Ukrainian drones

Ukraine has begun striking Russian border crossings with Belarus, responding to recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian border crossing points. A Ukrainian drone strike reportedly landed next to a crossing on the Russia-Belarus border. The exchanges mark an expansion of cross-border attacks, with border infrastructure on both sides now targeted as the war's front lines of logistics and supply come under pressure.

Russia has started rationing fuel after a large-scale Ukrainian drone strike hit refinery and energy infrastructure, with reports suggesting Ukrainian long-range drone technology is outpacing Russian defences. The shortages are forcing regional restrictions on petrol and diesel supplies, adding pressure on Moscow's war economy as the conflict grinds on.

Ukraine launched strikes targeting Moscow on the first day of Russia's presidential election, in which Vladimir Putin is seeking another term. The timing is widely seen as a symbolic message aimed at undermining the vote's legitimacy, which Western governments and Kyiv have dismissed as staged. The attack follows months of Ukrainian drone strikes deep into Russian territory, and it comes as Russian authorities report attempts to disrupt polling.

A Ukrainian official says the country is using drones to airdrop food supplies into a city surrounded by Russian forces. The delivery method is being used where ground convoys cannot safely reach residents, highlighting the worsening humanitarian conditions in besieged areas as the war with Russia continues.

Ukraine has begun using drones to airdrop humanitarian aid into Oleshky, a city in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region, where residents are reported to be on the brink of starvation. Conventional supply routes are cut off by the occupation, so drone deliveries are being used to get food to civilians. The operation highlights the worsening humanitarian situation in occupied territories near the front line.

Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian logistics centres, port and transport infrastructure, communications facilities, and vessels. Moscow claims the targets supported Ukrainian military operations, though the full extent of damage and any casualties has not been independently confirmed.

Ukraine's defence ministry says its forces hit six strategic oil refineries deep inside Russia over a single week, some up to 1,600 km from the front line. Kyiv describes the facilities as key fuel suppliers for Russia's defence industry and occupation forces, framing the campaign as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Ukraine reports a naval drone destroying a Russian kamikaze drone boat, in what is being described as a military milestone in uncrewed warfare. The clash marks a rare case of one unmanned maritime vessel eliminating another in combat, underscoring how drone-on-drone engagements are becoming a central feature of the Black Sea conflict.

India's National Investigation Agency alleges that VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals illegally crossed from Mizoram into Myanmar, reached Victoria Camp and trained ethnic armed groups in drone warfare. The agency had opposed their release, but after default bail, a Delhi court has now permitted them to travel home. The case has sparked debate in India over border security, foreign nationals in conflict zones, and whether authorities can stop them from leaving.

Russia says its forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian military targets, while Ukraine reports hitting a Russian drone launch site. The duelling claims come as the war continues with both sides targeting infrastructure and military assets deep behind the front lines. Neither claim could be independently verified, and the fuller operational impact of the reported strikes remains unclear.

Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has reportedly erased recent Russian gains, with robots playing a central role in the fighting. Unmanned systems carried out combat airdrops of supplies and cleared minefields, reducing risks to Ukrainian soldiers. The operation is being discussed as another example of how drones and ground robots are increasingly taking on dangerous battlefield tasks in the war with Russia.

Moscow has come under a large-scale Ukrainian attack, with reports of air defences engaging incoming drones and missiles over the Russian capital. The strike is one of the biggest on Moscow since the full-scale war began and is drawing widespread attention as the conflict continues to escalate, with casualties and damage still being assessed.

Kyiv cancelled its air raid alert early on Monday, 28 September, after a drone attack kept the city under an continuous alert for nine hours and ten minutes overnight. The all-clear was announced by the city administration, with the Ukrainian air raid map confirming the end of the danger. The long duration of the alert has drawn attention to the scale and persistence of the overnight drone assault on the capital.

Ukrainian forces have destroyed a Russian ammunition depot using loitering munitions, according to footage circulating with reports from the war in Ukraine. The strike shows drones carrying out precision attacks on the depot, which detonates in a large secondary explosion. Such depot strikes have become a regular feature of the war, as both sides target ammunition storage to degrade each other's artillery capacity along the front lines.

Air raid monitors report a jet-powered UAV over Odesa, Ukraine, prompting alert updates on 10 August. OSINT tracking groups flagged the drone as moving over the southern port city, part of ongoing Russian aerial attacks that have repeatedly targeted Odesa's infrastructure. Residents were urged to take shelter as air defense units responded.

Ukrainian air defence monitors report a relatively calm night so far, with no large concentrations of drones detected on Russian monitoring resources. Officials caution that the picture is incomplete, as some drones may fall outside monitoring range, and the night is long, so surveillance continues.