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| Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 21, 2026 |
| 2026-09-22 |
| 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. |
| Posted by:badanov |