Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

WorldPolitics
1 Oct 2026 • 12:11 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

Russia has sent a letter to Nato threatening to use nuclear weapons if it feels its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad is under threat.

Despite a growing campaign of Russian hybrid attacks on Ukraine's European neighbours and allies, Moscow said it was Nato exhibiting "dangerous and reckless" behaviour that entailed "high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict".

The letter said Russia "will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory".

Nato said it had responded to Moscow directly, calling on Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine and noting “that Nato is a defensive alliance”. “We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Russia plans to raise its defence spending to more than £150bn next year to bolster its war on Ukraine, according to a draft budget due to be submitted to parliament tomorrow.

And in Kyiv, overnight strikes by Russia killed at least four people and targeted energy infrastructure and data centres. The strikes, described as massive by the Russian defence ministry, saw Poland scramble fighter jets and briefly close two airports.

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Key Points

  • Nato 'strongly denounces' Russia's nuclear threat in row over Baltic territory
  • Russia raises 2027 military spending by 27% to £154bn
  • Six dead as Russian long-range bomber crashes in far east
  • Germany identifies air defence shortages as Ukraine's 'weakest point'
  • Russian air strikes kill 3, injure 7 in and around Kyiv, officials say
  • South Korea made no military aid pledge to Ukraine over transfer of North Koreans

Emergency power cuts return to Kyiv after Russian strikes

06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Emergency power cuts returned to Kyiv yesterday after a Russian attack damaged the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine’s state-owned power producer Centrenergo confirmed.

The company said generating equipment at the plant had been damaged but did not provide further details, citing security concerns.

Centrenergo CEO Serhii Isachenko said the immediate priority was to assess the damage and determine what repairs were needed. He said specialists would begin work once the security situation allowed, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Ukrenergo announced emergency electricity shutdowns in Kyiv at about 5.40pm local time as the attack disrupted the capital’s power supply.

The outages also affected public transport. Electric ground transport was suspended in the Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, while tram services were also halted, according to authorities.

One child among four killed in Russia’s major overnight assault on Kyiv and surrounding region

05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Russia launched a major assault on Kyiv and the surrounding region yesterday, targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as the country heads into winter.

The attacks killed three people and injured seven in Kyiv, while one child was killed and a woman injured in the surrounding Kyiv region.

A key thermal power plant in Kyiv and other energy facilities were damaged, triggering emergency power cuts, authorities said.

DTEK said it had restored electricity to 8,000 customers on Kyiv’s left bank, while state grid operator Ukrenergo reported outages in several areas and urged people to limit their use of high-power appliances.

Kyiv remained under air-raid alerts for more than 20 hours, among the longest sustained periods since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said the capital’s energy infrastructure was the main target and called for stronger air defences ahead of winter.

Kanye West’s Russia concerts cancelled, organisers confirm

04:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Two concerts by US rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in St Petersburg, Russia, have been cancelled, organisers said on 30 September.

Ye was due to perform on 10 and 11 October.

The shows were expected to be his first major concerts in Russia and would have made him the biggest Western artist to perform there since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russian event agency Say Agency said in a statement: “Ye’s concerts in St Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates.”

It said more details would be provided in a later statement and that ticket holders would receive refunds.

ICYMI: Moscow threatens nuclear strikes if NATO moves to blockade Kaliningrad

03:00 , Suha Kidwai

Russia has delivered a formal warning to NATO, threatening to deploy nuclear weapons if tit attempts to isolate or blockade its militarised Baltic exclave, Kaliningrad.

In a diplomatic note sent to Brussels, Moscow warned it will use "the entire arsenal of forces at its disposal, including nuclear weapons" and conduct "strikes against decision-making centres in member states" if NATO tries to sever Kaliningrad from mainland Russia.

The threat follows a secret NATO exercise in mid-August that simulated jamming the exclave's air defences and communications. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the note a necessary warning to "hotheads in Europe."

NATO has responded, dismissing the threat as "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric" and declaring that no alliance activities pose a threat to Russian territory.

Moscow summons Danish ambassador over Baltic Sea flare incident

02:00 , Suha Kidwai

The Kremlin has summoned Denmark’s ambassador to Moscow to lodge a formal protest over what it described as "provocative actions" by a Danish military helicopter toward a Russian Baltic Fleet warship.

The diplomatic rebuke follows an incident on September 14 in international waters off Denmark, where a Russian warship fired two signal flares toward a Danish helicopter conducting a routine photo reconnaissance overflight.

Denmark has previously summoned the Russian ambassador over the encounter, with Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen calling the firing of flares "completely unacceptable."

Moscow has defended its crew's actions, claiming the helicopter approached the vessel without responding to radio calls and that the commander fired the warning flares to prevent a dangerous approach.

Civil defense system 'completely failed', warns Ukrainian human rights chief

01:00 , Suha Kidwai

Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has warned that a critical shortage of urban bomb shelters has left Kyiv’s civilians dangerously exposed ahead of an expected Russian winter bombing campaign.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Lubinets asserted that the public shelter network in major cities like Kyiv has "completely failed" to scale up to meet population demands.

He said: "Five years into the war, Kyiv's civil defense system has completely collapsed. The number of shelters is insufficient to accommodate the entire population of the capital, and there are no mobile shelters at all. .. Where are the mobile shelters that are needed here and now? Where are the improvements to the existing ones?"

The warning comes as Ukrainian authorities work to fortify power grids and diversify energy generation ahead of winter strikes.

In pictures: Zelensky's visit to the frontline

Thursday 1 October 2026 00:00 , Suha Kidwai President Zelensky and the commander of the Ukraine's armed forces shake hands as they visit service members of the 66th Separate Mechanised Brigade (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)Service members near the conflict's front line in Donetsk (Reuters)Zelensky pictured with chief military staff amid Russia's attack on Ukraine (Reuters)

Zelensky hails gains in 'Operation Vivaldi'

Wednesday 30 September 2026 23:00 , Suha Kidwai

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has visited a military command post near Lyman in eastern Ukraine, praising frontline forces for reclaiming territory during a counteroffensive operation in the Donbas.

In a video posted to Telegram on Wednesday, the leader conferred with commanders, reviewing maps and handing out state awards near the strategic railway hub.

Zelensky said the operation, codenamed "Vivaldi", prevented a major Russian breakthrough toward the critical "fortress cities" of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, reporting that Ukrainian troops have recaptured 176 square kilometers of land in the sector since launching the counteroffensive earlier this year.

Vatican envoy holds talks in Moscow on POWs as Pope calls for peace

Wednesday 30 September 2026 22:00 , Suha Kidwai

Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has met with Kremlin officials in Moscow to discuss prisoner swaps and humanitarian relief, as Pope Leo XIV urges Russia and Ukraine to negotiate an end to the four-year war.

The Russian foreign ministry has confirmed Zuppi met with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov to address prisoner exchanges, the repatriation of displaced children, and civilian supplies in the occupied Kherson town of Oleshky.

Pope Leo XIV has renewed his calls for Russia and Ukraine to end the war (AFP/Getty)

Zuppi was also granted access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia. While Moscow claimed the visit proved its compliance with humanitarian standards, Kyiv continues to accuse Russian forces of mistreating detainees and blocking humanitarian corridors.

The mission coincides with a fresh appeal from Pope Leo XIV, who warned against rising global tensions, condemning leaders "beginning to speak about nuclear weapons and wars that are becoming ever more destructive."

India warns of major ‘food crisis’ in coming months amid El Nino and global conflicts

Wednesday 30 September 2026 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

India's foreign minister S Jaishankar has warned that the world faces a "major food crisis" in the coming months, as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East compound the effects of a super El Nino.

Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society in New York, Mr Jaishankar said the two conflicts had "a devastating impact" on the economies of the Global South, and that energy, food, fertiliser and finance were all under strain at once.

"If you have energy as a big crunch and then food and fertilisers on top of it, and finance, because every time there's a conflict, money moves towards safe harbours and away from the Global South, the net result of it has been really very, very stressful," he said.

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

India warns of major ‘food crisis’ in coming months amid El Nino and global conflicts

Watch: Zelensky says Russia plans to deploy 10,000 more North Korean troops

Wednesday 30 September 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

South Korea says Zelenskyy's revelation of a secret POW transfer was likely a play for more support

Wednesday 30 September 2026 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

South Korea’s spy agency said Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's recent revelation of a supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to the South was likely meant to generate public support in this Asian democracy for greater assistance to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s disclosure during his U.N. speech last week of the transfer of the captured soldiers has stunned South Korea and drawn strong protests. Seoul called on Kyiv to apologize and explain the violation of what it said was a nondisclosure agreement about the transfer. Ukraine denied agreeing to any such deal.

The fracas surrounding the revelation has shaken the traditionally good relations between Kyiv and Seoul but it's unclear if it would lead to something more dramatic.

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

South Korea says Zelenskyy's revelation of a secret POW transfer was likely a play for more support

Watch: Three children injured after Russian glide bombs strike Sumy school

Wednesday 30 September 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Wednesday 30 September 2026 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited a military command post near the eastern frontline on Wednesday.

Zelensky ​said ⁠he met ‌servicemen who are fighting ‌around the town ‌of Lyman in ⁠the Donetsk region, where Ukraine has recently recaptured territory from ‌Russian forces.

How Putin is sowing chaos in Poland as Ukraine war spreads across Europe

Wednesday 30 September 2026 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

“We are receiving information that Russia is preparing something big this year,” Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York recently, after renewed intelligence warnings suggested a planned Russian drone attack in Europe.

“I believe that Putin needs a pretext for mobilisation, so they could carry out a false-flag attack and tell the Russian people: ‘We are under attack, and therefore we need to mobilise,’” he added.

Poland has spent years preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia and repeatedly warns its neighbours not to undermine the threat from the east.

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

How Putin is sowing chaos in Poland as Ukraine war spreads

Russia pounds the Kyiv region, killing 4 and targeting the power grid

Wednesday 30 September 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia pressed on with its weekslong missile and drone barrage of Kyiv and areas around the Ukrainian capital, killing four people including a child while targeting the power grid and a key internet exchange point, officials said Wednesday.

Moscow’s steep escalation of its aerial campaign since the end of August heaps pressure on Ukraine as it braces for winter, when Russia regularly bombards energy facilities to deny Ukrainians heating and running water.

Ukrainian officials say Moscow is not engaging with U.S. efforts to halt the fighting, 4 ½ years after Russia invaded its neighbor. Moscow says it wants a comprehensive settlement rather than a temporary truce, although its demand for Ukraine to surrender land is unacceptable for Kyiv.

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

Russia pounds the Kyiv region, killing 4 and targeting the power grid

Russia says European arms factories supplying Ukraine are legitimate military targets

Wednesday 30 September 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Factories in Europe producing arms for Ukraine are legitimate military targets for Russia, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

Zakharova told a ⁠press briefing that ​European ⁠countries were directly ‌involved in the conflict through ‌their military ‌support for Ukraine, adding that such ⁠activity delayed a resolution to the war.

She was responding to a question about Poland's ‌apparent readiness to ​host a ‌factory producing ⁠Patriot interceptor missiles ⁠for Ukraine.

 (Reuters)

No imminent threat to Nato territory from Russia, Rutte says

Wednesday 30 September 2026 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Nato's Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday there was no imminent threat to Nato territory from Russia, ⁠in response to a warning issued by Moscow over the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The threat assessment regarding Russia was unchanged from three weeks, three months and a year ago, Rutte said, despite the warning sent to NATO by Moscow in a document seen by Reuters.

In the document, Russia said it would be ⁠ready to resort to nuclear weapons if the Western ​alliance ⁠attempted to cut off ‌the territory, which is on the Baltic Sea sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

Nato reacted with "a bit of calm", Rutte said. "Basically what we said is: 'Hey, listen, we are defensive alliance and stop the nuclear threat'," he said at an event held by Euronews in Brussels.

If Russia wanted to act ⁠against Finland, one of the Baltic nations, Poland or any other NATO country, it would be preceded by a military build-up, Rutte added.

He underlined the United States would stay involved in defending Europe by conventional and nuclear means.

Meanwhile Nato would continue what it was doing, namely supporting Ukraine and investing in its defence, he said.

He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‌has no interest in negotiating ⁠to end the war in Ukraine.

"It takes two to tango," he said. "So far, it doesn't seem that Vladimir Putin is willing to tango when it comes to a peace deal."

Putin thinks he’s winning the Ukraine war – and I think he’s right, warns ex-Nato official

Wednesday 30 September 2026 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An ex-Nato official has urged Andy Burnham to “step up” the UK’s response to Russia as he warns Vladimir Putin is “winning” in Ukraine.

Since taking office, Mr Burnham has continued Sir Keir Starmer’s firm stance on Ukraine and pledged full support for the Kyiv government.

The prime minister has promised Britain is “100 per cent behind” Ukraine and travelled to Kyiv on his first foreign trip to mark the country’s independence day.

But John Lough, former Moscow-based Nato official and now head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (Nest), said he’s “not sure that our esteemed leaders have got their mind around” Russia’s position in the ongoing war, and the consequences a victory for Putin could have on Britain.

Athena Stavrou reports:

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

Putin thinks he’s winning – and I think he’s right, warns ex-Nato official

Germany identifies air defence shortages as Ukraine's 'weakest point'

Wednesday 30 September 2026 16:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s shortage of air defence missiles is currently its weakest point, the German Chancellor said on Tuesday, adding that Berlin is working with its partners to bolster Kyiv’s capabilities before winter sets in.

Friedrich Merz made the remarks during a briefing in Berlin, reported by DW.

Merz said he was raising the issue and trying to secure fresh supplies for Kyiv in discussions with multiple heads of state.

“At the moment, this is the weakest point. I hope that we will be able to prepare Ukraine for the upcoming winter, including in the field of energy supply,” he said.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint press conference with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (AP)

Russia, he said, “will continue to bombard ruthlessly and destroy civilian infrastructure”.

“But we will not let ourselves be intimidated by this,” he continued. “We will continue to support Ukraine, because we know: Ukraine is part of Europe. If Ukraine falls, peace and freedom throughout Europe will be under threat.”

Nato should have 'a little bit of calm', says Mark Rutte

Wednesday 30 September 2026 15:19 , Sian Elvin

Nato chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday there is ⁠no ​imminent ⁠threat to Nato territory ⁠and that Russia's ​threat ⁠assessment is ‌unchanged from three weeks, three months ‌and a year ‌ago.

If Russia wanted to act against Finland, one of the Baltic nations, Poland or any other Nato country, there would be a “military build-up”, he added.

"I ⁠think the ‌best way to deal with this ‌is to have ‌a little bit of calm here ⁠on the Nato side,” he said. “We can allow a bit of calm, but also a bit of ‌making sure we ​continue with ‌what we ⁠are doing.”

Russia raises 2027 military spending by 27% to £154bn

Wednesday 30 September 2026 15:00 , Namita Singh

Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion roubles (£154bn) on defence in 2027, around 27 per cent more than the ​13.5 trillion roubles originally budgeted and the highest figure since the ‌start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, government documents revealed.

Total defence spending will amount to 50 trillion roubles in the next three years, ​according to the documents, reported Reuters. In 2026, the government planned to spend ​12.1 trillion roubles on defence, but the actual amount is classified ⁠and will not be disclosed. Some military spending can also be accounted ​for in other parts of the budget.

Russian president Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik during their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, 29 September

The documents also showed the government raised ​its estimate for its 2026 budget deficit to 3.2 per cent of gross domestic product, from 1.6 per cent of GDP previously. Budget spending in 2026 will increase by 13.2 per cent to 48.6 trillion roubles ​or 20.9 per cent of GDP.

The government is expected to submit the draft budget to ​parliament by 1 October. Last week, it announced plans for new tax hikes in 2027 ‌to ⁠finance the growing deficit. The documents showed that a new windfall tax on metals and mining companies was expected to raise about 200 billion roubles annually.

Russian air strikes kill 3, injure 7 in and around Kyiv, officials say

Wednesday 30 September 2026 14:00 , Namita Singh

Russian air strikes killed three, including a child, and injured another seven people in the Ukrainian capital of ⁠Kyiv and the surrounding region early on Wednesday, officials said.

The attack has killed two and injured four in the capital, Kyiv City Military ⁠Administration said on ​Telegram, ⁠and mayor Vitali Klitschko said fires broke out, affecting private houses along with ⁠a store and a warehouse.

The building of the private medical clinic Dobrobut burns following a second Russian drone strike on central Kyiv (Getty)

Tymur Tkachenko, Kyiv regional governor, writing on Telegram, said that a Russian missile and ‌a drone strike killed a ‌child and injured three more people in the area, also damaging infrastructure facilities, houses, warehouses and ⁠cars.

Ukraine's neighbours, European Union and Nato members Romania and Poland, have both scrambled military jets to protect their airspaces amid Russian attacks on Ukraine, according to defence ministry and armed forces statements on X.

Russian military seizes food dropped for local residents

Wednesday 30 September 2026 13:00 , Namita Singh

Russian military personnel in Oleshky seized food packages dropped by Ukrainian forces for the residents of Oleshky, reported state news agency Ukrinform.

Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Administration, said that the Russians have been taking food away from locals for a while and questioning how residents are obtaining food if it is not manufactured in Russia.

She added that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces were dropping the food, accepting it could be construed as cooperation – making it grounds for their detention.

Some locals have disappeared after being abducted by Russian forces, she alleged.

South Korea made no military aid pledge to Ukraine over transfer of North Koreans, lawmaker says

Wednesday 30 September 2026 12:00 , Namita Singh

South Korea made no promise to ⁠support Ukraine's fight against Russia in exchange for the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing the country's intelligence agency.

Ukraine imposed no preconditions on the transfer of the pair captured during fighting in Russia's Kursk region, Yoo Yeong-ha, a lawmaker from the opposition People Power ⁠Party, told reporters after a briefing by South Korea's ​National Intelligence ⁠Service (NIS).

President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations (Getty)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

After Zelensky disclosed the transfer, ⁠South Korea's presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine and accused Kyiv ​of ⁠violating an agreement to keep the move ‌confidential to protect the soldiers and their relatives in North Korea.

Ukraine has not apologised or expressed regret over the disclosure so far, Yoo said, citing the NIS.

Kyiv has said no ‌secrecy agreement existed.

According to Yoo, Zelensky may have announced the transfer of the North Koreans because he had hoped it would spur public support in South Korea for providing weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

Why is South Korea unhappy with Ukraine’s disclosure of transfer of North Korean soldiers?

Wednesday 30 September 2026 11:00 , Namita Singh

South Korea has expressed displeasure to Ukraine after president Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.

South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine over the disclosure, saying Kyiv breached an agreement to keep it confidential.

Kyiv has said that no secrecy agreement existed.

It comes amid questions over how the soldiers will be questioned in South Korea, and concerns about their protection, resettlement and the legal basis of their transfer.

Image from: Ukraine-Russia war latest: Nato responds to Putin’s nuclear weapon threat against member nations

Why is South Korea unhappy with Ukraine over two captured North Korean soldiers?

Nato 'strongly denounces' Russia's nuclear threat in row over Baltic territory

Wednesday 30 September 2026 11:00 , Adam Withnall

Russia has said it would be willing to use nuclear weapons to defend its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in a letter sent to Nato.

Despite a growing campaign of Russian hybrid attacks on Ukraine's European neighbours and allies, Moscow said it was Nato exhibiting "dangerous and reckless" behaviour that entailed "high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict".

The Russian document said its response could include "Russian strikes against decision-making centres in the alliance's (Nato's) member states right from the outset of the conflict".

"Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory should Nato countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad Region from the rest of the country," it said.

Nato spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed the alliance had responded to Moscow directly.

"We have sent a response, noting that Nato is a defensive Alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia. We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We call on Russia to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine," she said.

In focus: Putin's campaign to spread chaos across Europe

Wednesday 30 September 2026 10:30 , Adam Withnall

How Putin is sowing chaos in Poland as Ukraine war spreads

Ukraine captures 250 Russian soldiers using 'zombie car' operation – report

Wednesday 30 September 2026 10:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine has captured 250 Russian soldiers as prisoners of war using “zombie cars”, reported the Telegraph citing a senior defence official.

Brig Gen Andriy Biletsky told the outlet that his troops reclaimed nearly 68 square miles of land in north of the city of Lyman in the military campaign named Operation Vivaldi.

He said that his command turned Soviet-era armoured vehicles into unmanned zombie cars to blew up a heavily fortified position, leading to the surrender of an entire Russian unit.

An artillerist of the 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces covers his ears during firing (Reuters)

While vehicles have been used as improvised explosive devices, the new technology allows to steer them to the target in a “suicide” attack, without needing a driver to man it.

“The enemy was deceived and missed the real strike,” said Brig Gen Biletsky, who commands 3rd Army Corps.

The claimed surrender of 250 Russian soldiers is the one highest totals reported in a single operation.

'Dark winter' for Europe as Russia's sabotage continues, Belgian minister says

Wednesday 30 September 2026 09:39 , Adam Withnall

Europe needs to rapidly improve its air defence as Russia continues its hybrid actions in the coming months, Belgium's defence minister Theo Francken said on Wednesday.

"There ⁠will be more ​hybrid ⁠threat actions (in ‌the) coming months. It will be a ‌dark winter for ‌Europe," Francken said at the Defence & ⁠Space Summit hosted by Euronews in Brussels.

"We need to scale up our air defences and we need to have more stocks, scale up production. Everything has to go faster," he added.

Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine this year, Zelensky says

Wednesday 30 September 2026 09:00 , Namita Singh

Belgium will transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the ⁠year to help in its war with Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

"There is an important agreement with Belgium on the transfer of three F-16 ⁠fighter jets by ​the ⁠end of this year," he wrote on X.

"We will work to receive these aircraft ⁠through an accelerated procedure."

Zelensky said Ukraine had already ​received "urgent deliveries" ⁠of F-16 ammunition ‌from Belgium and Spain, among other countries.

Zelensky said foreign governments must 'counter' Putin's plan (Reuters)

Zelensky said later in his nightly video address that Ukraine ‌had received delivery the day ‌before of a "very good" assistance package of a NASAMS air defence system, developed jointly in the US and Norway.

He also said that talks were proceeding to ensure that Ukraine has a supply of missiles for the Patriot air defence system, which play a critical role in intercepting Russian ballistic ‌missiles.

Zelensky said tests were continuing to ​improve the efficiency of Ukrainian interceptors against ‌Russian jet-powered drones, which fly ⁠higher and faster than conventional drones.

Of ⁠more than 100 Russian drones deployed on Tuesday, he said, ‌29 were ​jet-powered and 18 of ‌those had been downed.

Russia claims massive overnight strike hit Kyiv communications centre and energy facilities

Wednesday 30 September 2026 08:45 , Adam Withnall

Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that it had launched a massive overnight strike hitting ⁠a communications centre and energy facilities in Kyiv, as well as Ukrainian port infrastructure in Izmail.

In Kyiv, Russia said it struck the De Novo ⁠data centre, which it described as a major ​internet ⁠traffic exchange hub supporting ‌the Ukrainian armed forces.

In the wider Kyiv region, Russia said it hit the Kyivska ‌power substation near Nalyvaikivka, the Kyiv ‌hydroelectric power plant in Vyshhorod, the Trypilska thermal power plant and an energy storage facility in Horenychi.

And in the Odesa region, Russia said it struck an industrial complex at the port of Izmail used to receive, store and transport ‌military cargo and fuel for the ​Ukrainian military.

Ukraine is yet to comment on the specific claims but said its emergency services are responding in Kyiv.

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