Thursday, September 26

Russia’s war against Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L), President Volodymyr Zelensky (2nd L), U.S. President Joe Biden (C), U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (2nd R) and Polish President Andrzej Duda (R) at an event concerning the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine at the United Nations on Sept. 25, 2024 in New York City. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Zelensky meets with NATO’s Stoltenberg in New York. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in New York on Sept. 25, thanking him for “supporting Ukraine throughout his tenure.”

Russia has destroyed all thermal power plants, nearly all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine ahead of winter, Zelensky says. Russia destroyed all thermal power plants and almost all hydroelectric capacity in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 25 during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Russia launched nine coordinated attacks against Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure between March and August, striking facilities in 20 oblasts.

Putin suggests changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a series of changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine on Sept. 25 during a Security Council meeting on nuclear deterrence, Russia’s state-owned outlet Ria Novosti reported.

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Ukraine has ‘extensive’ 3-year plan for drone, ground robotics production, defense minister says. Ukraine has developed a three-year plan for the production of drones, electronic warfare equipment and ground robotic systems, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in an interview with Lb.ua media outlet published on Sept. 24.

Russia establishes secret attack drone program in China, Reuters reports. Russia has secretly established a development and production program in China for attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sept. 25 citing European intelligence sources and documents reviewed by the outlet.

Around 20 Russian soldiers captured during operation to recapture Vovchansk aggregate plant, military intelligence claims. Ukrainian forces captured around 20 Russian soldiers and killed “several dozen” others during an operation to recapture an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, a member of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) claimed on Sept. 25.

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Ukraine war latest: Russia preparing to attack 3 nuclear power plants in Ukraine, Zelensky says

Zelensky did not specify which stations are under threat but said Kyiv had evidence and “proof” of Russia’s plans. There are three operating nuclear power plants on the Ukrainian-held territory — Rivne and Khmelnytskyi NPPs in the country’s west, and Pivdennoukrainsk NPP in the south. Russia’s regular attacks put their safety in jeopardy by cutting off power to the units.

Photo: Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

‘There can be no just peace without Ukraine’ — Zelensky’s full speech at the UN General Assembly

“It is the Ukrainian people who feel the full pain of this war. It’s Ukrainian children who are learning to distinguish the sounds of different types of artillery and drones because of Russia’s war. It’s our people who are forcefully separated by occupation because Putin decided he could do whatever he wants,” Zelensky said at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25.

Photo: Presidential Office

Human cost of war

Russia attacks Kramatorsk city center, killing 2, injuring 12, including children. Russian forces attacked the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 25, killing at least two and injuring 19 people, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Three children are among the injured, he added.

Death toll in Russia’s Sept. 24 attack on Kharkiv rises to 4. The death toll in the Sept. 24 Russian attack on Kharkiv has risen to four people, as rescuers found the body of a woman under the rubble of a damaged building, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported on Sept. 25. 

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill at least 11, injure 69 over past day. Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least 11 people and injured 69 others over the past day, regional authorities said on Sept. 25.

General Staff: Russia has lost 646,400 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has lost 646,400 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Sept. 25. 

Estonian President on Russia’s threats of escalation

International response

White House announces $375 million in military assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. has authorized a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $375 million, the White House announced on Sept. 25. The aid includes air-to-ground weapons, munitions for rocket systems, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons.

US to announce ‘series of actions’ supporting Ukraine, Biden says. The United States on Sept. 26 will announce “a series of actions to accelerate support” for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion and future recovery, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sept. 25.

Trump slams Zelensky for refusing to ‘make a deal’ with Moscow. Former U.S. President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky at a campaign rally on Sept. 25, accusing Zelensky of refusing to “make a deal” with Russia and “making little nasty aspersions” against Trump.

US to announce $8 billion military aid package when Zelensky visits White House, Reuters reports. The United States is preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth over $8 billion, Reuters reported on Sept. 25, citing two U.S. officials. The U.S. plans to announce the new aid package when President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the White House on Sept. 26, officials said.

House Speaker calls on Zelensky to fire ambassador to US, Fox News reports. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to fire Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, for alleged “election interference” related to Zelensky’s visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition plant, Fox News reported on Sept. 25.

Lammy calls Putin head of ‘mafia state,’ compares him to slave owner. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of running a “mafia state” and compared him to a slave owner during his speech at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 24.

Lula pushes China-Brazil 6-point peace plan at UN, already dismissed by Ukraine as ’destructive.’ Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva touted his peace plan jointly developed with China at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, despite the proposal already being dismissed as “destructive” by Ukraine.

No Zelensky-Trump meeting scheduled in US this week, AP reports. No meetings have been scheduled between former U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Sept. 25, citing an unnamed official on Trump’s campaign.

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