Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.59 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet personally with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin if such a meeting has a concrete result and brings peace closer. He said this in an interview with CBC News.
22.40 The Pope's envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi plans to visit Russia at the end of September. According to Reuters, during the visit Zuppi is to meet with the Russian President's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov. They will discuss humanitarian issues related to the war in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian and political issues.
21.59 On the evening of Monday, September 21, Russian troops attacked a minibus in Komyshuvas, Zaporizhia region, with a drone. A woman was killed and three more people were injured. This was reported by the acting head of the Zaporizhia OVA, Mykhailo Semikin.
20.54 The construction and equipment of five underground schools have been completed in Sumy region - four in Sumy community and one in Shostka. The new educational spaces are designed for 1,360 places. In total, 1,944 students study in these five schools. This was reported by the Ministry of Education.
20.24 Ankara is trying to reduce tensions in the Black Sea. To this end, Turkey has submitted separate diplomatic proposals to the parties. This was stated by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
20.22 Gazpromneft's Moscow refinery completely stopped processing crude oil after a drone attack on September 20. According to Reuters, both primary oil refining units caught fire due to the drones falling on the company's territory. These are the AVT-6 with a capacity of 21.4 thousand tons per day, which is 53% of the plant's capacity, and the combined EURO+ unit with a capacity of 18.8 thousand tons per day.
20.01 On Monday, September 21, Russian troops attacked the Voznesensky district of the Mykolaiv region. A child was mortally wounded. According to the head of the Mykolaiv OVA, Georgy Reshetilov, a three-year-old boy who was on the street was mortally wounded during the air attack. Medics tried to save the child, but the injuries turned out to be incompatible with life.
19.46 The Cabinet of Ministers approved new rules for the operation of medical institutions depending on the level of air threat. As Serhiy Koretsky reported, at a yellow threat level, medical institutions continue to operate. At the same time, full access of employees, patients and visitors to shelters must be ensured. At a red level, patients and medical workers must go to shelters. At the same time, assistance that is dangerous to interrupt, in particular during operations, resuscitation and intensive care, will not be stopped. Emergency medical assistance will operate continuously regardless of the threat level.
19.26 The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine codified the UAT.Gyurza-01 armored pickup truck and allowed it to be supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The car can transport five servicemen in full equipment and almost two tons of cargo. The car was created on the basis of the Dodge RAM 5500, taking into account the needs of the military working in combat zones. The Ministry of Defense noted that the car is designed for universal use and simple maintenance.
19.07 The holding by Russia of the so-called "elections" to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of Ukraine is a farce that has nothing to do with either democratic elections or the expression of the will of the people. This is stated in a statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
18.17 Russia takes into account weather conditions when using strike drones and changes the tactics of their use. As stated by Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, when planning attacks, the Russian military takes into account weather conditions on the flight route and in the area of the target. In particular, fog and cloudiness can complicate the work of Ukrainian air defense.
Ignat noted that Russian troops are increasingly using jet-powered "shaheeds." In the first half of September, the Russian Federation used about 1,900 strike drones with jet engines. For comparison, there were about 2,800 of them in all of July. According to the military, the rate of shooting down such drones is about 60%.
17.53 In Kyiv, the Dniprovskyi District Court found two men, aged 19 and 20, guilty of committing sabotage. One of them received 15 years in prison with confiscation of property, the other - 10 years without confiscation. According to the prosecutor's office, in September 2024, the men were looking for part-time work via Telegram and received an offer to set fire to military vehicles or Ukrzaliznytsia facilities for money. For $100, they agreed to set fire to a relay cabinet of the railway infrastructure near the Darnytsia station. After the arson, the men changed their places of residence. In February 2025, law enforcement officers detained them and reported them on suspicion.
17.38 The aggressor country Russia must stop attacks on the energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports of Ukraine. This will prompt appropriate de-escalation steps, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on the social network X.
17.12 In Buchansky district, a fire broke out at an enterprise as a result of a Russian attack on the afternoon of September 21. In another settlement in Buchansky district, two private houses, four cars and warehouses were damaged as a result of the attack. There was no information about the dead or injured. This was reported by the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Timur Tkachenko.
17.01 As of September 21, after the destruction of the Moscow Refinery, the Ukrainian Defense Forces had disabled more than 45% of the designed capacity of Russian oil refining. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday, summing up the results of the week, from September 14 to 20, regarding the destruction of important enemy facilities in the territory of Russia and the TOT of Ukraine.
16.38 The National Police reported suspicion on a Russian serviceman, whom the investigation considers to be involved in the torture of a resident of Bucha during the occupation of the city in March 2022. According to the police, the suspect is a 26-year-old corporal, deputy commander of a combat vehicle - gunner-operator of the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment of the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Armed Forces. His identity was established with the assistance of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
16.09 Russia has lost control of its own oil refining industry due to the war with Ukraine. US President Donald Trump wrote about this on the social network Truth Social. He stated the need to stop "this senseless and endless war" between Russia and Ukraine.
15.49 Indian refiners may reduce purchases of Russian oil for November due to a new US law that expands President Donald Trump's authority to impose tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, Bloomberg reports.
15.18 During the massive attack by Ukrainian drones on Moscow on September 20, the Russian authorities did not turn on sirens and did not send SMS warnings to residents about the threat. Verstka writes about this, and analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that the authorities may have prioritized the holding of elections over the safety of the population. Residents of Moscow and the region reported the absence of sirens and SMS messages, although such warnings, according to them, were received during previous attacks. At the same time, mobile communications were restricted in the region.
14.45 US President Donald Trump's signing of a bill on "hellish sanctions" does not contribute to the resuscitation of bilateral relations between Russia and the United States. It is also unlikely to contribute to more successful progress on the path to a Ukrainian settlement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a comment to Russian propagandists.
14.23 Russian troops have attacked a second gas station in Zvyahelskyi district of Zhytomyr region. A WOG gas station was damaged. There is no information about victims or injured people at this time.
13.52 The Defense Forces launched a series of airstrikes on the logistical infrastructure of Russian troops in the Polohiv area in the Hulyaipil direction and destroyed the bridges over which the occupiers were transferring soldiers, equipment, and ammunition.
The Russians used the destroyed bridges to move personnel, heavy equipment, and ammunition needed for offensive operations in the direction of Orekhov. After the airstrikes, it became more difficult for Russian units to transfer forces and supply them on this section of the front.
Due to problems with the routes that could transport large-sized equipment, the Russians began to use motorcycles more actively. Such groups are more vulnerable to Ukrainian weapons.
13.23 They began to surround the Moscow CHP-8 on Volgogradsky Prospekt with concrete blocks.
The structure is likely being prepared to protect the facility from drone attacks. According to social media reports, the blocks could be the basis for installing anti-drone nets.
The work began after the Russian authorities announced a large-scale attack on Moscow on the night of September 20. In particular, the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, complained that this was the most massive attack on Moscow. According to him, 450 drones were allegedly shot down on the approach to Moscow, but several drones reached the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery.
12.59 Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a number of important military targets of the Russian invaders. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
12.51 Ukrainians are preparing for a new winter season, which could be the most difficult during a full-scale war due to the threat of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Bloomberg writes about this.
After last winter, when hundreds of thousands of people in Kyiv and other cities were left without heat, water, and electricity due to prolonged outages, the country's residents are looking for ways to prepare in advance for possible new crises.
One of the main problems remains the centralized heating system in Ukrainian cities. It depends on large infrastructure facilities, damage to which can leave entire districts without heat.
European countries are also working to increase support for Kyiv. Germany and other states have announced plans to purchase additional Patriot systems and transfer missiles from their stockpiles.
At the same time, some allies express concern about the upcoming winter. Others believe that even with a lack of air defense assets, Ukraine will be able to cope with the challenges.
"Since August, Russia has significantly reduced their use in favor of jet drones, which may indicate that Moscow is stockpiling missiles for strikes on Ukrainian energy and heating infrastructure during the cold period, which usually begins in late October or early November," the report says.
12.40 Russia hopes to resume trilateral talks on Ukraine, but there is currently no progress on this issue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in comments to Russian propagandists on Monday.
12.25 Russian troops attacked a gas station on the M-06 highway in the suburb of Zvyagelya in the Zhytomyr region. Information about the victims and the extent of the damage is being clarified.
12.21 A 20-year-old man died in hospital as a result of serious injuries received during the Russian attack on the Dnieper on September 3.
12.07 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine launches a new section on the War&Sanctions portal, War Finances. It is dedicated to banks, financial institutions and payment systems that serve the Russian military-industrial complex and help it circumvent sanctions.
11.26 The commander of the Third Army Corps, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, said that the corps was the first in the world to begin landing ground-based robotic complexes. According to him, heavy bombers deliver NRK kamikazes more than 10 kilometers behind enemy lines.
According to the corps, drones and ground robots always go ahead of the infantry during assault operations.
In parallel with the landing of the robots, Ukrainian units used anti-aircraft and electronic warfare means to blind Russian reconnaissance drones. This did not allow the enemy to reveal the plan of the offensive actions.
According to the corps, artillery and unmanned systems simultaneously fired on enemy command posts, communication hubs, logistics, crossings, and reserves.
11.17 An agent of the Russian military intelligence (GRU) who coordinated strikes on targets in the Dnipro River has been exposed and detained. The SBU reported this. The man is a recruited electrician who has recently changed several jobs at regional factories, trying to find an enterprise working for the military-industrial complex of Ukraine.
10.55 The aggressor country Russia continues escalating steps. It is necessary to increase pressure on the aggressor country and, in parallel, conduct diplomatic work to end the war. This was written by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram, reacting to the Russian shelling of Zaporizhia and Lozova, Kharkiv region.
10.27 On Monday morning, power outages were recorded in four regions due to Russian shelling of civilian energy infrastructure and bad weather.
Ukrenergo reported this. Now, energy workers are doing everything possible to restore power to all consumers as soon as possible, Ukrenergo assured.
10.02 A Russian drone hit the academic building of Zaporizhia National University on the night of September 21. The attack caused a fire, and a significant part of the building burned down.
"Building No. 3 of ZNU is a cultural heritage site. Years of study, meetings, lectures, and important moments of university life passed within its walls. This night, the building suffered a direct hit," the university said in a statement.
Academic buildings No. 4 and No. 5 were also damaged - a significant number of windows were broken in the buildings. There were no injuries among the students or university staff.
9.25 Russian troops again attacked settlements in the Donetsk region on September 20. Three people were killed and 12 more residents of the region were injured as a result of the shelling. This was reported by the head of the OVA, Vadym Filashkin.
9.21 On the morning of September 21, drones attacked Ufa, Russia, in Bashkortostan. According to preliminary information, the target was one of the Bashneft group's oil refineries.
During the attack, a drone emergency regime was declared in Bashkortostan. The operation of the Ufa airport was also temporarily restricted.
According to preliminary information, the drones attacked the oil refining infrastructure of Ufa. There is currently no official information about the extent of the damage.
Ufa is one of the largest oil refining centers in Russia. The city is home to Bashneft-UNPZ, Bashneft-Novoil, and Bashneft-Ufanaftokhim, which are part of the Bashneft company and form a large oil refining complex.
The total capacity of the three enterprises exceeds 23 million tons of oil per year. The plants produce gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, lubricants and other products, which are used, in particular, to meet the needs of the Russian army. The distance from the state border of Ukraine to the enterprises is about 1,600 km.
9.05 Two people were killed and three more were injured in Sumy region as a result of Russian attacks in the past 24 hours, the National Police of Ukraine reported on Monday morning.
8.33 On the night of September 21, Russia attacked Ukraine with 172 Shahed attack UAVs (64 of them jet), Gerber, Parodia-type simulator drones, and Banderol/Dan-T.
Air defenses shot down/suppressed 147 enemy UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera types, drones of other types, and one Banderol/Dan-T. Hits were recorded at 14 locations, as well as the fall of downed aircraft (fragments) at four locations.
8.16 Over the past 24 hours, 238 combat clashes were recorded on the front. Russian troops attacked most actively in the Kostyantynivka direction, where the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled 24 assaults.
7.58 Rescuers eliminated the consequences of Russian attacks in the Buchansky and Fastivskyi districts of the Kyiv region.
In Buchanan district, rescuers extinguished a fire at a service station. In Fastiv district, a fire was extinguished in a sawmill building. There were no fatalities or injuries.
7.45 The number of people injured in the night attack by Russian troops on Zaporizhia has increased to five. Three men and two women were injured.
Two nine-story residential buildings in the city were damaged and caught fire. A fire also broke out in one of the shopping centers. In addition, a fire broke out in the building of a higher educational institution after the shelling.
7.19 From February 24, 2022 to September 21, 2026, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,519,650 people (+1,660 per day).
5.38 The head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Rustem Umerov, is satisfied with the participation of US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff in the negotiation process. He denied the Ukrainian government's disappointment with his diplomatic work, Axios reports.
4.48 Russia has sought to deepen its relations with Iran far beyond traditional trade. This includes the creation of alternative financial channels, nuclear cooperation, the production of components for Russian aircraft in Iran, major energy projects and new transport routes extending to the Persian Gulf. This is reported by the American channel Fox News, citing a closed Russian government document.
4.23 Russian state-owned company Alabuga-Volokno is expanding its plant in Tatarstan. Production of attack drones could increase by 78%. Politico reports this, citing internal documents from the Russian state corporation Rosatom.
According to the documents, Alabuga-Volokno plans to produce an additional 500 tons of military-grade aerospace carbon fiber annually by 2029. Such an increase in capacity could enable the production of an additional 28,000 jet drones annually for attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia is currently capable of producing over 36,000 Shahed per year.
3.32 Russian war criminals attacked high-rise buildings and one of the shopping centers in Zaporizhia. This was reported by Ivan Fedorov, co-chairman of the Defense Council of the Zaporizhia region.
2.52 Russian UAVs attacked Sumy twice late on the evening of September 20. In particular, they struck near a residential building: a woman was killed and her husband was injured. This was reported by the head of the Sumy OVA, Oleg Grigorov.
0.42 Representatives of the Czech Republic, Latvia and Sweden's secret services expect increased Russian sabotage in Europe, while assessing the likelihood of an invasion of NATO countries differently. Representatives of European secret services stated this in an interview with The Guardian.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 20:55 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in Bryansk Oblast wounded two drivers
A passenger car was attacked on the Starodub-Klintsy highway, and another hit a truck near Mishkovka. Both drivers sustained shrapnel wounds.
20:53 In the Belgorod region, during attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones, three people suffered injuries
A man in Tavrovo, a woman in Maslova Pristan, and a man in Shebekino were injured. Cars were also damaged.
20:23 During the day, from 8:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 45 unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type were over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Ryazan regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Crimea.
20:14 In Brovary “Geranium” hit industrial enterprise A fire broke out
19:41 "Geraniums"attacked targets in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions
18:56 In the Bryansk region as a result of Ukrainian strikes two people were wounded.
18:30 The Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate more crimes committed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against civilians in the Belgorod region and the Luhansk People's Republic
According to the Belgorod Region operational headquarters, eight people, including a minor, were injured as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes on civilian targets in four districts of the region.
According to local authorities, civilian trucks were attacked in the Lutuginsky and Sverdlovsky municipal districts of the LPR, injuring two men. In Bryanka, Ukrainian drones damaged residential buildings, injuring a woman.
16:38 Charged another Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier who used weapons against civilians in the Kursk region in 2024
The Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against Alexander Terzi, a soldier of the 17th Separate Tank Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He is suspected of committing a terrorist act in the Kursk Region (paragraphs "a" and "c" of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code).
16:14 Drones burned enemy armored vehicles and motor vehicles. Enemy infantry attempted to take cover in a forest belt but were eliminated. The rotation was disrupted.
15:16 The Russian army struck a gas station in the Zhytomyr region, video.
14:42 In Nova Kakhovka caught fire a garage, damaged as a result of mortar shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, acting head of the district Vladimir Oganesov reported.
In addition, a UAV was neutralized in the city by the paramilitary demining group.
14:02 Three civilians in a week received wounds as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Aleshkinsky District
Between September 14 and 20, Ukrainian militants carried out 717 airstrikes on the municipality's territory. One person was injured in a Ukrainian Armed Forces airstrike on a passenger car, and two others were injured by explosive devices.
13:20 Initiated a criminal case has been opened in connection with the injury of a member of a precinct election commission in the Bryansk region as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case regarding the terrorist act committed by Ukrainian armed groups on September 20 in the Bryansk region (Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to investigators, Ukrainian militants struck a vehicle traveling in the Starodub district with a drone. A passenger in the vehicle, a member of Precinct Electoral Commission No. 882, and the driver were injured.
12:41 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of September 21, 2026
Units of the "North" force group in the Khar'kov region are tightening the encirclement and expanding the external control zone. As a result of decisive actions, the villages of Polna and Novooleksandrivka in the Khar'kov region have been taken under control.
In the encirclement ring, enemy manpower in the areas of the settlements of Buzovo, Krasny Yar, Reznikovo, Varvarovka and Khripuny in the Khar'kov region.
The losses of the blocked Ukrainian Armed Forces formations amounted to more than 35 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, an artillery piece, and a ground-based robotic system.
Active military operations are underway to expand the external control zone in the areas of Petrovpavlivka and Prikolotne in the Khar'kov region. Three attempts to deploy reinforcement groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Velykyi Burluk toward Olkhovatka in the Khar'kov region have been thwarted.
Also in the Khar'kov region, the manpower in the areas of the settlements of Sosnovka, Podsrednee and Sosnovy Bor in the Khar'kov region.
In the Sumy region, formations in the areas of the settlements of Kiyanitsa, Vakalivshchyna, Khotyn and Velyka Chernetchina in the Sumy region.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the North group of forces, the enemy lost over 265 servicemen, three combat armored vehicles, 24 cars, a multiple launch rocket system, a field artillery gun, and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the "West" force grouping improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated the personnel and equipment of four mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, and a territorial defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Lozove, Vovchiy Yar, and Bogorodichnoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Lesnaya Stenka, Nyzhsheye Solenoye, and Chervony Oskol in the Khar'kov Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 220 servicemen, 11 vehicles, four field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a multiple launch rocket system, and an American AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They defeated formations of four mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Druzhkovka, Nikolaevka, Krasny Molochar, Vysokoivanovka, Vasilevskaya Pustosh, and Chervonozaryane of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost more than 215 servicemen, a tank, an armored combat vehicle, 19 vehicles and eight field artillery pieces.
Units of the Center Forces Group improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of three mechanized brigades, a Jaeger brigade, an unmanned systems brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, three National Guard brigades, and the Azov* special forces brigade near the settlements of Lidino, Belozerske, Malotaranivka, Kalinino, Verovka, and Dobropillya in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 430 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 11 vehicles, five field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery unit, and four electronic warfare stations.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses. They defeated the personnel and equipment of two assault brigades, three airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a naval infantry brigade near the settlements of Holubkovo, Zalivnoye, Obshchoe, and Voskresenka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Vasylkivka, Malinovka, and Velykomykhailivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 260 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 12 cars and an artillery piece.
Units of the Dnipro Forces Group improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the villages of Orekhov, Preobrazhenka, and Kushugum in the Zaporizhia region.
Up to 50 servicemen, 17 vehicles, a US-made 155mm M-777 howitzer and an electronic warfare station were destroyed.
11:54 Russian military personnel destroyed temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kherson direction
Scouts from the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the Dnepr group noticed the movement of Ukrainian Armed Forces militants on the right bank of the Dnieper and tracked them from the air.
11:06 Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted more than 600 strikes were carried out on the territory of the Novaya Kakhovka district over the past week.
One person was injured as a result of the shelling. Seven apartment buildings, seven private homes, three retail outlets, two administrative buildings, an outbuilding, a vehicle, and electricity and gas systems were damaged.
10:27 Over the past 24 hours, the Kupol Donbassa system and combined mobile fire groups have been operating over the territory of the DPR., destroying 7 enemy drones aimed at civilian infrastructure facilities.
9:50 The Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Donetsk People's Republic, Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions
According to local authorities, a man was killed and another was injured when an Armed Forces of Ukraine (AF) drone struck a truck in the urban settlement of Korsun, Yenakiyeve, DPR. Drones attacked vehicles on the Urzuf-Berdyansk highway in the Mangush Municipal District, killing one person and injuring another.
Eight civilians, including a minor, were wounded and injured as a result of Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes on civilian targets in the Bryansk region.
In the Kursk region, a Ukrainian drone attacked a car on the road between the village of Belaya and the village of Bobrava in the Belovsky district, injuring two people.
According to the Belgorod Region Operational Headquarters, as a result of aggressive actions by representatives of the Kyiv regime in various districts of the region, eight civilians, including a teenager, were wounded and injured.
9:08 AFU continue strikes on civilian infrastructure on the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday afternoon, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired 14 shells from barrel artillery at populated areas of the Kherson region of the Russian Federation:
Throughout the night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued their artillery bombardment of the Kherson region, firing a total of 13 shells from cannon artillery. The following villages were targeted: Oleshky, Korsunka, Novaya Mayachka, and Proletarka.
8:41 During the past night, air defense forces on duty intercepted and 244 destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type were over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Volgograd, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Orenburg, Rostov, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Tver, Tula, Ulyanovsk regions, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Tatarstan and over the waters of the Black Sea.
8:15 Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles on logistics centers, warehouses and ports of Ukraine, as well as on ships deployed in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
As a result of the strikes, the following were injured:
in the Kyiv region:
- the BDU Logistic logistics center in Schastlivoe, whose warehouse facilities are used for the storage and distribution of military products;
- a gas distribution station in the village of Boyarka, which supplies gas to enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine;
in Odessa region:
- in the port of Odessa - a dry cargo ship that delivered cargo intended to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- in the port of Izmail – port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo.
In addition, a dry cargo ship was damaged during the sea crossing, delivering cargo to the port of Odessa intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Denis Davydov and Taisiya Svetlichnaya
[Regnum] Just a month ago, Ukraine retained three large, full-cycle metallurgical plants: Zaporizhstal in Zaporizhzhia, Kametstal in Kamenskoye, and ArcelorMittal in Kryvyi Rih.
Now, all three companies have halted their primary production following a series of ballistic missile strikes. Together, these plants produced approximately 90% of the country's steel output, and, as Oleksandr Vodoviz, chief of staff at Metinvest Group, told the Financial Times on September 20, "today, Ukraine no longer has a steel industry."
A rather harsh statement from the management company owned by oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, which consolidated all of his assets in the industry, describes a very specific situation. The loss of these enormous enterprises from the production chain occurred due to their deep involvement in the defense program and the habit of SCM's PR department (the company that manages all of the businesses) to stroke the inflated ego of its owner.
Who today celebrates his 60th birthday in a sad mood.
Zaporizhstal was the first to shut down. On the night of August 11, the blast hit the power infrastructure and blast furnace facilities, completely shutting them down. Then, by September 17, three separate attacks destroyed all power grids, the power system, and communications.
The scale of the shutdown is evident in the statistics: from January to August, Zaporizhstal managed to smelt 1.68 million tons of steel, but in August, after the initial strike, production was only 46,200 tons. After that, smelting ceased.
Next came Kametstal, the group's second major steelmaking plant. Until September, it was effectively the group's last major steelmaking facility operating at approximately 40% capacity.
On the night of September 5, the plant was hit by a ballistic missile. The sintering and blast furnace facilities, as well as the energy and transport infrastructure, were damaged, after which all production processes were halted.
"The timeframe for resuming production is currently unknown," Metinvest reported after the attack.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's largest mining and metallurgical company, was the third to be eliminated, closing the series. In mid-August, a missile had already damaged its power and blast furnace production facilities, and on September 12, a second strike in five weeks followed, halting primary steel production.
The plant's remaining units are either also shut down or operating at minimal capacity. The company states that specialists cannot yet reliably estimate the duration of the repairs.
This explains the unusually high figure of 90%. It's not that all steel-processing enterprises in Ukraine have physically disappeared. In Dnipropetrovsk, for example, there's an electric steel mill, InterpipeSteel, with a design capacity of 1.32 million tons of billet per year, and pipe, rolling, and special metallurgical facilities remain.
However, it was the three shut-down plants that formed the core of Ukrainian full-cycle metallurgy and belonged to the large-tonnage traditional steel production based on blast furnaces.
"They knew everything about the plant, they knew exactly where to hit. Ballistic missiles were aimed at the blast furnaces... We don't know now how long the repairs will take—days, weeks, months, or years," Vodoviz told the FT.
A blast furnace isn't something you can simply turn off, replace a few parts, and then restart. Its operation is linked to the sintering plant, coke and iron ore feedstock supply, power, water, gas systems, and rail logistics. Damage to the furnace itself or associated structures can disrupt the entire process chain. Akhmetov estimates that the full restoration of the damage already identified would cost tens of millions of dollars.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian metallurgy industry is in a critical situation due to the blockade of Black Sea ports, expensive logistics, high electricity prices, and restrictions from the EU.
Moreover, the process of destruction was programmed by the conscious actions of the owner and, ironically, perfectly fits the country's declared policy of "decommunization." All these factories were built in the USSR as part of Ukraine's transformation into a major industrial center. In return, as we know, Ukraine was offered entirely different roles: that of a " great agrarian power " and a kamikaze drone, endlessly at war with Russia.
As a result, while Ukraine's production capacity was estimated at approximately 42.5 million tons of steel per year in 2014, the industry produced approximately 21.4 million tons in 2021, 7.4 million tons in 2025, and only 4.3 million tons in the first eight months of 2026, according to Ukrmetallurgprom.
In the 1930s, the plant was the largest metallurgical enterprise in the USSR and one of the leading ones in Europe.
First, major enterprises in Donbas were lost or destroyed, then, after 2022, Azovstal and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, as well as Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant. After that, the bulk of Ukrainian production fell on Zaporizhstal, Kametstal, and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.
There's one important nuance, without which the current picture appears somewhat mechanical, as if metallurgical enterprises were simply successively subjected to Russian attacks. In fact, Metinvest's assets were drawn into the military program long before today.
Back in 2014, after the outbreak of hostilities in Donbas, businesses in Mariupol began directly participating in the so-called "anti-terrorist operation" against Donbas residents who rebelled after the coup in Kyiv.
Workers and engineering crews from the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, together with Azovstal, were deployed to construct defensive fortifications. Anti-tank hedgehogs, armored checkpoints, and permanent fire positions (pillboxes) were made from thick rolled steel.
The Ilyich Iron and Steel Works' workshops effectively became a repair base for battle-damaged Ukrainian armored vehicles and vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, and "volunteer battalions." The company donated tons of fuel and lubricants, heavy construction equipment (cranes, excavators for digging trenches), and generators. Metinvest assumed responsibility for the medical care of wounded soldiers in Mariupol city hospitals, supplying them with medications and medical oxygen, and provided direct financial assistance to personnel mobilized into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
From the very beginning of the civil war, when the army and illegal armed groups were deployed against what were then Ukrainian citizens, Akhmetov's entire business was involved in it on the side of the Maidan regime. Moreover, the SCM PR service, led by Natalia Yemchenko, invested considerable resources in dehumanizing those who remained in the DPR and LPR, joined the militia, and opposed the new government in Kyiv.
At the same time, for example, the “Voices of the Peaceful” project completely ignored the testimonies of people who suffered from the violence of “volunteer battalions” and the Ukrainian Armed Forces – it was as if they did not exist.
At the same time, the entire propaganda machine emphasized Akhmetov's personal contributions (especially in terms of humanitarian aid deliveries): initially, it worked to change his image. The former semi-criminal native of the Oktyabrskaya mine village in Donetsk had always been burdened by his biography and the consistently negative attitudes he received from both society and the political establishment—even his run for parliament quickly led to his retreat from public life.
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Naturally, in 2022 it was already impossible to stop after the acceleration achieved.
By the fall of 2022, Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front had emerged. It united all the initiatives that had begun in the spring: the production of special steel for armor plates, mass production of bulletproof vests, anti-tank hedgehogs, prefabricated steel "kryivka"-type dugouts (like those in the heroic UPA*), and components for checkpoints and defensive fortifications.
In Metinvest's official communications, the project was described specifically as a support system for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, territorial defense, the National Guard, military intelligence, and other security agencies. Vehicles, drones, thermal imaging cameras, and other equipment were purchased for them using cash.
"By Rinat Akhmetov's decision, we are providing all our partners with the metal needed to manufacture hedgehogs and shelters free of charge. At the same time, we are donating specialized equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces: to date, over fifty vehicles for various applications have been donated. Rinat Akhmetov also decided to allocate 10 million euros for the purchase of protective equipment for territorial defense," explained Metinvest CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov.
By 2026, the company reported delivering 900 mobile shelters, two underground field hospitals, and an underground training center for soldiers to the front. Over the four years of war, it reported providing 10.1 billion hryvnias in aid to Ukraine, of which 7.3 billion hryvnias (approximately $164 million) went directly to the defense forces within the "Steel Front" program.
In Metinvest's public strategy, the steel plant ceased to be simply a place where steel is smelted for the civilian economy. Its products became part of the military supply chain, and its engineers and production facilities became part of Ukraine's defense potential. The company itself today describes this experience as the creation of defense production in a wartime environment.
The loss of Mariupol, where Akhmetov's Azovstal plant was reduced to rubble precisely because it became a military installation and a defensive hub for the Azov Battalion* (which Akhmetov had actively financed from the very beginning), taught no lesson. On the contrary, the remaining enterprises were burdened even more heavily—and this became the main focus of the communications.
Zaporizhstal, for example, was explicitly mentioned in official materials as an enterprise mobilizing resources for Ukraine's defense. Consequently, it became a target. The cause-and-effect relationship between the enterprise's military function and its importance in the war is clear here.
It's also clear that calculating lost foreign exchange earnings for the leaky Ukrainian budget is completely meaningless: when Akhmetov was being promoted for his direct participation in the war, no one was thinking about the earnings.
Now we can simply state drily that his attempt to "go down in history as a great philanthropist" ended with the loss of two of his main assets—metallurgy and energy. As recently as 2025, metallurgical exports alone brought Ukraine $4.72 billion—11.7% of the country's total merchandise exports.
With iron ore production halted, the weight of the mining and metals industry has grown even greater. But most importantly, the choice of an oligarch with luxury real estate and a huge yacht in Monaco has hit ordinary people: Zaporizhstal employs approximately 8,500 people, while Kametstal employs approximately 8,000. ArcelorMittal and its subsidiaries provided over 20,000 jobs.
In mid-September, the group's COO, Alexander Mironenko, said that the financial reserves that allowed the metallurgy industry to survive the first years of the war were practically exhausted—"and not just ours—no other company has them."
All of this is the collective choice of the "elite," made back in 2014: stopping the war and getting back to normal business was literally possible at any moment over the past 12 years. But they, like Akhmetov, aren't worried about the fate of ordinary people: apartments and yachts in, say, Monaco allow them to avoid tormenting themselves with such petty problems.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited See also here.
[Regnum] The United Russia party has received 57.83% of the vote and 355 seats in the State Duma. This was announced on September 21 by Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, summing up the preliminary results.
With 95.18% of the votes counted, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) received 13.81% of the vote and won five single-mandate constituencies, giving the party a preliminary 40 seats. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) received 8.98% and won two constituencies, giving the party 25 seats.
New People is polling 7.96% of the vote and, according to preliminary results, will receive 20 seats. A Just Russia is currently polling 4.96% and remains likely to clear the 5% threshold. The party currently holds four seats. Rodina is preliminarily expected to receive one seat in the State Duma.
"These elections are unprecedented in terms of the level of external threats and the severity of various challenges, which we have successfully overcome, making maximum security a top priority despite the extreme situation, " Pamfilova noted at a briefing at the commission's information center.
Russia's single voting day took place on September 20. Elections at various levels were held in the regions, including for heads of constituent entities, members of legislative assemblies, and local governments. State Duma elections were held over three days, from September 18 to 20. Turnout was 59.32%, with over 62.6 million Russians participating. The Central Election Commission expects to complete the tabulation of election results by September 25.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the elections to the lower house of parliament the most important domestic political event in the country. He had previously warned that the campaign would take place in difficult conditions, and that Russia's opponents could attempt to use it to divide and destabilize society. However, Putin stated that Russia would not allow its adversaries to disrupt the elections.
[United24Media] Russia is confronting the prospect of a renewed agricultural shortage as projections indicate the domestic potato harvest will fall from 8.5 million tons last year to 7.5 million tons this year, creating a gap of 0.5 to 1 million tons against an annual domestic demand of 8 to 8.5 million tons, as reported by The Moscow Times on September 15.
Industrial potato planting areas have shrunk to an 18-year low of 277,800 hectares, accompanied by a drop in yield per acre.
Wholesale market trends now echo the 2024–2025 agricultural season, during which harvest volumes dropped to 7.3 million tons, domestic retail prices increased by up to 173%, and foreign imports—including supplies from China and Mongolia—were required to cover domestic shortfalls.
By late August, retail potato prices rose 35% year-over-year to 59.1 rubles ($0.65) per kilogram, while wholesale prices recorded a matching 33% increase.
Russian agricultural supply chains traditionally increase foreign potato purchases around February as domestic reserves run low, but analysts predict foreign imports will need to begin a month earlier this year.
Other key staple vegetables are experiencing similar price surges far above official headline inflation of 6%. Cabbage prices are up 35.2% year-over-year, onions have increased by 27.2%, beets are up 20.4%, and carrots have risen 17.7%, according to The Moscow Times.
Retail trade representatives attribute the rising produce prices to systemic cost pressures across the agricultural sector. Farmers are facing higher expenses for fuel, lubricants, seeds, fertilizers, and storage facilities.
Transportation costs have also increased significantly, particularly for long-distance deliveries from southern agricultural regions to major metropolitan centers. Fuel price increases, which have exceeded 20% since the start of the year, are contributing directly to rising transport and operational expenses across the sector.
In the first quarter of 2026, the share of profitable Russian agricultural enterprises dropped to 68.6% from 77.9% a year earlier, while loss-making farms expanded to 31.4%. During that same period, profits across crop and livestock farming fell by 22.5%, and overall losses surged 1.6 times, pushing average profitability for agricultural producers in the Rostov region into negative territory.
#1
You don't need potatos to make vodka although that is generally believed.
Grain and fruit can produce the ethanol.
Grey Goose, which for some years was the premier vodka served at high class functions, used wheat. Tito's, which has mostly replaced Grey Goose in this area, uses corn.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
09/22/2026 9:50 Comments ||
Top||
#2
^ Love my Tito's
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/22/2026 12:52 Comments ||
Top||
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
