Ukraine war latest: Mass Russian missile and drone strike kills at least 4, injures over 70 in Kyiv, its surrounding region, Zaporizhzhia.
Key developments on Sept. 27-28:
- 'Insidious tactics' — Mass Russian missile and drone strike kills at least 4, injures over 70 in Kyiv, its surrounding region, Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukraine, US planning major arms deals, Zelensky says.
- Ukrainian HIMARS reportedly strike thermal power plant in Russia's Belgorod Oblast
- Trump to make 'final determination' on supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles as Russia 'refuses' peace talks, Vance says
- Unidentified drones reportedly spotted in Denmark, Lithuania, Finland
At least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, were killed and over 70 were injured in the latest overnight mass Russian missile and drone attack, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Sept. 28.
The attack lasted for over 12 hours, and Russia launched almost 500 drones and over 40 missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia have reported the heaviest damage from the attack thus far.
Nearly 20 locations were damaged from the attack, including a five-story building that suffered from “partial destruction,” according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Seven districts had endured damage, the city's military administration said.
At least four people have been killed in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old girl. At least 14 people were also reported injured. In the surrounding Kyiv Oblast, the regional military administration reported that 28 people were wounded, including three children. Four victims, among them a child, were hospitalized, and their conditions are "moderately severe," according to the local authorities.
A nurse and a patient died due to the attack at the Institute of Cardiology, according to Klymenko.
The southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia was also targeted by the Sept. 28 missile attack. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that at least 38 people have been injured, among them three children.
The three children have been hospitalized and two of them are in serious condition, according to Fedorov – one from mine exposion injuries and the second from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Throughout the night, swarms of Shahed-style drones also threatened a number of Ukrainian regions. Explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, and Sumy.
Five Russian Tu-95 bombers took off from Olenya airfield in Murmansk Oblast at approximately 1:45 a.m. local time, monitoring channels reported. At around 2:25 a.m., the Kyiv City Military Administration warned that Russia had launched MiG-31K bombers, prompting an aerial alert across the country.
Ukraine's Air Force then issued a warning at 3:52 a.m., saying Russia had likely launched Tu-95s from the Engels air base.
A five-story building in the capital was partially destroyed and residential infrastructure has been damaged in multiple districts, Kyiv City Military Administration Head Tymur Tkachenko said. The attack also damaged non-residential buildings and parked cars.
In Kyiv Oblast, fires broke out in several homes and buildings in districts outside the capital during the "mass enemy strike," regional authorities said.
In Zaporizhzhia — the regional capital of partially Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine — the attack targeted the city's civilian infrastructure, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. One missile struck a multistory building directly.
Nine houses and 14 high-rise buildings were damaged in total, Fedorov said. The attack also damaged non-residential buildings, including a school and the production facilities of an unspecified enterprise.
"Insidious tactics, an inhuman thirst for human suffering," Regina Kharchenko, acting head of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, said the morning after the attack.
"Yesterday's life still smolders in the windows — someone's photographs, children's toys, books. People have suffered, and the city is counting its wounds again."
Explosions were also reported in Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Governor Serhii Tiurin confirmed that air defenses had been active over the region during the attack, but said preliminary reports indicated no casualties.
Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the mass attack, as it has done previously when Russian strikes threatened western Ukraine. During a mass attack on Sept. 10, Poland shot down multiple Russian drones that crossed the border and breached Polish airspace.
Flight monitors reported that Poland on Sept. 28 closed the airspace over Lublin and Rseszow due to "unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security."
Russia has intensified the scale of its aerial attacks on Ukraine throughout the spring and summer of 2025. Heading into the colder months, officials have warned Ukrainians to brace for a new wave of Russian mass attacks targeting the country's energy infrastructure.
Earlier in September, Russia launched over 810 Shahed-type drones and 13 missiles in a record-breaking attack that struck the Cabinet of Ministers building in central Kyiv. Two nights later, Russia attacked again, striking Ukraine and violating Polish airspace.
The incident marked the first time a NATO member has destroyed Russian drones during the full-scale war against Ukraine. It was followed by a string of Russian airspace violations and suspicious drone incursions in NATO territory.
Amid these escalating provocations, world leaders convened in New York for the high-level U.N. General Assembly, where Zelensky spoke with Trump.
In an abrupt tonal shift, Trump declared after the meeting that Ukraine "is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form" — with European support.
Trump later lobbed criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ongoing attacks on Ukraine.
"I'm very dissatisfied with what Russia is doing and what President Putin is doing," Trump told reporters on Sept. 25. "I haven't liked it at all. He's killing people for no reason whatsoever."
Trump has still not imposed any new U.S. sanctions against Russia despite the mounting civilian death toll.
Ukraine, US planning major arms deals, Zelensky says
A Ukrainian delegation in the U.S. this fall will work to finalize agreements to purchase American weapons and export domestically produced drones, Zelensky said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Sept. 27.
The president's comments follow his recent visit to the U.S., where he met with Trump and held a series of talks with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.
Ukraine is planning both a "Mega Deal" — a major agreement on the purchase of American weapons — and a "Drone Deal," to sell Ukrainian unmanned systems to the U.S., Zelensky said.
"We have discussed the main things, agreed with the (U.S.) president, now we are moving on to practical implementation," Zelensky said.
Kyiv has prepared a list of weapons it wants to buy from the U.S. totaling around $90 billion, Zelensky said. Kyiv is also interested in separate agreements for other types of weapons — particularly long-range missiles.
Zelensky said he could not provide more details on such an agreement because it is "a very sensitive issue."
The Telegraph reported on Sept. 26. that Zelensky asked Trump to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles during their meeting at the U.N. The Tomahawk, with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and a 450-kilogram (922 pounds) warhead, would significantly exceed the capabilities of any long-range system Ukraine has received from Western allies.
Zelensky said the government is also readying a system of controlled exports of Ukrainian-made weapons to countries beyond the U.S. Under this system, Ukraine will export military equipment it holds in surplus and spend the profits on urgently needed weapons, such as interceptor drones.
This system is designed to meet Ukraine's military needs, though the president acknowledged it might disappoint some defense companies.
"I am not sure that all of our businesses are satisfied — they want to sell everything everywhere at once — but of course our priority is replenishing the Ukrainian army," Zelensky said. "And that will be our priority until the end of the war in any case, therefore, exports will be controlled until the end of the war."
Ukraine intends to make export deals with countries in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Zelensky said, adding that proposals had already been received by several African nations and that Kyiv had already decided which country would be its first partner.
More details will be made public "in the near future," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also confirmed that Ukraine had received a Patriot air defense system from Israel that has already been operating for a month and said two additional Patriots are expected to arrive from Germany in the fall.
Zelensky first outlined Ukraine's proposal for $90 billion in U.S. weapons during a visit to Washington, D.C. in August, describing it as part of a package of postwar security guarantees. Previously the Financial Times reported that Kyiv had proposed buying $100 billion worth of American weapons, financed by its European partners.
A month later, the president announced that Ukraine was initiating the controlled export of Ukrainian weapons, particularly naval drones. Ukraine's drone industry has exploded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, leading to the rise of over 200 drone companies.
These companies have built cheap, adaptable systems that have reshaped modern warfare — but Ukraine's production capacity has outpaced its financing.
The export of Ukraine's domestic weapons is heavily restricted, requiring hard-to-obtain permits from the State Export Service. In May, Ukrainian defense manufacturers issued a public letter to Zelensky urging him to lift export restrictions on domestically produced military-grade equipment, particularly drones.
Ukrainian HIMARS reportedly strike thermal power plant in Russia's Belgorod Oblast
Ukrainian HIMARS rockets reportedly stuck a thermal power plant near the Russian city of Belgorod on Sept. 28, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
Power outages were reported across Belgorod Oblast following the attack that struck one of the substations, Russian media reported.
Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed a strike on critical infrastructure as well as "significant power outages."
No information on the extent of the damage was available.
High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), with a range of around 70 kilometers, allow Ukraine to target Russian forces on the other side of the front line far more accurately than they had previously.
Zelensky confirmed on Sept. 17 that Ukraine will receive Patriot HIMARS missiles as part of a U.S. weapons aid package financed by NATO allies.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify details or weapons used in the attack. Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the strike.
The attack comes as Kyiv has intensified attacks against Russian oil, gas, and energy infrastructure, a key source of Moscow's revenues helping to fuel its all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Situated across the border from Kharkiv Oblast, Belgorod serves as a regular target of Ukrainian strikes.
Kyiv's strikes on Russia's oil sector have severely disrupted fuel supplies and logistics for Moscow's armed forces, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sept. 25.
According to the Financial Times, 16 of Russia's 38 oil refineries have been struck by Ukrainian drones since August 2025. The disruptions have limited Russia's refining capacity by over 1 million barrels per day, the research group Energy Aspects told FT, dropping exports to below pre-war levels.
Trump to make 'final determination' on supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles as Russia 'refuses' peace talks, Vance says
U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed on Sept. 28 that the U.S. is "looking at" providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, as Moscow continues to refuse bilateral and trilateral peace talks brokered by President Donald Trump.
"You asked this question about Tomahawks. It's something the president is going to make the final determination on. What the president is going to do is what's in the best interest for the United States of America," Vance told Fox News in an interview.
"I know we're having conversations this very minute about the issue," Vance continued.
Zelensky asked Trump to supply Kyiv with Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles during a meeting with the U.S. president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the Telegraph reported on Sept. 26.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to Washington for long-range strike capabilities throughout the war, but the United States has so far declined to provide such weapons.
Zelensky told Trump that the advanced weapons system could help pressure Vladimir Putin into negotiations for a peace deal, according to multiple sources cited by the Telegraph. The Ukrainian leader later said Trump was open to the request, which, if granted, would give Ukraine the ability to strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow.
Vance on Sept. 28 acknowledge frustration within the White House amid Moscow's reluctance to attend leader-level peace talks.
"What we've seen over the last couple of weeks, the Russians have refused to sit down with any bilateral meetings with the Ukrainians. They've refused to sit down with any trilateral meetings where the president or some other member of the administration could sit down with the Russians and the Ukrainians."
The comments come amid signs of a shift in Trump's approach to the war. Following his meeting with Zelensky on Sept. 23 in New York, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form."
"The Russians are not gaining a lot. This war is terrible for their economy, and they have to ask themselves how many more people are they going to have to lose and how many more people are they going to have to kill for very little military advantage," the U.S. vice president added in his interview.
"We hope the Russians actually wake up to reality on the ground," Vance concluded.
In recent weeks, Trump has overseen a new NATO-financed program to supply U.S. weapons to Ukraine under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, with initial aid packages including Patriot air defenses and HIMARS rocket systems.
Unidentified drones reportedly spotted in Denmark, Lithuania, Finland
Unidentified drones have been detected in the airspace of Denmark, Lithuania, and Finland, several media outlets reported on Sept. 27.
The incidents come as Russian drones and military aircraft have increasingly entered NATO airspace, prompting heightened alert and readiness across the alliance. Recent violations have been reported in Estonia, Poland, and Romania.
In Denmark, drones were spotted near several military facilities, including Karup Air Base, one of the country's key air force facilities, Danish DR reported on Sept. 27.
The Danish Defense Command does not disclose where the incidents took place and how many drones are considered suspicious. Several units of the Danish Armed Forces were deployed to respond to the incidents.
In Lithuania, three drones were spotted flying near Vilnius airport, causing delays to seven commercial flights, Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported on Sept. 27.
In Finland, last weekend, a drone flew over the Valajasoski power plant in Rovaniemi, Yle reported on Sept. 27. Law enforcement bodies in the region confirmed this information to Yle, but did not disclose any details due to ongoing investigations.
Previously, in Denmark, the airspace above Aalborg Airport in northern Jutland was closed overnight on Sept. 26 after police also reported an unidentified drone, Danish broadcaster TV2 said.
The closure lasted about an hour, with several flights canceled and two inbound planes diverted.
This marked the third disruption at Aalborg Airport in less than a week. On Sept. 24, operations were suspended after drones were detected near a military base, prompting Copenhagen to consider invoking NATO's Article 4.
Earlier, on Sept. 22, Copenhagen Airport, the busiest hub in northern Europe, also halted operations due to drone sightings. Norwegian authorities temporarily closed Oslo Airport under similar circumstances.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the origin of the drones remains unclear and that there is no evidence directly linking them to Russia.
In response to the Danish drone incursions, NATO said on Sept. 27 that it was expanding its Baltic Sea operations with additional military assets, according to a statement emailed to Reuters.
NATO will "conduct even more enhanced vigilance with new multi-domain assets in the Baltic Sea region," the statement read.
The alliance plans to upgrade its Baltic Sentry mission to include new "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms and at least one air-defense frigate."
The latest suspicious drone flights coincide with a notable rise in Russian violations of allied airspace.
Three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Sept. 19, prompting Tallinn to request NATO consultations under Article 4.
Poland shot down Russian drones during a mass strike on Ukraine on Sept. 10, marking the first time NATO engaged Russian assets over its territory since the full-scale invasion. Romania reported a similar violation on Sept. 13, scrambling F-16s after detecting a Russian drone.
The alliance has reinforced defenses through its Eastern Sentry mission amid growing provocations.
