Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in New York with first lady Olena Zelenska for the UN General Assembly, with Ukraine set to push for a freeze on energy sector strikes and a new drone deal with its allies.
Zelensky is set to meet US president Donald Trump later on Tuesday, where the pair will discuss a limited truce to protect heating and power facilities ahead of winter.
French president Emmanuel Macron, who also arrived in the city, met Zelensky late on Monday and stressed the urgent need to stop the strikes on energy infrastructure, amid fears millions of families in Ukraine could be deprived of critical heating and electricity.
Trump earlier warned that Russia had “unfortunately lost control” of its oil industry, as he urged Ukraine to halt long-range strikes on refineries.
“A large number of their diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission,” the US president wrote on Truth Social, following a phone call with Zelensky.
A senior White House official familiar with the conversation between the two leaders said Trump was worried that the Ukrainian attacks are exacerbating a global diesel shortage and pushing up prices, the FT reported.
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Key Points
- Zelensky arrives in New York for UN General Assembly meeting
- Zelensky responds to Trump's post that says Putin has lost control of 'diesel oil industry'
- Major Moscow oil refinery halts crude processing after Ukrainian attack sparks fires
- Macron says millions of Ukrainian families to be deprived of heating in winter
- Five dead in Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions, officials say
One killed, four injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Samara region, governor says
08:10 , Shweta SharmaOne person was killed and four people were wounded in a Ukrainian attack on Russia's Samara region, the local governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday.
He said that Ukrainian drones hit civilian targets, including private houses and cars, in Russia's Samara region on the Volga River, which hosts critically important facilities such as oil refineries.
Dozens of drones had been downed overnight by air defences, he added.
The mayor of Samara, Ivan Noskov, said on the Max messenger platform that air defences had thwarted a massive attack on the city, located over 1,000km (621 miles) southeast of Moscow.
Ukraine and Russia both deny targeting civilians.
Inside Max: The Russian super-app that could spy on millions in Putin’s ‘digital gulag’
08:00 , Shweta SharmaEvery new digital device in Russia is mandated to come equipped with a messenger app named Max.
But beneath its innocuous white-and-blue logo lies software that experts warn could allow the Kremlin to dramatically expand its capacity to spy on the Russian public.
The app, launched last year by Russian tech company VK, is not only a space for messaging and video calls but serves as a broader information system with the capacity to perform rigid surveillance on citizens.
New research conducted by academics has found tens of millions of people use the platform, which has the potential to serve as a “backdoor” to sweeping invasions of privacy that “undermine the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information”.
Inside Max: The Russian super-app that can spy on millions in Putin’s ‘digital gulag’
Kremlin says military is working to resolve humanitarian crisis in Russian-controlled Oleshky
07:56 , Shweta SharmaThe Kremlin said on Monday that food and medicine shortages in a Russian-controlled town in Ukraine’s Kherson are being resolved.
Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where some 6,000 people and 200 children live, has been facing an escalating humanitarian crisis due to constant Russian drone attacks.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine's delegation intended to raise before the UN General Assembly the issue of Oleshky, where residents "were dying from hunger and cold."
"The occupiers are not allowing humanitarian aid through. We have been negotiating evacuation for a long time... and Russia is giving no reply," Sybiha said in a video posted on Facebook.
"We will talk about Oleshky here, at the highest level, and we will apply pressure so that the world hears this and makes Russia provide humanitarian access," he said.
Nearly 130 heads of state are visiting New York this week for the UN General Assembly.
Russia hits sea vessels, port infrastructure in Ukraine
07:22 , Shweta SharmaThe Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had carried out a massive strike on targets in Ukraine, hitting industrial and military facilities, the fuel and energy sector as well as port infrastructure facilities and sea vessels operating for the Ukrainian military.
The ministry said its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 297 drones over various Russian regions overnight.
Drones hit civilian targets in Russia's Samara region, governor claims
07:10 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian drones hit civilian targets, including private houses and cars, in Russia's Samara region on the Volga River, which hosts critically important facilities such as oil refineries, the local governor claimed on Tuesday.
Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on the Telegram messaging app dozens of drones had been downed overnight by air defences.
The mayor of Samara, Ivan Noskov, said on the Max messenger platform that air defences had thwarted a massive attack on the city, located over 1,000km (621 miles) southeast of Moscow.
Ukraine and Russia both deny targeting civilians.
Zelensky responds to Trump's post that says Putin has lost control of 'diesel oil industry'
06:56 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has responded to Donald Trump’s Truth Social post about Russia “ losing control of its diesel oil industry”, warning that the “aggressor will suffer as well”.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Ukraine has sought peace from the start of the full-scale invasion, having made “dozens” of diplomatic proposals on how to end it.“Right now, there is a dialogue with President Trump and America,” he said.
“There are also ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps.
“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part.
Trump, whose approval ratings have slumped to a record low amid high gas prices ahead of the US midterm elections in November, has expressed concern over the extensive damage done to Russian oil refineries that have been pummelled by Ukrainian drone attacks.
Trump asks Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy, report says
06:55 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump has reportedly urged his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Trump’s main message was about “diesel, diesel . . . diesel” and urging Zelensky to order his military to stop its drone and missile attacks, a senior Ukrainian official on the call told the FT.
Another senior Ukrainian official said Trump emphasised that he was very concerned about rising diesel prices and wanted Russian supplies to reach global markets.
Zelensky described the call as an “important conversation” and said his planned meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week “could change a lot”.
“There is diplomatic momentum,” he said without elaborating.
EU's top diplomat urges sanctions must continue on Russia
06:30 , Shweta SharmaThe EU’s top diplomat has urged member states to maintain sanctions against Russia as Moscow’s forces continued their attacks on Ukraine.
“Sanctions are a core pillar of our response to Russia’s war,” Kaja Kallas told reporters in New York after a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers.
EU officials were aiming to conclude talks on extending the sanctions soon and put the rollover in place swiftly, she said.
“We need to have this stability,” Kallas added on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, calling for sanctions to remain in place for a longer period.
She stressed that the EU’s position had not changed.
“That’s why we are also working on a new package of sanctions,” she said.
Discussions over the sanctions remain ongoing, with some EU member states seeking to remove certain individuals from the bloc’s blacklist.
EU countries failed on Monday to finalise a deal that included lifting sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga denounced the proposed removals as “unacceptable”, saying they would send Moscow the “wrong signal”.
Negotiations are expected to continue in Brussels as EU countries seek to extend sanctions on almost 3,000 other individuals and entities over the war.
The bloc is scrambling to reach an agreement before a deadline late on Tuesday.
Macron says millions of Ukrainian families to be deprived of heating in winter
05:58 , Shweta SharmaEmmanuel Macron held an in-depth discussion with Volodymyr Zelensky during which the two discussed the ongoing energy crisis in Ukraine due to attacks on energy facilities.
Macron said Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure threaten to deprive millions of families of heating and electricity.
“France will stand by Ukraine to face the winter, and the G7 Energy will also be mobilised at its side. We are strengthening its air defence with the signing of a contract for the delivery of radars, as well as the supply of interceptors,” he said.
“I also discussed this support with President Trump, as well as the prospect of an energy truce and a moratorium in the Black Sea, which we support. This will be a key issue in the negotiations that must resume and that must lead to a just and lasting peace.”
Entretien approfondi ce soir avec le Président @ZelenskyyUa.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 22, 2026
Les frappes russes sur les infrastructures énergétiques ukrainiennes menacent de priver des millions de familles de chauffage et d’électricité. La France sera aux côtés de l’Ukraine pour affronter l’hiver… pic.twitter.com/iL8Ni39d3v
Lithuania draws up evacuation plans amid Russian threats
05:35 , Shweta SharmaLithuanian prime minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said his country has made evacuation plans in the face of threats from Russia, but added they "will not surrender" if attacked, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
Sinkevicius told BBC Newsnight that Lithuanians feel "constantly threatened" by Russia, in part because of drones entering the nation's airspace. He said that if his country, a Nato member, was attacked, "we will fight back... we will engage".
"We're thinking about a variety of scenarios, not all of them are being discussed very much publicly," Sinkevičius told the BBC.
"We face concrete threats, not on a daily basis, but we're experiencing them and it's a true reality for us."
Military drone incursions have rattled the Nato partner, with residents living close to the Russian border forced to take shelter following drone alerts.
Last week, Nato fighter pilots shot down a drone that entered Lithuania's airspace from neighbouring Belarus.
Zelensky arrives in New York for UN General Assembly meeting
04:48 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky arrived in New York for the annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are expected to dominate the talks.
Zelensky said around 20 meetings are planned, including with Donald Trump, European leaders, US senators and members of the House of Representatives, heads of international organisations, leading American companies, and think tanks.
“A new Drone Deal is also ready to be signed. Of course, Ukraine’s number one priority is bringing peace closer and protecting the lives of our people,” he said.
“There are concrete security proposals and de-escalation measures that could bring the end of the war closer. We are working to strengthen air defense and ensure sufficient financing for Ukraine.”
The meeting, seen as diplomacy’s biggest event of the year, will bring hundreds of diplomats and world leaders to the UN’s New York headquarters.
French president Emmanuel Macron, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are several world leaders who will arrive in New York for the meeting.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said he would meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, according to Russian state media.
Together with the First Lady @ZelenskaUA and the diplomatic team, landed in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2026
Around 20 meetings are planned, including with the U.S. President, European leaders, U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives,… pic.twitter.com/wabDocr2SN
Five dead in Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions, officials say
04:14 , Shweta SharmaAt least five people have been killed on Monday as Russian forces continued their attacks on different Ukrainian regions along the 1,200km (775mile) frontline of the 4-1/2-year-old war, regional officials said.
Prosecutors in northeastern Kharkiv Region said a drone strike on the town of Lozova killed one person and injured three.
Further south in Dnipropetrovsk region, a drone killed a car driver in Nikopol, which is a frequent Russian target on the west bank of the Dnipro River opposite the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In Donetsk Region, a focal point of many frontline clashes, a Russian strike badly damaged an apartment building in the strategic Kramatorsk, killing one person. Another person was killed in a nearby village.
And a sustained attack on a village in Mykolaiv Region near the Black Sea coast killed a 3-year-old child.
Macron says he discussed Ukraine-Russia energy truce ideas with Trump
03:53 , Shweta SharmaFrance's president Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he had discussed with Donald Trump initiatives aimed at securing a moratorium between Ukraine and Russia on attacks linked to the energy sector.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Macron said the two leaders had held a "very good" and "very constructive" discussion on the conflict and agreed on the need to help Kyiv strengthen its defences.
"We had a lengthy discussion on Ukraine and Russia, the need to help our Ukrainian friends more quickly and more strongly in terms of interceptors, because that is the key issue from a defensive point of view," Macron said.
Without going into details, Macron said the two had also focused on the idea of halting strikes on the energy sector, a subject he would bring up when he meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later on Monday.
The French leader said helping Ukraine's energy system remained a priority as the war continued to affect security across Europe and he hoped progress could be made during the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations.
Pro-peace Russian candidate says she’s home after going missing
03:00 , Alex CroftA pro-peace candidate in Russia’s State Duma has finally spoken out after disappearing for three days.
Yulia Kuznetsova and her husband went missing on the eve of the parliamentary elections and stopped responding to messages and calls.
In a video released on Telegram the following day, she said she had needed psychological support and medical help after a “difficult conversation,” but shared not further details.
“I am back home, and my husband and I are fine. I was also able to vote at my polling station. Thank you all for your support,” read a message posted to Kuznetsova’s channel, along with a photo of her at a polling station.
Her team have still not explained why the couple went missing.
“They are free, and that’s what matters,” her support team said.
In pictures: Aftermath of mixed-swarm Russian attack on Ukraine
01:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Kremlin criticises Trump's sanctions on Russia
Tuesday 22 September 2026 00:00 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has warned that the sweeping Russia sanctions bill would not help restore the battered US-Russia ties or advance a peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
Donald Trump signed the bill on Friday, taking aim at the country’s economy by punishing major purchasers of its oil and gas.
Additionally, it includes sanctions against Vladimir Putin, senior figures within the Russian government as well as banks and other financial institutions.
Zelensky: 'It will no longer be the case that only the country under attack suffers'
Monday 21 September 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has responded to Donald Trump’s Truth Social post about Russia “ losing control of its diesel oil industry”, warning that the “aggressor will suffer as well”.
The Ukrainian President stressed that Ukraine has sought peace from from the start of the full-scale invasion, having made “dozens” of diplomatic proposals on how to end it.
“Right now, there is a dialogue with President Trump and America,” he said.
“There are also ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps.
“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part.
“Solutions are possible. We are ready to work on this, and we will discuss it with our partners on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York”.
Arrests, armed soldiers and opposition parties banned: How Putin controlled Russia’s ‘sham’ elections
Monday 21 September 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin’s party is set to win by a comfortable majority as voting closed in the country’s tightly controlled parliamentary elections, widely branded a sham.
Initial data from Russia’s Central Election Commission suggests the leader’s United Russia party is in the lead to win with 57.8 per cent of the votes and over 90 per cent of the ballots processed.
The Commission claimed turnout was at a record high with over 56.6 per cent of Russians casting their vote, up from around 52 per cent in 2021. Putin won the most recent presidential election in 2024 with 88.5 per cent of the public vote and is not set to stand again until 2030.
Maira Butt reports:
Arrests and opposition parties banned: How Putin controlled Russia’s ‘sham’ elections
Fighting conditions becoming ‘more atrocious’, say Ukrainian war veterans
Monday 21 September 2026 21:15 , Alex CroftJames Fensom, who fought on several battle fronts in Ukraine, says war conditions are getting “more atrocious” as the skies are nearly saturated with armed drones stalking soldiers round the clock.
The war veteran, who fought in the brutal battle for the city of Bakhmut in 2023, locally called “the meat grinder”, told The Telegraph that he prefers that over the ongoing assault.
“The war fighting conditions are becoming ever more atrocious,” says Fensom.
“Those of us who’ve been here a while sometimes reminisce about Bakhmut, and think: ‘God, if only we could go back to those days’.”
He blames it on the ever-increasing range of new-age drones that have forced troops to spend nearly all their time in foxholes and bunkers.
“The Russians just kept hitting it non-stop, until it almost collapsed,” he says, recalling being in one blindage that was attacked by 42 First Person View drones in 24 hours.
“There were only three of us there, and we weren’t even on the zero line – that shows you the amount of firepower the Russians can expend on us.”
In pictures: Battle to extinguish fires across Zaporizhzhia
Monday 21 September 2026 20:29 , Gergana.Krasteva
Major Moscow oil refinery halts crude processing after Ukrainian attack sparks fires
Monday 21 September 2026 19:46 , Alex CroftA major Moscow oil refinery owned by Gazprom Neft, has halted crude oil processing after a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday caused fires, sources have told Reuters news agency.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram on Sunday morning that an industrial facility on the refinery's premises had been damaged during a drone raid on the Russian capital.
The sources told the Reuters news agencyon Monday that both of the refinery's primary crude distillation units caught fire after drones crashed onto the site and that it could take several weeks to repair the damage and restore operations.
The refinery's AVT-6 unit has a capacity of 21,400 metric tons per day, representing 53 per cent of its total capacity, while the EURO+ combined crude processing facility has a capacity of 18,800 tons per day, making up the remaining 47 per cent.
Fuel produced by the Moscow refinery has not been offered for sale on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since September 21.
The sources said the refinery processed 11.6 million tons of crude oil in 2024, some 230,000 barrels per day, and produced 2.9 million tons of gasoline, 3.2 million tons of diesel and 1.3 million tons of bitumen.
Three year old boy killed in Russian attack on Mykolaiv
Monday 21 September 2026 19:10 , Alex CroftA three-year-old boy has been killed in a Russian attack on the Mykolaiv region, the head of the region’s local military administration has said.
"Today, during an enemy airstrike, a three-year-old boy who was outside sustained a fatal injury in the Voznesensk district,” Heorhii Reshetilov said on Telegram, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
“Sadly, despite the efforts of medics, the boy could not be saved."
Watch: Kyiv downs jet-powered Shaheds with new interceptor drones
Monday 21 September 2026 18:47 , Alex Croft'No progress' in negotiations, Putin spokesperson says
Monday 21 September 2026 18:09 , Alex CroftDmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, has confirmed there has been “no progress so far in the negotiation process regarding Ukraine”.
His statement to the Tass state news agency comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said he will travel to New York to meet with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Decoy drones and jet-powered UAVs used in mixed-swarm Russian attack
Monday 21 September 2026 18:09 , Alex CroftUkrainian forces shot down 148 long-range Shahed, Gerbera and Parodiya decoy drones, as well as a low-cost Benderol cruise missile, overnight.
Russia deploys the UAVs in mixed-swarm drone attacks to overwhelm and and exhaust Ukrainian air defences.
Some newer variants of Shahed drones are jet-powered to fly much faster. At least 64 of the ones used overnight were jet-powered.
Most were launched from border regions including Kursk and Belgorod, as well as occupied Donetsk and annexed Crimea.
“Enemy air assets were recorded striking 14 locations, while debris from shot-down targets fell at four other locations,” the Ukrainian army said in an early morning update on Telegram
Pro-peace Russian candidate says she’s home after going missing
Monday 21 September 2026 16:30 , Gergana.KrastevaA pro-peace candidate in Russia’s State Duma has finally spoken out after disappearing for three days.
Yulia Kuznetsova and her husband went missing on the eve of the parliamentary elections and stopped responding to messages and calls.
In a video released on Telegram the following day, she said she had needed psychological support and medical help after a “difficult conversation,” but shared not further details.
“I am back home, and my husband and I are fine. I was also able to vote at my polling station. Thank you all for your support,” read a message posted to Kuznetsova’s channel, along with a photo of her at a polling station.
Her team have still not explained why the couple went missing.
“They are free, and that’s what matters,” her support team said.
Russia doubles down on 'transnational repression of critics'
Monday 21 September 2026 16:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Russia has escalated surveillance, intimidation and reprisals against critics overseas since the start of the war, a UN expert has warned.
The Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that Russia had become one of the most prolific perpetrators of "transnational repression", through attempted assassinations, assaults and poisonings.
In a new report based on over 400 cases, Mariana Latzarova said such incidents tripled from 29 during 2014-2021 to 89 between 2022-2024.
“It is the continuation, beyond Russia’s borders, of the same structural, state-sponsored system of repression I have documented at home,” she said in a statement.
“Leaving Russia does not mean leaving Russian repression behind.”
Sone 650,000-900,000 people have left the country since 2022, the report added.
