Ukraine has not had enough of the right weapons to shoot down Russia's jet-powered drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on 10 September. He put the remaining obstacles at time and money rather than engineering, and used the appearance to press partners for joint production. Russia attacks Ukrainian cities with drones every night, and the defense against the fastest of them is still being built.

"We did not have enough means"

Zelenskyy was answering a question about the Russian drone found at Leipzig airport in Germany and the drone that delayed his own flight out of Moldova.

"We have to be very frank: we did not have enough means to destroy all these fast drones," he said. "Yes, we are on the way, more than 60 companies are already working on this. Yes, we will get a result, but it takes time."

Three days earlier, he noted that only three to five of the firms show real results.

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The bottleneck is money

He then went past the engineering.The problem is not only technology, he said, but the funding to build thousands of interceptors every single day.

That arithmetic sends Ukraine abroad with its blueprints. 

"That is why we talk about joint production, about production lines in one country or another," Zelenskyy said.

Russia now builds about 3,000 jet-powered drones a month, by Ukrainian military intelligence's count, and fired some 800 of them in four days at the end of August. They fly faster than propeller Shaheds and are harder to bring down, which has stretched air raid alerts nationwide. Ukraine's Air Force cannot yet rely on usual interceptor drones against them.

One drone, of the kind that turned up at Leipzig or crossed Moldova, is not a problem for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. Thousands of fast drones a day are.

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What a night without enough interceptors looks like

The same night, Russia sent 161 long-range attack drones at Ukraine, decoys among them, along with a cruise missile.That is an ordinary night now, and its damage spreads thin across the map instead of landing in one place.

A Russian strike set a nine-story apartment block alight in Kyiv, burning the facade up to the fifth floor and a flat on the second. Firefighters carried seven people out and handed seven more to medics. Russian drones injured eight people in the capital overnight. 

North of the city, Russia burned warehouses in the Bucha district, then struck the same site again while the crews were still dousing the flames. 

In Dnipro, the drones kept coming back, more than ten times from the evening on, damaging a plant and a row of garages and injuring seven people.

Farther out, Russia injured a mother and her son in Zaporizhzhia and damaged a plant in Zhytomyr Oblast, and the waves ran west far enough that NATO jets went up over Romania.

The president’s chaotic schemes of aggrandizement, from Venezuela to Iran, have no larger rationale

Trumpism is the lowest stage of imperialism. “We’re not going to invade Greenland. We’re going to buy it,” Donald Trump reportedly told the annual black-tie dinner on 1 February of the private Alfalfa Club, an assemblage of prominent Washington figures, a number of whom he had publicly humiliated, and others he was investigating or suing. “It’s never been my intention to make Greenland the 51st state. I want to make Canada the 51st state. Greenland will be the 52nd state. Venezuela can be 53rd.” The room greeted several of his remarks with dead silence. His cosplay as the Pirate King was not received as a good-humored takeoff from a Gilbert and Sullivan opera. He went on. “So many people in the room I hate,” he said in a display of honesty. “Most of you I like,” he claimed. Then, at his peak euphoria, he flew off to Mar-a-Lago to plan his attack on Iran, which took place 27 days later.

Trump’s imperialism of piracy and plunder is less of a system even than that of the earliest imperialism of 17th-century privateers raiding the Spanish Main, the divine right of kings, and monarchs dividing up the spoils as favors to create their lords and earls. His schemes of aggrandizement operating by threat and force are justified by no larger rationale, nothing as exalted as “the white man’s burden”, marauding wherever and however he can to seize resources.

Canada has sanctioned eight people over Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children and their indoctrination and militarization, Ukrinform reported on 11 September. It is the second Canadian package this year built around the removal of children from occupied areas. The measure surfaced during Ukraine's presidential visit to Canada, at a moment when Kyiv's own register counts far more children taken than brought home.

Eight names, and what Ottawa says they did

Canada's foreign ministry says all eight took part, now or earlier, in unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children, and in subjecting them to indoctrination and militarization. The department published the eight names without setting out the posts they hold. Its own register dates the listing's entry into force to 4 September.

The listing is an administrative measure, not a criminal charge. In most cases, people in Canada and Canadians abroad may not deal in a listed person's property or provide them financial services. Breaking those rules is a criminal offense, investigated by the border agency and the federal police.

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Canada's Ukraine-related listings cover more than 3,500 individuals and entities across its Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova regulations. Its separate ship list reached 731 vessels in June, listed for shadow-fleet work moving sanctioned Russian oil, gas, and arms. The previous expansion, in August, hit a manufacturer of armored vehicles.

Thousands of children taken, about 2,000 home

Russia has deported or displaced 20,651 Ukrainian children since February 2022, and Ukraine has brought just over 2,000 of them home through the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Officials believe the real figure is far higher.

Russian authorities have moved groups of Ukrainian teenagers through military-patriotic camps, occupation schools, and youth movements in occupied areas and inside Russia, and Ukraine has named the people running that work.

Editor's note: this article has been updated with new information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Canada will contribute technology to Ukraine’s European FREYJA anti-ballistic defense program and provide additional military assistance as Russia maintains near-constant ballistic missile and drone attacks.

Russia has ramped up ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, increasingly combining them with large waves of drones and other weapons. The strikes have damaged civilian infrastructure and caused growing casualties, while Ukraine faces a shortage of the air defense systems and interceptor missiles needed to counter the evolving threat.

Zelenskyy made the announcement on 10 September during a visit to Canada, where he met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He said the talks focused on winter support, energy, Ukraine’s financial needs, and defense cooperation.

“Mark assured me that Canada is ready to join our European anti-ballistic program FREYJA with its technologies,” Zelenskyy said. “This is a necessary and timely step.”

Zelenskyy also said Canada had made an “important decision” on a major air defense assistance package, adding that there is a global shortage of air defense systems and missiles.

Update: Canada and Ukraine sign 100-year partnership declaration

Update 23:00: Zelenskyy and Carney also signed a declaration establishing a 100-year partnership between Ukraine and Canada, setting out long-term cooperation between the two countries.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and Canada had reached agreements worth more than $2 billion, including more than $1 billion in government defense assistance.

Canada will also contribute $40 million to a new Ukrainian veterans fund, while the two countries reached agreements on energy cooperation ahead of winter.

Zelenskyy said Canada’s support will strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and its fighter aircraft, including those being used to intercept Russia’s jet-powered Geran drones. He added that 21 Ukrainian pilots are currently training in Canada.

Russia is changing its aerial attacks

The additional air defense comes as Russia has significantly expanded and adapted its aerial campaign against Ukraine.

Russia is launching increasingly large waves of drones, including faster versions of the Shahed/Geran attack drone, while combining them with ballistic and other missiles. The changing speed, volume, and composition of attacks are putting greater pressure on Ukraine’s air defenses and interceptor stocks.

Zelenskyy said he had also discussed with Carney Russia’s “virtually constant” strikes with ballistic missiles and drones.

The Russian attacks increasingly reach deep into Ukraine, targeting cities, energy facilities, transport and logistics infrastructure, and industrial sites far from the front line.

That makes layered air defense increasingly important. Ukraine needs systems capable of intercepting different types of threats, from relatively slow attack drones to much faster ballistic missiles.

Air defense becomes critical ahead of winter

The need for additional air defense is particularly urgent as Ukraine approaches another winter under Russian attack. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy system during previous winters, damaging power generation and distribution and threatening electricity, heating, and water supplies.

Ukraine therefore needs not only more interceptor missiles but additional systems and technologies capable of dealing with the increasingly complex mix of Russian aerial weapons.

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Zelenskyy said Canada would also provide additional defense supplies and that the two countries were working on a broader “Drone Deal” covering defense cooperation.

He thanked Canada for its support throughout the war, saying Ukraine needs to remain strong to achieve a “strong and lasting peace.”

The White House posted a photo of bald eagle attacking a Canada goose to send a message – but it was Canada that played a critical role in the recovery of the bird in the US

In late August, the White House posted a real photograph on social media of a bald eagle standing atop the limp neck of a Canada goose.

The raptor presses the goose’s face into the grey winter slush. With its stark white head and brilliant yellow talons, the eagle looks victorious and defiant.

The measure comes as Canada imposes $20bn in retaliatory tariffs and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney vows to reduce his country’s economic dependence on the US

The US is banning dairy products, most alcoholic beverages and motorcycles from Canada, the White House said Tuesday, as the trade war between the two neighbors and longtime allies escalates.

The ban will take effect in three weeks and comes after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20bn in US imports earlier Tuesday.

Counter-measures covering several sectors come after Trump announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of American imports have come into effect, escalating a trade fight that has been marked by intensifying tensions between the US president, Donald Trump, and the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney.

The tariffs took effect at 12.01am on Tuesday, and range from 15% to 50% and apply to products covering $20bn in imports from the US. The measures target sectors including steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics – industries that have been most affected by US tariffs.

Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed reporting

Want to see how small the gene pool of Tory talent is? I give you Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor. Also this week: Starmer’s Fomo, and telly wars

It’s the end of summer and Kemi Badenoch chose to mark the occasion with a reshuffle of her shadow cabinet. Her aim is apparently to get the Tories match fit in case Andy Burnham calls an early general election, but the vibes are much more rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship. After all, when the gene pool of talent is that small, there’s not much you can do. James Cleverly got the ball rolling by announcing he was planning to be the Conservative candidate for London mayor in two years’ time. He may have his work cut out. London is a liberal, multicultural city and unlikely to be won over by a party giving up on net zero and the European convention on human rights.

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Republican oversight chair James Comer has also weighed in on Leon Black not sitting for a deposition about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The billionaire financier, who has denied wrongdoing, filed suit against the oversight committee Thursday alleging the subpoenas were improper.

“It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people. Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny,” Comer said in a statement. “Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several nondisclosure agreements.”

[L'article Il n’y a plus aucun cétacé en captivité au pays  a d'abord été publié dans InfoBref.]

Tech company submits to controversial Trump order to rename body of water amid US trade spat with Canada

Apple has renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for US users of its Maps app, after an executive order from Donald Trump to change the name of the Great Lake amid his trade spat with Canada.

The Apple Maps app now displays the controversial new name for the lake, which sits between New York state and the Canadian province of Ontario, for users in the US. Apple users outside the country will still see the Lake Ontario name.

US defense secretary faces backlash for attempting to mock Canada’s armed forces amid trade war

A social media post by Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, body-shaming female members of a Canadian youth development program remained online on Wednesday despite a furious backlash on both sides of the border.

On Monday night, Hegseth posted on X a photograph of two people in uniform with a Canadian flag and the caption “this is real”, an apparent attempt at mocking the country’s armed forces amid the Trump administration’s trade spat with its northern neighbor.