Ukraine intercepts 3 Russian UAVs over Poltava Oblast

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.