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This sleepy British town will soon make and test Ukrainian military drones built for war with Russia
Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems is expanding operations into the United Kingdom, launching a new military drone production factory and training site. The company, which produces eight types of drones for military and civilian use, said production at the UK site will start in 2026.
Norwich Evening News reports that the company will build an 11,000 m² factory in Mildenhall, a small town in eastern England, part of the Suffolk county, along with a testing and training center in Elmsett about 70 km away, creating hundreds of jobs and apprenticeships. The total investment will reach £200 million (approximately $250 million) over the next three years.
According to Ukrspecsystems, the drones will not only be built and tested in Britain, but operators will also be trained in tactics rooted in Ukraine’s battlefield experience.
“Ukrspecsystems is proud to be the first Ukrainian company to commit to a funded plan to invest in infrastructure, jobs and skills in the UK,” said Rory Chamberlain, the UK managing director for Ukrspecsystems. “Our factory at Mildenhall and flight test and training facility at Elmsett are testament to this commitment.”
Targeting laid-off workers from the UK’s collapsing auto industry
The plant’s opening comes as 550 workers at the Lotus sports car plant in Hethel, also in eastern England, face redundancy. Ukrspecsystems has expressed interest in hiring from this experienced engineering pool, and local authorities have welcomed the opportunity to redirect skilled workers into defense technology roles.
The support package includes help with job placement, financial and mental health support, and small business assistance. Job seekers will be connected with engineering vacancies, including those at the new drone plant, and offered free retraining courses. Pop-up outreach vehicles will be deployed to the Lotus site and a space reserved at the Hethel Engineering Centre.
Ukrspecsystems drones are not only of interest to the UK. In April 2025, a Shark reconnaissance drone produced by the company was spotted during testing in the Czech Republic, suggesting broader European cooperation and growing demand for Ukrainian-developed battlefield technologies.
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Smart payment solutions for small business owners: Streamline your personal and business finances with ease
Managing personal and business finances can be a daunting task for many small business owners. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the different systems in place, and often, cash flow becomes a major concern. However, adopting smart payment solutions can ease this burden. In today’s fast-paced world, banking systems have evolved to offer more efficient methods for managing finances. With these solutions, entrepreneurs can simplify their financial processes, reduce stress, and focus more on growing their ventures.
Here’s how you can streamline your finances:
The importance of streamlining your financial operations
For small business owners, streamlining financial operations is not just a luxury but a necessity. From managing client payments to handling employee wages, keeping track of everything can quickly become overwhelming. When financial processes are disorganized, delays and mistakes become inevitable. The right payment solutions can help alleviate this by automating many aspects of the process. This automation reduces human error, saves valuable time, and ensures that both personal and business finances stay on track. By simplifying accounting, reconciling accounts, and managing payments, owners can shift their focus to other critical areas of business growth.
How early paycheck solutions can benefit small business owners
Accessing funds quickly is a major factor in maintaining smooth operations. With certain banking solutions, small business owners and employees can receive their pay earlier than the traditional payday cycle. This flexibility can be particularly useful during times of fluctuating income. Some banks and online platforms offer services that allow employees to access a portion of their paycheck ahead of the official payday, helping them meet urgent personal or business-related expenses without delay.
Exploring what banks pay early
is an important consideration for business owners and employees looking to take advantage of this service. Some banks allow for early access to wages, creating a more predictable schedule for both employees and employers. By streamlining payment cycles in this way, businesses can enhance their overall cash management, alleviate financial stress, and operate more efficiently.
For example, services that offer earlier paycheck options can benefit businesses when managing salaries and ensuring timely payment. These solutions give employees access to their wages before the official payday, helping reduce financial pressure and improve satisfaction. More information on how early paycheck systems work can be found through modern banking services, providing clarity on their impact on personal and business financial organization.
Choosing the right payment processing system for your business
Selecting the right payment processing system is crucial for smooth business operations. Depending on the nature of your business, you may need different types of payment solutions. Some systems are designed for in-store purchases, while others are tailored for online transactions. The key is to pick a solution that aligns with your business needs and growth potential. When choosing, small business owners should evaluate transaction fees, ease of use, and integration with existing accounting software. Also, the system should offer scalability as the business expands.
An effective payment processor should be easy for both you and your customers to use, with clear reports and support for different payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments. A system that allows for seamless payments will improve both customer experience and your internal efficiency.
Integrating your personal and business finances
Many business owners struggle with keeping personal and business finances separate, but the right payment tools can make this easier. By using separate accounts and streamlining payments through dedicated business services, it becomes easier to track both aspects of your finances without confusion. There are apps and tools available that allow business owners to easily monitor both their business and personal expenses on one platform.
When personal and business finances are properly integrated, it reduces the chance of costly errors and makes tax season simpler. For example, using an accounting app that syncs with your business’s payment processor can automatically categorize and track transactions, making it easier to separate personal spending from business-related expenses.
Streamlining payroll and employee payments
Payroll is often one of the most time-consuming tasks for small business owners. However, there are now smarter solutions that allow owners to pay their employees quickly and accurately, without having to manually process checks each time. Payroll services that integrate with other financial systems make it easier to calculate wages, taxes, and benefits. These systems reduce administrative errors, improve accuracy, and ensure timely payments.
Some services even allow for direct deposit, so employees are paid faster, reducing the delay between paycheck cycles. This can help improve employee satisfaction and retention. Moreover, it simplifies the entire payroll process, giving you more time to focus on other important aspects of running a business.
How payment solutions can improve cash flow management
Efficient payment solutions play a vital role in managing cash flow for small businesses. By using modern tools to automate invoicing, payments, and reminders, business owners can ensure that their income is consistent and timely. Automated payment systems help businesses track invoices, set up recurring payments, and even send automated reminders to customers about upcoming payments, reducing the risk of missed payments.
This streamlined approach to managing payments means you can better predict when money will come in, allowing you to allocate funds for business needs more efficiently. With improved cash flow management, small business owners can reinvest in the business, plan for growth, and reduce the stress that comes with financial uncertainty.
Integrating smart payment solutions into your business operations is more than just a convenience. It’s a strategy that can streamline financial processes, reduce stress, and promote growth. By adopting early paycheck systems, offering diverse payment options, and embracing mobile and secure payment solutions, small business owners can take control of their finances, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve cash flow management.
The world of payment technology continues to evolve, offering new opportunities for businesses to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. By staying informed about trends and leveraging the best tools available, you can ensure that your business remains financially agile, efficient, and prepared for the future. Take action now to simplify your payment processes and watch your business thrive.
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Russia stockpiling drones for large-scale attacks on Ukraine – Defense Express
Russia continues to amass large numbers of strike drones for coordinated attacks on Ukraine, with recent assaults involving hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles at once, Ukrainian defense news portal Defense Express reports.
Such large-scale attacks strain Ukraine’s air defenses. Even though many drones are intercepted, those that get through still inflict damage and cause civilian casualties.
Over the night of 6-7 September, Ukraine faced the largest drone attack of the full-scale war. Russian forces launched 810 Shahed attack drones, alongside multiple decoy and imitation UAVs. The assault also included nine Iskander-K cruise missiles and four Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
Ukraine’s defenses intercepted 747 drones and four cruise missiles. Despite this, nine missiles and 54 strike drones hit 33 locations across the country, with debris recorded at eight additional sites.
This strike follows a string of large-scale attacks. On 2-3 September, Russian forces launched 502 drones; on 29-30 August, 537; and on 27-28 August, 598.
In July and August, raids consistently involved over 500 drones, a sharp increase from previous periods when Russia typically deployed a few hundred.
Earlier in August and July, the aerial assaults consistently involved over 500 drones, a significant increase from prior periods when Russia typically launched no more than a few hundred.
Defense Express notes it is unclear whether these waves reflect higher production or a deliberate tactic to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses with concentrated “salvo” attacks. The mix of Shaheds versus decoy and imitation drones also remains unknown.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia’s defense industry currently produces roughly 2,700 Shahed drones per month, allowing Moscow to sustain repeated large-scale strikes.
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Russia recruits 280,000 soldiers in 2025 through financial incentives, propaganda – Ukraine’s military intelligence
Russia has brought in nearly 280,000 contract servicemen since the start of 2025, with around 35,000 new recruits joining each month, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) said in an interview published 7 August.
Russia’s ability to steadily recruit tens of thousands of soldiers each month is central to its war effort. Ukraine’s military intelligence says this manpower allows Moscow to offset heavy battlefield losses and sustain operations.
With a far larger population, Russia relies heavily on sheer numbers to pressure and wear down Ukraine’s much smaller armed forces.
Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of HUR, told Ukrinform that the Kremlin continues to meet its targets through financial incentives and propaganda.
“Unfortunately, they have the resources, backed by money and propaganda,” he said. New recruits are offered payments of up to 2 million rubles ($21,000) when signing their first contract.
“There are clear signs they will fully meet their recruitment plan by the end of the year,” Skibitskyi added.
Man injured in Zaporizhzhia region by FPV drone attack
Three people wounded in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia remain in hospital
Russian drone attack kills four and hits government building in Kyiv
A mother and three-month-old child were among those killed
© Reuters
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Russian drone crosses NATO border and flies freely—Poland responds with radar alerts but no action again
Ukrainian military news site Militarnyi reports that during the night of Russia’s largest drone attack on Ukraine, a Russian drone crossed into Poland and vanished. Polish forces tracked the incursion, but again failed to stop it.
During such attacks, Russian explosive drones occasionally leave Ukrainian airspace and cross into neighboring countries. So far, only Belarus—Moscow’s ally—has made any attempt to shoot them down. In every other documented case, including incidents in Moldova, Romania, Poland, and Lithuania, none have been intercepted.
Drone flew into Poland during massive Russian strike on Ukraine
Militarnyi says that overnight on 6–7 September, Russia launched its most extensive combined drone and missile attack on Ukrainian territory. During that assault, at around 01:13, one of the Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace from northwestern Ukraine’s Volyn Oblast. The drone continued flying on a course toward the city of Zamość in Poland’s Lublin Voivodeship.
According to Militarnyi, which cited analysis from Ukrainian monitoring groups and official statements from Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces, the drone was detected inside Polish territory. It remained there for at least thirty minutes before disappearing from tracking channels. There was no confirmation about where it crashed or whether it continued flying.
Polish aircraft scrambled, radar systems on alert
At around 01:41, several monitoring channels reported activity from Polish fighter jets in the same area where the drone had been observed.
By 02:06, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces posted a statement on X confirming that Polish and allied aircraft were operating in national airspace.
The statement added that air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were at “the highest level of readiness.” It stressed the “preventive” nature of the actions and claimed the goal was to secure Polish airspace and protect citizens, especially near the border.
Later that night, the Polish military reiterated that it was “monitoring the current situation” and that its forces remained ready to respond immediately.
Drone vanishes after extended flight inside NATO airspace
By around 05:00, Polish and allied aircraft completed their operations over Poland. The military said the actions ended due to the cessation of Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. No additional updates about the drone’s location or status were released. The last known reports placed it several dozen kilometers inside Polish airspace, where it had remained for over half an hour.
Polish authorities did not report any recovery of debris. There were no indications that the drone was shot down or forced to land. The incident ended without confirmation of what happened to the drone after it disappeared from radars.
Not the first time a Russian drone entered Poland
This is not the first time a Russian drone violated Polish airspace and continued flying for an extended time. In late August, a Russian Shahed drone flew over Poland for approximately two and a half hours before crashing. Militarnyi reported that the straight-line distance from the entry point to the crash site in the village of Osiny was around 200 km.
At the beginning of September, another drone incident occurred. A Gerbera decoy drone fell in a field near the village of Majdan Sielce in Lublin Voivodeship, about 50 km from the Ukrainian border. Polish officials denied that it had “any military characteristics,” whatever it means.
Man blown up by mine in Kherson
Svyrydenko shows damage to Cabinet of Ministers building after Russian attack
Ukraine’s parliamentary headquarters hit in Russian drone strike
Ukraine’s government headquarters in central Kyiv was struck overnight by Russian missiles and drones, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Thursday. The building, used daily by government staff, sustained structural damage, but no one inside was harmed.
Svyrydenko called the attack an example of “Russian barbarism” and urged the international community to turn outrage into concrete support for Ukraine.
“The walls will be repaired, they are only bricks, but the lives of our people can’t be restored,” Svyrydenko said on X.
As of 5:00 p.m. on 7 August, four people have been reported killed in Kyiv following the strikes.
For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the roof and upper floors of the government building were damaged. Firefighters worked through the night to put out the flames.
Svyrydenko emphasized that only a united international response, including increased air defense systems and sanctions pressure on Moscow, can protect Ukrainian communities and help bring an end to Russian aggression.
Overnight on 6-7 August, Russia carried out one of the largest aerial assaults on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, deploying over 800 drones – a record number – alongside cruise missiles.
The attacks struck multiple cities, including Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Odesa.
Victim toll after Russian strike on Sumy center climbs to four
In Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, 12 buildings and five educational institutions damaged in Russian attack
Russia detains French cyclist close to world record finish in his journey across Eurasia
French endurance cyclist Sofiane Sehili made it 17,600 kilometers (10,936 miles) across Eurasia on his bicycle. Then Russian border guards stopped him 400 kilometers (248 miles) short of his destination.
Sehili sits in detention in Vladivostok, Russia, after attempting to break the world record for cycling from Lisbon to the Russian Far East city. Russian authorities arrested the 44-year-old on charges of illegal border crossing, according to Le Monde and L’Equipe.
Sehili departed Lisbon on 1 July and cycled through Tajikistan, Mongolia, and China before reaching the border crossing that ended his attempt.
The problems began at the Chinese-Russian frontier on 2 September. Sehili posted on Instagram that customs officials had blocked his entry. He tried twice at border crossings 200 kilometers (124 miles) apart.
“I am the main attraction, the only foreigner,” Sehili described in an Instagram video while waiting at the border. “The police inspect my bike, look at me and say nothing to me. I don’t know if I’ll be able to cross the border.”

Border authorities ultimately denied him entry to Russia. After traveling nearly 200 kilometers between crossing attempts, Sehili received final confirmation he could not continue.
“Failing so close to the goal is heartbreaking,” he wrote on Instagram. The cyclist now faces a decision about whether to attempt the record again, giving himself ten months to decide if the route “will remain a failure forever.”
Sehili left his documentarian career in 2012 to pursue endurance cycling. He has since won 11 major competitions from approximately 20 attempts, including the 4500-kilometer (2800 miles) Tour Divide from Canada to Mexico in 2022.
The French consulate is working to assist the detained cyclist, according to Le Monde. Officials have not disclosed the status of diplomatic efforts to secure his release.
Ukraine could get a lot more French Mirage 2000 fighters
The Ukrainian air force lost important aerial jamming capacity when one of its precious few ex-French Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters crashed on 22 July. Fortunately for the air force, France is likely to at least double the number of supersonic, delta-wing Mirage 2000s it’s giving to Ukraine.
“France will announce that it is giving 20 Mirages instead of 10,” former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Le Monde recently. At least one observer believes France will eventually give Ukraine more than two dozen of the 1980s-vintage, but heavily upgraded, jets.
The first of the single-seat Mirage 2000s arrived in Ukraine in February.
The French air force still flies two squadrons worth of Mirage 2000s—around 26 airframes. But newer Dassault Rafales are gradually replacing the Mirage 2000s, freeing up surplus jets for onward transfer to Ukraine.
The extra planes Kuleba mentioned would soften the blow from the July crash. “An aircraft equipment failure occurred” during an evening training flight, the air force reported at the time. The pilot ejected—and a search team quickly fetched him. “There were no casualties on the ground,” according to the air force.
It was yet another in a series of incidents that have depleted Ukraine’s inventory of newer Western-made warplanes. The service has also lost four of its ex-European Lockheed Martin F-16s since the fighters began flying combat sorties back in August. Three pilots have died.
More Mirage 2000s and F-16s are coming, but we don’t yet know exactly how many—or how fast. France may donate a couple of dozen Mirage 2000s. Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have pledged at least 87 flyable F-16s. It’s possible that around 50 of the F-16s are already in Ukraine or in Romania, where NATO instructors train Ukrainian pilots.

Jets without jammers
Between its surviving ex-Soviet Sukhoi Su-24s, Su-25s and Su-27s, Mikoyan MiG-29s and the Mirage 2000s and F-16s, the Ukrainian air force probably still operates 125 or so fighters—roughly as many as it had before Russia widened its war on Ukraine in February 2022.
In all, the Ukrainians have written off nearly 100 jets. To sustain its Soviet-era fleet, the Ukrainian air force has taken delivery of surplus MiG-29s from Slovakia, Poland, and Azerbaijan and excess Su-25s from Croatia. Ukrainian technicians have also restored many grounded airframes and returned them to front-line service.
With the help of their allies, the Ukrainians have upgraded the ex-Soviet jets to carry new precision munitions, including cruise missiles and glide bombs. But the Western jets are even better equipped, especially when it comes to defensive systems.
The Americans have equipped the Ukrainian F-16s with underbelly AN/ALQ-131 electronic countermeasures pods. The AN/ALQ-131 is a new and critical capability for the Ukrainian air force, which entered the wider war in 2022 without an aerial jamming capability. That exposed Ukrainian jets to Russian missile fire—and resulted in heavy losses in the early months of the wider war.
In addition to the AN/ALQ-131s, the F-16s have the option of carrying the Pylon Integrated Dispensing System and the Electronic Combat Integrated Pylon Systems: PIDS and ECIPS.
PIDS ejects metal chaff and hot-burning flares to spoof incoming radar and infrared-guided anti-aircraft missiles. ECIPS houses passive defenses to complement the active chaff and flares, including the AN/ALQ-162 jammer for defeating radars on the ground and an AN/AAR-60 missile warning system for triggering the defenses.
The AN/ALQ-131 in particular can “give you a pocket of air superiority for a moment’s time to achieve an objective that has strategic importance and impact,” a US official explained.
The Mirage 2000s are similarly equipped with a combination of Serval radar warning receivers, Sabre jammers, and Eclair chaff and flare dispensers. This electronic countermeasures suite was on the cutting edge of aerial warfare in the 1980s, but began to fall behind a generation later.
Recognizing this and appreciating the gravity of the Russian missile threat over Ukraine, the French defense ministry promised to install new electronic countermeasures in the Mirage 2000s before transferring them to Ukraine. It’s likely the ministry was referring to the mostly analogue Integrated Countermeasures Suite Mark 2 or the fully digital Integrated Countermeasures Suite Mark 3.
The Ukrainian air force has been taking full advantage of the F-16s and Mirage 2000s’ ability to fill Russian radar screens with electronic noise. The F-16s “act as ‘flying air defense’ with advanced missile warning tech,” the pro-Ukraine Conflict Intelligence Team analysis group noted.
The arrival of the first F-16s back in August, and the first Mirage 2000s six months later, allowed the air force to organize complex strike packages mixing ex-Soviet and ex-European jets combining different offensive and defensive capabilities.
“Sometimes when we arrive, there are already F-16s waiting there, or sometimes Mirages,” a Ukrainian fighter pilot said in an official video from March. The F-16s and Mirage 2000s “either cover the whole package that is sent there to [strike] our enemies, or also strike [themselves],” the pilot said.
All that is to say, every F-16 or Mirage 2000 Ukraine loses costs it more than a single airframe. Without the critical jamming capability the ex-Western jets provide, Ukraine’s complex strike packages could unravel.
It’s fortunate, then, that France is poised to hand over more Mirage 2000s.
Another drone strike hits Sumy, injuring woman
Zelensky: four dead, 44 injured in overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine
Russia failed to take Pokrovsk this summer—now it’s sending elite naval units and tanks for round two, ISW says
Russia is shifting elite forces and equipment to multiple sectors of Donetsk Oblast, with Ukrainian military sources warning of a likely new offensive. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian activity is intensifying near Pokrovsk, Dobropillia, Kramatorsk, and Siversk.
This comes as Russia continues its all-out war against Ukraine, focusing on capturing the rest of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
Russian troops mass near Pokrovsk amid infiltration tactics
ISW reported that Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Belskyi of Ukraine’s Dnipro Group of Forces said Russian troops are concentrating in Donetsk Oblast, with the heaviest fighting in the Pokrovsk direction. He said Russia is now bringing in drones and heavy armored vehicles after failing to seize Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad this summer.
The Ukrainian 7th Army Corps reported that Russian naval infantry units were redeployed to Pokrovsk. The Corps reported Russian use of small infiltration teams aiming to get close to Ukrainian drone and artillery positions, overextend defenses, and expand into contested “gray” zones. It also said Russian forces stepped up attacks on Pokrovsk’s flanks using armored and motorized vehicles to disrupt supply lines and attempt encirclement.
Ukraine expects escalation across Donetsk front
A senior Ukrainian NCO near Siversk noted that Moscow is rotating troops and that Ukraine expects new Russian offensives soon. A deputy battalion commander in the Kramatorsk area said Russia is increasing its force concentration there and has brought in naval infantry.
On 5 September, a Ukrainian servicemember said that five to six unspecified naval infantry brigades, a tank regiment, an infantry regiment, and two motorized rifle brigades were sent to the Dobropillia direction. The same source reported that elements of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the 18th Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District, were moved to Chasiv Yar.
Russia redeploys elite units from multiple regions
ISW cited a Russian milblogger reportedly tied to the Northern Grouping of Forces who claimed on 6 September that elements of Russia’s 76th VDV Division, including the 237th Regiment, were redeployed from Sumy Oblast to an unspecified location.
ISW observed that units from Kursk Oblast — including the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet) — were sent to Dobropillya. It also reported that elements of the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet), 177th Naval Infantry Regiment (Caspian Flotilla), and 11th Separate VDV Brigade were redeployed to unspecified areas in Donetsk Oblast.
Elements of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division were also reported transferred from Kherson Oblast to Donetsk’s Bakhmut, possibly to reinforce Russian efforts near Kostiantynivka or Siversk.
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Death toll in overnight Russian attack on Kyiv rises to three
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Russian drone hits residential building in Sumy region
Brian Cox slams ‘bully’ Nigel Farage in scathing rant on ‘misinformed’ Reform UK leader
Brian Cox has slammed Nigel Farage as a “bully” who is "misinformed” in a scathing assessment of the Reform UK leader.
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Ukraine hits Russia’s Ilsky refinery and Druzhba-linked pipeline station in one night — fire and disruption follow (video)
In the early hours of 7 September 2025, Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated series of deep strikes on Russian territory, targeting two of the most strategically important fuel infrastructure sites — the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the 8-N pipeline pumping station near the village of Naitopovichi in Bryansk Oblast.
Strategic Druzhba pipeline hub hit for second time
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a precision drone strike targeted the 8-N linear production dispatching station (LPDS) near Naitopovichi village located in Unecha District, Bryansk Oblast. The site is linked to Russia’s Druzhba — a pipeline network used to export oil.
The Naitopovichi-based station is part of the “Steel Horse” mainline pipeline complex, with a pumping capacity of 10.5 million tons per year.
The Ukrainian military described the facility as having “strategic importance for the transportation of oil products for the Russian occupation army.” They reported multiple direct hits, followed by fires in the area of the pumping station and tank park.
Commander of the Armed Forces’ Drone Systems, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), also confirmed the strike, noting that the 8-N facility plays a key role in transferring petroleum products from Belarus’s Mozyr and Novopolotsk refineries into Russia.
Brovdi shared aerial footage showing a fire at the facility, and emphasized that the strike was part of a broader campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and hinted at more operations to come: “To be continued…”
This marks the second confirmed Ukrainian strike on the 8-N station. On 29 August, Ukrainian forces had already attacked the same facility. As Russian news Telegram channel Astra reported at the time, the previous strike had resulted in the total destruction of the station’s pump house — a critical component without which oil cannot be transported.
Previous strikes on Russian oil pumping stations temporarily disrupted Russian pipeline oil exports, but the damaged facilities later resumed operations.
Ilsky oil refinery set ablaze — again
On the same night, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Seversky District, Krasnodar Krai, the General Staff confirmed. Ilsky is located around 30 kilometers from Krasnodar.
Astra cited the Krasnodar regional operational headquarters, reporting that “drone debris fell on the territory of the Ilsky refinery” — the standard Russian official wording for all successful Ukrainian attacks. The strike caused one of the refinery’s technological installations to catch fire, according to the report. Officials claimed that the fire, which allegedly covered only several square meters, was quickly extinguished and that there were no casualties. Emergency response and special services were deployed, and refinery personnel were evacuated to shelters.
Footage of the fire at the refinery grounds, published online by Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+, showed visible flames in the industrial area definitely more than “several square meters” in size.
This was not the first time Ukrainian drones targeted the Ilsky refinery. Earlier strikes took place in February and July this year, as well as in 2023 and 2024. Previous operations have triggered significant fires, including a major one in February. According to Militarnyi and Suspilne, the July attack was reportedly conducted by Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR).
Ukrainian forces also strike Russian troop sites in Kursk Oblast
In addition to the fuel infrastructure strikes, Ukrainian forces confirmed hits on Russian military personnel sites and logistics warehouses in Kursk Oblast. The General Staff reported “successful hits” on locations housing Russian troops and storing matériel.
The Ukrainian military said these attacks are part of a larger strategy “to reduce the offensive potential of the Russian occupiers and complicate the delivery of fuel and ammunition to the enemy’s military units.”
Russia claims 69 drones shot down
In response to the overnight strikes, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 69 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including 21 over Krasnodar Krai, 13 over Voronezh Oblast, and others in Astrakhan, Belgorod, Volgograd, and Kursk oblasts, as well as Crimea.
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Ukraine blows up another rail substation in southern Russia powering rail traffic to occupied Crimea
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Ukraine’s UAVs swarm deep into Russia: Samara and Krasnodar Krai refineries burn, train depot goes dark
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Russia’s main oil terminal to lose 50% of exports due to Ukrainian drone attacks
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A longstanding tax on wealth is a central issue as prosperous Norway votes in a close election
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Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1291: Ukraine detains former politician spying for Russia from UAE hideout, while special forces evacuate soldiers hidden for three years on Russian-occupied territory
Exclusives
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Decade-long campaign of assassinations: six outspoken Ukrainian voices eliminated for anti-Russian position. From a Crimean Tatar activist to an elite intelligence officer and former parliament speaker, each killing bears Russian fingerprints that demonstrate Moscow’s deadly reach inside Ukraine. |
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To make a Flamingo missile, pack in old bombs & add a tiny engine. The Flamingo missile’s best features are under its skin. Powerful and affordable, the missile could change the deep-strike math for Ukraine. |
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Canada’s pension cash is moving Putin’s $ 4 billion gas cargoes—end it now. Backed by Canadian pension money and Chinese firms, Arctic tankers carried billions of Putin’s gas across NATO waters last year. |
Military
Ukraine’s special forces evacuate soldiers who survived three years hidden from Russian forces on occupied territory. The soldiers concealed their military identities with help from hospital staff who hid them from Russian forces throughout the occupation.
Ukrainian forces down 68 of 91 Russian drones in overnight assault. Russia launched 91 drones overnight, prompting Ukrainian forces to shoot down the majority while 18 drones struck targets in 8 different areas.
International
Zelenskyy: Ukraine secures backing from 26 nations for post-war peacekeeping force. The commitment includes both troop deployments and long-term military financing.
Hungary’s FM hits back at Zelenskyy: “We don’t care what Moscow thinks about Ukraine”. A diplomatic spat erupted between Kyiv and Budapest after Zelenskyy questioned Hungary’s stance on EU expansion, prompting Szijjarto to declare that Hungary “is not interested in what they think in Moscow about Ukraine’s EU membership.”
Polish protesters end 2.5-hour blockade of Ukraine truck crossing at Medyka-Shehyni
. Polish protesters lifted their blockade of Ukrainian truck traffic at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing after holding up freight vehicles for 2.5 hours, with 681 trucks waiting in electronic queues during the disruption.
Intelligence and technology
Russia can produce up to 2700 Shaheds per month – intelligence official. Ukraine faces “truly massive attacks” from hundreds of Russian drones as Moscow’s monthly Shahed production hits 2,700 units, creating what intelligence officials call a “serious challenge” for air defense systems.
50,000 Ukrainian children forced through Russian “patriotic education” programs, British Intelligence reports. Ukrainian children from occupied regions are being transported to Russian universities for “patriotic education” aimed at instilling anti-Ukrainian views and glorifying Russian military actions
Humanitarian and social impact
Civilian woman thrown from her house by blast wave in Russian attack on southern Ukraine. The late evening drone attack on Zaporizhzhia also destroyed 80% of the kindergarten building, while damaging multiple homes.
Ukrainian-Polish teams re-bury 42 remains found in Ternopil village
. Eight years after imposing a moratorium on exhumations of Polish citizens in Ukraine, officials from both countries held a memorial ceremony in Puzhnyky
Russian drone scatters fake 100-hryvnia notes offering payment for military intelligence in Chernihiv. A Russian drone operation targeted a Chernihiv neighborhood with fake currency leaflets on 6 Sept., offering monetary rewards to residents willing to provide coordinates of Ukrainian military positions
Political and legal developments
Ukraine retrieves former politician hiding in UAE. He is charged with high treason for spying for Russia. The suspect, identified by Ukrainian news agencies as Fedor Khrystenko, is also accused of having ties in Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency.
Trump: Europe should play leading role in security guarantees for Ukraine. The United States will assist Ukraine but European countries should take the primary role in providing security guarantees, President Trump announced during a White House briefing
Other developments
“Find a new job”: Trump’s retort to Polish reporter’s Ukraine war query. Polish journalist Marek Wałkuski questioned US President why no concrete actions had been taken to end the Ukraine war despite repeated promises, prompting Trump to suggest he “find a new job.”
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