Russia Vows Intensified Strikes on Kyiv After Ukraine Details Moscow Drone Attack; Zelensky, Trump to Meet
Russia pledged to escalate attacks on Kyiv following Ukraine's recent drone assault on Moscow, while Presidents Zelensky and Trump agreed to meet in New York for talks.
The day on the war
Russia has vowed to "intensify" its strikes on Kyiv in response to Ukrainian drone attacks that targeted Moscow and a refinery on September 20. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt its parliamentary elections and stated that its forces would continue and escalate high-accuracy strikes against military targets in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine utilized domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles and Pelican ballistic missiles in the recent attack on Moscow, aiming at oil and logistics facilities. Zelensky noted that these strikes target "billions of dollars that sustain the war machine." Separately, an overnight Russian drone attack on the Kyiv region killed three children and a woman, with one person injured in Kyiv city. Russian strikes also hit Zaporizhzhia, damaging a university building and a shopping mall, leading to evacuations.
Along the front
Lyman direction
Development: Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps publicized details on the second phase of 'Operation Vivaldi,' claiming the liberation of Shandryholove, Derylove, and Drobysheve (all northwest of Lyman).
Source: UA 3rd Army Corps / ISW
Lyman / Svyatohirsk
Development: ISW has not observed any evidence that Russian forces currently hold positions in Svyatohirsk or Lyman, refuting earlier Russian MoD claims.
Source: ISW
Strikes & the grid
| Location | What | Toll |
|---|---|---|
| Kyiv region | Overnight Russian drone strike hit a private home. | Killed three children and a woman; one injured in Kyiv city. |
| Zaporizhzhia | Russian drone strikes hit a university facility and a shopping mall. | Residents evacuated; specific casualty figures not immediately available. |
| Across Ukraine | Russian forces launched over 2,000 drones, 1,700 air bombs, and 19 missiles over the past week. | Monasteries, critical infrastructure, businesses, and residential buildings hit. |
| Across Ukraine | Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or suppressed 148 Russian drones out of 172 launched in an overnight attack. | 148 drones intercepted. |
| Bryansk region, Russia | Ukrainian drone attack. | Killed one man and injured three people, according to acting governor Yegor Kovalchuk. |
Diplomacy & talks
US-Ukraine Talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump agreed to meet in New York during the upcoming UN General Assembly. Zelensky stated the talks 'could change a lot' in terms of finding a resolution to the war.
Aid & sanctions
United States
Measure: New legislation introduced to use frozen Russian assets for military aid.
Detail: US Senators introduced the Seized Assets for Battlefield Equipment and Readiness (SABER) Act, which would allow Ukraine to use $5 billion to $7 billion in frozen Russian sovereign funds to purchase weapons.
What we'll be watching next 72h
- The upcoming meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in New York at the UN General Assembly.
- Russia's promised intensification of strikes on Kyiv following recent Ukrainian drone attacks.
- Further developments along the Lyman front, following claims of Ukrainian advances in 'Operation Vivaldi'.
- Any new aid packages or sanctions announcements from international partners in response to the ongoing escalation.
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.