Russia’s total combat losses in the war against Ukraine from February 24, 2022, to September 12, 2025, amount to approximately 1,092,780 personnel, including 890 in the past 24 hours.
A total of 1,372 families, caring for 1,743 children, remain in areas of the Donetsk region where mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for families with minors.
Japan can contribute to future security guarantees for Ukraine, which is why Kyiv should strengthen its diplomacy with Tokyo after the election of a new prime minister.
Ukrainian law enforcement, in cooperation with authorities from the United States, EU countries, and Europol, dismantled a hacker group that blocked access to servers of major global companies in order to extort ransom payments.
Russian reinforcements are surging into Donetsk Oblast, staging for what many observes anticipate will be a major mechanized assault on the fortress city of Pokrovsk.
But Ukrainian forces aren’t just sitting around waiting for the attack. They’re positioning their own reinforcements around Pokrovsk. And they’re hitting the newly arriving Russian regiments at their assembly points in Donetsk City—potentially with a previously unknown cruise missile type.
That Ukraine can still surprise observers with a new missile type isn’t actually all that surprising. Forty-three months into Russia’s wider war, Ukraine has become a world-leader in deep-strike technology. By necessity.
On Monday, the Ukrainians targeted the defunct Topaz metallurgy plant on the eastern edge of Donetsk City, 50 km southeast of Pokrovsk. The plant is well-known as a staging base for Russian forces moving toward the Donetsk front line.
A barrage of aerial munitions pummeled Topaz. Photos and videos from the plant confirmed no fewer than three different types of munitions. Possibly more.
To make a Flamingo missile, pack in old bombs & add a tiny engine
Among other weapons, it seems the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces or special services struck Topaz with propeller-driven An-196 and, potentially, Morok attack drones. Meanwhile, the air force launched locally made Bars or Peklo cruise missiles as well as British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The missiles and drones zoomed in one after another, in quick succession. Imagery from the aftermath of the attack pointed to heavy damage. Other imagery may have revealed fragments of a new Ukrainian missile.
The potentially 3-m missile seems to have a simple fiberglass fuselage and wing and a dorsal pylon for what appears to be a K-450 miniature jet engine made by Taiwanese company KingTech.
The wreckage doesn’t match the Peklo’s sleeker profile. Nor does it match the admittedly few things we might know about the Bars. That first imagery of what may be a crashed Bars seems to point to a different engine type—a SW400 from Chinese firm Swiwin.
Is there a third Ukrainian cruise missile type in the class of the Peklo and Bars? Or did the designers of the Bars switch to a Taiwanese engine? We don’t know.
But we shouldn’t be shocked if the Topaz attack involved a new missile type.
1. This soldier was very excited because he scored a jet engine. A big question is, what drone is this a part of? Cutting up a drone before taking photos is common, and makes identification a more interesting challenge. pic.twitter.com/hEvjIK3oAE
Mass production
Ukrainian firms build long-range attack drones at a rate of at thousands per month—and the Ukrainian military and special services launch them at Russian air bases, factories and oil refineries as far as 1,000 km from the front line, on a roughly weekly basis.
Back in December, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine would acquire 30,000 one-way attack drones in 2025. It’s evident actual deliveries will exceed that goal. Fire Point, the firm that builds the Flamingo, claimed it’s already churning out 100 FP-1 attack drones every day.
To add range and firepower to its escalating deep-strike campaign, Ukraine is also developing cruise missiles including the Peklo, the Bars, and the Flamingo. Hundreds of millions of dollars in financing from the United Kingdom and Germany are helping Ukraine ramp up production of these new missiles.
The Peklo and Bars may both range around 800 km, likely with small-ish warheads—possibly lighter than 100 kg. The Flamingo is in a whole different class. It reportedly ranges 3,000 km with a 1,100-kg warhead. All three types are jet-propelled—and thus fast—and probably navigate using a combination of satellites and internal inertial systems.
The Flamingo is a ground-launched weapon; the Peklo and Bars may be compatible with the Ukrainian air force’s upgraded Sukhoi Su-24 bombers, which also launch the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles Ukraine has received from the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.
It’s unclear whether that fourth Ukrainian cruise missile type—if indeed that’s what we witness in the Topaz raid—launches from the ground or from the air.
Ukraine could get a lot more French Mirage 2000 fighters
Romania is quietly becoming Europe’s defense powerhouse. Romania is reviving its defense industry with US and German partners, building drone and gunpowder plants in Brașov while expanding production of tanks and vehicles.
The south-western Russian city of Krasnodar has reopened its airport for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian media reports.
The airport had been closed since February 2022 over what authorities called “security issues.” Krasnodar has since been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes on military infrastructure.
The city serves as a regional transit hub connecting Russia to occupied Crimea, with only 200km between them.
Russian state airliner Aeroflot said it will resume flights between Moscow and Krasnodar on 17 September, with other domestic destinations to follow. The airline also plans to open international routes from Krasnodar to Yerevan, Istanbul, and Dubai.
Krasnodar is the second airport in southern Russia to resume operations after long closures. Gelendzhik airport, located on the Black Sea coast, reopened in July.
On September 11, the Ukrainian Defense Forces engaged in 141 clashes with Russian invaders, with the hottest activity reported in the Pokrovsk sector, where the enemy attempted 32 attacks.
Ukraine is about to get more of its best long-range missiles and drones. A lot more, and fast.
At a meeting of Ukrainian and allied leaders on London on Tuesday, German and British officials separately announced major investment in Ukraine’s deep-strike capabilities.
Germany will spend an additional $350 million on long-range munitions for Ukraine. The U.K. will buy “thousands” of one-way attack drones for Ukraine over the next year.
Given that a single Ukrainian attack drone in the class of the Fire Point FP-1 might cost just $50,000—and a heavier Ukroboronprom An-196 might cost a couple hundred thousand dollars—the new German and British spending could put nearly 10,000 deep-strike drones on the tarmac by the fall of 2026.
Did Ukraine just unleash its first Bars cruise missiles? A 500 km strike deep inside Russia suggests it
That’s … a lot of drones. And most of them are destined to strike Russian soil. “Ukraine is increasingly taking the war to Russia now,” American-Ukrainian war correspondent David Kirichenko wrote in a new essay for The Atlantic Council.
Back in December, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine would acquire 30,000 one-way attack drones in 2025. But it’s clear this production will exceed that figure. Fire Point alone claims it’s building 100 FP-1s a day.
Ukraine’s homegrown deep-strike arsenal includes dozens of drone types including pilotless sport planes than can drop bombs and then return to base to reload. It also includes one of the most powerful ground-launched cruise missiles in the world: the new Fire Point Flamingo: a seven-ton behemoth that may range as far as 3,000 km with a 1,100-kg warhead.
Deepening strikes
After two years of escalation, Ukraine’s campaign of deep strikes targeting Russian air bases, factories, and oil refineries can now hold at risk targets thousands of kilometers inside Russia. But the heaviest strikes occur at a range no farther than 1,000 km from the border with Ukraine.
In this zone, no facility is safe. Russia’s air defenses are spread too thin to protect every possible target.
In a series of increasingly destructive raids on Russian oil refineries last month, Ukrainian drones throttled Russia’s refinery output by a staggering 24%. Besides costing the Russian economy billions of dollars, the hits on refineries have also led to gasoline shortages in some Russian regions.
Churning out many thousands of long-range drones and missiles a month at workshops spread across the country, Ukrainian industry is helping the Ukrainian military and special services match Russia’s own drone and missile strikes.
The Russians routinely launch hundreds of cruise and ballistic missiles and Shahed drones at Ukrainian cities, sometimes several times a week. The Shahed is Russia’s main deep-strike munition. Russian forces flung around 6,000 of the explosive drones at Ukraine in July alone.
Soon, Ukraine should be able to fling back roughly as many FP-1s, An-196s, Flamingos, and other munitions.
It gets worse for the Russians. The aims of Russia and Ukraine’s respective deep-strike campaigns couldn’t be more different. Russia’s goal is to inflict terror on civilians. Ukraine’s goal is to inflict military and economic damage.
Ukraine’s Fire Point builds 100 attack drones every day, all day—aimed at Russia
What that means, in practice, is that Russia’s drone and missile campaign mostly targets Ukrainian cities in a country of just 603,400 square km. Ukraine’s drones and missiles target air bases, factories, and refineries in a country of 17 million square km.
Ukraine’s air defense problem is hard but simple. Ukrainian air defenses must contend with nearly daily raids involving potentially hundreds of drones and missiles, but they can concentrate around the biggest cities that are the Russians’ main targets.
By contrast, Russia’s air defense problem is hard and complex. “The Kremlin simply does not have enough air defense systems to protect thousands of potential military and energy targets spread across 11 time zones,” Kirichenko wrote.
Russia’s goal is to inflict terror on civilians. Ukraine’s goal is to inflict military and economic damage.
Ukrainian strike planners already have a lot of options. And these options are only growing as more foreign financing flows into the expanding Ukrainian munitions industry.
It’s possible, as 2025 grinds toward 2026, that Ukrainian strikes on Russia will inflict more lasting damage than Russian strikes inflict on Ukraine. After all, civilian morale is a renewable resource. An oil refinery, by contrast, is a difficult thing to fix once it burns to the ground.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and U.S. President’s Special Envoy Keith Kellogg discussed the PURL initiative during a meeting in Kyiv. The initiative allows financing the procurement of weapons from the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Special President’s Envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv to discuss joint weapons production, pressure on Russia, and security guarantees.
The U.S. bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus issued a statement condemning Russia’s drone attack on Poland and calling for new sanctions against Moscow, increased support for Ukraine, and stronger coordination within NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on Thursday. The two discussed defense cooperation, sanctions, and work on international diplomacy, Zelenskyy said on X.
The meeting takes place in the context of intensified Russian attacks and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the war.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has proposed an agreement on co-production of drones and weapons with the US. He added that they are “counting on a positive response from the US.”
He also said they discussed financing production and procurement of Patriot air defense systems under the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative.
Zelenskyy pushed for increased sanctions and tariffs against Russia to enable a leaders’ meeting to “bring this war to an end.”
He added that preparations are underway for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. They discussed coordination with the US and work within the Coalition of the Willing, as well as other potential meetings at the session.
Zelenskyy has met with US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg several times in 2025, including in Kyiv in February and July, and again in Washington in August. The meetings have focused on air defense, weapons production, and broader coordination between Kyiv and Washington.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal held a meeting in London with Armin Papperger, CEO of the German defense company Rheinmetall AG, on the sidelines of the international arms exhibition DSEI.
A new program for Ukraine’s recovery, EU4Reconstruction, has officially been launched in Kyiv. The program is a joint initiative of the European Union, Denmark, Germany, France, and Lithuania.
Poland will send military representatives to Ukraine to learn techniques for shooting down drones, Reuters reported on 11 September.
The move follows Russian-made drones crossing into Polish airspace on the night of 10 September, leaving debris from around 15 drones in various regions. Polish authorities said the incursions were intended as a provocation and to test NATO’s response.
Ukraine has extensive experience defending against Russian drone and missile attacks and will provide guidance for the Polish personnel. The training will give Polish forces practical, hands-on experience under instructors who have faced similar threats on the frontline.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for multi-layered air defense systems combining mobile fire units, interceptor drones, helicopters, and aircraft. He noted that expensive systems like Patriot missiles ($2-3 million each) are not practical for intercepting cheaper Shahed drones, which cost roughly $100,000 each.
Zelenskyy also suggested that the Poland drone strike may have been intended to influence Western decisions on supplying air defense systems to Ukraine.
The incident highlights the growing transnational risks of Russia’s drone operations and the importance of NATO allies coordinating defensive measures.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that U.S. President Donald Trump must understand that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is mocking him and his peace initiatives to end the war in Ukraine.
Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal held several meetings with representatives of leading defense companies in London during the DSEI international arms exhibition.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Russia’s recent drone attack on Poland may have been intended to discourage Western partners from supplying air defense systems to Ukraine ahead of winter. He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Kyiv on 11 September.
Air defense remains critical for Ukraine as it faces continuous Russian drone and missile attacks. Protecting civilians, infrastructure, and military positions requires a multi-layered system capable of countering both high-cost ballistic threats and swarming drones. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s experience in coordinating such defenses can benefit European partners.
The drone attack on Poland on 10–11 September involved Russian-made drones crossing into Polish territory. While damage was limited, the strike alarmed NATO and European countries, showing the reach of Russia’s drone operations.
Zelenskyy suggested the attack also tested NATO’s response and sought to influence decisions on supplying additional air defense systems to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said the strike allowed Russia to test NATO’s political response and Poland’s defenses. “The most terrible thing is that this attack is psychologically similar to Crimea,” he noted, adding that drones have replaced the “little green men” of the 2014 occupation.
The Ukrainian president stressed that high-cost systems like Patriot and SAMP/T missiles, which cost $2-3 million each, are not ideal for countering low-cost drones such as Shaheds, which only cost about $100,000.
Effective defense requires a combination of mobile fire groups, interceptor drones, helicopters, and aircraft. He concluded that building reliable, multi-layered air defenses across Europe is now a top priority.
Russian troops attacked the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts of Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the day, damaging enterprises, administrative buildings, private houses, and a gas pipeline, and injuring three people.
Russian invaders dropped at least three guided bombs on the village of Uspenivka in the Zaporizhzhia region, causing damage and destruction to residential buildings.
Since the beginning of the day, there have been 88 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops. Fighting continues in seven sectors, with the enemy continuing to attack most intensely in the Pokrovsk sector.
Russian forces struck the city of Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region near the frontlines, with a wave of drones, setting multiple fires across the city on 11 September.
Firefighters on the scene of an attack came under a second strike while responding to a blaze at an administrative building, Ukraine’s emergency services (DSNS) reports.
Russian forces have repeatedly used so-called “double-tap” strikes, hitting the same location twice – often targeting first responders arriving after an initial attack. These strikes aim to cause additional casualties, disrupt rescue efforts, and increase chaos.
The attack underscores the dangers faced by first responders in Ukrainian cities, as Russian drone strikes target both civilian areas and the emergency services that respond to the initial strikes.
No emergency personnel were injured in the strike, but debris damaged a fire truck ladder. DSNS said that firefighters quickly regained control, extinguished all fires, and assisted civilians trapped in their apartments.
Authorities reported 15 separate strikes across Kramatorsk on 11 September, leaving six civilians wounded in the city.
Astra has identified the Russian ship hit in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian aerial long-range drone on 10 September as Spasatel Ilyin. The captain was hospitalized with shrapnel injuries. Ukraine’s intelligence confirmed earlier today that the vessel was damaged and disabled.
The attack happened near Novorossiysk, a Russian port on the eastern Black Sea, some 400 km from the frontline. With up to one-third of its Black Sea Fleet destroyed in occupied Crimea, Russia previously moved the rest to Novorossiysk and other remote ports.
Spasatel Ilyin confirmed as the target
According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, a Ukrainian drone struck Spasatel Ilyin, an MPSV07-class vessel, near Yuzhnaya Ozereevka during the day on 10 September. The drone hit the ship’s bridge, injuring the captain, Roman Goroshkov. He was hospitalized with multiple wounds.
Local authorities did not acknowledge the incident. The mayor only reported drone debris allegedly hitting a non-residential building near the city and denied any casualties.
Astra linked the ship’s identity to fleet records, noting that Spasatel Ilyin was the only vessel of its class based in Novorossiysk.
Ship disabled, systems destroyed
On the morning of 11 September, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said that Russia’s Russian Black Sea Fleet ship was struck near Novorossiysk. According to the report, the drone destroyed the ship’s navigation, communication, and electronic reconnaissance systems. The vessel was declared disabled and in need of expensive repairs.
Explore further
Ukraine struck a rare Russian spy ship 600 km away—now it’s crippled and useless (video)
Vessel used for reconnaissance
Though officially listed as a civilian rescue vessel, Spasatel Ilyin was reportedly used for military and intelligence purposes. It was equipped with sonar, diving systems, and electronic surveillance tools, according to HUR.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says Greece could play an important role in expanding American liquefied natural gas exports to Europe through its regional pipeline system
Sweden has announced its 20th military support package for Ukraine, valued at $836 million. The package continues long-term aid commitments, including annual military support of $3.6 billion in 2026-2027.
The move comes as Ukraine faces increased Russian attacks and international partners increase defense assistance. Sweden’s aid is designed to strengthen Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities and maintain operational readiness, while supporting broader European security.
The package includes 18 new Swedish-made Archer self-propelled artillery systems with extra 155 mm ammunition, bringing Ukraine’s total Archers to 44. Kyiv will also receive mobile coastal radar systems, new support boats with grenade launchers, drone systems, and upgrades to 32 previously delivered CB90 combat boats with sensors, weapons, and radar.
Other equipment features 500 motorcycles and vehicles for airfield operations, including trucks and tractors. Air defense systems, particularly the Tridon Mk2, will be enhanced with radar sensors, command modules, and programmable 40 mm ammunition.
The package also provides $68 million for international coalitions developing Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Certain systems remain classified for battlefield use.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson noted that additional secret systems and projects are included in the package, but their deployment will be revealed directly on the battlefield.
Additional secret systems and projects are also included, but their introduction will have to be saved for the battlefield. The Russian army can expect Swedish-Ukrainian surprises going forward. Sweden will continue to put hard pressure on Russia until they stop this war. (6/6)
He said that the Russian army can expect “Swedish-Ukrainian surprises” in future operations and affirmed that Sweden will maintain pressure on Russia until the war ends.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Sweden, emphasizing that sustained military aid strengthens European security and helps advance efforts toward lasting peace.
A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet went down in Zaporizhzhia Oblast during a combat mission on 11 September. The pilot, Major Oleksandr Borovyk, was killed in the incident. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Su-27 fighter crashes during mission
The Ukrainian Air Force’s 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade reported that around 13:30, a Su-27 jet under the control of 30-year-old Major Oleksandr Mykolaiovych Borovyk crashed under unknown circumstances. The aircraft was performing a combat task in the Zaporizhzhia direction — southern Ukraine — when contact was lost.
The brigade confirmed Borovyk died in the incident. Ukrainian authorities are currently investigating what caused the Su-27 to crash.
Jet involved in strikes on Russian air defenses
According to Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, Su-27 fighters of the 39th Brigade have been used actively during the Russian invasion of Ukraine for missions targeting Russian air defense systems with anti-radiation missiles. They also serve as carriers of precision-guided aerial bombs, including JDAM, AASM, and GBU-39.
The aircraft are also engaged in Ukraine’s air defense, intercepting Russian missile and drone attacks deep inside the country.
Second Su-27 loss for Ukraine this year
This marks the second Ukrainian Su-27 loss in 2025. In April, another fighter jet crashed while repelling an attack by Russian strike drones. That pilot survived after successfully ejecting.
The dynamics of export revenue inflows to Ukraine is stable, which indicates the effectiveness of the National Bank’s financial monitoring in this area.
Slovakia is ready to offer assistance in promoting peace in Ukraine, while refusing to provide military support to Ukraine, because, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico, this contributes to the continuation of the war.
Today, there are interesting updates from the Sumy direction.
Here, Ukrainians have completely annihilated the Russian Sumy offensive from the air, launching devastating strikes all across the board. With even redeployed air defense assets falling victim to Western-supplied bombs, Russian operations are falling apart at the seams as each sector is meticulously targeted without mercy.
Ukrainian forces dismantle Russian air defenses before launching full-scale aerial assault
Ukraine’s armed forces have decisively crushed the Russian offensive into Sumy by cutting off their supply and reinforcement routes through continuous targeting from the air.
This success was made possible by Ukraine’s systematic clearing of the skies, with Russian air defense assets stretched across the entire frontline being repeatedly hunted down. Buk and Tor systems, deployed to protect Russian command posts and depots, became prime targets. In one case, a Russian Tor system continuously hampered Ukrainian attempts at air strikes, resulting in the air defense system becoming the target instead. In another, a Russian Tor battery malfunctioned trying to intercept a Ukrainian air strike, with the missile veering off course and striking a nearby Russian ammunition storage instead. Additionally, Ukrainian operators used fiber-optic FPV drones to stalk and destroy Buk launchers. With these systems eliminated or suppressed, the preparation was done, and the Ukrainian strike aircraft were free to operate over the front.
Western bombs shatter Russian spearhead near Tyotkino and across Kursk
The first major blow landed near Tyotkino. Ukrainian fighters used AASM HAMMER bombs and J-dams to strike infantry groups and ammunition stores at Lokot, Tetkino, and Dronivka, while a bridge at Zabolotivka was demolished to sever supply routes.
Drone operators in Glushkovo were targeted with J-dam strikes, while troops sheltering in a grain elevator at Tyotkino were buried under rubble. Additional airstrikes leveled drone coordination centers in Korovyakivka and troop concentrations across Tyotkino, followed by hits on crossings at Zvannoye. Each wave of HAMMERs and J-dams bombs shattered Russian attempts to mass forces, leaving corpses and destroyed buildings across the Kursk villages, feeding the offensive.
Ukrainian aviation strikes deep behind the border, targeting drone hubs and infantry strongholds
Further southeast, on the Sumy side of the border, the blows continued and opened huge gaps in the Russian lines. Ukrainian aviation destroyed bases from where Russian drone operators were operating at Oleksiivka and Loknia, undermining Russian drone support capabilities, before destroying forces concentrations at Kindrativka and Oleksiivka, where Russian infantry had fortified inside of civilian buildings.
In Yunakivka, multiple bridges and troop concentrations were hit, leaving Russian soldiers buried in collapsed structures.
Major General killed as 155th Marine Brigade headquarters destroyed in Korenevo
Perhaps the most devastating blow came in the Kursk region north of the border, where the headquarters of the 155th Marine Brigade was obliterated at Korenevo while preparing for redeployment to Pokrovsk. High-ranking officers, including Major General Gudkov, were killed, gutting the command of one of Russia’s elite formations.
Additional strikes prevented the Russians from being able to fill in these gaps and leveled command centers at Kulbaki and troop concentrations in Sudzha. In each case, Ukrainian reconnaissance drones adjusted the targeting with lethal precision, ensuring no survivors and capturing the events on footage.
Belgorod strikes block Russian reinforcements from stabilizing the front
On the eastern flank, Ukrainian aircraft struck across Belgorod to prevent Russian reinforcements from stabilizing the situation and trying to hit the Ukrainian counterattacks from the side. HAMMER bombs flattened enemy garrisons in Kozynka, while J-dams destroyed drone control posts at Repyakhivka.
Bridges and positions at Guevo and Grafivka were pounded, and strikes at Kolotylivka killed entire groups of infantry. By hammering both the staging grounds and supply arteries in Belgorod and Kursk, Ukraine ensured that Russian columns advancing toward Sumy were bled dry before even reaching the border.
Russia pulls units as offensive collapses, Ukraine controls the skies
Overall, what the Russian high command once threatened as a march on Sumy city now lies in ruins, its spearheads shattered by Ukrainian airpower and its command structure gutted with the evident result of a collapsed Russian offensive.
Russia has begun pulling units from this sector to reinforce Pokrovsk, a clear sign that the offensive has failed. Ukrainian air superiority, established by dismantling Russian air defenses and exploiting gaps with precision bombs, was the decisive factor, and for the Russian command, dreams of reaching the capital of Sumy are gone. For Ukraine, the skies over the region now belong firmly to them, and their dominance has rewritten the course of the campaign.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war
The United States has lifted sanctions on the state-owned airline Belavia, Belarusian state media reported on 11 September. The announcement was attributed to John Cole, deputy special representative of the US president for Ukraine, during a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
Sanctions against Belavia were first imposed by Washington over Belarus’s human rights abuses and its close alignment with Moscow. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he was prepared to ease measures if Minsk moved toward releasing political prisoners.
Cole said the decision had been ordered by Trump and approved by relevant US agencies. He was quoted as saying Washington wants to normalize relations with Belarus and that lifting sanctions is “only the beginning.”
The same day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said 52 former prisoners crossed into Lithuania from Belarus, including six Lithuanians and citizens of several EU states.
He thanked the US and Trump for their role, but stressed that more than 1,000 political prisoners remain jailed in Belarus.
Cole also delivered a personal gift from Trump – cufflinks with the White House emblem. The outreach follows Trump’s August call with Lukashenko, which he described as a “great conversation” ahead of meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Belarus has remained a key ally of Moscow throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use its territory for troop deployments and missile strikes, while avoiding direct involvement of its own army in frontline combat.
Connexion
Additionally, Ukrainian operators used fiber-optic FPV drones to stalk and destroy Buk launchers. With these systems eliminated or suppressed, the preparation was done, and the Ukrainian strike aircraft were free to operate over the front.
