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.

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. 

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Germany is throwing its support behind the use of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine, marking a significant shift in Berlin’s position, Bloomberg reports.

The move adds momentum to European discussions on how to leverage the roughly $300 billion frozen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

European governments and G7 allies have been weighing options to channel additional revenue from these funds to bolster Kyiv’s defense. So far, the EU and partners have agreed to direct interest income from the assets to Ukraine, but pressure has been growing to go further.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this month urged the bloc to create a “reparations loan” for Ukraine, funded by cash balances linked to the frozen Russian assets.

Germany’s support is seen as crucial, as it had previously been wary of measures that might threaten Europe’s financial hub or breach principles of state immunity.

The shift in Berlin reflects fears that declining US support under President Donald Trump could leave Europe shouldering a larger share of the aid for Ukraine. There are concerns this economic burden could also fuel the rise of the country’s far-right. 

The issue will be raised at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Copenhagen this week and again at the October 23-24 EU leaders’ summit, where officials aim to reach a decision.

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

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

210 “re-education” facilities for Ukrainian children

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

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

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

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

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

Children in these facilities fall into four main groups:

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

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

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

Russia’s history of abducting Ukrainian children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Russian Geran-3 drone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russian “aerial terror” overnight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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