Ukraine war latest: Record Russian drone, missile attack kills at least 4, injures 44 across Ukraine, hits government building for first time
Key developments on Sept. 6-7:
- Record Russian drone, missile attack kills at least 4, injures 44 across Ukraine, hits government building for first time
- Ukraine hits 'strategically important' oil infrastructure in Russia, General Staff confirms
- Trump signals support for security guarantees for Ukraine, stresses Europe's role
- Russia preparing 'decisive breakthrough' near Pokrovsk, Ukrainian military says
- Nearly 60% of Ukrainian forces' weapons domestically produced, Zelensky says
- Over 2,500 Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity, analysis finds
A record mass Russian drone and missile attack on cities across Ukraine overnight on Sept. 7 has killed at least 4 people and injured 44 others, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
In Kyiv, a woman and her newborn child were killed and 20 people were injured, according to local officials.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, reported at 12:50 p.m. local time that the death toll had increased to three, but later walked back the statement.
Multiple Ukrainian regions, as well as the capital, came under attack. The overnight strikes damaged multiple residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, causing power outages in some regions, and struck the Cabinet of Ministers building in central Kyiv.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 810 Shahed-type drones during the attack, making it the largest such attack of the full-scale invasion. Thirteen cruise and ballistic missiles were also launched.
"There was a young woman living on the 6th floor, who had recently given birth. She was thrown out into the street by the blast wave," Inna, a resident of a building in the Sviatoshynskyi district next to one that was struck by a Russian drone, told the Kyiv Independent.
"She was found under the slab of the building at 5 a.m. The child was also found dead."
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least seven people have been hospitalized, including a pregnant woman.
The pregnant woman injured in the Russian attack gave birth to a son after being transferred to Kyiv City Clinical Hospital, where she remains in extremely serious condition, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing doctor Olena Frantseva.
The woman was urgently induced into labor, and doctors are now fighting to save the newborn's life, Valentyna Hinzburh, the head of the Kyiv City Administration's health department, told Suspilne.
Hinzburh added that three other patients injured in the same attack are in serious condition and are being treated in the hospital's burn unit.
An elderly woman has also died in a shelter in the Darnytskyi district following the attack, although the cause of death was not immediately clear.
"Such killings, especially now when genuine diplomacy could have started long ago, are deliberate crimes that only prolong the war. Washington has repeatedly warned that sanctions will follow if talks are refused. We must fully implement all agreements made in Paris," Zelensky said, reacting to the recent Russian strikes.
As of 2 p.m. local time, rescue teams and emergency services were still responding to the aftermath of Russian attacks across Ukraine, according to Zelensky.
"We have coordinated our diplomatic efforts, follow-up actions, and contacts with partners to ensure an appropriate response. Together with France, we are preparing new measures to strengthen our defenses," Zelensky said.
Officials reported that a fire broke out at the Cabinet of Ministers building in the central Pecherskyi district, the first time the main government building has been hit in such an attack.
A Kyiv Independent reporter on the ground said the fire appeared to have been extinguished by 9:25 a.m. local time. It's not presently clear if it was struck by a drone, missile, or debris. Sources told Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian media outlet, that the building had been deliberately targeted.
Ukraine hits 'strategically important' oil infrastructure in Russia, General Staff confirms
Ukrainian forces struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the "8-N" oil pipeline control station near the village of Naitopovichi in Bryansk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Sept. 7.
Both facilities are involved in supplying fuel to Russian troops invading Ukraine, according to the General Staff.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have intensified attacks against Russia's energy infrastructure in an effort to put economic pressure on Moscow and undermine its ability to finance the war.
The "8-N" control station sustained multiple strikes, with a fire erupting near its pumping station and tank farm, according to Ukraine's military.
The strike was conducted overnight on Sept. 7 by Ukraine's Missile Forces and Artillery and the Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The facility is part of the "Steel Horse" oil pipeline complex, which has a pumping capacity of 10.5 million tons and is considered strategically important for transporting fuel to Russian forces, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine's top drone warfare commander, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, said the "8-N" facility is also strategically important for transporting oil products from Belarusian refineries to Russia, particularly from the Mozyr and Novopolotsk plants.
0:00/0:581×Footage of the Ukrainian strike and its aftermath at the "8-H" production line control station near Naitopovichi, Bryansk Oblast, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Robert Brovdi / Telegram)
Explosions and a fire were also reported at the Ilsky oil refinery, which processes 6.42 million tons of oil annually and supplies the Russian military, according to the General Staff.
The strike was carried out by the Special Operations Forces. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, the statement read.
Located roughly 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the refinery is among the largest in southern Russia, producing over 6 million tons of fuel annually.
Reports of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil facilities surfaced on Russian social media prior to an official confirmation. Photos and videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large fire rising from the refinery in Krasnodar Krai.
Officials in the Krasnodar Krai previously claimed that a technological workshop had caught fire at the refinery, adding that no casualties had been reported.
Beyond targeting oil infrastructure, Ukraine's General Staff said Ukrainian forces also struck Russian personnel positions and logistics depots in Kursk Oblast.
Trump signals support for security guarantees for Ukraine, stresses Europe's role
U.S. President Donald Trump signalled on Sept. 5 that Washington would assist with providing security guarantees for Kyiv but emphasized Europe's leading role in the effort.
"We'll work that out. We'll help them. Look, we want to save a lot of lives," Trump told journalists at the White House when asked about potential security guarantees.
"Europe will be first in by far, and they want to be first, and they want to see it end."
The statement echoes Trump's earlier declarations about the U.S. backing for European-led efforts to safeguard Ukraine against future Russian aggression in case of a ceasefire.. The U.S. president did not provide details on what the U.S. assistance would entail.
The remarks follow a Sept. 4 summit of the Coalition of the Willing, where Zelensky and European leaders discussed plans for a multinational reassurance force and commitments of weapons, logistics, and training to shield Ukraine from renewed Russian attacks.
After the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron said that 26 countries are ready to send troops or contribute other support as part of guarantees, but only after a ceasefire.
While Trump has ruled out the participation of U.S. troops in the reassurance force, the U.S. has reportedly signalled readiness to provide intelligence and air defense support.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected the presence of peacekeepers from NATO countries on Ukrainian territory, saying such troops would be "legitimate targets for destruction."
Despite initially pledging to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours, Trump's months-long efforts to end the war have failed to bring any tangible progress.
During the press briefing at the White House, Trump acknowledged that the Russia-Ukraine war "turned out to be one that's a little bit more difficult" to solve. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that the conflict would come to an end.
"It'll end all of a sudden. It's going to come together. You watch," Trump said.
Russia preparing 'decisive breakthrough' near Pokrovsk, Ukrainian military says
Russian troops near Pokrovsk are attempting to secure new positions and expand the boundaries of the "gray zone," according to Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces.
Ukrainian military officials said Russia recently deployed experienced marine units to the Pokrovsk area. In recent weeks, Russian forces have shifted tactics, sending small groups to infiltrate deep into the city while avoiding direct clashes with Ukrainian forces.
The corps said Russia's main objective in Pokrovsk is to approach Ukrainian drone and mortar positions, disperse defense forces, and entrench new positions while expanding the gray zone.
On the flanks, Russian troops have increased assaults using armored and motorized vehicles in an effort to sever supply routes and encircle the Pokrovsk area.
At the same time, Russian forces have reduced airstrikes on frontline positions while intensifying attacks on civilian infrastructure. Nearly all housing in Pokrovsk has been damaged as of August, according to Ukrainian officials.
Despite the pressure, Ukrainian forces maintain full control of their defensive positions.
Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces also reported that Russia plans to concentrate troops and equipment in Donetsk for what it calls a "decisive breakthrough," with the goal of capturing the Pokrovsk-Kramatorsk-Sloviansk area.
Nearly 60% of Ukrainian forces' weapons domestically produced, Zelensky says
Nearly 60% of the weapons used on the front line are produced in Ukraine, Zelensky said in his evening address on Sept. 6.
"During this war, Ukraine has already reached the level where nearly 60% of the weapons we have, weapons in the hands of our warriors, are Ukrainian-made, and they are strong weapons, many of them cutting-edge," Zelensky said.
Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry in response to Russia's full-scale invasion.
In recent weeks, Kyiv has previewed various domestic productions initiates, including the launch of the country's first line of joint drone production in Denmark.
Ukrainian defense company Fire Point announced on Sept. 4 that it has developed two new ballistic missiles, along with air defense systems. The announcement comes just weeks after the company's Flamingo cruise missile entered serial production.
In its 2025 budget, Ukraine allocated Hr 55 billion ($1.3 billion) to defense manufacturing in an effort to reduce dependence on foreign deliveries.
"Of course, there are goals we must still achieve, in particular, the production in Ukraine and together with Ukraine of air defense systems, of different types. It’s a challenge. And we must get there as well," Zelensky added.
Over 2,500 Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity, analysis finds
More than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers remain in Russian captivity, according to an analysis by an independent expert mission, the Interior Ministry announced in a Telegram post Sept. 5.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) led the investigation through its delegation to Ukraine and found that 2,577 soldiers remain in Russian captivity. The group's expert mission monitors the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).
Russia regularly violates international law, including the Geneva Conventions, with its treatment of Ukrainian POWs and civilians. Ukraine's Prosecutor General reported in July that at least 273 POWs have been executed by Russia while in captivity.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has not confirmed the status of 680 individuals, including 91 civilians, the Interior Ministry said.
Meanwhile, there have been eight instances POWs have been identified as deceased after initially being classified as imprisoned.
The OSCE's independent experts are set to publish a report outlining Russia's "violations of its commitments to the OSCE, abuses and human rights violations, war crimes, and other breaches of international humanitarian law" at the end of September, the announcement read.
In August, 33-year-old National Guard soldier Vladyslav Nahornyi survived five days crawling back to Ukrainian-controlled territory after Russian forces slit his throat and threw him into a pit, believing he was dead.
Nahornyi, unable to speak, documented his ordeal in a journal. He wrote that Russian soldiers gouged out eyes, cut off lips, ears, and noses, and mutilated Ukrainian POWs.
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