Donald Trump has warned that Russia has “unfortunately lost control” of its oil industry after again urging Ukraine to halt long-range strike 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 Volodymyr Zelensky.
“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended. The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame! President DJT.”
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.
The two presidents will meet later this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Responding to Trump’s post on Truth Social, Zelensky said that stopping attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure and food exports could lead to “matching de-escalation steps on our part.”
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Key Points
- Zelensky says he will meet Trump in New York - and that it could 'change a lot'
- Trump warns Zelensky to 'halt strikes on Russia's oil refineries over diesel prices'
- Russia has 'unfortunately lost control of diesel oil industry,' Trump warns
- Arrests, armed soldiers and opposition parties banned: How Putin controlled Russia’s ‘sham’ elections
- Exclusive: Drones targeting UK military sites nearly every day as threat from Putin grows
Macron says millions of Ukrainian families to be deprived of heating in winter
Emmanuel Macron held a in-depth discussion with Volodymyr Zelensky during which the two discussed ongoing energy crisis in Ukraine due to attack 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.
Russia attributes AfD victory in Germany due to lack of cheap gas
Monday 21 September 2026 15:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Russia has claimed that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in a state election because of lack of cheap gas.
The win delivered the worst result for the mainstream conservative party since 1949, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling it a “disaster”.
“The decline in the competitiveness of the German economy is largely due to the country’s decision to stop buying cheap Russian gas,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“Instead [Germany] purchases much more expensive gas from other countries, primarily the United States, at times paying several times more on the spot market.”
Reuters earlier reported that AfD and a Russian envoy are preparing to meet next year to discuss restarting gas supplies, even though the AfD is not in power nationally.
“Naturally, Germans, or at least some of them, are looking for an alternative to the current authorities in order to improve their situation. That is a natural process," Peskov said.
Zelensky: 'It will no longer be the case that only the country under attack suffers'
Monday 21 September 2026 15:00 , Gergana.KrastevaVolodymyr 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”
Indeed, this Russian war against Ukraine and against common sense must be ended. From the first year of the full-scale invasion, its consequences have been far-reaching: the loss of many lives, the destruction of cities and villages, food security, energy challenges, the… https://t.co/bguBQDfSYq
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 21, 2026
Kremlin criticises Trump's sanctions on Russia
Monday 21 September 2026 14:30 , Gergana.KrastevaThe 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.
Russia has 'unfortunately lost control of diesel oil industry,' Trump warns
Monday 21 September 2026 13:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Donald Trump has warned that Russia has “unfortunately lost control of its diesel oil industry” due to its war in Ukraine.
“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.
“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended.
“The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame! President DJT”
This comes after it was reported that the Trump urged Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on oil refineries across Russia.
Arrests, armed soldiers and opposition parties banned: How Putin controlled Russia’s ‘sham’ elections
Monday 21 September 2026 12:46 , Gergana.KrastevaVladimir 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.
Arrests and opposition parties banned: How Putin controlled Russia’s ‘sham’ elections
Kaja Kallas proposes EU sanctions over 'sham' elections in occupied Ukraine
Monday 21 September 2026 12:40 , Gergana.KrastevaKaja Kallas has announced plans to propose sanctions on those who facilitated the State Duma elections in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Reiterating that European Union does not recognise the “sham” results, the Vice-President of the European Commission said: “Those involved in organising these sham elections or standing as candidates in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as those responsible for undermining the possibility of free and fair elections inside Russia, will be sanctioned.”
The so-called Duma elections marked another major setback for Russian democracy. Their outcome was never in doubt.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 21, 2026
The Kremlin silenced dissent, barred the only registered party that opposed its war in Ukraine, and shut out international election monitors.
The veneer of…
Putin should have suffered in Russia’s latest election. He has Trump to thank for his success
Monday 21 September 2026 12:20 , Gergana.KrastevaRussians went to the polls for elections to its parliament amid a fuel crisis, mortuaries swollen with war dead, and an economy that is shrinking.
All ingredients pointed to what should have been a landslide against the ruling United Russia Party.
But with more than 90 per cent of the results counted, Vladimir Putin’s rubber-stamp-representatives are sitting more than comfortably, with 58 per cent of the votes.
This will give them the 300+ seats needed in the Duma to rewrite the constitution.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley explains why the result was never in doubt
Putin should have suffered in this election. He has Trump to thank for his success
Trump warns Zelensky to 'halt strikes on Russia's oil refineries over diesel prices'
Monday 21 September 2026 12:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Donald Trump has warned Volodymyr Zelensky to halt Ukraine’s long-range strike on oil refineries across Russia ahead of their meeting in New York later this week, it has been reported.
“Diesel, diesel... diesel,” was the US President’s main message to his Ukrainian counterpart during a phone call on Sunday.
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.
This is the second time in less than a week that Trump has called on Zelensky “to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.”
The US President himself is feeling the pressure at home as the US war on Iran has curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We spoke to Mr.Zelensky about it,” Trump told reporters.
“There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world.”
Chechen warlord Kadyrov wins election 'nearly 100% of vote'
Monday 21 September 2026 11:45 , Gergana.Krasteva
Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov has been re-elected to a fifth term, with almost 100 percent of the vote.
A close ally to Vladimir Putin, Kadyrov has been allowed to run the southern, mainly Muslim region of Chechnya, as a criminal state.
Human rights organisations have long accused his brutal regime of torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
Russia's Central Electoral Commission said Kadyrov took 99.85 percent of the vote in Chechnya, slightly up from 99.73 percent in 2021.
International observers have in the past sharply criticised the conduct of elections in the small mountainous region.
Kadyrov, who rejects such criticism as Western-backed attempts to undermine his rule, regularly stresses his personal loyalty to Putin and has championed a hard line on Ukraine, where he says his Chechen forces have been fighting since 2022.
Britain condemns Russian elections in occupied Ukrainian territories as 'illegal'
Monday 21 September 2026 11:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
Britain has condemned Russia’s “sham” elections in occupied Ukrainian territories in a joint statement with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
“These sham elections are part of a wider system of occupation: the imposition of Russian administration, law, media, education, language and citizenship, backed by coercion and repression.,” it said.
“This includes reports of the enforced disappearance, detention, and torture of thousands of Ukrainian citizens.”
Voting was held for the second time in the annexed Crimean Pensisula and for the first in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.
“These regions are part of Ukraine and holding sham elections cannot alter the status of these territories under international law,” the statement added.
How other parties did in 'sham' Russian election
Monday 21 September 2026 11:15 , Gergana.Krasteva
Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 13.8 percent
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia - 8.9 percent
New People party - 7.9 percent
Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia's Central Election Commission, said the Fair Russia party was said to have a "good chance" of clearing 5 percent of the vote.
She also called the vote "clean" in the face of allegations from opposition activists in exile of widespread rigging.
Voter turnout was recorded at 59.3%, the Tass state news agency reported.
Russia could be 'stockpiling' ballistic missiles for winter
Monday 21 September 2026 11:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Russia has significantly reduced the deployment of ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukraine, suggesting it may be stockpiling them for winter, it has been reported.
Since August, the military has favoured jet-powered drones instead, according to Bloomberg.
Ballistic missiles inflict some of the heaviest damage, and can only be countered with ABM systems, like the US Patriots, which is running low on.
Since the start of the war, Russia has attached Ukraine's energy system 5,796 times.
'No progress' in negotiations, Putin spokesperson says
Monday 21 September 2026 10:30 , Gergana.KrastevaDmitry 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.
Reports of Ukrainian 'frustration' with Steve Witkoff are 'false'
Monday 21 September 2026 10:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Volodymyr Zelensky’c chief negotiator has praised the work of US envoy Steve Witkoff after reports that the Ukrainian government was “growing increasingly frustrated” with him, it was reported.
Rustem Umerov, who is also the head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, insisted that a Kyiv Independent story the frustration with Witkoff is “false.
“I believe that the work of American negotiators should be assessed by people who are directly involved in the negotiation process and work closely with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," he told Axios.
Putin's United Russia leads with 57.8% in election, preliminary results show
Monday 21 September 2026 09:30 , Gergana.Krasteva
United Russia is leading with 57.8 percent in the parliamentary election, preliminary results show.
As widely expected, Vladimir Putin’s party will retain power, after a mass clampdown on anti-war candidates.
The chair of Russia's Central Election Commission said voter turnout stood at 59.32 percent, state media reported.
The final results will be announced on September 25.
Putin's party is expected to win 355 seats, the outlet added.
Decoy drones and jet-powered UAVs used in mixed-swarm Russian attack
Monday 21 September 2026 09:00 , Gergana.KrastevaUkrainian 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
