Last week, offices across Washington were actively discussing the signing of the Lindsey Graham sanctions bill, which would significantly increase pressure on Russia. And, a bit unexpectedly, sports have once again become part of that conversation. Usually, when we say "sports," we think of competitions, athletes, or another record being broken. Yet this time in Washington, the talks were centered on a very particular topic. The star and captain of the Washington Capitals, Russian hockey playe

A large number of Russian "refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission," Trump said, urging an end to the fighting.

In exchange, EU ambassadors have provisionally agreed to extend the sanctions for 36 months rather than the originally planned 12 months, three national diplomats told the Kyiv Independent.

Key findings: * Leaked documents reveal over 50 Russian defense companies operating Western industrial high-precision machinery — produced by Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden — to manufacture weapons used against Ukraine. * Their machinery serving arms production was maintained by the Russian firm Galika-Service over the years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. * Russia-based Galika-Service is part of the larger Galika group, built around the Swiss company Galika AG. The group’s cen

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.

Key developments on Sept. 19-20: * Zelensky approves 'new long-range operations' in response to Russian strikes * Moscow Oil Refinery ablaze after massive Ukraine missile, drone blitz on Russia * Ukraine reveals new Operation Vivaldi gains in Donetsk Oblast * US Army awards $10.6 million contract for Ukrainian Raybird drones * No tanks, lone soldiers — Ukraine details new Russian assault tactics President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 19 that he had approved new long-range operations i

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.

Ukraine continues to grow its deep-strike campaign against Russian oil facilities, military infrastructure, logistics hubs, and weapons production sites.

Raybird systems have logged more than 350,000 combat hours since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton said.

The unexplained drone activity comes as NATO officials warn that hybrid attacks are increasingly aimed at undermining public confidence and cohesion within the alliance.

Such attacks have been labeled the "human safari," Russia's longstanding practice of training its drone operators on civilians before sending them to fight in eastern Ukraine.

"Leaving occupied territory is not easy. For some, it means years of waiting; for others, it means deciding to leave behind a home where they have spent their entire lives," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.

All of the EU's 3,000 sanctions against individuals helping Russia's war effort could be extinguished overnight if Brussels, Paris, and Azerbaijan fail to find a compromise by Sept. 21, EU diplomats told the Kyiv Independent. The EU is set to renew the sanctions against Russia-linked individuals on Sept. 21. The package accounts for about half of the EU's total sanctions listings. Given that Russia has not changed its behavior towards Ukraine since 2022, the vote to renew sanctions against tho