Key developments on Sept. 29:
- Zelensky says Putin 'afraid' to use nuclear weapons because he 'loves his life'
- Russia's attack on Zaporizhzhia destroys apartment building, injures 16
- Ukraine strikes Russian military arsenal storing missiles and drones in Volgograd Oblast
- Russia claims 125 Ukrainian drones intercepted across 7 regions
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed skepticism in an interview with Fox News over Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued nuclear threats throughout the full-scale war, saying that Putin "loves his life" and is, therefore, likely afraid to use nuclear weapons.
"Nobody knows what's in his head," Zelensky said in the interview, which was posted to the president's official Youtube channel on Sept. 29. "He could use nuclear (weapons) on any country at any time – or not. (But) I don't think that he will."
Since the launch of the full-scale invasion, Russia has repeatedly invoked the threat of its nuclear arsenal to deter Western military support for Ukraine.
The Russian military will be able to "determine the conditions" for the use of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Russian state-controlled television on Sept. 29.
"(The military) closely monitors what weapons are used and how. They are the ones who record the direct involvement of the countries of the collective West in the (war in) Ukraine, and they will not diminish their focus," Peskov said.
Peskov went on to blame NATO member states for aiding Ukraine in its war effort against Russia, claiming that it "made it necessary to make adjustments both to the nuclear doctrine and to the foundations of state policy in the area of nuclear deterrence."
In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Ukraine and its Western allies should not try "to fight to victory with a nuclear power."
Lavrov's remarks come days after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed revisions to Moscow's nuclear doctrine at a U.N. Security Council meeting. Putin announced that Russia could respond to conventional missile strikes with nuclear weapons, and indicated that Moscow would treat any attack backed by a nuclear-armed country as a coordinated assault.
Olena Goncharova
Russia's attack on Zaporizhzhia destroys apartment building, injures 16
Russia attacked the city of Zaporizhzhia with guided bombs overnight on Sept. 29, injuring at least 16 civilians, local authorities reported.
As of 1:58 p.m. local time, the number of injured stands at 16, according to regional police. Among the wounded include a 17-year-old boy.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said via his official Telegram channel that the city was targeted at least 10 times. Several buildings caught fire following the attack which also destroyed a high-rise and several residential homes. More people may be trapped under the rubble, Fedorov added.
The city of Zaporizhzhia is located less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the front lines. Russia has continued to strike civilian targets across Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which is partially occupied by Russian forces.
On Sept. 23, Russia's strike against the city killed one man and injured seven other civilians, including a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, according to local authorities.
Russian troops also appear to be preparing for assault operations in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where "the enemy is amassing personnel," the Ukrainian military's Southern Command spokesman Vladyslav Voloshyn said on Sept. 28.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
General Staff: Ukraine strikes Russian military arsenal storing missiles, drones in Volgograd Oblast
Ukrainian forces struck the Kotluban military arsenal in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, the General Staff reported on Sept. 29.
The military arsenal was used to store and modernize missiles and artillery, according to the General Staff.
Iranian-made Shahed missiles had also been transported to the facility shortly before the attack took place.
"The military facility was heavily protected by electronic warfare and air defense systems. Nevertheless, our units successfully completed the combat mission," the General Staff wrote.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the claim.
Earlier on Sept. 29, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 67 Ukrainian-launched drones were shot down over Volgograd Oblast and that 125 drones in total had been intercepted over seven Russian regions.
Kyiv has carried out a number of drone attacks against Russian infrastructure facilities and military installations throughout the full-scale war, hoping to undermine Russian invasion forces in Ukraine.
Russian officials often play down attacks and claim no significant damage was inflicted.
Ukrainian drones attacked one of the largest arsenals in Russia, causing a powerful detonation in the town of Toropets in Russia's Tver Oblast, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 18.
On Sept. 21, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed a strike on the Tikhoretsk weapons depot in Krasnodar Krai, which it called one of three largest ammunition depots in Russia and "one of the key storage facilities in the Russian military's logistics system."
Russia claims 125 Ukrainian drones intercepted across 7 regions
One hundred twenty-five Ukrainian drones launched overnight were intercepted over seven Russian regions, Russian state-controlled media TASS claimed on Sept. 29.
The drones targeted Volgograd, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, as well as Krasnodar Krai, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The Ministry also claims three drones were shot down over the Sea of Azov.
The aforementioned regions are located at various distances along Ukraine's eastern border.
The ministry claims 67 drones were shot down over Volgograd Oblast, 17 over Belgorod Oblast, 17 over Voronezh Oblast, 18 over Rostov Oblast, and one each over Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.
There has been no comment on the attacks from Kyiv.
Kyiv has carried out a number of drone attacks against Russian infrastructure facilities and military installations throughout the full-scale war, hoping to undermine Russian invasion forces in Ukraine.
No casualties resulted from the drones targeting Voronezh Oblast, Governor Alexander Gusev claimed.
The drone attack inflicted property damage in the city and the surrounding region, including one residential building that was "significantly damaged," but somehow "none of the residents need temporary housing," he added.
Dominic Culverwell
