Governor: Russian occupiers kill 7 civilians in Donetsk Oblast on May 17.

The far-right, Kremlin-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was projected to take first place in regional elections in Germany on Sept. 20, delivering a stinging defeat for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right party.

As is typical of elections in Russia, the results are widely considered by independent election monitors to be predetermined by Putin and his regime.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are planning to meet in New York, Zelensky said on Sept. 20 following a phone call between the two leaders.

Warehouse facilities caught fire and businesses and vehicles were damaged across Kyiv Oblast following a Russian drone attack on Sept. 20, regional authorities reported.

The prevalence of drones from both sides has significantly changed assault tactics, making heavy equipment such as tanks a rare sight on the battlefield.

Moscow Oblast came under a large-scale drone attack, with Russian air defenses downing 249 drones, according to local authorities.

The Kyiv Independent’s reporter Kateryna Denisova and War Crimes Investigations Unit journalist and political blogger Danylo Mokryk argue that recent corruption scandals, tensions around anti-corruption institutions, and a growing lack of political accountability are changing the balance of power inside Ukraine.

The Air Force reported that Russian troops launched 138 attack drones against Ukraine, of which 101 were intercepted.

"As promised, I am reporting good news," corps commander Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi said in a statement on Sept. 20.

The number includes 1,560 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

It is Russia's first parliamentary election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The statement followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to place the Russian operations of Nestle and Auchan under temporary administration.

"Our shared European home is not the place for 'Russian houses' promoting war propaganda," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

A 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl were killed by a Russian drone strike the evening of Sept. 19, regional authorities said.