told Polsat News.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned that “very aggressive scenarios” will be practiced, recalling that earlier Zapad exercises preceded Russia’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.

NATO radars and allied aircraft are on high alert, with Lithuania estimating that around 30,000 Russian and Belarusian troops will take part.

Signal to NATO and Ukraine

While Moscow insists the drills are defensive, Western analysts see Zapad as both a rehearsal for potential offensives and a political message. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the exercise could be “a cover” for further aggression against Ukraine’s western neighbors.

Even if smaller in scale than Zapad-2021, this year’s drills underscore Russia’s reliance on Belarus as a forward base, its willingness to rattle NATO with nuclear signalling, and its long-standing tradition of using military theatre — and now network warfare simulations — as geopolitical intimidation.

Poland has reinforced its eastern border with around 40,000 troops.

“Poland has been preparing for the Zapad manoeuvres for many months,” Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk told Polsat News.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned that “very aggressive scenarios” will be practiced, recalling that earlier Zapad exercises preceded Russia’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.

NATO radars and allied aircraft are on high alert, and Lithuania estimates that around 30,000 Russian and Belarusian troops will participate.

Historical context of Zapad

The Zapad (“West”) exercises date back to the Soviet era of the 1970s, when they were first designed to showcase nuclear strike capabilities and consolidate the unity of the Warsaw Pact.

Zapad-77 simulated nuclear strikes against NATO, while Zapad-81 became the largest Soviet military exercise ever, involving up to 150,000 troops and testing the SS-20 ballistic missile.

Declassified US intelligence reports from the 1980s described Zapad as one of the USSR’s most important military drills, aimed at testing wartime command structures and operational coordination across the Warsaw Pact.

Revived in 1999 under Vladimir Putin, Zapad was incorporated into a four-year cycle of large-scale Russian military exercises. Later versions integrated lessons from Russia’s wars in Crimea, Syria, and Ukraine, such as the use of drones for reconnaissance, tactical missile strikes, and counter-insurgency operations in urban areas.

The Veyshnoria precedent and hybrid “texting technologies”

The exercises have often included invented scenarios aimed at signalling to NATO and shaping perceptions abroad.

In Zapad-2017, Russia and Belarus staged combat against the fictional state of Veyshnoria— a “hostile” territory carved out of western Belarus, close to NATO borders. Analysts saw the scenario as a thinly veiled rehearsal for operations against Lithuania, Poland, or Ukraine, masked under the guise of fighting separatism.

Zapad-2025 builds on this legacy, introducing new layers of digital and communications warfare.

The discovery this summer of Russian drones using Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards reveals how Moscow tests invasion routes before using them. Since late 2023, Russia has equipped its Shahed attack drones with cellular modems—first Ukrainian SIM cards, then expanding to NATO countries.

In July, investigators found Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards in Russian drone wreckage shot down over Ukraine. Drones use cellular towers to triangulate navigation and transmit real-time targeting data while appearing as domestic mobile traffic.

Two months later, on September 9-10—just two days before Zapad-2025 began—Russian drones using Polish SIM cards violated Polish airspace. NATO fighters shot down at least four of 19 drones that crossed into Poland during Russia’s massive 415-drone attack on Ukraine.

Just as Veyshnoria was a fictional enemy created to test ground scenarios, Russia’s hijacking of local telecom networks signals Moscow’s intent to blend conventional and hybrid tactics in future conflict.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski dismissed suggestions that recent drone incursions into Polish airspace were linked to Ukrainian actions. He said the claims were either authored by or complicit with Russian propaganda.

This comes after a wave of drones entered Polish airspace on 10 September, engaging Polish air defences and causing alarm among NATO members. 

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Thursday, Sikorski stressed that the incident was a deliberate Russian operation, and not an accident.

“This intrusion into Polish and NATO airspace by Russian drones is a moment of truth, because these drones entered our airspace not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus. The air engagement lasted seven hours.

“This was not a coincidence, and anyone who claims it was a Ukrainian provocation is either the author of, or complicit in, Russian propaganda,” Sikorski said, according to a Ukrinform correspondent. 

He warned against repeating these disinformation narratives, and clarified that Poland is “confident these were Russian drones and that this was a Russian operation.” 

In Kyiv on 12 September, Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministers discussed boosting defense cooperation through joint ventures, arms production, and air defense initiatives, as well as sanctions on Russia and advancing historical reconciliation.

Today there are interesting updates from Donetsk. 

Here, as Russia had begun a massive regrouping, pulling in reinforcements from across its stagnating offensives to feed the fight for Pokrovsk, Ukraine struck a decisive blow. 

By launching a massive wave of coordinated strikes, the Ukrainian forces crippled three major command posts, eliminated dozens of high-ranking officers, completely beheading and halting the Russian offensive. 

Ukrainian intelligence tracks every Russian movement

Currently, Russian forces are undergoing a massive redeployment to reinforce and intensify the offensive towards Pokrovsk, while sacrificing several of their other offensives in the process. 

Ukrainian intelligence, however, left no movement unnoticed and tracked almost every Russian convoy. From hacked traffic cameras in the Russian rear, partisans reporting on troop trains, to deep reconnaissance by drones, Ukraine followed enemy columns across roads and tree lines. 

As you remember, loitering munitions already struck Russian troop movements en route, ensuring that even before reaching the front, Russia’s reinforcements were being bled dry. 

Coordinated strikes target three command centers

Ukrainians stepped up their efforts by using one of the newest missiles in its arsenal to strike Russian command headquarters and behead all enemy efforts. 

The centerpiece of Ukraine’s counter was a massive precision strike operation, with the first salvo slamming into the Topaz plant, once a Soviet electronics hub, and now a command post for the Russian army. 

At least five Peklo jet-powered drone missiles were caught on multiple geolocated videos before detonating in near-simultaneous strikes. Flames engulfed several buildings, with further images showing smoke clouds rising above the site.

A second strike smaller but just as targeted destroyed the command hub of the 41st Russian Combined Arms Army within the Research Institute of Complex Automation, where Russia had been directing operations in the region. 

The Russian military was also engaged in the operation of anti-aircraft fire in central Donetsk. 

Finally, another wave of Ukrainian long-range drones hit the command post of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division inside an industrial zone, demolishing the nerve center of one of Russia’s key forces attacking west of Donetsk. 

These three strikes occurring within minutes of each other stunned Russian defenses as eyewitnesses described anti-aircraft fire tracing the sky only after the missiles had already hit. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that dozens of Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across western Russia but made no mention of Donetsk itself.

Yet, the reality was clear. Ukrainian precision firepower had ripped through multiple headquarters complexes, with OSINT analysts confirming the hits were all crucial to Russia’s ongoing attempt to push toward Pokrovsk. 

Peklo missiles demonstrate Ukraine’s growing strike independence

The weapons Ukraine used underscored its growing independence in long-range warfare. Analysis of flight profiles and impact videos revealed the silhouette and attack pattern of Ukraine’s Peklo drone missiles.

Propeller-driven drones may have scouted the targets, but the strikes themselves were carried out by the jet-propelled cruise missile-style drones with a range of 700 km at speeds up to 700 km an hour. 

Developed domestically with 70% Ukrainian components, Peklo entered serial production with a target output of 100 pieces per month. With a warhead of 50 kg, it is designed to destroy hardened targets while overwhelming Russian air defenses, proving itself once again in the latest strike on Donetsk city. 

Immediate impact fractures Russian command structure

The result on the Russian offensive is immediate, with key headquarters destroyed, the Russian chain of command has become fractured, and communications from army leaders to units on the ground has been disrupted. 

Many officers familiar with the battle plans have been killed, as similar cases in the past show that such strikes caused paralysis within Russian military strength. That’s what happened. Nothing changed despite these attacks. Replacement officers need time to familiarize themselves with the battlefield and plan of attack, slowing decision-making and holding planned assaults. 

The timing also matters – meteorologists state that autumn rains are expected to commence the mud season by the end of September, threatening to bog down movements and choke supply lines. 

With their headquarters in flames and their commanders gone, Russia’s chances of reigniting momentum at Pokrovsk appear grim.

Strike showcases domestic missile capabilities

Overall, Ukraine’s wave of strikes has effectively cut off the head of the Russian offensive at Pokrovsk by demolishing enemy headquarters. 

Reportedly senior Russian generals were killed, whose identities are being clarified, but even the disruption alone forces Russia into crisis mode. 

For Ukraine, the operation showcased the strength of its domestically built Peklov system, as footage from multiple angles confirmed the missiles penetrated Donetsk unimpeded, proving that Russia’s vaunted air defenses remain full of gaps.

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 European Commission announced a new €40 million humanitarian package to support Ukrainians as they head into a fourth winter of full-scale war. 

Winters in Ukraine are harsh under normal circumstances, but the war has made them even more dangerous. Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s energy grid in previous winters, knocking out electricity and heating for millions. These attacks have left entire cities in freezing conditions, with civilians often forced to endure long nights without light or warmth. 

The EU says the new funding is focused on “strengthening the country’s preparedness for winter and protecting civilians against extreme cold.” 

Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management notes that “winter brings new hardships for millions of Ukrainians already suffering from the consequences of Russia’s war.”

Planned support includes providing shelter materials, repairing damaged homes and displacement centres, and improving access to heating, clean water, and sanitation.

These issues are especially pressing in winter months, when Russian strikes on infrastructure regularly disrupt living conditions and essential services. 

According to the Commission, the aid will prioritize the most vulnerable groups: elderly people, children, people with disabilities, and displaced people living in collective housing. 

This latest package adds to the EU’s broader humanitarian support for Ukraine, which has now reached several billion euros since the start of the invasion in 2022.

“The EU has channelled over 156,000 tonnes of relief supplies through its Civil Protection Mechanism. In response to the widespread destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, this support includes energy equipment such as 9,342 power generators, 6,917 transformers and millions of energy-saving LED bulbs. In parallel, the EU and its Member States have mobilised over €4.2 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries. The EU has also successfully coordinated the medical evacuation of more than 4,500 patients from Ukraine to hospitals across 22 European countries for treatment,” the European Commission said in its statement.

During last week’s meetings, the International Monetary Fund exposed a critical gap in Ukraine’s budget just as the country’s largest donor has scaled back support.

The shortfall emerged as Ukraine faces mounting pressure to sustain its war effort.

The timing creates unprecedented challenges for Ukraine to maintain long-term resistance against Russia’s invasion.

IMF calculates massive funding shortfall

According to Bloomberg, the IMF estimates Ukraine’s total funding requirements will reach $47.5-57.5 billion over two years, significantly exceeding Kyiv’s projections of $37.5 billion.

IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack confirmed Thursday that the IMF is working jointly with Ukraine’s authorities to examine financing needs for the rest of 2025 and 2026.

The two sides expect to settle on final figures next week, and governments and the IMF will then contact Ukraine’s allies to discuss additional financing sources.

Systemic issues

The discrepancy centers on military spending verification and Ukraine’s shadow economy, which the government estimates to be over 30% of GDP.

Despite domestic resistance to higher taxes during wartime, Ukraine also faces pressure to reduce its massive shadow economy and increase tax burdens on war-weary citizens.

Ukrainian analyst: IMF exposes hidden problems

Ukrainian business journalist Yurii Nikolov from nashigroshi.org argues the IMF has exposed long-hidden problems in Ukraine’s wartime financing.

“The IMF has gotten into the dirtiest corners of the Ukrainian kitchen and showed Zelenskyy where to look for money for the war,” Nikolov wrote, highlighting: “Verification of payments to soldiers, since many of them are not entitled to maximum payments (yes, dead souls, rear personnel with front-line payments through connections).”

He also criticized Ukraine’s reluctance to increase taxes: “Ukraine also does not want to increase the tax burden on its war-weary population, despite IMF recommendations. The lender plans to force the government to reduce the size of the shadow economy.”

Funding crisis deepens

The funding gap comes as Ukraine faces its most challenging donor landscape since Russia’s invasion began. Since Trump returned to office in January, US contributions have dwindled significantly, with no new military aid packages announced in nearly five months.

Despite having surplus civilian aid, Ukraine already faces a $7 billion defense funding crisis, highlighting how Western funding restrictions create structural imbalances.

Pressure intensifies

The IMF’s $15.5 billion program expires in 2027, with most funding already disbursed. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko seeks approval for a new package by year-end, but the lender is demanding significant institutional changes as a condition for continued support.

In August, Ukraine was forced to appoint an anti-corruption investigator whom the government tried to block after $2.3 billion in aid was threatened.

The country has also tripled its military tax from 1.5% to 5% in efforts to meet international lender requirements while closing domestic funding gaps.

Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian state media has acknowledged growing fuel shortages across the country. Meanwhile, Russian officials are downplaying Ukraine’s deep strike campaign role in creating the crisis.

Widespread shortages across Russian regions

ISW says Russian Independent Fuel Union told state newspaper Izvestiya on 10 September 2025 that over 10 federal subjects experience fuel shortages. Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, and Rostov oblasts face supply disruptions. Far Eastern regions and occupied Crimea also struggle with fuel availability.

State Duma Anti-Monopoly Committee Expert Council member Dmitry Tortev told Izvestiya that local fuel shortages are becoming widespread. Many gas stations haven’t received refinery deliveries for several weeks. Some stations have shut down completely.

Officials blame seasonal demands

ISW noted:

“Russian officials downplayed the impact of Ukraine’s strike campaign, attributing the fuel shortages to peak vacation season and agricultural demands in August and September 2025.”

ISW continues assessing that Ukraine’s deep strike campaign impacts Russia’s domestic gasoline market. The strikes exacerbate shortages and cause price spikes that will likely push inflation upward. ISW notes that Russian state media openly discussing gasoline shortages suggests the issue is penetrating mainstream Russian society.

Israel and Ukraine have unveiled a joint security operation to safeguard tens of thousands of Jewish worshipers traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, The Jerusalem Post reports. The operation is designed to protect pilgrims despite the ongoing Russian war and rising missile and drone strikes.

Joint deployment for Uman pilgrimage

On 11 September, Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the plan after hosting Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniichuk, Israeli security officials, and representatives of the Haredi Orthodox community in Jerusalem on 10 September.

The mission also includes medical teams and coordination with Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi, Moshe Reuven Azman. His teams will be stationed at border crossings and on the ground to support worshippers during the holiday.

Officials highlight significance of cooperation

“The State of Israel places supreme importance on the safety of travelers,” Ben-Gvir said.

He welcomed the cooperation with Ukraine, calling it an “unprecedented operation” to ensure a safe and joyful pilgrimage.

Ambassador Korniichuk stressed Ukraine’s commitment despite wartime conditions.

“Ukraine, despite the burden of the Russian war and the severe security situation on the ground, is committed to holding a safe and respectful event in close cooperation with Israel,” he said.

Rabbi Azman praised the coordination, saying he welcomed the effort “to ensure that every worshipper can arrive with peace of mind and complete safety.” 

Pilgrimage grows despite war

Since the 1990s, Israeli pilgrims have made up the largest group attending Uman for Rosh Hashanah, with tens of thousands traveling annually. Many arrive through organized groups that manage logistics in coordination with Ukrainian authorities and local volunteers. In July, Ukraine declared Rabbi Nachman’s grave a national heritage site.

Ukraine’s digital transformation approach demonstrates how wartime innovation can streamline governance while cutting costs for citizens struggling with economic pressures.

It offers a potential model for countries seeking to modernize bureaucratic systems without massive infrastructure investment.

Dramatic cost reductions

According to a Telegram post by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the ministry commissioned research firm Civitta to analyze cost differences between Diia’s 60 most popular services and their traditional offline equivalents.

The government’s calculations show dramatic reductions in time and money spent on bureaucratic processes.

The ministry claims that car sales and registration, used 1.6 million times annually through Diia, cost citizens $132 online versus $1,325 offline. Business registration dropped from $680 to $122, while address registration fell from $624 to $52.

The government further claims that over five years, the platform has saved citizens 184 billion hryvnia ($4.5 billion) and millions of hours previously spent navigating bureaucracy—though these figures come from the ministry’s assessment rather than independent verification.

Ukraine’s digital governance revolution

Diia, launched in 2020 as Ukraine’s flagship digital platform, functions as what Ukrainian officials call a “state in a smartphone“ application, digitizing over 130 government services.

With over 20 million users, the platform has continued expanding even during wartime, recently adding online marriage ceremonies that Time magazine named among 2024’s best inventions.

Global comparisons reveal Ukraine’s digital ambition

Ukraine’s claimed savings put it in an ambitious company among digital governance leaders.

Estonia, frequently cited as the gold standard for e-governance, reported five years ago through its own government statistics that digital services save over 1,100 working years annually through reduced bureaucratic processing.

According to Estonian officials, their digital voting costs $56 per vote compared to $500 for traditional ballot processing.

Denmark and Estonia currently top the UN’s E-Government Development Index, with values of 0.9847 and 0.9727, respectively (on a scale where 1.0 represents perfect digital governance).

Funding challenges cloud digital future

Ukraine’s digital transformation faces uncertainty after funding disruptions. In February 2025, the US Agency for International Development initially halted funding for the Ministry of Digital Transformation. USAID had provided at least $40.5 million for projects ranging from Diia development to AI regulation strategies.

Recent reports from September 2025 still mention the ongoing “suspension of funding from USAID” for specific projects, indicating continued uncertainty.

Switzerland previously committed $68 million in September 2024 to support continued digitization efforts, including e-notary services and humanitarian demining technology.

Challenges behind the success story

The ministry’s self-reported savings figures warrant skepticism, as they rely on calculations by a government-commissioned firm.

The methodology doesn’t account for initial development costs, ongoing maintenance expenses, or infrastructure requirements that enabled the digital transition.

Despite all the challenges, the platform’s user adoption rates and international recognition suggest genuine value for Ukrainian citizens navigating wartime disruptions and traditional bureaucratic obstacles.

Russian forces had been preparing strikes on Poland and Lithuania for months, using 4G modems with Polish and Lithuanian SIM cards to test drone connectivity as early as June, according to the Ukrainian defense news outlet Defense Express.

SIM cards from Poland and Lithuania found in downed drones

In early July, Polish investigators revealed that wreckage from Russian drones shot down in Ukraine contained 4G modems equipped with SIM cards from Polish mobile operators, as reported by Polish journalist Marek Budzisz. Later, a SIM card from a Lithuanian operator was also discovered in another drone.

Analysts say this detail directly points to Russia’s preparation for drone incursions into NATO airspace, as Moscow tested mobile network connections in advance. The findings were reported to partners in Poland and Lithuania. Still, the revelations triggered little reaction domestically — even as Russian drones began entering Polish airspace regularly during the summer.

“Whether the Russian drones that attacked Poland today had such capabilities remains unknown. At the same time, the assumption that one of the tasks of this Russian attack was precisely reconnaissance of Poland’s air defense system is quite justified,” Defense Express wrote, noting that the Russia-Belarus military drills Zapad 2025 kick off today.

Nighttime drone raids over Poland

During Russia’s air attacks against Ukraine, Moscow’s drones violated the Polish airspace on multiple occasions. For example, on 7 September, a Russian drone bearing with “Cyrillic inscriptions” crashed near the Terespol border crossing with Belarus, according to Polish media. Poland and NATO forces, however, refused to shoot down such drones up until 10 September.

And in the early hours of 10 September, Russian drones once again violated Polish airspace. The incident prompted Polish aviation to scramble and temporarily shut down airports in Warsaw, Lublin, and Rzeszów amid fears of a wider attack. NATO fighter jets shot down at least four of reportedly 19 drones that crossed into Poland.

Ukraine’s Air Force said on 10 September that Russia launched 415 drones and 43 missiles, while the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that at least eight Shahed explosive drones were deliberately “aimed toward Poland,” calling the incident “a perilous precedent for Europe” and urging a united response from Western partners.

Despite clear evidence of intent, NATO has so far avoided classifying the violation as an act of aggression.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Shmyhal announced on 11 September that German defense giant Rheinmetall will build a new ammunition plant in Ukraine, following productive talks in London.

German defense giant expands Ukrainian operations

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Shmyhal met with Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger in London during the Defense Security and Equipment International Exhibition and Conference. The meeting finalized procedures for launching new joint production capabilities between the two nations.

Shmyhal confirmed that land was allocated on 9 September in a secure Ukrainian region. The new facility will manufacture Rheinmetall shells specifically for Ukraine’s Defense Forces needs. This development represents a significant expansion of the existing cooperation between Ukraine and the German defense contractor.

Broader defense cooperation beyond ammunition

The partnership extends beyond shell production into multiple defense sectors. Both sides discussed developing capabilities for armored vehicle repair and manufacturing within Ukraine. Rheinmetall’s product lineup includes several new systems that could strengthen Ukrainian Defense Forces capabilities.

Air defense cooperation formed another key discussion point during the London talks. Shmyhal and Papperger explored joint development of enhanced anti-drone solutions. These systems would help Ukrainian forces more effectively counter enemy drone threats.