Kadyrov says Russian forces will take Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities.

"We will be asking for things in return if it goes that way," one EU diplomat told the Kyiv Independent.

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

"Amid ongoing Russian attacks on our fuel infrastructure, diversifying supply routes and creating additional storage capacity outside the areas facing attacks is a matter of stability for the entire market," Naftogaz's acting head Serhii Fedorenko said.

Romanian authorities are conducting searches at addresses linked to Calin Georgescu in connection with an alleged 1.1 million euro ($1.3 million) fraud scheme, Romanian media reported.

According to the Culture Ministry, financial losses for the Ukrainian book industry have already reached at least Hr 1.75 billion ($32 million). The $500,000 grant initiative will help small publishers continue their work.

The Air Force said Russian forces launched attacks against Ukraine overnight with 172 drones, of which 148 were intercepted.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff "has done a great job" in Washington-led efforts to help end the Russia-Ukraine war, Foreign Intelligence Chief Rustem Umerov told Axios.

The number includes 1,660 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

In addition to the drones, most of which Zelensky said were jet-powered and capable of reaching 600 kilometers per hour (nearly 370 miles per hour), Russian forces launched 1,700 air bombs and 19 missiles of various types.

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.

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.