Russia continued its attacks on Kyiv for another consecutive night as air defenses in Ukraine's capital shot down Russian drones into Sept. 1, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

Several EU countries are pushing for the bloc to collectively scrap 16 investment treaties with Russia that Moscow has used to pursue claims against European companies — and that remain a potential obstacle to putting frozen Russian assets to work for Ukraine. Belgium, where the bulk of the roughly 200 billion euros ($233 billion) in Russian assets are held, made ditching the treaties a condition for backing an EU plan to use those funds to aid Kyiv during talks last December. Mostly signed at

"We have clear indications from our intelligence services and partner agencies, as well as from investigations in Germany and in our European partner countries, of Russian involvement," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

Ukraine marked 35 years of independence this August, in the 12th year of Russia’s war on Ukraine – the fourth since the full-scale invasion. Anniversaries invite stock-taking, and this one prompts an observation that's long overdue. We Ukrainians have grown so used to self-inflicted inferiority that we recycle stereotypes about our own society, which data don't support. No wonder the West has done the same: for all that time, and through this war, it has kept reading Ukraine through a handful

This autumn will be critical for Ukraine. Front line pressures, Russian aerial bombardment, and rapid turnover at the top of AFU are combining to create a confused and uncertain picture for military analysts. Russian forces appear closer than ever before to seizing the remaining settlements of the Donbas, a final conquest of the so-called fortress belt will still take time, resources, and sap the initiative of Russian units in other secondary sectors. Ukraine will also enter this autumn with a

Koretskyi said the move was necessary as the defense against Russia's full-scale invasion is becoming significantly more expensive.

A Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga in Leningrad Oblast early on Sept. 1, regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

One drone crossed into southeastern Estonia, while another flew toward the border city of Narva but changed course before entering the country’s airspace, Estonian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Riivo Valge told public broadcaster ERR.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow will remain impossible as long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. The two officials met on Aug. 31 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Asheville, marking the first time Russia's finance minister has attended the gathering in person since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

The heaviest toll was reported in Kyiv and the surrounding oblast, where Russia’s fifth consecutive day of attacks killed at least 12 people and injured 21 others.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has played a role in Washington's efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine and previously advocated for closer U.S.-Ukraine military cooperation.

"I told him directly in his face that the Russian government must end this war," German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said.

The figure includes 1 440 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"We need to move from endless war to an end to the war," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

"Contrary to Russia, the European Union does not interfere in elections," European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told the Kyiv Independent.

"Over these two years, our defense industry has become a strategic sector within the country and has begun to integrate into the defense industrial architecture of Europe and the United States. I thank the President for the trust and the opportunity to be of service," former adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin said.

The two U.S. envoys have yet to visit Kyiv, despite leading Trump's efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and repeatedly traveling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

Key developments on Aug. 31: * Kyiv endures 5th day of near-constant air raid alerts as Russian jet-powered drones continue to swarm city * Exclusive: Musk opposes allowing Ukraine to use Starlink for strikes on Russia, despite recent media reports, sources say * Ukrainian forces reportedly target Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg, over 1,600 kilometers from border * Ukraine's military intelligence reveals capabilities of Russian Zircon missiles * Zelensky replaces State Border Guard'

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) published new details about the Russian 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile on Aug. 31, revealing that its actual capabilities fell short of those claimed by the Kremlin.

One of Ukraine's first relocated universities expects a 50% increase in enrollment as students from across the country flock westward from missile-ravaged eastern regions. The Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University (DonNU), displaced after its home city in eastern Ukraine was overrun by Russian proxy forces in 2014, is set to start its 12th academic year in its new temporary home — the central-western Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia. After a rocky relocation that saw the university's student numbe

Many in Kyiv’s business community think that the starting price is too high for the market, particularly as Russia has escalated attacks on Ukrainian businesses, including shopping centers, in recent months.

The explosion occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time in the building’s inner courtyard while a bomb disposal team was on the scene, the National Police said.

Kyiv and the surrounding region remain key targets of the strikes, with eight air raid alerts sounding by 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

“We don't know anything about this meeting,” one Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.

The Financial Times reported on Aug. 30 that Elon Musk was open to Ukraine using Starlink-equipped drones to strike targets in Russia, but said the decision would ultimately be a political one requiring approval from the White House.

The two leaders' meeting took place in a "friendly and constructive atmosphere" and focused on bilateral Russian-Chinese ties, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Vadym Chenchyk replaced Valerii Vavryniuk, who had served as acting chief since his appointment in January 2026.

"Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and we’ll continue to cut them off," Kallas said.

Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Denis Pasler confirmed that the strike occurred near a logistics center but did not identify the company that owns the facility.

Polish investigators have not ruled out arson, but have urged caution against spreading unverified claims about the cause.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote that the rising risk of hostile incidents could lead to an armed confrontation with potential "catastrophic consequences."

At around 8:10 p.m. local time on Aug. 28, a Russian drone struck a facility in the village of Myla, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Kyiv along the Kyiv-Chop highway. The attack sparked a large fire, followed by ammunition detonations, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.