Poland says two Russian fighter jets flew low over a Polish offshore oil platform in the Baltic Sea on 19 September. Earlier the same day, Russian military aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace.

Russian jets violate safety zone over Polish oil platform

According to the Polish Border Service, the two Russian warplanes carried out a low-altitude flyover of a platform operated by Petrobaltic in the Baltic Sea. The aircraft violated the platform’s designated safety zone. Petrobaltic is a Polish company involved in oil and natural gas exploration and production in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The border guards did not specify the exact model of the aircraft involved in the incident.

The incident occurred on 19 September 2025 and was publicly reported by the Polish Border Service on X at 18:45 local time. In its post, the agency stated:

“Two Russian fighter jets carried out a low-altitude flyover above the Petrobaltic platform in the Baltic Sea. The safety zone of the platform was violated. The Polish Armed Forces and other services have been notified.”

Pattern of provocations continues

The airspace breach near the Polish platform took place just hours after a separate violation of Estonia’s airspace. On the same day, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets reportedly entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission.

Estonian officials said the aircraft remained in their airspace for approximately 12 minutes and flew near Tallinn before Italian F-35 jets operating under NATO command were scrambled to intercept them.

More than a week earlier, multiple Russian military drones violated Polish airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble and shoot down some of the drones. Later, a Russian drone also entered Romanian airspace.

Exclusives

Ukraine could make the EU’s drone wall actually work—if politics allows. Europe’s weapons cost millions; Ukraine’s solutions cost hundreds.

As Russia clamps down, Ukraine sells assets in wartime reform gamble. Record $216 million in transparent auctions sends crucial signal to Western allies.

Ukraine’s AI drones have 18 months to outpace Russia in existential “ruthless swarm” race. They can’t hit moving trucks yet—but they have 18 months to become “ruthless swarms” in a race that could decide the war

PepsiCo still making money in Russia—and helping fund war. PepsiCo must exit Russia immediately or be held accountable.

The Bulat tanks are tired. But Ukraine can’t afford to ditch them.. They used to be Ukraine’s best tanks. But they’re worn out and they’re too heavy, so the Bulats are fading away.

The battlefield around Pokrovsk is “a total mess.” And it’s about to get worse.. How many Russians are left in their salient northeast of Pokrovsk, and where are they? No outsiders know for sure.

Military

Frontline report: Ukraine Targets Russia’s Logistical Backbone in Coordinated Rail Sabotage Campaign
Ukrainians have unleashed a devastating rail campaign that systematically targeted Russia’s core supply arteries across multiple regions, disrupting the flow of troops, fuel and equipment that keep the Russian war effort alive.

Zelenskyy announces plans for controlled arms exports to fund Ukrainian weapons production
While priority remains supplying frontline units and national stockpiles, Zelenskyy announced that controlled exports of surplus weapons will help finance expanded domestic arms production.

Ukraine’s WWI-era weapon downs advanced Russian Kh-69 cruise missile over Kyiv with $11 worth of ammo

Ukraine’s SOF strike in Kursk Oblast destroys hub for Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade
According to the military report, the attack wiped out depots, equipment stores, and hidden weapons supporting Russian operations near Kharkiv and Sumy.

Ukraine to outmatch Russia’s drone attacks with 1,000 interceptors a day, Ukrainian PM assures
Shmyhal claims Ukraine’s ability to intercept drones will soon surpass the intensity of Russia’s nightly drone use.

Frontline report: Ukrainian Army’s Brazilians quietly encircle Russian troops near Pokrovsk — and eliminate them one by one
In the forests and villages outside Pokrovsk, foreign fighters ambushed infiltration groups and raised Ukrainian flags in secured areas.

Intelligence and Technology

Russia, Iran recruiting Middle Eastern mercenaries for war in Ukraine – media
Intelligence sources describe large-scale deception operation targeting conflict zone populations.

Kremlin still believes they can win war of attrition against Ukraine — yet ISW says Russia’s victory “not inevitable”
Putin and Gerasimov continue to promote the idea that Russia’s slow advances will ultimately force Ukraine’s collapse.

Ukrainian drone engineers suggest dropping nets on Russia’s roadside ambush drones (video)
The nets tangle the enemy drones’ propellers, trapping them in waiting positions, unable to launch an attack on passing vehicles.

Ukraine’s drone forces aim to reach 5% of total military — for full front coverage
August statistics show the Unmanned Systems Forces is responsible for over 21,000 out of 60,000 verified targets.

Russia might have transferred nuclear submarine reactors to North Korea for US strike capability
Kim Jong Un inspected submarine construction in March while persistently requesting advanced fighter jets alongside nuclear technology.

International

Russian warplanes violated Polish oil rig zone on same day as Estonia airspace breach. Defense services were alerted after the planes breached the safety perimeter of Poland’s offshore energy site.

Eight EU countries continue to buy Russian gas – EU spokesperson

The European Commission announced a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports on Friday, marking a major step to end the EU’s reliance on Moscow.

Russian warplanes violated NATO member Estonia’s airspace – Tallinn
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace on Friday amid heightened tensions with NATO, the Estonian Foreign Ministry reported.

Russian crypto, banks, and oil trade hit in EU’s proposed 19th sanctions package
The proposal bans Russian LNG, hits 118 vessels, and still needs approval from all member states to take effect.

ExxonMobil, largest US-based oil company, says it doesn’t plan to engage in Russia’s Arctic project after Trump-Putin summit
CEO Darren Woods confirms the company seeks only asset recovery through arbitration rather than renewed investment.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Zaporizhzhia building anti-drone tunnels over roads to protect civilians and logistics
Netting tunnels protect civilians and logistics routes against increasingly sophisticated fibre-optic drone attacks.

Another 86 Russian drones launched overnight—most intercepted, some hit Kyiv and Pavlohrad, injuring a man
Air Force confirms 71 drones downed, 15 struck targets in six locations, another landed unexploded in Kyiv.

Read our previous daily review here.

Today the biggest news comes from the Russian Federation. 

Here, Ukrainians unleashed a devastating rail campaign that systematically targeted Russia’s core supply arteries across multiple regions. 

With the flow of troops, fuel and equipment disrupted or halted completely, Ukrainians severed the veins that keep the Russian war effort alive.

Recent Major Rail Attacks

Just two days ago, three Russian National Guard officers were killed by a mine planted under the rail line in the Orel region. 

The explosion halted the connection to Kursk and delayed more than 15 trains, a direct hit on one of the primary corridors of supplying Russian forces along the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. 

That same night, sabotage in Leningrad Oblast derailed a locomotive pulling 15 fuel tankers. Rail traffic in both directions was stopped and a train operator was killed. 

In Tver, Ukrainian military intelligence conducted a precision operation. Planting explosives beneath parked fuel cars and remotely detonating them at the main junction. 

Farther south, Ukrainian special operation forces confirmed a successful strike on a fuel train at Jankoy station in Crimea, disrupting supply to Russia’s southern grouping of forces. 

And in a particularly brutal sequence near Ostrakivk in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian forces blew up a rail line, derailed a freight train and then used FPV drones to ignite the spillway. 

The Ukrainian forces were also involved in the operation of the train, but they did not have enough fuel.

Strategic Campaign Scope and Innovation

These are not isolated incidents. They are the sharp edge of a campaign to make rail-based Russian logistics near impossible. 

The pace and precision of the campaign are accelerating as Ukraine is now striking deeper, more frequently, and with a broader toolkit of rail bombs, FPVs, sabotage units and coordinated drone raids. 

This reflects not only Ukrainian innovation but also a strategic playbook, outlined months ago in reports echoed by Russian analysts. 

Railways are Russia’s logistical backbone, as nearly all heavy equipment, fuel and personnel destined for Ukraine pass through a handful of chokepoints, bridges, traction substations and switching stations. 

Suppose two or three such disruptions happen at once, in that case reserves get stuck, rotations are missed and continuous offensive pressure collapses, allowing Ukrainian frontline soldiers to deal with scattered offensives more easily.

Additional Infrastructure Attacks Across Multiple Regions

Beyond the headline strikes, the rest of the rear is also under strain, because in the Leningrad region three more cars were derailed and in the Komny region partisans set fire to a locomotive on the station. 

Drone attacks damaged relay cabinets at Arkheda station in Volgograd and sparked fires across multiple rail points in Rostov. 

In Voronezh, a Ukrainian strike hit a traction substation that powers the Zhuravka-Milervo line, a route built to bypass Ukrainian territory, and forced an automatic shutdown of the nearby nuclear reactor due to electrical instability. 

Krasnodar and Bryansk also saw substations hit, both key to moving trains along the southern corridor. 

In Melitopol, Ukrainian intelligence blew up an ammo depot linked to a railway route and killed multiple Russian marines, while additional fuel trains were targeted in Molochansk and in southern Zaporizhzhia.

Strategic Pattern and Infrastructure Targeting

The pattern of strikes follows a clear logic, not just targeting moving trains, but attacking the static infrastructure that supports them. Substations, relay boxes and switching stations are now regular targets.

In total, Russian sources admit that over 250 trains were delayed in recent weeks alone, with the bulk of the economic disruption stemming from strikes in the Rostov, Volgograd and Krasnodar regions.

It is a map-wide degradation that may not fully paralyze Russian logistics in a single stroke, but it is sustained and increasingly difficult for Moscow to contain.

Overall Impact and Strategic Assessment

Overall, the collapse of Russian logistics is no longer a prediction, it is a visible process unfolding in real time.

Ukraine has found the formula in bypassing hardened military targets and striking the soft static infrastructure that supports them.

Rail sabotage, fuel train ambushes and targeted substation attacks have left Russia scrambling to repair, re-route and recover their railway network.

With each strike, the cost of fighting will increase, and the Russian military will be able to return to the moving supplies grows and the margin for sustaining their various offensives narrows. If this tempo holds,

Russia may soon be unable to move fast enough to fight at all, as many sectors are already seeing the Russian offensive tempo decrease dramatically.

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.

In response to frequent drone attacks in the region, authorities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have begun constructing specialized anti-drone tunnels by erecting netting structures over key roads, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Friday, as reported by Akzent.zp.ua.

The anti-drone netting tunnels allow civilians and military vehicles to move safely while keeping supply routes open near the frontline.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in southeastern Ukraine, contains active frontlines in the ongoing war with Russia. The region experiences frequent attacks, including drone strikes and artillery fire, putting both civilians and military supply routes at constant risk.

FPV drones controlled via fiber-optic cables rather than traditional radio signals have increasingly threatened roads up to 25-30 kilometers from the front line. In recent weeks, attacks by these drones have claimed at least four civilian lives. 

“Since the enemy began deploying fiber-optic drones extensively, supply routes have become extremely dangerous, even 15-20 kilometers from the front. These tunnels are currently the only effective way to protect civilians and military personnel,” Fedorov said.

The first test segment, stretching 6.4 kilometers, has already proven effective. Authorities now plan to expand the network over tens of kilometers, with the ultimate goal of covering hundreds of kilometers across the region.

Fiber-optic FPV drones transmit video and control signals through a cable that unspools in flight, making them largely immune to electronic countermeasures. While their reliability and resistance to jamming are big advantages, their range is limited by cable length, and the fiber can become tangled or damaged during operations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday plans to begin controlled exports of certain Ukrainian weapons to help finance domestic arms production.

Speaking in his evening address, Zelenskyy said that while priority remains supplying frontline units and maintaining national stockpiles, surplus modern weapons – such as sea drones and some anti-tank systems – could be exported under strict controls.

Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine can produce certain modern weapons in far greater quantities than it can currently fund on its own, while some types of arms are already in surplus relative to the country’s immediate needs.

He emphasized that exports will be for allied countries with verified interest in supporting Ukraine, while preventing technology from reaching Russian forces or their collaborators.

Ukrainian forces, companies, and the army possess extensive experience in modern warfare, particularly in operating advanced weapons and cutting-edge technologies, the president highlighted.

Within two weeks, Ukraine plans to present three export platforms: one for the US, one for European partners, and one for other international allies.

Zelenskyy said the initiative will allow Ukrainian manufacturers to expand production, particularly of drones needed at the front, while covering funding gaps in domestic defense production.

He also indicated that there is strong international interest in collaborative weapons production with Ukraine, and that demand for Ukrainian arms is clear.

“First priority is the front, supplying our brigades. Second is our national arsenals. Only third comes controlled exports,” Zelenskyy said. He stressed that exports are not meant as “weapons charity,” but as a strategic tool to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Europe faces a problem it’s never solved: how to stop thousands of cheap drones without bankrupting itself firing million-dollar missiles at styrofoam.

Ukraine already knows the answer.

The European Union’s “drone wall” defense initiative, reinvigorated just hours after Russian drones violated Polish and Romanian airspace on 10 September, could elevate Ukraine from aid recipient to essential defense partner— if said allies can overcome the technical and organizational challenges of such an ambitious project.

The scale of the ambition involved is hard to understate. “It requires a whole paradigm shift,” Kirill Mikhailov, a military researcher with the Conflict Intelligence Team, told Euromaidan Press. Brigham McCown, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, called it a “monumental undertaking.”

If successful, the initiative can further accelerate Ukraine’s transformation from a beleaguered country asking for aid into an important part of European defensive strategy. Ukraine can help develop the technology, industrial practices, and organizational doctrines required for a new way of air war.

The need to integrate weapon systems and practices could also bind Ukraine even closer to its allies and help develop additional trust, potentially helping its arms-producing companies develop.

Why Ukraine holds the keys to Europe’s defense future

For Europe, it’s a way to evolve from reliance on big, expensive weapons, a doctrine that’s aging in the face of massed cheap unmanned aerial vehicles now swarming the skies.

“It should be pretty obvious that you don’t shoot down styrofoam drones with $2 million missiles,” Mikhailov said. “Thing is, that is all the Europeans currently have.”

Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space, acknowledged a similar point at Ukraine’s Defense Tech Valley expo in Lviv on 17 September.

“We understood a simple truth: we do not have those capabilities that Ukraine has on how to fight against drone invasion,” Kubilius said. “We have F-16s, we have F-35s, we have all other weapons, but we do not have those capabilities.”

It’s unclear to what degree the EU intends to protect Ukraine with this initiative. Kubilius said this curtain must extend “across the entire EU Eastern flank.” This language suggests the possibility that Ukraine will be left to protect its own airspace alone as the EU turtles up.

Furthermore, Kubilius told Euromaidan Press that “each country on the frontline needs to have its own companies to produce,” making unclear the role of Ukrainian developers in the EU’s strategic air defense planning.

Depending on how strongly the EU countries favor local companies, this could make the drone wall more costly and difficult to build.

Kubilius told Euromaidan Press that it was too early to estimate the cost or build time of the initiative, but said that some public estimates by analysts suggest it could be done within a year.

Several defense experts who spoke with Euromaidan Press believe that multiple years are a likelier estimate.

First steps

NATO has been looking into a drone defense initiative throughout the full-scale invasion, military insiders told Euromaidan Press.

The term “drone wall” has cropped up in the news for months. French company Altares, speaking at the Defense Tech Valley, said it’s been working on it for six months, together with the Alliance.

But the rhetoric around a drone wall went into overdrive after the incursion of Russian drones into Polish and Romanian airspace on 10 September. Hours following the attack, in her 2025 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed plans for a new “Eastern Flank Watch.”

This would include the “drone wall,” which she said would stretch down from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Von der Leyen said the EU would set up a “drone alliance” with Ukraine, funded by 6 billion euros. This will fall under the aegis of the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration initiative, which is supposed to provide about 45 billion euros in financial support to Ukraine, with the EU contributing 18.1 billion euros.

Von der Leyen said that a roadmap for “getting new common defence projects off the ground” will be presented at the next European Council on October 23-24, with an eye towards setting clear goals for 2030.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Poland agreed to establish a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems, with representatives from both countries’ armed forces.

What’s in it for Ukraine: from aid recipient to tech powerhouse

There are multiple potential upsides for Kyiv becoming Europe’s defense tech guru. For one, it could help Ukrainian companies grow and expand.

“Ukraine has the silicon valley of this kind of technology, type of know-how and can become the world leader in drone and anti-drone tech, detection, counter, and this has very broad application beyond the current conflict,” McCown said.

Euromaidan Press spoke to several Ukrainian drone producers, who said that despite the government’s stated intention to procure all weapons produced from accredited and trusted contractors, the state is not able to afford their entire production capabilities.

Some Ukrainian companies are longingly eyeing the export market, but Ukraine’s hard restrictions on the import of military tech doesn’t allow it. The drone wall initiative may change things in that regard.

“The government hasn’t been warm to the idea of lifting the arms export ban,” Mikhailov said. “Now that Zelenskyy can paint himself the savior of Europe and make Ukraine indispensable for European security, I have few doubts he would greenlight it if asked.”

DeVore said that Ukraine’s innovation with drones, machine learning, AI and battle management is absolutely deeply respected. Allies are “very hungry to learn these lessons and one can think of this as a form of soft power or influence that Ukraine has.”

However, when asked if this might translate into more negotiating leverage for Kyiv, DeVore doesn’t believe so. “I think those allies that most appreciate and are most eager to learn these lessons are those that already have really close relations with Ukraine and are doing as much as feasible to help Ukraine,” he said.

Countries that are less worried about Russian attacks, such as Spain, Italy, and Hungary may not be swayed enough to change the overall status quo.

“This is a good thing for Ukraine, because that would build trust, interdependence, interoperability,” Mikhailov said. “It can be like the backbone of Ukraine’s further participation in NATO.”

The head of a Ukrainian company that builds interceptor drones, who did not wish to be identified for security reasons, said he hopes a closer working relationship between Ukraine and its allies, as part of the drone wall initiative, could help isolate Russia.

Explore further

Can Ukraine’s $ 1,000 drones really beat Russia’s $ 35,000 Shaheds?

The massive technical challenges ahead

The obstacles the EU must overcome to build the drone wall are as almost as diverse as the hardware involved.

The most obvious challenge is logistical — drones require management of their power supplies, weather resilience and durability. Many thousands of drones must be built, deployed and serviced on a regular basis, with each requiring batteries, charging stations and redundancy plans for failure.

Data architect Daniel Connery said that the truly defining obstacle would be the creation of a software layer that can manage inputs from so many different systems and turn them into one coherent defense network, which is secure from outside tampering.

“Without a unifying software layer, you don’t have a ‘wall’ — you have scattered bricks,” he wrote to Euromaidan Press.

Ukrainian networked battlespace systems like Virazh and Delta may show Europeans the way forward, experts pointed out.

Manufacturing priorities are also bound to come up. After decades of consolidation, Europe has a small number of large defense contractors. These types of companies aren’t the most nimble when it comes to pivoting from producing few expensive weapons to many cheap ones.

Most analysts agreed that smaller companies will rush to fill that space, whether it’s local European firms that manufacture civilian equipment, or Ukrainian firms opening subsidiaries.

Speaking at the Defense Tech Valley, some Western firms complained about bureaucracy and confusing official procedures when it comes to doing business in each others’ territory. Legal, administrative and security clearance questions likely need to be resolved before cooperation can be scaled up to greater heights, experts said.

Ukraine might also need to accelerate its judicial reforms, as its legal environment is an Achilles’ heel when it comes to foreigners doing business with the country.

DeVore said that one problem with European defense programs is the dilemma between spending in Europe and spending efficiently. Systems produced in European nations are more popular with policymakers, but they aren’t the most cost-effective solution.

DeVore believes the drone wall is “fully feasible, it just requires some combination of political will and money.”

“Those two are inversely correlated,” he added. “The more political will the West has in putting this together, the cheaper it is.”

Alya Shandra, the editor-in-chief at Euromaidan Press, contributed reporting.

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Ukraine’s AI drones have 18 months to outpace Russia in existential “ruthless swarm” race

Eight European Union countries continue to import Russian natural gas, EU energy spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said on Friday, as reported by The Guardian.

This comes as the European Commission announces a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports on Friday, signaling a major step to end the bloc’s reliance on Moscow.

The countries identified are Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain. The EU does not have detailed data on where the gas is ultimately used.

The announcement comes amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has urged the EU and NATO members to completely stop importing energy from Russia. 

Some member states, notably Hungary and Slovakia, have raised concerns about phasing out Russian gas without reliable alternative sources. In response, the European Commission moved to fast-track the LNG import ban and release funds to help secure the support of these countries.

Despite efforts to reduce dependence on Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia still accounts for roughly 19% of the EU’s gas imports. 

The bloc continues to push for reduced dependence on Moscow as part of broader sanctions targeting Russia in response to the invasion.

Estonia on Friday summoned the Russian Federation’s chargé d’affaires to protest a violation of its airspace, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Three Russian MIG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission and remained for approximately 12 minutes, officials said.

The jets reportedly flew near Estonia’s capital city, Tallinn, before NATO’s Italian F-35 jets scrambled to intercept them. 

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal later announced that the country is invoking NATO’s Article 4 over the incident. Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows any member state to request consultations with allies when it perceives a threat to its territorial integrity, political independence, or security. Poland took the same step earlier this month following drone breaches into its airspace on 10 September.

“Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. 

“Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure,” he added

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas called the incursion an “extremely dangerous provocation,” adding that “Putin is testing the West’s resolve.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the Russian incursion as part of a broader campaign of destabilization against Europe and NATO. He described the violations as “not accidental” and called for a coordinated response from the international community.

“Russian destabilization is spreading to new countries and directions. They are using all tools, from interference in political processes to violations of airspace,” Zelenskyy said, urging Europe, the United States, and the G7 to act decisively.

He stressed that sustained international pressure, particularly through sanctions, combined with a strong Ukrainian military, is essential to increase Russia’s losses in the war and defend against further aggression.

The incident follows heightened tensions on NATO’s eastern borders, with recent Russian drone breaches into its airspace, including Poland and Romania earlier in September. In response to these provocations, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry on September 12 to bolster defense along its eastern flank. 

Ukraine’s first year of large-scale electronic auctions raised over 8.9 billion hryvnias ($216 million) from just four major asset sales, marking long-awaited progress toward market reforms even as the state has expanded control over key economic sectors during wartime.

Ukraine pulls off an economic contradiction: expanding state control while privatizing billions in assets. The country maintains profitable state-owned enterprises that generate billions for the war effort while selling large assets to prove its democratic market commitment to Western allies.

International investors watch wartime experiment

Ukraine’s privatization success during active warfare represents a crucial test case for Western allies. The transparent auctions demonstrate that democratic market mechanisms can function under extreme conditions. It is a model that could reshape post-war reconstruction planning worth hundreds of billions in international investment.

This signals institutional resilience that could survive the transition from wartime emergency measures to a peacetime market economy.

Market signals amid state expansion

The privatization achievements come as Ukraine’s public sector has expanded to its largest size since the 1990s. State-owned banks now control 53% of all banking assets and over 60% of retail deposits. State enterprises like PrivatBank generated 39% of all banking profits in 2024, contributing billions directly to war financing.

Yet Ukraine has simultaneously cleared the path to privatize profitable state banks, Sense Bank and Ukrgasbank, choosing long-term integration over immediate wartime revenue streams.

The tension reflects broader EU accession requirements that Ukraine become “a functioning market economy” capable of integrating into the single market.

While the European Commission imposes no direct privatization mandates, it has recommended that Ukraine “intensify its privatization efforts” and reduce the anticompetitive effects of state enterprises.

Flagship sales drive results

The reported results from the State Property Fund show that competitive bidding doubled or tripled initial prices for premium assets.

Hotel Ukraine in downtown Kyiv sold for 2.5 billion hryvnias ($61 million) after three bidders drove up the price from the 1 billion hryvnia starting point.

The United Mining and Chemical Company fetched over 3.9 billion hryvnias ($96 million), while sanctioned Russian assets, including the Aeroc gas concrete plant, brought 1.9 billion hryvnias ($46 million)—nearly double its reserve price as three participants competed for the facility.

The Vinnytsiapobuthim household chemical factory also doubled in value during bidding, reaching 608.1 million hryvnias ($14.8 million) with funds from sanctioned asset sales flowing to Ukraine’s Fund for Eliminating Consequences of Armed Aggression.

Transparent platform prevents oligarch capture

All sales used the Prozorro electronic platform, which was designed to ensure equal conditions for investors and prevent the oligarch capture that characterized corrupt 1990s privatizations.

Prozorro CEO Serhiy But noted that the system works effectively even under complex wartime conditions. Online auctions provide equal opportunities for investors while ensuring state assets sell at market prices.

Reform commitment amid challenges

Acting State Property Fund head Ivanna Smachylo emphasized that large privatization represents an effective mechanism for transforming state assets into financial resources. This ensures significant budget revenues and promotes enterprise development that benefits the economy.

The success builds on earlier achievements, with small-scale privatization bringing over 5 billion hryvnias to the state budget since resuming in September 2022, confirming the effectiveness of this investment attraction mechanism.

The Odesa Port Plant and sanctioned asset Motordetal-Konotop are open to any interested parties except those connected to the aggressor country.

Balancing act continues

The results contrast sharply with Russia’s command economy approach, yet also highlight Ukraine’s complex wartime balancing act—the country simultaneously expands state control in critical sectors while privatizing others to signal democratic market commitment.

The success of transparent auctions offers hope that Ukraine can balance immediate wartime needs with building an economy that benefits all participants, not just political and business insiders.

Russia, with support from Iran, is actively recruiting mercenaries from the Middle East to fight in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing intelligence sources. 

Moscow has turned to foreign mercenaries to offset shortages in its regular forces, placing them in frontline roles where they are viewed as more expendable than regular soldiers.

Recruits are being drawn from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and other countries in the region, the report said. Some of those targeted include former members of the militant group Islamic State (ISIS), raising security concerns.

Mercenaries are reportedly being offered payments of $3,000 to $8,000 and the prospect of Russian citizenship after six months of service.

According to the report, fighters are transferred through illegal migration and trade routes along four main directions: via Iran to Armenia and Georgia; via Iran to Azerbaijan; via Iran through Central Asia; and from Afghanistan through Central Asia.

Authorities in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asian states have recently detained migrants attempting to cross borders illegally. Their communications indicated coordination with Russian contacts and specific promises related to military service, the report said.

One Iraqi national, identified as Amir Wisam Jwad, born in 2006, was detained during an attempted border crossing. Documents indicated he had signed a contract with Russia’s Defence Ministry to join a unit referred to as “Baghdad.” The agreement was said to have been arranged through a Russian official and included payment and citizenship guarantees.

Moscow’s expanding global recruitment drive

This Middle East operation represents an escalation in Russia’s global recruitment drive, which now spans at least 21 countries according to intelligence sources. The BBC has confirmed over 523 foreign mercenaries killed fighting for Russia from 28 countries, with the highest numbers from Central Asian nations.

Recent intelligence indicates nearly 20,000 Cuban mercenaries are fighting alongside Russian forces, representing the second-largest foreign contingent after Russian recruits themselves.

Recruitment targeting vulnerable populations

The operation particularly targets economically desperate individuals in conflict-affected regions. Iraq, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries ravaged by years of warfare provide ready pools of potential recruits, including former combatants with ISIS and other armed groups.

Russia’s recruitment strategy mirrors patterns seen elsewhere, where Moscow views mercenaries as “expendable” according to leaked audio recordings. Russian officials have described foreign fighters as “second-rate infantry” whose primary purpose is exhausting Ukrainian forces before regular Russian troops advance.

Ukraine has less than two years to master AI-powered drone warfare before autonomous weapons transform the battlefield into something “totally ruthless,” warns former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. By 2027, Zaluzhnyi predicts, “human involvement will be fully or partially removed not only from the process of control, but also from decision-making about target engagement.”

Whichever side masters autonomous warfare first may gain a decisive advantage that determines the war’s outcome.

The Russo-Ukrainian War has become a race for technological supremacy. Few expected Ukraine to mount such fierce resistance. Western intelligence agencies initially predicted that Kyiv would fall within days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Yet, the war is in its fourth year and has evolved into a grinding war of attrition. Even Russia, a far larger power, now finds itself locked in a technological battle with Ukraine.

For Kyiv, staying ahead technologically wherever possible is essential to fighting back. Ukraine’s demographic and economic constraints make this technological edge a matter of survival, not preference.

As Zaluzhnyi bluntly stated, Ukraine “currently lacks the human and economic resources for a large-scale war” and must rely on technology to compensate for Russia’s numerical advantages.

But the technology isn’t ready yet.

“We are already working on the concept that in the near future there will be no connection between the pilot and UAV on the front line,” said Max Makarchuk, Head of AI at Brave1, Ukraine’s government defense technology accelerator.

But there’s a problem: Makarchuk says the percentage of UAVs hitting their targets is constantly decreasing.

From hobby shop to battlefield centerpiece

At the outset, Ukrainian soldiers relied on off-the-shelf drones. Civilian drone hobbyists began assisting with drone operations, while volunteers trained troops to stream drone footage via Google Meet to observe the battlefield in real time.

These first-person view (FPV) drones could be deployed virtually anywhere and gradually evolved into the centerpiece of battlefield operations. Fighting without drones became unthinkable, and every technical detail began to matter in improving their performance.

“We are attempting to create a killzone of 20 kilometers,” said Andrii, known as Murphy, from the 419th Battalion of Unmanned Systems.

As drone usage continued to scale, electronic warfare systems were increasingly deployed to counter drone effectiveness.

By 2024, Russia began fielding fiber optic drones to bypass jamming – eventually using them to retake most of the Ukrainian-occupied territory in Kursk Oblast after Ukraine’s August incursion.

Fiber optics allow the pilot to maintain a connection to the drone even in the presence of jamming.

Russia and Ukraine race to achieve drone AI breakthrough

Both Russia and Ukraine are rushing to deploy AI capabilities in warfare.

Ukraine benefits from sharing data with Western partners, which provides opportunities to train autonomous weapon systems slated for frontline use.

Both sides also gain an advantage from access to vast, unique datasets that can be used to train AI models.

Drone pilot Bohdan, known by the callsign Bandera and serving in the Unmanned Systems Battalion of Ukraine’s 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Marko Bezruchko, expects fiber-optic drones to become more prevalent in the coming year.

Bohdan’s unit has tested using AI targeting systems, but said “it’s still raw, unfinished tech.”

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“It doesn’t handle moving targets well, like a vehicle driving through uneven terrain,” said Bohdan.

Vitaliy Goncharuk, CEO of A19Lab and former Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Committee of Ukraine, offered a similar perspective from the industry side.

“When it comes to drones in Ukraine, the industry has largely focused on solving the ‘last mile targeting’ problem for FPV drones,” he said.

“At the same time, Russia took a simpler approach: they attached fiber optics to drones and scaled that solution. Fiber optics turned out to be far more effective than AI-based targeting, which often failed to handle edge cases,” said Goncharuk.

As Goncharuk observed, “I believe the impact of AI systems directly on the battlefield in the Ukraine-Russia war will unfortunately remain minimal for Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, is actively investing in this space, with the necessary budget and qualified personnel.”

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov recently said AI is currently most useful for processing massive data sets, helping analysts sift through “millions of gigabytes” of information that would otherwise be unmanageable.

He noted that while elements like target correction are appearing in drones, true AI-driven weapons remain limited, though he expects real combat robots within the next decade.

Meanwhile, both sides have been racing to develop autonomous drones that can resist jamming and enhance targeting.

The long-term goal is to deploy swarms of autonomous drones to overwhelm enemy positions, but building this technology has proven to be far more challenging than anticipated.

Still, Ukrainian forces have already conducted over a hundred swarm missions with Swarmer software, which allows groups of drones to decide which strikes first and adapt if one fails. Even small-scale autonomous teaming, experts note, is an impressive step forward on the battlefield.

The window for solving these problems is narrowing rapidly. Zaluzhnyi warns that whichever side achieves breakthrough AI capabilities first may gain an insurmountable advantage in the autonomous warfare era beginning around 2027.

“Artificial intelligence will gradually replace UAV operators with remote controls in many operations,” said Andriy Kovalenko, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

Where AI actually works today

In Kyiv’s recent Spiderweb Operation in early June, AI-enabled drones were used. The AI used to support the drones were “mainly to stabilize the drone in flight and support the operator,” said Lyuba Shipovich, CEO of Dignitas, which leads the Victory Drones project.

“It ensures smooth navigation and precision over long distances. The AI isn’t making decisions about targets, it’s optimizing the flight path and maintaining control under difficult conditions.”

Shipovich explained that AI-enabled targeting is most effective for mid- to long-range strikes, typically 40-120 kilometers, where the targets are fixed and high-value, such as jamming stations, radar systems, or air defenses.

These deeper strikes carry less risk of friendly fire and don’t require the precision needed for frontline use, where AI is generally avoided.

Inside Ukraine’s AI development efforts

One company at the forefront of this push is Twist Robotics. Its CEO, Viktor Sakharchuk, stated in an interview,

“Ukraine was the first to widely use small FPV drones with guidance systems. Russia also seems to be developing similar technologies and is preparing to scale their use.”

Since 2022, Twist has developed AI training pipelines aimed at bringing autonomous drones to the front line. Sakharchuk noted that there are three main components of autonomous drones with AI:

1. visual navigation
2. visual detection and tracking,
3. trajectory planning.

Each component is trained separately.

The firm relies on a mix of real and synthetic data to train visual AI systems, starting with photorealistic simulation and refining in live trials. “The simulator developed by our company is also widely used for generating synthetic data,” he added.

“The training process for autonomous drones begins in simulation, where we use Obriy, our in-house developed software with a photorealistic environment. Once the models are trained in simulation, they are fine-tuned on real drones and customized for specific models.”

Rostyslav Olenchyn, executive director of Twist Robotics added that navigation is critical to ensure the drone reaches its target area. “We’re dealing with a triad: AI detection and targeting, AI navigation, and communication,” said Olenchyn.

The economics of AI targeting are becoming clearer. Makarchuk estimated that installing simple AI targeting systems costs about $150 per drone—a relatively modest investment if the technology actually works reliably.

Sakharchuk emphasized that no AI system can be successfully deployed on the battlefield without direct interaction with end users and frontline experience. “They all have limitations and application features that are not obvious without training,” he noted.

In March 2024, Sakharchuk highlighted that Ukraine saw the first large-scale use of AI-guided drones. But by June, interest sharply declined. A company had entered the market selling cheap, do-it-yourself kits and software, without offering any training.

While the low price appealed to some units, the systems underperformed due to poor configuration and lack of user understanding.

“When a large number of low-quality systems hit the market, the military saw that the guidance didn’t work. Therefore, interest disappeared,” Sakharchuk explained.

Battlefield performance challenges

Although the race for AI dominance has slowed, battlefield realities dictate priorities.

For Ukraine, AI is only one element of a broader strategy. With fiber-optic networks now spread across the front, ground robots are increasingly taking over frontline roles.

To expand their functions, AI will be crucial, enabling robots to act not only as combat systems but also as “mechanical medics,” reducing casualties while giving Ukraine a tactical edge.

Both sides are pressing ahead with AI development, and some progress is already visible on the battlefield. As one Twist Robotics engineer remarked in 2023, AI-enabled FPV drones are “a poor man’s Javelin.”

Meanwhile, Russia is also evolving its capabilities. Russia is now deploying loitering kamikaze drones equipped with AI and machine learning, allowing them to identify military vehicles on highways and evade interceptor drones.

Recently observed flying in a group of six with distinct wing markings, these drones may be testing swarm coordination, and each carries a large amount of onboard computing power and a 4G modem.

International companies are also jumping into Ukraine’s AI drone market. Czech company LPP Holding has delivered hundreds of AI-powered drones that operate without satellite connection.

“They say we are the first to prove that something like visual navigation can work,” said company co-owner Radim Petrash.

However, cheap tech won’t always be the only solution; more sophisticated technologies will need to be developed. Maria Berlinska, head of the Air Intelligence Support Center, issued a clear warning,

“We’re trying to keep up with low-tech solutions, but cheap, simple technologies are only part of the answer. We need to leap to a qualitatively new level.”

Machine vision is no game changer—yet

Despite early hopes, machine vision has not yet become a game-changing feature on Ukraine’s battlefield FPV drones.

While the technology allows drones to identify and strike targets autonomously, even without pilot contact, its real-world performance has been mixed due to challenges like poor camera quality, difficulty hitting moving targets, and inconsistent software performance.

Heorhii Volkov, commander of the drone unit Yasni Ochi (“Clear Eyes”) of the 13th Khartiia Brigade, noted that AI-assisted targeting often fails in environments like forests, where trees can confuse the AI, and puddles reflecting metallic colors can be misidentified as vehicles.

In one recent operation in Kharkiv Oblast, his team spotted Russian soldiers briefly emerging from a treeline and deployed long-range drones equipped with AI targeting to strike a concealed vehicle. However, the AI was only activated after the initial hit.

In practice, Volkov noted, these systems are most useful when a target is already burning and clearly visible.

“It’s still learning, the technology isn’t ready yet,” he added.

Ukrainian developers continue refining these systems, but military operators often prefer more reliable alternatives like fiber-optic drones, which are better suited to handle jamming and terrain obstacles.

The scalability challenge

In the future, battlefield capabilities will scale dramatically once AI swarms are deployed.

Deploying 700 autonomous interceptors offers far greater scalability than coordinating 700 human pilots. For Ukraine, confronting a larger opponent, leveraging asymmetrical warfare through technologies like AI is essential to offset Russia’s conventional superiority.

“We don’t have as many human resources as Russia, they fight, they die, they send more people, they don’t care, but that’s not how we see war,” said Alex Bornyakov, Ukraine’s deputy minister of digital transformation. “I see this as the future of conflict.”

The 2027 deadline approaches

The race against time is intensifying. As Zaluzhnyi warned, Ukraine faces a critical window: perfect AI warfare capabilities before 2027, or potentially face “totally ruthless” autonomous weapons controlled by adversaries who solved the technological puzzle first.

Kyiv’s technological edge is being driven by volunteer groups that function more like agile software teams than traditional defense contractors. Organizations like Dignitas treat development as a rapid feedback loop, constantly communicating with frontline soldiers to refine and iterate on new tools.

But while volunteers can innovate quickly, staying ahead in the technology race will eventually require greater state support and sustained investment.

The era of autonomous drones may not be fully here yet – but its time will come, especially as Ukraine embraces a “robots first” military strategy.

Whether Ukraine can master these technologies before the 2027 autonomous warfare deadline may determine not only its tactical edge but also set the next stage of the war.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has presented the EU’s proposed 19th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on energy, finance, and military-linked technology. The measures must still be adopted unanimously by EU member states.

Energy: “It is time to turn off the tap”

According to the European Commission, von der Leyen announced a full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.

“Russia’s war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels,” she said.

Rosneft and Gazpromneft would face full transaction bans, and 118 new vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet would be blacklisted.

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The package also includes penalties on oil buyers in third countries, including China.

“We are now going after those who fuel Russia’s war by purchasing oil in breach of the sanctions,” she stated.

Finance: crypto and banks under new restrictions

The EU would impose a transaction ban on more Russian banks and banks in third countries. For the first time, crypto platforms would be sanctioned. Transactions in cryptocurrencies and with entities in special economic zones would be restricted.

Military tech and indoctrination networks targeted

The proposal includes new export bans on items used on the battlefield, and sanctions on 45 companies supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Individuals involved in the indoctrination of abducted Ukrainian children would also be sanctioned.

Economy under pressure

“Our economic analysis is clear – our sanctions are severely affecting Russia’s economy,” von der Leyen said. She pointed to a 17% interest rate and high inflation. “Among the first Russian requests is, sanctions relief.”

Using frozen assets to fund Ukraine

Von der Leyen said the EU is preparing a plan to use cash tied to immobilized Russian assets to fund a Reparations Loan for Ukraine.

“Ukraine will only pay back the loan once Russia pays reparations,” she said.

Coordination and call to action

The sanctions will align with G7 measures under Canada’s presidency.

“We want Russia to leave the battlefield and come to the negotiating table,” von der Leyen said. “This is the way to give peace a real chance.”

An astonishing thing happened in Ukraine in September 2025: a Russian advanced half-million-dollar missile was shot down by a hundred-year-old weapon.

A Kyiv air defense volunteer operator stopped the Kh-69 cruise missile with a “Maksim” machine gun used by the Russian Empire and Soviet troops during World War II, UkrInform reports. 

Normally, Kh-69 missiles are intercepted in Ukraine with air-defense missile systems (SAMs) such as the Patriot and other MANPADS and AD systems. Shooting down a Kh-69 is an outstanding result because these missiles are designed to penetrate even high-capacity air-defense systems.

The hero with the call-sign “Hrek” and a weapon from the past

During the morning attack on 7 September, one of the Russian missiles hit the governmental building, and another was heading toward residential areas. Its flight was intercepted by a volunteer with the call-sign “Hrek,” who opened fire with a Maksim machine gun.

“The missile was flying very low, and large air-defense systems find it hard to spot. We requested permission to open fire and acted instantly. Hitting such a target with a ‘Maksim’ is a one-in-a-thousand chance, but we managed it,” the fighter said.

The Maksim machine gun is a heavy-mounted weapon with a liquid-cooled barrel developed in the early 20th century. It has a firing range of about 1,000 metres and an effective range of 2.5–3 km. 

During World War II, the Maksim was used to engage open group targets, support infantry in defense and attack, and be mounted on armoured trains, combat vehicles, and trucks.

Why was this shoot-down unique? 

The Kh-69 was flying at about 50 metres altitude at over 550 km per hour. Equipped with counter-jamming and interception-avoidance systems, it can penetrate even powerful air-defense arrays. In April 2024, a similar missile obliterated the Trypillia thermal power plant in Kyiv Oblast, causing widespread blackouts.

This time, after a series of shots, the missile began to smoke and fell several hundred metres from the positions. There were no casualties; only some cars were damaged.

“If it had hit a densely populated area the consequences would have been serious. Such a missile breaks into tens of sub-munitions,” the volunteer emphasized.

Half a million dollars versus $11

The missile costs about $500,000, while the expenditure on ammunition amounted to only $11.15.

“We spent $11 on rounds,” said Hrek. “But most importantly, he adds, “no one died, children and women remained alive.”

The volunteer serves in the “Legion D” formation of the separate “Center” company, where more than a hundred fighters defend Ukraine.

“When we go on duty, we stand as long as needed. We are here because we can defend and do something for victory,” the machine-gunner concluded.

Earlier, Russia launched a drone attack on Poland from the territory of Ukraine and Belarus. While deploying most modern NATO aircraft, including F-16 and F-35, which Ukraine does not have, the country only managed to down 4 out of 19 drones.

At the same time, Kyiv is capable of intercepting 500-600 Russian targets per night. Still, the country is not a member of the Alliance. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to a war of attrition against Ukraine. In a report published on 18 September, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pushed back against the Kremlin’s narrative, reiterating that Russia’s victory is not inevitable.

Putin’s attrition theory resurfaces

According to the ISW report, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on 18 September that over 700,000 Russian soldiers are on the frontline in Ukraine. Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, a day earlier, said Russian forces are advancing on “practically all fronts”. These statements reflect Putin’s broader theory of victory: that Russia can continue slow advances indefinitely and exhaust Ukraine and the West.

“Putin’s and Gerasimov’s recent statements are part of wider Kremlin efforts to push Ukraine and the West to immediately acquiesce to Putin’s maximalist demands out of fear that a Russian victory is inevitable and that Russian aggression will only increase in the future,” ISW wrote.

ISW highlights mounting Russian weaknesses

ISW assessed that “a Russian victory is not inevitable,” and that Ukraine and the West Єcan leverage several key Russian weaknesses to force Putin to change his calculus and engage in good-faith negotiations.”

Russia’s military gains have come at steep costs. On 9 September, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia suffered 299,210 casualties — killed and wounded — since January 2025. Russia’s slow territorial gains have come with disproportionate losses.

ISW noted that Putin’s economic mismanagement during the war has led to unsustainable spending, inflation, and labor shortages, further undermining the country’s ability to maintain the current pace of war.

US President Donald Trump also commented on 18 September that Russia is incurring more losses than Ukraine and suggested that if oil prices fall, Putin will have to “drop out” of the war. Russian oil revenues continue to play a critical role in funding the Kremlin’s war effort.

Kremlin continues to demand Ukrainian capitulation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated on 18 September that Moscow will only compromise if a peace settlement guarantees Russia’s “legitimate security interests” and those of Russians in Ukraine, ISW reported.

He also claimed that the United States understands the so-called “root causes” of the war. ISW noted that such language has long been used by Russian officials to reinforce original Kremlin demands — demands they seek to achieve either militarily or through pressure disguised as diplomacy.

PepsiCo—the maker of Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos, and Quaker Oats—is criticized for expanding its Russian business and funneling tax money to the Kremlin, even as Moscow drains every possible resource to fuel its war against Ukraine.

A new survey by PissedConsumer.com shows that 82% of consumers are unaware that PepsiCo pays taxes in Russia, supporting the country’s fully militarised budget. Crucially, 68% of respondents said they would stop buying PepsiCo products to protest the company’s role in Russia’s war economy and to pressure it to exit the market. Meanwhile, 75% believe PepsiCo should completely halt operations in Russia and publicly condemn the country’s human rights abuses.

The survey highlights the mounting reputational risks companies like PepsiCo face by chasing marginal profits in Russia—not to mention the financial and legal risks, including potential criminal liability for complicity in war crimes.

The US food and beverage giant made headlines in early 2022 as the company ’pulling out of Russia.’ At the time, PepsiCo announced it would stop advertising, suspend new investments, and cease production of certain beverages in Russia.

However, instead of withdrawing, PepsiCo continued selling rebranded versions of its drinks and even expanded its presence, opening a new megafactory in 2024 that produces 60,000 tons of snacks annually.

According to the latest B4Ukraine report on multinationals still operating in Russia, PepsiCo is the country’s largest food and beverage producer. In 2024, PepsiCo generated $4.5 billion in revenue in Russia and paid $122 million in profit taxes to the criminal Russian government.

That amount is enough to buy around 40 Iskander missiles, according to open-source cost data.

By staying in Russia, PepsiCo normalises the Kremlin’s crimes in the eyes of ordinary Russians. Its profits come at the expense of Ukrainians fighting not just for their survival, but for the rules-based international order from which PepsiCo has long profited.

A boycott is a powerful tool that can force companies to act. But it’s long overdue for G7, EU, and allied countries to address the role their businesses play in Russia today, and how this affects Ukraine’s people and the course of the war. B4Ukraine urges Western governments to incentivize and reward responsible exits, while introducing deterrents—including financial penalties, restrictions on contracts, and exclusion from public procurement—for firms that continue doing business in Russia.

Denys Svyrydenkov

Denys Svyrydenkov is a content creator at the B4Ukraine Coalition, with previous experience at European Pravda and Kyiv School of Economics

Ukrainian drone tech firm Ptashka Systems has presented a new way to counter Russian roadside ambush drones by using interceptor drones that drop nets on them. The system is designed to neutralize so-called “waiting drones” — FPVs that land near logistics routes, switch off their motors, and lie in ambush until a vehicle appears.

This Ptashka Systems’ solution avoids the loss of both Ukrainian drones and ammunition — Ukrainian drone pilots often destroy such roadside ambushes by striking them with their own FPV drones. Ukrainian forces already use nets in limited cases to intercept airborne drones.

Dropped nets disable ambush FPVs

Ptashka Systems published a video showing how its drones can release special cartridges carrying nets directly onto hidden Russian FPVs, waiting on the ground.

Once covered, the ambush drones cannot take off, as the nets block their propellers and render them uncontrollable, Militarnyi noted, adding that the advantage of this approach is that the enemy drone remains stuck in its ambush, forcing its operator to waste time waiting for a target that never comes.

“When the target appears, the net complicates or makes it impossible for the “waiting drone” to take off — it physically cannot rise because its propellers are blocked. This neutralization mechanism makes the drone uncontrollable and disables it,” Militarnyi says.

The developers invited Ukrainian Mavic drone pilots to take part in the effort and announced that Ptashka Systems is ready to provide free cartridges with nets to those operators.

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) reported an attack on Russia’s Kursk Oblast, destroying a critical logistics hub that had been supplying one of the Kremlin’s elite combat units, Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade. 

The 810th Marine Brigade is based in occupied Sevastopol and is considered one of the most experienced units in Russia’s Naval Infantry, SSO says. It played a key role in the assault on Mariupol and in battles along the Zaporizhzhia axis.

The brigade has been repeatedly implicated in war crimes, including the execution of prisoners, the report notes. Its redeployment to the Kursk region suggests that Moscow is now forced to use its elite forces to defend its own borders.

According to SSO, that strike destroyed ammunition depots, equipment storage facilities, and concealed weapons positions that had been supporting Russian operations in the North-Slobozhanske direction, including parts of Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy Oblast.

Ukraine is preparing to ramp up its aerial defense with a fleet of 1,000 drone interceptors deployed daily, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on 18 September during a press conference in Kyiv with Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Kyiv aims to surpass Russia’s nightly drone attacks

Suspilne reported that Shmyhal said Ukraine’s goal is to exceed the current scale of Russian drone usage, which he sometimes reaches around 800 drones per night. To do so, he confirmed Ukraine is working toward the capability to operate no fewer than 1,000 drone interceptors per day.

“This level will be reached. I cannot say what the current level is, but this level will be implemented in the near future,” Shmyhal claimed at the briefing.

The Prime Minister emphasized that this goal is not distant and that work is progressing according to schedule.

The challenge isn’t drones — it’s deployment systems

Shmyhal clarified that drone production is not the limiting factor in reaching the 1,000-interceptor mark. Instead, the main challenge lies in the availability and implementation of ground-based control systems, radar units, and components that utilize artificial intelligence for targeting and guidance.

“This is a large complex, and its implementation takes some time. But we are moving confidently and according to schedule toward this goal,” he added.

Today, there is interesting news from the Pokrovsk direction in Donetsk Oblast.

Here, Brazilian soldiers from the 2nd International Legion have been deployed to finish off the remnants of the Russian breakthrough attempt towards Dobropillia. Gaining extensive combat experience during the intense defense of Donetsk Oblast, these volunteers are now using this to eliminate the remaining enemy pockets of trapped soldiers.

Brazilians strike hard near Pokrovsk as Russian salient’s flanks collapse

The Pokrovsk front has become the latest battlefield where Ukraine’s 2nd International Legion, partly redeployed from Zaporizhzhia and Chasiv Yar, is playing a decisive role. Specializing in assault operations, small-unit raids, drone reconnaissance, and counter-sabotage, the Legion was sent to stabilize and clear villages on the flanks of Pokrovsk. With fighting fluid and Russian infiltrations continuing, reports confirm Legion units engaging enemy groups, raising the Ukrainian flag in newly secured areas, and reinforcing frontline advances.

Operating as highly mobile infantry supported by drones, the unit provides Ukrainian commanders with a flexible force capable of reacting quickly to threats, while at the same time launching raids that unsettle Russian forces already suffering from enormous losses.

Among the most notable groups within the 2nd Legion are Brazilian volunteers. Brazil is home to a Ukrainian diaspora of roughly 600,000 people, many living in the Parana state. For some, cultural roots provide the motivation to join; for others, anti-communist convictions or personal outrage at the Russian invasion drive them. With many being veterans of Brazil’s military or police forces, bringing specialized skills in small-unit tactics, reconnaissance, and urban combat.

In Pokrovsk, where Russian assaults often rely on infiltration and poorly coordinated pushes, Brazilian fighters are well-suited to counter them. By clearing Russian infiltrators from villages near Pokrovsk and stabilizing threatened flanks, they contribute directly to the broader Ukrainian plan of encircling and eliminating Russian forces that have struggled for months to make progress in this sector. Brazilian actions on the flanks of Pokrovsk exemplify the unit’s mission: clear infiltration groups, secure villages, and provide rapid, precise, small-unit power where it is needed most.

Brazilian skills transfer from jungle to Ukrainian forests

Around Pokrovsk, the 2nd International Legion’s Brazilian contingent has demonstrated how their jungle-honed skills transfer seamlessly into Ukraine’s contested forests and villages. One video shows them advancing quietly through dense woodland on a reconnaissance mission, using their natural ability to move unseen, camouflage effectively, and set ambushes. Such expertise allows them to surprise Russian troops, capture prisoners, or eliminate threats before they can endanger larger Ukrainian formations. Their precision reduces risks for accompanying units and speeds up the clearing of hostile positions, as proved by numerous released videos.

Close-quarters encounters reveal their combat discipline

Equally important is their role in urban fighting when clearing entrenched Russians from basements and buildings with coordination and discipline. Drone surveillance enhances their situational awareness, while cooperation with Ukrainian commanders ensures they strike at exactly the right time. Another recording highlights this synergy, as a patrol unexpectedly encountered a Russian soldier hidden in a shelter. The enemy attempted to raise his weapon, but the Brazilians reacted instantly, neutralizing him before he could fire.

Not mercenaries: RFU shows the human side of Brazil’s contribution

Despite Russian information campaigns to dismiss volunteers as mercenaries, Brazil’s contribution shows otherwise. Many fighters have turned down safer options at home, traveling thousands of kilometers and accepting the risks of Ukraine’s hardest battles. There is, in fact, a constant waitlist of Brazilians applying to join, and up to 400 volunteers await document processing at a single time, seeking places not only in the 2nd International Legion but also in other Ukrainian formations with large Brazilian contingents.

Pokrovsk: where foreign solidarity meets Russian collapse

Overall, the Brazilian volunteers of the 2nd International Legion now helping clear the flanks of Pokrovsk represent a powerful combination of principles, experience, and courage. Their integration into Ukrainian operations is not only disrupting Russian encirclement attempts but also serving as a vivid example of international solidarity. While Russian commanders continue to throw men and equipment into the Pokrovsk meat grinder, Brazilians and other foreign volunteers stand firm, proving that Ukraine’s struggle has become a cause people are willing to fight for.

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.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 86 drones overnight on 18–19 September, targeting Ukraine from multiple directions and triggering air alerts across several oblasts. The Russian attack injured a man near Kyiv and caused fires in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Russia fires 86 drones from four launch points

According to the Air Force’s report this morning, the attack began at 21:00 on 18 September and involved 86 Shahed one-way-attack drones, Gerbera decoy UAVs, and other types of drones launched from Russia’s Kursk, Millerovo, Shatalovo, and Prymorsko-Akhtarsk. Ukrainian defenders used aviation, air defense missile units, electronic warfare systems, drone units, and mobile fire teams to repel the attack.

As of 09:00 on 19 September, Ukrainian forces had intercepted or suppressed 71 enemy drones across northern, eastern, and central parts of the country. However, 15 drones hit targets at six different locations. Additionally, falling debris from destroyed UAVs was recorded at two more sites.

Kyiv hit by explosions and repeat air alerts

Suspilne reports that multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv overnight. The city and oblast came under drone attack, triggering an air raid alarm at 1:10. According to the Kyiv Military Administration, one drone crashed in Solomianskyi district. In Shevchenkivskyi, debris from a destroyed drone fell, and an unexploded UAV was later found in the same district. Sappers were dispatched to the location.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko confirmed the fall of a drone in Solomianskyi and noted that emergency services responded to the scene. Later, the Kyiv Military Administration reported additional falling debris in Shevchenkivskyi district, including on a roadway. The fragments damaged a trolleybus line.

Fires in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

According to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, Russian forces launched drones at Pavlohrad during the night, causing several fires. Rescue teams were able to localize the blazes. In the Nikopol area, the Russian military used both an FPV drone and artillery to strike the city center and the Myrove community. No casualties were reported in those incidents.

Ukraine’s drone command wants to scale up to cover the full frontline. That means growing from 2.2% to 5% of Ukraine’s total military personnel. The Unmanned Systems Forces detailed this goal — and their progress — in a 100-day report published by commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.

Madyar presents 100-day report on Ukraine’s drone command

In a detailed report published by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS), commander Major Robert “Madyar” Brovdi reviewed his first 100 days in charge. He revealed that the SBS Grouping, formed on 11 June 2025 by merging 12 units, has since grown to play a significant role across the front. The report emphasized transparency and operational metrics without hype.

On 1 July 2025, the force launched a unified reporting system and introduced an electronic Combat Log (eCL). A public results dashboard now provides live data on drone missions and effectiveness. According to the report, over 402,000 sorties have been carried out by the Unmanned Systems Forces over this period — nearly half of them strike missions. Reconnaissance flights made up the rest, Brovdi reported.

Scaling drone capabilities and logistics without state funds

The Unmanned Systems Forces operate with only 2.2% of the total personnel of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Still, six of its units currently rank among the top 13 out of 500 units nationwide. The command claims the force now operates across all battlefield layers — tactical, operational, and strategic.

A central logistics warehouse was established for supplying all 12 Grouping units with equipment and drone peripherals — excluding the drones themselves. This hub holds over 1,039,870 units across 1,600+ item types. Notably, none of this supply chain is funded by the state. The stock includes 335 ATVs, 200 pickups, 460 logistics and freight vehicles, 180 motorcycles, and 900 mobile electronic warfare systems. It also includes radio systems, Starlink units, ELINT tools, batteries, and more.

Domestic drone munitions production ramps up

The SBS’s in-house project dubbed the “Sugar Factory” has launched domestic production of 51 types of drone ammunition. So far, over 50,000 munitions have been produced. The Grouping plans to scale monthly production to 120,000 units to fully meet its operational needs.

Clear goals, no recruitment campaign yet

Madyar stated that the SBS has not yet launched a recruitment campaign. But the goal is clear: reach 5% of the total personnel of the Defense Forces. Only at that point will the drone forces be able to provide full front coverage at all three layers — tactical, operational, and strategic — and exceed 50% of all verified enemy targets hit. Otherwise, Madyar stated, he will resign and return to his brigade — “even if just as the bathhouse operator.”

Strategic targets inside Russia are being hit daily, the commander said, although details remain undisclosed.

“We’re scaling up — quietly,” Brovdi added.

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Ukraine liberated 160 square km in Donetsk Oblast counteroffensive – Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces have liberated seven settlements and inflicted over 2,500 Russian losses in the past few weeks.

Russia’s “squeeze-out” strategy targets 2 key Ukrainian cities. Russian troops are attempting to complete encirclement and have created a “kill zone” around the Pokrovsk city, where any movement or resupply by Ukrainian troops is targeted by drones and artillery

1,300 km deep into Russia, Ukraine’s drone hits Gazprom’s Salavat refinery, setting it ablaze (video). The attack targeted the ELOU-AVT-4 unit, vital for crude oil processing.

Intelligence and technology

Ukrainian intel: Nearly 20,000 Cuban mercenaries fighting on Russia’s side against Ukraine. Florida lawmakers and Ukrainian officials highlighted the threat to US and regional security.

First American weapons arrive in Ukraine under PURL agreement – media. The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) allows NATO allies to fund US weapons stockpiles, which are then shipped directly to Ukraine under a coordinated support program.

Ukraine and Poland to sign battlefield drone agreement — and it could redefine NATO’s strategy. Warsaw’s forces will gain hands-on experience from Ukraine’s drone crews, who fight daily.

Leader of Russia’s most elite drone unit identified – RFE/RL. An investigation by RFE/RL reveals the leadership and structure of Rubicon, Russia’s elite drone formation, whose advanced tactics have outmatched other unmanned forces and severely disrupted Ukrainian operations.

Ukraine and Poland to create a joint drone unit to counter “common enemy”- Shmyhal

. Defense chiefs from Ukraine and Poland signed agreements on drone operation training and joint industrial projects during a ministerial meeting in Kyiv

International

Ireland sends 34-vehicle non-lethal military aid package to Ukraine: ambulances, pickups, and demining tech. The two Irish convoys also included three Reacher Robots for the demining coalition.

Russian Gerbera drone wreckage washes onto Latvian beach after drifting from sea. The tail section was discovered in Ventspils district and secured for inspection.

Russia, Belarus again tried to attack Poland while border remains closed. Interior Minister Kamiński describes the border situation as “very tense.”

Poland plans to triple defense budget to record $55 billion, while learning drone defense from Ukraine. Warsaw also urges NATO allies to reach 5% GDP defense spending by 2030.

Australia slashes Russian oil price cap 21% while sanctioning 95 shadow fleet tankers. The coordinated Western assault on Putin’s energy revenues intensifies as Australia joins allies in targeting the maritime network.

WSJ: EU sees a trap in Trump’s Russia demands for Europe — and some fear it’s meant to fail on purpose. Diplomats believe the US President is creating impossible conditions to avoid action on Moscow.

UK arrests three suspected Russian agents — police say foreign spies now recruit British “proxies”. Counter-terror police swooped on two addresses, detaining suspects accused of aiding a foreign intelligence service.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia struck Kostiantynivka with guided FAB-250 bomb – 5 civilians killed. Kostiantynivka, a city in Donetsk Oblast close to the front line, has been a frequent target for Russian aerial strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion.

1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers repatriated to Ukraine. Authorities are set to conduct examinations and identify the remains in the coming days.

Political and legal developments

Europe prepares war reparations for Ukraine — but Russia doesn’t want to stop war. The mechanism emerges after 18 months of Hague negotiations.

ISW: Putin removes top Kremlin aide Kozak who allegedly warned him to end the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Kozak lost his role after advising Putin to hold peace talks and reduce the power of the security services.

New developments

New front opens for unexpected category of Ukrainians — yet joining remains choice, not command. Volunteers can sign one-year contracts after health checks.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods says that the oil giant has no plans to return to Russia. However, the company is negotiating with Russian officials over the recovery of $4.6 billion in expropriated assets, the Financial Times reports. 

Russian officials continue to claim that Exxon “may be allowed” to return to the country amid the Alaska peace summit, at which “normalization and deepening of economic ties” between Russia and the US were discussed.

Exxon Mobil trapped in “Sakhalin-1”

Exxon Mobil exited the Sakhalin-1 oil project in March 2022, following Russia’s all-out war on Ukraine.

Despite wanting to reclaim its assets, Russian authorities denied the request. In October 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree ordering the forced seizure of Exxon’s stake, transferring it to the Russian company Rosneft through its subsidiary.

Exxon was forced to write off assets worth over $4.6 billion, having effectively lost control of its stake in the project and being unable to operate or extract value from it.

Ahead of the meeting with Trump, Putin signed a decree that potentially allows foreign investors, including Exxon Mobil, to reclaim their shares in the project.

Negotiations focus only on losses

However, according to CEO Darren Woods, Exxon has no intention of returning to Russia.

“We don’t have any plans to re-enter Russia. This was really around settlement discussions around the arbitration associated with the expropriation of our assets in 2022,” Exxon’s top executive said.

He added that Exxon executives are negotiating with Russian officials about recovering the $4.6 billion in expropriated assets, but not about investing in the country.

Russian officials continue to say that Exxon “may be allowed” to return, amid the Alaska peace summit, which discussed the normalization and deepening of economic ties between the US and Russia.

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that negotiations between investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev and US officials “continue regarding cooperation in energy deals, including Sakhalin-1.”

The longer Russia prolongs its war in Ukraine, the more the global balance of power shifts. Recently, Moscow reportedly supplied North Korea with nuclear submarine modules, including a reactor, a move that could mark a breakthrough for Pyongyang in building its own strategic submarines, Korea JoongAng Daily reports, citing South Korean government sources.

According to several officials, during the first half of 2025, Russia may have delivered two or three modules to North Korea, including a reactor, turbine, and cooling system, which are the key components of a nuclear submarine’s power plant. These were not newly produced units but parts removed from decommissioned Russian submarines.

“Since last year, North Korea has been persistently requesting nuclear submarine technology and advanced fighter jets from Russia.

Russia was initially reluctant but appears to have agreed to provide them this year,” one government source said on condition of anonymity.

A shadow beneath the Pacific

For Pyongyang, nuclear-powered submarines are a strategic priority, as they could enable the capability to launch nuclear strikes against the US. In March, the state-run Rodong Sinmun published photos of Kim Jong Un inspecting a nuclear submarine under construction.

Until recently, experts were convinced that North Korea could not independently develop a reactor for submarines. If the transfer of modules is confirmed, the country would gain access for the first time to a technology that had been out of reach.

Reports also suggest Pyongyang demanded this assistance from Moscow in exchange for sending troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A red line crossed

Confirmation of the transfer would mean Russia has crossed a “red line,” in blatant violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Such a step would likely provoke new sanctions targeting both North Korea and Russia.

South Korea’s intelligence service has already passed the information to the US and its allies. 

Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reports that intelligence data show about 20,000 Cubans are fighting on Russia’s side in the war against Ukraine. The report was discussed during a US Congress security briefing, which highlighted Cuba’s role in aiding Russia both with fighters and sanction evasion.

US Congress briefing on Cuban involvement

On 18 September, US Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, a Republican from Florida, hosted a virtual national security briefing with Ukrainian officials and US lawmakers. The focus was the “alarming presence of thousands of Cuban regime troops fighting alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine” and the threat this poses to US and regional security.

Florida representatives María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez also participated, alongside Cuban opposition figures and Ukrainian officials including presidential sanctions adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk, intelligence representative Andrii Yusov, and members of parliament Oleksandr Merezhko and Marian Zablotskyi.

20,000 Cubans recruited for Russia’s war

According to Suspilne, Ukrainian intelligence representative said at the meeting that around 20,000 Cubans have been recruited by Russia. About 1,000 signed formal contracts with Russia in 2023–2025. The average age of these mercenaries is 35.

Ukrainian officials presented a list of 39 confirmed Cuban fatalities but stressed that the figure represents only part of the actual losses. Each Cuban fighter reportedly receives about $2,000 a month. Yusov noted that while the payment is small, it is “a powerful argument” for Cuba’s impoverished population.

Foreign support for Russia’s war machine

Briefing participants also stressed how Russia continues to bypass sanctions with support from Cuba, China, Iran, and North Korea. According to intelligence data, critical microchips and other components flow into Russia’s defense industry through these countries. Officials stated that 60% of Russia’s artillery shells come from North Korea, while Iranian drones are used in major strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. Ukrainian intelligence emphasized that Cuban fighters form the second-largest foreign mercenary group in Russia’s ranks.

Training in occupied Crimea

Suspilne Krym earlier reported that Cuban mercenaries, alongside recruits from African states and other Russian allies, undergo training in Russian-occupied Crimea before being deployed to fight against Ukraine.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the T-64BM Bulat was Ukraine’s most modern tank. But times have changed. And now the survivors of the 100 pre-war Bulats have trickled down to some of Ukraine’s least active brigades.

The fate of the surviving Bulats speaks to the Ukrainian tank corps’ huge leap in capability in just the 43 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine. But it also speaks to a shortage of working tanks in the Ukrainian inventory as Ukraine’s roughly 130 ground combat brigades reorganize into a new corps structure, with multiple brigades—each with thousands of troops and potentially dozens of tanks—under a single command.

A photo that circulated online recently depicts a war-weary Bulat in training with the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade. The brigade is holding the line outside Mala Tokmachka in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a comparatively quiet sector despite a few recent Russian assaults.

The 49-ton, three-person T-64BM was, until recently, the ultimate T-64—and the best tank in the Ukrainian inventory. The Ukrainian army went to war in 2022 with around 100 Bulats, many if not most of them in service with the elite 1st Tank Brigade.

Two years later, the 1st Tank Brigade had switched to the latest T-64BV, which is several tons lighter than the T-64BM and has newer and much better optics. The 70 or remaining Bulats—a couple dozen have been lost in action—apparently cascaded to the 109th and 118th Territorial Brigades.

The switch makes sense. When the Malyshev tank factory in Kharkiv designed the Bulat back in the 1990s, it added features such as improved armor and fire controls, but didn’t add enough engine horsepower to compensate for the resulting extra weight. “It proved too heavy,” one expert wrote about the Bulat. “There were also problems with air intake and filters.”

There’s some speculation that the Bulats are also badly in need of an overhaul. In any event, by 2025, the Bulat would no longer be Ukraine’s best tank. Ukraine’s super-upgraded T-64BVs have been joined by ex-German Leopard 2s and ex-American M-1s, among other tanks.

Explore further

Moscow touts new tank production in Omsk—analysts cry hype

Lighter brigades

Territorial brigades tend to be less well-equipped than army, air assault, marine, and assault brigades and tend to fight defensively rather than lead offensive operations.

So it should come as no surprise that, for example, the assault branch’s 425th Assault Regiment operates American-made M-1s donated by Australia, but the territorials operate overweight, underpowered Bulats and ex-Croatian M-84s based on downgraded Soviet-made T-72Ms.

The Bulats are probably adequate for brigades that aren’t expected to use their tanks especially aggressively. Ideally, the territorials would operate the same tanks as the other ground combat branches. At present, that’s not really an option.

Ukraine had around 1,000 tanks when Russia widened the war in February 2022. In 43 months of hard fighting, the Ukrainians have lost around 1,000 tanks but have gotten another 1,000 tanks from their foreign allies. Wear and tear has removed hundreds of otherwise intact tanks from the active rolls, however.

Bottom line: Ukraine is low on tanks.

The ground forces’ reorganization into an 18-corps structure hasn’t solved the problem. As part of the reorganization, all five army tank brigades plus 13 other brigades—including several territorial brigades—are transforming into heavy mechanized brigades, one for each corps.

Each heavy mech brigade should have two tank battalions together operating around 60 tanks. That’s fewer tanks than were in the old tank brigades, but more tanks than were in old territorial or mechanized brigades.

The corps reorg hasn’t decreased overall demand for tanks, which Ukrainian formations count on to help compensate for a force-wide shortage of trained infantry.

The Bulats might be too heavy and too tired to lead Ukraine’s armored counterattacks. But they’re better than nothing for a couple of territorial brigades.

Explore further

Russian infiltrators near Pokrovsk are about to get the tank treatment

Today there are interesting updates from the Pokrovsk direction. 

Here Ukrainian forces have launched a sweeping strike campaign targeting Russian bases, training camps and troop concentrations across the whole Donbas front to bleed out Russia’s capacity for a renewed offensive. 

Coupled with the ground operations, these combined efforts have already inflicted 60,000 losses on the 110,000 strong initial Russian grouping since the start of the Pokrovsk offensive.

Major strikes on command infrastructure

A repeated Ukrainian strike came in the aftermath of one of the most significant blows against the Topaz plant in Donetsk, which housed a Russian command post. 

Eyewitnesses reported again thick smoke, multiple explosions, and noticeable damage to repair and logistics facilities. 

Meanwhile, other strikes in Donetsk have repeatedly hit troop concentrations, energy and command infrastructure, preventing the Russians from regrouping smoothly or re-establishing staging areas, as well as the Russian army. The strike was confirmed by multiple released videos from the region.

Precision strikes near the frontline

Closer to the frontline near Myrnohrad, Russian forces concentrations were also targeted by the Ukrainians. 

In one geolocated video, a MiG-29 dropped a GBU-62 JDAM bomb on a cluster of Russian assault troops along with the nearby ammunition storage, obliterating both the fighters and their supplies simultaneously. 

In another strike, a similar precision weapon demolished a building sheltering an enemy assault group, cutting off the Russian operation before it really started. 

Such strikes have undercut the Russian ability to mass troops or prepare joint assaults threatening Pokrovsk.

Systematic destruction of air defense systems

Essential strikes against Russian air defenses that are conducted in parallel with every radar or air defense system destroyed, meaning fewer obstacles for Ukrainian drones, missile launches and fighter jets to reach high-value targets. 

For example, a Zupark radar near Donetsk was destroyed after a shark-reconnaissance drone, followed by a HIMARS artillery strike. Two Pantsir-S1 systems were eliminated within 24 hours, one via a Ram-2X drone strike, the other in Snizhne by another still-unidentified Ukrainian drone, removing critical mobile air defense cover. 

Near Donetsk, an expensive Russian Buk-M2 system, costing more than 10 million US dollars, was geolocated and knocked out by HIMARS, as visible on a video published by a Ukrainian blog. 

Another Buk-M1 was first tracked to a warehouse by a drone and targeted there unsuccessfully. But when Russian crews attempted to move it, Ukrainian operators readjusted their fire and destroyed it in the follow-up strike.

Devastating impact on Russian forces

These Ukrainian strikes have contributed to exceptional Russian losses in the Pokrovsk direction in the past ten months, while the Russian command repeatedly tried outflanking maneuvers, infiltrations and direct assaults aiming to capture Pokrovsk and sever its supply routes. 

Ukrainian analysts estimate that Russia has already lost around 60,000 soldiers, killed and wounded during the Pokrovsk offensive alone. The daily toll on Russian manpower and equipment has surged, particularly since the Russian breakthrough near Dobropillia failed and Ukrainian forces began isolating, cutting off and eliminating trapped enemy units. 

In addition, Ukrainian air raids against troop concentrations and training camps in the rear have taken out Russian units before they ever reached the front line, reducing pressure on defenders and allowing Ukraine to repel assaults more efficiently, while the combined long-lasting strike campaign has added thousands of Russian losses to the statistic.

Strategic multi-layer campaign

Ukraine is executing a well-synchronized multi-layer campaign to first suppress Russian air defense, then strike command posts and logistical nodes, and finally funnel damage onto Russian forces in the rear or awaiting deployment. 

Because of these efforts, Russian attempts to mount large-scale assaults have been repeatedly delayed or cancelled, as commanders suffer from the loss of staging bases, supply depots, repair facilities and associated personnel. 

The heavy targeting of their command structure has left whole units and even divisions with confusing orders, disrupted communications and fewer operational reserves.

Long-term strategic implications

Overall, Ukraine’s recent strikes on bases, training camps and air defense systems represent more than tactical successes. 

Strategically decisive in blunting and, in many cases, halting, Russian plans to renew the offensive toward Pokrovsk. By striking rear areas and infrastructure and by destroying air defenses that shield those targets, Ukraine not only protects its front line but sets conditions, where Russian forces must operate exposed and fragmented. 

This gives Ukraine breathing room on multiple flanks, reduces incoming pressure, reduces attack speed, and forces the enemy to defend inside and out of the flank. 

To and raises the cost of any renewed Russian attack to levels that may not be sustainable, no matter how many additional units the Russian command transfers to this sector.

The fighting around the fortress city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast is so fluid and chaotic that the best outside observers—independent analysts and mappers—struggle to make sense of it.

We know a big battle is coming. Potentially “the largest battle of the entire war,” according to American analyst Andrew Perpetua. But the smaller clashes leading up to that likely battle are an ominous sign. When the final battle for Pokrovsk eventually begins, it could defy conventional understanding.

Two leading mappers—Deep State and Unit Observer—have tried to pinpoint the locations of the main Russian and Ukrainian units, as well as the geographic zones of control across a 12-km front stretching from Rodynske to Dobropillia just northeast of Pokrovsk.

Dobropillya Direction
Due to Ukrainian reinforcements arriving from Sumy and counterattacks by assault units, Russia redeployed elements of the 8th Army to prevent the semi-encirclement of 51st Army units, which continue their attacks in the Rodynske–Dobropillya direction. pic.twitter.com/J3vkwOETKy

— Unit Observer (@WarUnitObserver) September 15, 2025

Their maps don’t match. “The situation there is a total mess,” analyst Moklasen observed.

This much we know. In late July or early August, the Russian 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade slipped right past Ukrainian trenches east of Rodynske and marched on Dobropillia, which sits astride one of the two main supply lines into Pokrovsk.

The Ukrainian 1st Azov Corps raced toward the breach. In the weeks that followed, the corps may have mostly destroyed the 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade and carved up the Russian salient. Ukrainian forces “possess the initiative here,” the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies reported.

But how many Russians remain in the salient, and where, is unclear.

Explore further

Russia saved armor all year for this moment—150,000 troops close in on Pokrovsk

This uncertainty is becoming the new normal in Ukraine as both sides struggle to recruit enough good infantry and tiny explosive drones increasingly dominate the landscape.

“With manpower shortages and infiltration tactics, the front line in some areas has become far less defined and certain,” explained Tatarigami, the founder of the Ukrainian Frontelligence Insight analysis group.

“It has reached the point where even soldiers on both sides are uncertain about the front line—at least beyond their own unit’s tactical area,” Tatarigami added. “As a result, sources once considered reliable for mappers are no longer as dependable.”

The gray zone

The chaos afflicts the troops on the ground. In May 2024, a squad from the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade captured a Russian radio during a bitter skirmish over a Russian-held gully somewhere north of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine. “We will now try to fuck them over,” the Ukrainian infantry leader said in the official video depicting the fight. “Who is a Russian-speaker?”

A Russian-speaking Ukrainian soldier hopped on the captured radio. “We’re 1st Company,” he transmitted—part of the same battalion as the Russians in the gully. The Russians shifted their fire to avoid hitting their “allies.”

“Let’s go,” the 3rd Assault Brigade infantry leader ordered. “Yell in Russian!”

By the time the Russians realized the soldiers approaching them weren’t actually allies, it was too late. They were all but surrounded.

Explore further

A fearless Ukrainian trooper posed as Russian, got close—and then opened fire

That kind of battlefield confusion is becoming more common—and deadlier. Consider the trooper from the Ukrainian 425th Assault Regiment who recently posed as Russian, fell in with two Russian soldiers east of Pokrovsk—and then gunned them down from a few feet away.

For the 150,000 Russians and 50,000 or more Ukrainian troops currently massing around Pokrovsk, these cases of mistaken identity, and the bewildering action northeast of the city, may be previews of much wider chaos as entire field armies and corps clash in the coming weeks.

The battle is probably unavoidable at this point. “Russia has been moving forces into position in Pokrovsk for weeks/months,” Perpetua explained. “They are preparing for what could end up being the largest battle of the entire war.”

“You should not misread what is going on,” Perpetua stressed. But accurately reading the battle, once it commences, could be difficult.

Explore further

Putin needs Pokrovsk to unlock the Donbas—but it’s costing him everything

Ireland has delivered 34 military vehicles and three demining robots for Ukraine as part of its non-lethal military aid. The announcement was made on 18 September by the Irish Defense Minister.

Ireland delivers 34-vehicle non-lethal military aid convoy to Ukraine

According to the Irish Government’s press release, two convoys organized by the Irish Defense Forces have arrived in Poland carrying 34 military vehicles destined for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The shipments were carried out under Operation Carousel 3, led by the Defense Forces Transport Corps.

The equipment was delivered to the International Donor Coordination Cell in Rzeszów and will be officially handed over in coordination with the Ukrainian military.

The Tánaiste (Ireland’s second-ranking government official) and Minister for Defense Simon Harris said,

“This important donation is a further indication of Ireland’s steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal invasion.”

He stressed the need to continue backing Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, calling the delivery a “practical example” of non-lethal aid provided since the 2022 full-scale invasion. 

What’s inside the aid shipment

The convoy included two Ford Transit vans, three Mercedes ambulances, five Scania 8×8 DROPS trucks, eight 15-seater Ford Transit minibuses, and sixteen double cab Ford Rangers. In addition, three Reacher Robots were delivered to support demining operations as part of a multinational coalition.

The donation supports the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of 57 countries and the European Union that delivers military equipment and assistance to Ukraine. Ireland contributes to two non-lethal sub-coalitions under this group: a demining capability coalition co-led by Lithuania and Iceland, and an IT coalition co-led by Estonia and Luxembourg.

Russia is protecting occupied Crimea better than its oil refineries. Moscow is constantly boosting air defense systems in the peninsula with the most advanced systems in response to Ukraine’s strikes, says Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson Captain 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, Espreso reports. 

Meanwhile, Russian oil remains a key source of revenue that funds its military aggression against Ukraine. In 2025, profits from the oil and gas sector account for about 77.7% of Russia’s federal budget. 

Russia deploys S-500 “Prometey”, but fails against Ukrainian attacks

“All the air defense systems they have were already deployed there. They’ve concentrated the S-500 ‘Prometey’ in Crimea for a long time,” Pletenchuk says.

The S-500 is Russia’s newest generation air defense system, designed to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, strategic aircraft, and hypersonic missiles. It can detect targets up to 800 km away and strike them at a range of 600 km, as per Defence Blog. 

Equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, it can operate independently or integrate with S-400 systems, each valued at approximately $600 million.

Despite these defenses, Ukrainian forces destroyed an S-500 complex in Donbas this summer with ATACMS missiles, according to the Tivaz artillery division.

Crimea remains strategic for Russia

Pletenchuk notes that Crimea continues to be a critical location for Russia.

“The Russians will cling to the peninsula until the very end. They are strengthening Crimea’s air defenses far more than their own oil refineries,” he said.

Despite the saturation of air defenses, Ukraine continues to strike Russian military assets in Crimea.

“Our Armed Forces are still able to target key enemy resources. For Russia, the oil industry is particularly important because it funds their operations and contributes to their budget,” Pletenchuk adds.

Key targets of the last few months

In August, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reported that it destroyed several high-value Russian targets in Crimea, including:

• UTIOS-T radar system
• RT-70 radio telescope, a unique Soviet-era facility for monitoring satellite constellations
• GLONASS satellite navigation system dome
• Coastal radar station MR-10M1 ‘Mys’ M1
• 96L6-AP radar of the S-400 missile system

The most interesting of them is the radio telescope. It was built during Soviet times to monitor satellite constellations. Pletenchuk emphasized that “it was genuinely one-of-a-kind.”

A fragment of a Russian military drone Gerbera washed up on a beach in Latvia’s Ventspils district on 18 September, drawing a response from the country’s armed forces and prompting renewed attention to Russia’s unmanned aircraft activity near NATO borders.

Latvian beachgoers find tail of washed-up Russian drone

The National Armed Forces of Latvia (NBS) reported that a tail section of a drone was discovered on a beach in Vārve parish, Ventspils district. Authorities said it was washed in from the Baltic Sea.

Sargs says Latvia’s State Police said initial information showed no threat had been identified at the site. Nonetheless, NBS dispatched an unexploded ordnance disposal team to analyze the wreckage and determine next steps.

“Such cases are not uncommon along the Latvian coast – remnants of munitions or fragments of other military objects are regularly found washed ashore,” Sargs noted.

Identified as Gerbera drone used by Russian forces

Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi noted that the wreckage was preliminarily identified as part of a Russian Gerbera drone. This model is actively used by Russia in its war against Ukraine and in provocations targeting NATO countries.

Recent Gerbera/Shahed incidents

In July, the first confirmed flights of Gerbera drones into the airspace of Baltic countries were recorded. These incidents reportedly caused serious concern among Lithuanian military and government officials.

The same type of drone was previously discovered in Lithuania in early August, having entered from Belarusian territory. 

On 10 September, Russia launched a mass incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, further confirming the growing threat along NATO’s eastern flank.

On 13 September, a Russian drone violated Romania’s airspace.

Poland has recorded another night of drone provocations from Russia and Belarus. The country’s Border Guard Service has reported heightened activity of the enemy targets attempting to violate its airspace, PAP reports. 

Polish Minister of Interior Affairs Mariusz Kamiński describes the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border as “very tense.”

“Tonight, the Border Guard observed increased activity of Belarusian and Russian drones trying to cross Polish airspace,” the minister emphasizes.

Border openings only when safe

When asked about reopening border crossings with Belarus, Kamiński reminded that the closure was imposed due to the Russian-Belarusian military exercises “Zapad-2025”.

During the drills, both countries tested an attack on Poland and a nuclear attack. 

“The border will open only when we have full confidence that there are no threats or provocations to Poland. If our intelligence confirms that it is safe, we will reopen the border,” he added.

On 16 September, Belarus also announced that its forces practiced deploying Russia’s Oreshnik missile system, marking the first known training with the weapon system outside Russia.

Impact on freight transport

The suspension affects road and rail transport in both directions, hitting the main route that carries 90% of rail freight between China and the EU. In 2024, shipments via this route increased by 10.6%, and the value of goods rose by 85%, reaching €25.07 billion, as per Politico.

PKP Cargo warned that short delays are manageable, but prolonged border closure would force a rerouting of trade to southern corridors.

A 45% jump from last year defies wartime expectations across Ukraine’s economic heartland and western regions. Kyiv Oblast dominated with 15,559 apartments under construction despite regular missile strikes.

At the same time, western strongholds Lviv (6,956) and Ivano-Frankivsk (3,842) attracted developers betting on safer locations, according to State Statistics Service data released on 18 September.

Western regions fuel wartime construction wave

This construction revival comes despite the industry operating at roughly half of pre-war capacity. Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine approved construction for 12.7 million square meters of housing in 2021. The war crashed that figure to 6.67 million in 2022, then 4.2 million in 2023.

Kyiv Oblast’s 15,559 apartments represent a 130% increase from 2024, while Lviv Oblast’s 6,956 units reflect the region’s role as Ukraine’s migration hub. Meanwhile, frontline regions tell a different story: Donetsk managed just 16 apartments.

“Western Ukraine has now become a big construction site,” noted an analyst tracking western regions’ industrial real estate boom.

Business confidence drives long-term bets

The apartment surge reflects deeper economic confidence despite ongoing strikes on Ukrainian cities. Construction companies have maintained optimism for four consecutive months, with their business confidence index hitting 54.0 in August—the only major economic sector firmly in positive territory.

Starting apartment construction requires long-term planning, secure financing, and confidence in demand, suggesting Ukraine’s business community sees stability ahead despite daily missile attacks.

The housing market has adapted to wartime realities, with mortgage lending surging by 62% in 2024. This growth is concentrated in government programs supporting key societal groups.

International investors see opportunity

The 45% surge in apartment construction coincides with foreign portfolio investors returning to Ukrainian real estate for the first time since the invasion began. Developers report institutional investors from countries spanning the UAE to Canada are now purchasing residential units in bulk, with some projects seeing foreign sales exceed domestic purchases.

“In our projects, the number of deals with foreigners sometimes exceeds the number of deals with Ukrainians,” said Irina Mikhaleva from Alliance Novobud, speaking to Interfax-Ukraine.

This suggests the construction recovery isn’t just domestic resilience—it’s attracting global capital, betting on Ukraine’s economic future.

The return of portfolio investors represents a significant shift from 2022-2024, when the market focused mainly on end buyers.

International institutional money moving into Ukrainian real estate signals early positioning for the country’s eventual reconstruction phase, potentially indicating broader confidence in Ukraine’s long-term economic trajectory.

Recovery from a low baseline shows adaptation

While the 45% growth sounds dramatic, it starts from a collapsed baseline. The 2.97 million square meters of new construction in early 2025 remain far below the 12.7 million approved in pre-war 2021. Ukraine’s construction sector still operates at roughly half its peacetime capacity.

Yet the geographic concentration reveals strategic adaptation. Safer western regions now absorb construction investment that once flowed to industrial eastern cities.

The World Bank estimates Ukraine needs $524 billion for reconstruction over the next decade, with housing suffering the most damage.

The current construction boom suggests Ukraine isn’t waiting for war to end to begin rebuilding—it’s adapting and growing within wartime constraints while attracting international capital that sees opportunity in the country’s resilience.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Ukraine “issued permits for nearly 49,000 new apartments” and referred to “apartment permits” throughout. It has been corrected to reflect that the data shows apartments that began construction, not permits issued. The article also incorrectly compared apartment counts to construction area measurements. These have been corrected to accurately reflect the State Statistics Service methodology.

Poland is preparing a record defense budget amid Russian drone attacks. On 18 September, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that in 2026, the country’s defense spending will reach a record $55 billion, which is 4.8% of GDP, ArmyInform reports. 

He emphasized that this is an all-time high for free Poland, though even this increase does not fully meet the country’s security needs. 

“Between 2022 and 2026, the budget has tripled. Over four years, we have tripled spending on Polish state security, and we will continue to increase it because the needs are even greater,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Poland urges NATO to accelerate defense spending

The Polish defense minister stressed that NATO allies must quickly reach 5% of GDP in defense spending.

“Within the next three to four years—by 2030—NATO countries should spend about 5%. We are talking 3.5% on ‘hard’ weapons and 1.5% on infrastructure,” he explained.

Poland’s security tied to Ukraine

Kosiniak-Kamysz made these statements during his visit to Kyiv on 18 September, where he met his counterpart, Denys Shmyhal.

“Poland’s security line runs along the front between Ukraine and Russia. I fully understand this, and for many who try to forget, it needs to be reminded,” the Polish defense minister added.

Joint UAV group to coordinate defense

Meanwhile, Poland and Ukraine are creating a joint operational group for unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), including representatives from both countries’ armed forces. The group will serve as a platform for coordinating and developing joint initiatives in UAV technology.

Ukraine has received the first shipment of military equipment under a new agreement between the United States and NATO, a NATO representative told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on Thursday.

The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program is a new NATO-US mechanism that allows military aid to Ukraine to be financed collectively by allies, while weapons and equipment are drawn directly from American stockpiles. 

The system is designed to speed up deliveries and share costs among NATO members, ensuring a steadier flow of support to Kyiv that does not rely on US political will.

The NATO official said additional aid packages are already on the way, with four packages financed so far through PURL.

The news comes a day after the Trump administration confirmed that Ukraine would soon receive its first assistance from NATO allies through US stockpiles under the PURL mechanism.

The agreement restores the flow of weapons from the United States to Kyiv after months of uncertainty.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the first PURL aid packages will include missiles for Patriot air defense and HIMARS systems. 

The PURL agreement

The PURL initiative was announced by former US President Donald Trump on 14 July, 2025, pledging billions of dollars in weapons for Ukraine, to be purchased and distributed by European NATO allies. Trump specified plans to prepare up to 17 Patriot air defense systems for shipment.

By the end of August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that seven countries had committed to the program, contributing a total of $2 billion. Defense experts say Ukraine’s priorities remain focused on air defenses, interceptors, missile systems, rockets, and artillery.

The Council of Europe is preparing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. The draft Convention has been published. The new agency will serve as the second stage of the international mechanism to compensate for damages caused by Russian aggression, following the international Damage Registry. 

The Commission will review claims and assign compensation to war victims, with Russia expected to pay reparations at the third stage. The document was agreed upon in The Hague after eight rounds of negotiations over 18 months.

International Commission and damage registry

The Convention covers the period from 24 February 2022, but Ukraine may propose extending it to 2014–2021, Babel reports. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea, forcibly changing the borders of another country and violating the international order established since World War II. 

Key dates for the convention

• 22 October 2025 — Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to review and approve the text.
• 16 December 2025 — Signing ceremony in The Hague.
• The Convention may enter into force as early as November 2026.

Start of commission work and compensation payments

On 1 January 2028, the transition from the Damage Registry to the Commission will begin, allowing Ukraine to continue seeking reparations from Russia and protecting the rights of its citizens at the international level.

Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said providing security guarantees for Ukraine remains unclear, as no state “is willing to wage a war against the Kremlin.” 

Sikorski recalled that Ukraine already had guarantees under the Budapest Memorandum, but they failed. The new arrangements, in his view, are also incapable of deterring Moscow. 

“I don’t see anyone willing to fight with Russia”: Sikorski explains why security guarantees for Ukraine may fail like Budapest Memorandum

Ukrainian forces are conducting a counteroffensive operation in the Pokrovsk and Dobropillia areas of Donetsk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on 18 September. 

The reported operation represents a significant strategic shift after Russia made major territorial gains in summer 2025 around Pokrovsk and surrounding areas, including a breakthrough near Dobropillia in August that Ukrainian forces subsequently contained and reversed. 

“Since the start of the [counteroffensive] operation, our warriors have already liberated 160 square kilometers, and over 170 square kilometers have been cleared of the occupiers,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

He reported that seven settlements in the area have been liberated, and nine more “cleared of Russian presence.”

“Russian losses just since the start of this counteroffensive – in the Pokrovsk area alone, in these past weeks – are already more than 2,500, of which over 1,300 Russians have been killed,” Zelenskyy added.

He also said Ukraine has taken 100 Russian prisoners in the operation.

Pokrovsk and Dobropillia counteroffensive

The counteroffensive comes after months of intense fighting around Pokrovsk, where Russia concentrated nearly 100,000 soldiers in what analysts called a force capable of attacking a European country. 

Ukrainian forces successfully contained a Russian breakthrough near Dobropillia in August, where Moscow’s troops had advanced 15 kilometers before elite Ukrainian units, including the redeployed Azov Brigade, reversed their gains.

Pokrovsk represents the key to unlocking Russia’s broader campaign to capture all of Donetsk Oblast, serving as a critical supply hub for Ukrainian forces across the eastern front. 

The city’s potential fall would severely compromise Ukraine’s defensive positions throughout the region and open pathways for deeper Russian advances toward Kostiantynivka and the broader Donbas fortress belt. 

Recent intelligence indicates Russia is preparing fresh assaults with redeployed naval infantry brigades and additional armor after their summer failures.

Ukrainians over 60 now have the opportunity to voluntarily defend their country. The Ukrainian Parliament has passed a law allowing citizens over that age to join the military under a contract, which is entirely voluntary and without coercion, reports deputy Iryna Friz from the European Solidarity party.

“It’s important to understand that no compulsory mobilization is planned for this age group. This is purely a voluntary option for those who genuinely want to continue or start service after reaching the maximum age,” Friz explains. 

Citizens over 60 can serve under contract

The new law allows citizens over 60 who wish to serve to sign a contract with the approval of their commander and the General Staff.

Military-medical commission confirms health

A fitness assessment by a military medical commission is a mandatory requirement. Contracts are for one year, with a two-month probationary period and the possibility of extension.

Voluntary choice, not mobilization

Social media recently circulated rumors about mobilizing people over 60. The law clarifies that this is only a voluntary opportunity for those who have the health, strength, and willingness to serve.

Australia delivers a major blow to Russia’s oil profits. The country has slashed the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel and imposed sanctions on 95 more vessels from Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The decision was coordinated with the EU, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan.

The Australian Foreign Ministry has stated that lowering the oil price cap from $60 per barrel to $47.60 will reduce the market value of Russian crude and help deprive Russia’s war economy of revenue from raw materials.

The government also maintains a total ban on Russian oil and petroleum product imports. More than 150 ships have been sanctioned since June 2025.

Australia tightens grip on Russia’s “shadow fleet”

The latest measures target 95 tankers, with intelligence on 60 vessels provided to international partners by Ukraine’s sanctions group.

“Ukraine has also imposed national sanctions on the captains of 15 of these tankers,” Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, reveals.

Ukraine welcomes Canberra’s support

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has thanked his Australian counterpart Penny Wong for the decision.

“Australia is helping to restrict Russia’s ability to fund its war and undermine global peace. We value our strong partnership with Australia and continue to stand together for shared values,” he said.

A united front to cut the Kremlin’s oil revenues

Australia’s sanctions are part of a wider Western strategy to reduce the Kremlin’s energy income. Partner governments believe that only sustained pressure on Russia’s oil sector can significantly weaken its capacity to fund the war against Ukraine.

On 18 September around 10am, Russian forces struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka with a FAB-250 bomb with a UMPK guiding module, killing 5 civilians, the National Police of Ukraine reported. 

Kostiantynivka, in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, is located near the front line and has been frequently targeted by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The FAB-250 is a Soviet-designed, 250-kilogram general-purpose bomb that Russia often modifies with glide kits such as the UMPK module to increase its range and accuracy.

The victims – three men and two women aged 62 to 74 – were killed in the street. Four apartment buildings were also damaged.

The Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office has opened a pre-trial investigation into a potential war crime over the attack.

US President Trump has issued a set of sweeping demands to the European Union on how to escalate pressure on Russia — but unnamed European diplomats told The Wall Street Journal they believe the plan is intentionally designed to fail.

Trump’s Russia demands spark alarm in Brussels

According to WSJ, Trump urged the EU to immediately halt purchases of Russian oil, impose tariffs on India and China over their trade with Moscow, and seize frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense.

The EU delayed a new sanctions package this week as leaders scrambled to respond. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said after speaking with Trump that the bloc would push for additional restrictions on Russia’s banking sector, crypto market, and energy system.  This response falls far short of what Washington is pressing for.

According to Dr. Marina Miron of King’s College London, Moscow has shifted its approach. Instead of massive assaults such as those in Bakhmut which cost tens of thousands of lives the Russian army is now applying a “squeeze-out” strategy: controlling supply routes, deploying swarms of drones, and gradually creating conditions in which Ukraine’s defenses collapse without a direct assault on the city.

Pokrovsk, with a pre-war population of around 60,000, is a key transport hub where major highways and railways intersect. For Russia, it is both a symbolic and strategic target the “gateway to Donetsk.” If the city falls, it could place Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the main strongholds of Ukrainian defenses in Donbas, under immediate threat.

At the same time, Russia is intensifying its offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, advancing near Kupiansk. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this city where several critical railway lines converge holds immense logistical importance. Its loss would severely disrupt Ukraine’s supply chains across a large section of the front.

The battle for Pokrovsk and the pressure on Kupiansk carry implications far beyond Ukraine. If Russia succeeds in breaking Ukrainian defenses with its new tactics, it will send a clear message to NATO and allied nations: Moscow has adapted and is now capable of achieving objectives with fewer losses. This development would force the West to rethink its defense strategies and highlight the urgent need to supply Ukraine with air defense systems, ammunition, and counter-drone technologies.

Amid this escalating threat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leveraged an interview with Sky News to call on Donald Trump to clarify his position on sanctions against Russia and security guarantees for Ukraine. His message underscores a stark reality:

The time for decisions in Western capitals is running out just as quickly as Ukraine’s resources on the battlefield.

Exclusive

Putin needs Pokrovsk to unlock the Donbas—but it’s costing him everything. With 602 tanks lost, the Donbas fortress city is becoming this war’s Stalingrad

Brussels completes Ukraine screening as farm politics threatens EU unity. Ukraine completes final EU agricultural screening while farmers battle war, misconceptions, and rising grain prices.

Deaths outpace births 3-to-1 as Ukraine raises baby bonuses. Ukraine’s fertility hits 0.8 as experts doubt financial fixes.

Military

Ukrainian partisans near Yekaterinburg cut all Russia’s strategic supply lines 2,087 km from frontlines. ATESH saboteurs disrupt ammunition, fuel, and troop movements.

Four-pronged Russian attack fails to crush Ukraine this summer — Zelenskyy reveals staggering losses

. Even in one of the war’s fiercest fronts, Moscow’s overextended army hits wall after wall of Ukrainian resistance.

Kenyan athlete says he was lured to Russian army, but Ukrainian fighters who captured him aren’t so sure about that. Signed papers he couldn’t read, trained under threats, and vanished into forests to survive.

US military officers attend Zapad-2025 exercises in Belarus for first time since full-scale invasion. Two American defense attachés accepted an invitation to the Russian-Belarusian military drills.

Intelligence and technology

Ukrainian forces burn three Russian air defense systems worth $80–90 million with “innovations”

. Tor-M2 and Buk systems worth tens of millions burned, but Ukraine’s Nemesis promises the full story will come later.

Russian propaganda seeks to shift blame for NATO drone strikes to unexpected country. Staged videos and fake debris appear online as Moscow masks its own incursions into Western skies.

International

Ukraine’s Plan A: peace, but Russia doesn’t want it. Plan B: $60 billion for 2026 from allies — Zelenskyy. With Russia demanding surrender and Washington withholding aid, Ukraine braces for an unsustainable financial cliff.

Kyiv ratifies century-long pact with UK, while security guarantees hang in balance. The majority of Ukrainian deputies vote for the historic agreement between the two states.

Humanitarian and social impact

“Stayed indoors for nearly three years”: Ukraine brings kids home from jaws of occupation — yet 19,546 remain abducted by Russia. Zelenskyy’s humanitarian program reunites the most vulnerable, while Russia continues to steal children for its war machine.

Ukraine and Poland will sign a new agreement focused on drone operations and military cooperation, RMF24 reports. The pact, announced during an unannounced visit by Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to Kyiv on 18 September, will include drone crew training and draw heavily on Ukraine’s battlefield experience.

Poland and Ukraine to cooperate on drone warfare under new agreement

RMF24 says that Kosiniak-Kamysz stated in Kyiv that the two countries will sign an agreement covering cooperation between their defense ministries and joint efforts in mastering drone operations.

“We will sign an agreement on cooperation between the ministries, and also on acquiring skills in drone operations,” he said.

According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish troops will work with their Ukrainian counterparts to develop skills in using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He added that another focus will be improving Polish forces’ capabilities based on the experience gained by Ukraine during its war against Russian forces.

“Another issue is improving the skills of our troops based on experience from Ukraine,” the minister said.

He emphasized that implementing battlefield lessons is vital not just for Poland’s military reforms, but for NATO as a whole.

“The implementation of lessons from the new battlefield is crucial for the transformation of the Polish Armed Forces and, in general, for the transformation of NATO,” he said.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also highlighted the importance of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Center (JATEC) located in Bydgoszcz. He said it is “the only institution that tangibly connects NATO and Ukraine,” and noted it will be central to further defense integration and drone warfare development.

Polish minister acknowledges tensions but stresses shared strategic goal

Kosiniak-Kamysz acknowledged that tensions occasionally arise between the two countries but stressed that the broader goal of confronting the real threat must remain the focus.

“I am aware of the emotions that sometimes grow between us, between Poland and Ukraine, but they cannot obscure our strategic goal. The enemy is elsewhere. He cannot be sought in ourselves or between us,” he said.

The Standard reports that three people were arrested in the town of Grays, Essex, England on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence services. The UK police operation reflects growing concern over foreign states using British citizens as local proxies.

Suspects arrested under new spy law in UK suburb

According to The Standard, two men and a woman were detained in Grays, a commuter town located east of London. The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made as part of a national security investigation targeting individuals believed to be working with or for Russian intelligence.

Authorities stated that the suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, under section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA), 2023. The suspects include a 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman arrested at the same residential address, and a 46-year-old man arrested separately nearby.

All three were transferred to a police station in London for questioning. Following searches at both Essex locations, the individuals were released on bail with conditions. The investigation is ongoing.

Police say Russia is now recruiting local “proxies” in the UK

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command, warned that recent cases show a rising trend of British citizens being recruited as proxies by hostile intelligence agencies.

“Through our recent national security casework, we’re seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services,” Murphy said.

He cited a separate case involving two British men who were recruited by the Wagner Group — a Russian state-affiliated paramilitary organization — to commit arson against a warehouse linked to Ukraine. The men have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Murphy clarified that the Essex arrests are unrelated to that incident but urged anyone contacted by foreign actors to think twice.

“This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted,” he said, adding that there could be “very serious consequences for those who are convicted.”

Senior Kremlin officials, likely with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval, pushed Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak out of his position after repeated clashes over the war in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 17 September. Russian state media outlet RBK stated that two sources familiar with the situation confirmed Kozak “resigned” from his post over the weekend of 13 to 14 September. RBK noted he is now considering business offers following his exit.

The allegedly dissenting voice in 2022

Russian political scientist Arkady Dubnov reported on 17 September that sources in Moscow said Kozak “voluntarily” left his position. Dubnov highlighted that Kozak was the only official at the 21 February 2022 Security Council meeting who opposed launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian journalist Alexey Venediktov also confirmed this account.

Kozak reportedly attempted to negotiate with Ukraine at the start of the war, proposing that Kyiv renounce NATO membership. Putin allegedly rejected the talks because he also wanted to annex Ukrainian territory, according to ISW.

Collapse of influence inside Kremlin

The New York Times reported on 10 August that both Western and Russian sources said Kozak’s influence declined sharply in recent months, aaccording to ISW. He reportedly urged Putin to stop fighting in Ukraine, begin peace talks, and reduce the power of Russia’s security services. Those disagreements placed him at odds with Putin and his allies, including Kremlin Deputy Head Sergei Kiriyenko.

Putin signed a decree on 29 August abolishing two Kremlin departments Kozak supervised: the Department for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries and the Department for Cross-Border Cooperation. Analysts assess this was likely in preparation for Kozak’s removal. Reports on 17 September that he is considering business positions refuted earlier claims that he was a candidate for Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal DIstrict, showing the Kremlin opted to remove him entirely from state structures.

Reports indicate Kiriyenko has also recently assumed control of the Kremlin’s Moldova portfolio. This handover consolidates Kiriyenko’s power and responsibilities within the Russian Presidential Administration.

“Putin’s likely decision to push an established senior Kremlin official from his inner circle after expressing a desire to end the war in Ukraine further indicates that Putin and his advisors are coalescing around their commitment to continue the war in Ukraine and around Putin’s maximalist war demands,” ISW assessed.

Ukraine has received 1,000 bodies which the Russian side says are Ukrainian servicepeople, as part of coordinated repatriation efforts, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on 18 September.

The repatriation of fallen soldiers is a critical component of wartime humanitarian and legal obligations. It allows families to recover the remains of loved ones, ensures proper identification, and supports official record-keeping and investigations. 

Law enforcement investigators and expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will conduct necessary examinations and identify the repatriated remains in the coming days.

The operation involved a broad range of Ukrainian authorities, including the Armed Forces, the Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Emergency Service, and the Office of the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. The International Committee of the Red Cross also assisted in the efforts.

Personnel from the Armed Forces organized the transport of the fallen to state facilities and facilitated handover to law enforcement and forensic experts for identification.

In conflicts like the war in Ukraine, coordinated efforts between military, law enforcement, and international organizations such as the Red Cross are essential to carry out these operations safely and respectfully.

Russia burns through 68 soldiers for every square kilometer around Pokrovsk. The math is starting to matter.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reached peak offensive operations as the Kremlin orders its armed forces to capture the rest of the Donbas region. With casualties climbing dramatically as Moscow attempts to capture their primary objectives in the four occupied regions, Kyiv is fortifying Pokrovsk—what’s becoming the largest battle of the war so far.

Russia has massed one of their largest troop gatherings since the beginning of the full-scale war, hoping to make a decisive push to break through Ukrainian lines in Pokrovsk and open the remaining stronghold cities to further offensives.

After a year of continuous offensive activity, Russian forces still don’t have a foothold in the city. Ukraine’s Armed Forces continue holding a concrete defense.

The Russian push toward Pokrovsk is seeing casualties and equipment losses that dwarf all other battles of the war so far.

Why Russia bled out at Avdiivka

In February 2024, Russian forces captured the strategic city of Avdiivka, which sat on key terrain overlooking Donetsk City center.

The capture came at a heavy price—the Russian military suffered casualties ranging from 25,000 to 40,000, making the battle deadlier than Bakhmut. Regular forces, rather than Wagner mercenaries, took the brunt of the fighting.

Despite inflicting heavy attrition on the Russian military, Kyiv hadn’t fortified the defensive lines behind Avdiivka sufficiently. The Ukrainian high command—whether due to negligence, miscommunication, or poor leadership—left gaps that would prove costly.

Where Russian armor goes to die

For most of late winter to early spring 2025, the frontline situation was a stalemate as Ukrainian reserves came in, partially due to the Kursk offensive failing, and Ukrainian forces from the operation being allocated in the sector. Ukraine is also mass-producing various types of drones that help alleviate the artillery shortage by targeting Russian armor.

At the same time in 2025, Russia conducted various offensives in Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, Kupiansk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which hampered major reinforcements entering the Pokrovsk sector, allowing Ukraine to build up fortifications and consolidate its defenses continuously.

The Czech shell initiative also gathered artillery for the Ukrainian frontlines, giving Ukrainian forces more defense allocations to hold the lines against daily Russian assaults.

Despite being only a few kilometers from the outer city, waves of FPV drone attacks have littered the roads into Pokrovsk with Russian armor and corpses that are nearly unretrievable, turning the frontlines into a no-man’s land. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces are suffering 68 casualties per square kilometer gained in the Pokrovsk direction.

The equipment losses during this offensive are staggering.

To put this in perspective: according to the Oryx blog, Russia has lost 4,000 tanks total, making Pokrovsk the deadliest offensive for Russian forces to date.

Explore further

Russia saved armor all year for this moment—150,000 troops close in on Pokrovsk

When glide bombs meet drone swarms

Russia holds an advantage in the air with dozens of airstrikes from its deadly glide bombs that can take out fortifications, despite taking extremely heavy casualties. On the ground, Russia has a 4-to-1 or 5-to-1 manpower advantage.

Ukrainian units also face difficulties with recruitment, unit rotations, and morale due to poor leadership—weaknesses the Russians have exploited. One of Ukraine’s biggest challenges in the war today is fixing issues related to recruitment, negligence of commanders, and improving morale.

Kyiv was able to reorganize its defense and conduct localized counterattacks from late February to early March 2025, as the settlement of Kotlyne was liberated, which pushed back a potential Russian salient. Russia conducted its major summer offensive a month later, putting pressure on the strategic H-32 highway.

With tank and armor losses littering the highways, Russia adopted tactics of sending unsupported infantry assaults, known as sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

If the groups exploit those positions, Russia gradually sends more forces to reinforce that point—which they did during the summer, as there were fears of infiltration into Pokrovsk city in July.

How Azov crushed Russia’s breakthrough

Near Dobropillia, Russia sent several hundred reconnaissance groups, which managed to break through Ukrainian lines in mid-August, causing enough panic for Kyiv to send major reinforcements.

Explore further

Russia lost a brigade near Dobropillya—more brigades are coming

Why this city decides everything

The Pokrovsk offensive is becoming the pinnacle of warfare during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As both countries have exhausted their militaries, the fate of the city during the next few months could determine how the war concludes.

But here’s what’s at stake globally: occupying Pokrovsk could give Russia strategic topography to press onto the rest of the Donetsk fortress cities. Ukrainian forces continue buying valuable time to prepare defenses for the rest of the oblast.

According to the British Ministry of Defense, it would take Russia another two million men and perhaps four years even to capture the rest of Donbas—time Putin can’t afford. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Budanov, stated Russia looks to end the full-scale war sometime in 2026 before the economy cracks, and to do that, Pokrovsk will need to be captured to open up the rest of the fortified cities of Donetsk.

Right now, the longer Ukraine holds Pokrovsk, inflicts catastrophic losses, and buys time for greater fortifications to be completed in the fortress cities, the better it is for Kyiv. Without capturing Pokrovsk, particularly by the end of winter 2026, Russia—with its economy already reeling from Ukrainian strikes on refineries—could finally be forced to negotiate fairly.

If Russia doesn’t want to negotiate and presses beyond its current economic and military capabilities after exhausting its forces, Moscow could face a homegrown collapse akin to the Soviet-Afghan War, and the Battle of Pokrovsk could be the catalyst for it.

Explore further

Frontline report: Russia’s Pokrovsk offensive collapses into chaos — Ukrainian forces seize the moment and liberate Udachne

Julian McBride

Julian McBride is a former US Marine, forensic anthropologist, defense analyst, and independent journalist born in New York. His bylines can be found in the National Security Journal, Byline Times, 19FortyFive, Heritage Daily, The Defense Post, Journal of Forensic Psychology, Modern Warfare Institute, Manara Mag, The Strategist, Pacific Forum, E-International Relations, NKInsider, Cipher Brief, Mosern Diplomacy, and UK Defence Journal.

An investigation by RFE/RL has uncovered details about the highly secretive elite Russian drone formation: the Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies. 

Rubicon has become one of Russia’s most formidable forces on the battlefield since the battle for Russia’s Kursk Oblast in mid 2024.

Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drones have increasingly become critical to the conflict, reshaping both battlefield tactics and long-range operations. Both Moscow and Kyiv are constantly adapting, deploying new drone technologies and countermeasures to strike supply lines, observe enemy movements, and target key infrastructure.

Russia’s Rubicon has proven especially effective at challenging Ukraine’s previously-superior drone capabilities on the battlefield. 

Key findings from the RFE/RL report:

• Commander: Colonel Sergei Budnikov, 37, former artillery and marine officer.
• Headquarters: Facilities include Patriot Park near Moscow, used for training and testing drones.
• Formation: Established mid-2024, shortly after Andrei Belousov became Russia’s defense minister.
• Structure: At least seven detachments, 130–150 personnel each, specializing in drone attacks, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.
• Recruitment: Offers bonuses up to 3 million rubles ($36,000) to attract skilled personnel.

The RFE/RL reporting identifies Colonel Sergei Budnikov, a 37-year-old career artillery and marine officer, as the unit’s commander – the first public confirmation of his leadership.

One of the unit’s main facilities appears to be at the Patriot Park Exhibition and Congress Center near Moscow, which hosts training and testing activities. 

Analysts say Rubicon represents a new level of organization and systematic planning within the Russian military, narrowing Ukraine’s previously decisive advantage in drone warfare.

Rubicon was created in mid-2024, shortly after Andrei Belousov became Russia’s defense minister. It operates as a hybrid organization, combining drone development, operator training, and electronic warfare, with at least seven detachments of 130-150 personnel each, each specializing in different aspects of unmanned operations.

Rubicon in Kursk Oblast

The unit first made its mark countering Ukraine’s operations in Kursk Oblast. Working alongside Russian regular troops and North Korean reinforcements, Rubicon employed highly coordinated drone strikes on short sections of roads supplying Ukrainian positions, often striking vehicles from multiple angles to overwhelm defenses. 

These efforts ultimately forced Kyiv to retreat from the region and allow Russia to regain almost all of Kursk Oblast.

Previous reporting has shown that Rubicon’s drones use rapid frequency shifts and electronic countermeasures to bypass Ukrainian jamming, targeting both frontline convoys and operators stationed far behind the lines. 

Rubicon units now systematically target Ukrainian drone operators who fly drones from distant positions away from the front lines. 

One brigade reportedly lost 70% of their drone operators in a single week due to Rubicon’s precision strikes.

Experts warn that unless Kyiv develops more advanced counter measures, Russia’s elite drone force will remain a persistent threat across multiple sectors of the front.

Ukraine and Poland have agreed to establish a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems, with representatives from both countries’ armed forces, Interfax-Ukraine reported on 18 September.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the agreement during a press conference in Kyiv with his Polish counterpart Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who arrived on an unannounced visit.

“Today we agreed on a number of important steps. First – the creation of a joint operational group on unmanned aerial systems, which will include representatives of Ukrainian and Polish armed forces,” Shmyhal said.

The group will serve as a platform for coordination and development of joint initiatives, according to the Ukrainian minister. “We will integrate the latest defense technologies and initiate new projects that should strengthen the protection of our people and our critical infrastructure,” he stated.

Joint training programs will form the central element of this operational group. “…Which, I am confident, will strengthen our ability to resist a common enemy,” Shmyhal added.

Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the signing of an agreement on acquiring drone operation skills during his Kyiv visit. “Discussions will focus on developing joint industrial initiatives. I think Poles are looking forward to this after such large-scale efforts aimed at helping the population,” the Polish minister said.

Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that implementing lessons learned from the Ukrainian battlefield is crucial for transforming Poland’s Armed Forces and NATO as a whole. He noted “obvious openness and readiness for cooperation” from the Ukrainian side.

The Polish minister addressed bilateral tensions directly: “I realize the emotions that sometimes arise between us, between Poland and Ukraine, but they should not overshadow our strategic goal. The enemy is elsewhere. It should not be sought within ourselves, among ourselves.”

The agreement represents a step toward deeper defense cooperation between the two countries, with focus on drone technology and joint military training programs.