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Rescue workers put out a fire at a building damaged in a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 25, 2026.
Opinion

Russia's faster Shaheds could rival ballistic missiles this winter

by Oleksiy Moskalenko

A few months ago, the only particularly serious threat to Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities came from Russian and North Korean ballistic missiles. As the Ukrainian mil-tech industry and air defense units perfected their ability to intercept the common "Shahed" drones (now officially called Geran-2, although Ukrainians stick to the original Iranian name), raising the shoot-down rate to 90–95%, a shortage of anti-ballistic interceptor missiles seemed to be the main issue facing Ukraine in the upcom

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News from occupied Ukraine: Oleshky crisis continues, Europe's human rights chief calls for 'immediate local ceasefire'

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of Sept. 26: * Council of Europe rights commissioner warns of 'alarming' situation in Oleshky * Russia used parliamentary elections to legitimize occupation of Ukrainian territories * Ukraine strikes Russian radar stations, drone site in occupied territories * Ukraine brought bac

Screenshot from a video showing a supply van attacked by drones, in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, Ukraine.

Ukraine strikes Russia's Ilsky oil refinery, causing fire, General Staff confirms

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said the strike on the oil refinery, located approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) from where the Ukrainian drones were launched, was carried out by the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces and the 414th Separate Brigade, known as "Madyar's Birds," along with other Ukrainian military units.

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