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Three children injured after Russian glide bombs strike Sumy school
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Russia has sent a letter to Nato threatening to use nuclear weapons if it feels its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad is under threat.
Despite a growing campaign of Russian hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s European neighbours and allies, Moscow said it was Nato exhibiting “dangerous and reckless” behaviour that entailed “high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict”.
The letter said Russia “will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory”.
Nato said it had responded to Moscow directly, calling on Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine and noting “that Nato is a defensive alliance”. “We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Russia plans to raise its defence spending to more than £150bn next year to bolster its war on Ukraine, according to a draft budget due to be submitted to parliament tomorrow.
And in Kyiv, overnight strikes by Russia killed at least four people and targeted energy infrastructure and data centres. The strikes, described as massive by the Russian defence ministry, saw Poland scramble fighter jets and briefly close two airports.
Russian air strikes kill 3, injure 7 in and around Kyiv, officials say
Russian air strikes killed three, including a child, and injured another seven people in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the surrounding region early on Wednesday, officials said.
The attack has killed two and injured four in the capital, Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram, and mayor Vitali Klitschko said fires broke out, affecting private houses along with a store and a warehouse.
The building of the private medical clinic Dobrobut burns following a second Russian drone strike on central Kyiv (Getty)
Tymur Tkachenko, Kyiv regional governor, writing on Telegram, said that a Russian missile and a drone strike killed a child and injured three more people in the area, also damaging infrastructure facilities, houses, warehouses and cars.
Ukraine’s neighbours, European Union and Nato members Romania and Poland, have both scrambled military jets to protect their airspaces amid Russian attacks on Ukraine, according to defence ministry and armed forces statements on X.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 14:00
Russian military seizes food dropped for local residents
Russian military personnel in Oleshky seized food packages dropped by Ukrainian forces for the residents of Oleshky, reported state news agency Ukrinform.
Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Administration, said that the Russians have been taking food away from locals for a while and questioning how residents are obtaining food if it is not manufactured in Russia.
She added that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces were dropping the food, accepting it could be construed as cooperation – making it grounds for their detention.
Some locals have disappeared after being abducted by Russian forces, she alleged.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 13:00
South Korea made no military aid pledge to Ukraine over transfer of North Koreans, lawmaker says
South Korea made no promise to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia in exchange for the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing the country’s intelligence agency.
Ukraine imposed no preconditions on the transfer of the pair captured during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, Yoo Yeong-ha, a lawmaker from the opposition People Power Party, told reporters after a briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations (Getty)
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
After Zelensky disclosed the transfer, South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine and accused Kyiv of violating an agreement to keep the move confidential to protect the soldiers and their relatives in North Korea.
Ukraine has not apologised or expressed regret over the disclosure so far, Yoo said, citing the NIS.
Kyiv has said no secrecy agreement existed.
According to Yoo, Zelensky may have announced the transfer of the North Koreans because he had hoped it would spur public support in South Korea for providing weapons and other aid to Ukraine.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 12:00
Why is South Korea unhappy with Ukraine’s disclosure of transfer of North Korean soldiers?
South Korea has expressed displeasure to Ukraine after president Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine over the disclosure, saying Kyiv breached an agreement to keep it confidential.
Kyiv has said that no secrecy agreement existed.
It comes amid questions over how the soldiers will be questioned in South Korea, and concerns about their protection, resettlement and the legal basis of their transfer.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 11:00
Nato ‘strongly denounces’ Russia’s nuclear threat in row over Baltic territory
Russia has said it would be willing to use nuclear weapons to defend its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in a letter sent to Nato.
Despite a growing campaign of Russian hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s European neighbours and allies, Moscow said it was Nato exhibiting “dangerous and reckless” behaviour that entailed “high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict”.
The Russian document said its response could include “Russian strikes against decision-making centres in the alliance’s (Nato’s) member states right from the outset of the conflict”.
“Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory should Nato countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad Region from the rest of the country,” it said.
Nato spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed the alliance had responded to Moscow directly.
“We have sent a response, noting that Nato is a defensive Alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia. We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We call on Russia to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine,” she said.
Adam Withnall30 September 2026 11:00
In focus: Putin’s campaign to spread chaos across Europe
Adam Withnall30 September 2026 10:30
Ukraine captures 250 Russian soldiers using ‘zombie car’ operation – report
Ukraine has captured 250 Russian soldiers as prisoners of war using “zombie cars”, reported the Telegraph citing a senior defence official.
Brig Gen Andriy Biletsky told the outlet that his troops reclaimed nearly 68 square miles of land in north of the city of Lyman in the military campaign named Operation Vivaldi.
He said that his command turned Soviet-era armoured vehicles into unmanned zombie cars to blew up a heavily fortified position, leading to the surrender of an entire Russian unit.
An artillerist of the 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces covers his ears during firing (Reuters)
While vehicles have been used as improvised explosive devices, the new technology allows to steer them to the target in a “suicide” attack, without needing a driver to man it.
“The enemy was deceived and missed the real strike,” said Brig Gen Biletsky, who commands 3rd Army Corps.
The claimed surrender of 250 Russian soldiers is the one highest totals reported in a single operation.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 10:00
‘Dark winter’ for Europe as Russia’s sabotage continues, Belgian minister says
Europe needs to rapidly improve its air defence as Russia continues its hybrid actions in the coming months, Belgium’s defence minister Theo Francken said on Wednesday.
“There will be more hybrid threat actions (in the) coming months. It will be a dark winter for Europe,” Francken said at the Defence & Space Summit hosted by Euronews in Brussels.
“We need to scale up our air defences and we need to have more stocks, scale up production. Everything has to go faster,” he added.
Adam Withnall30 September 2026 09:39
Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine this year, Zelensky says
Belgium will transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year to help in its war with Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“There is an important agreement with Belgium on the transfer of three F-16 fighter jets by the end of this year,” he wrote on X.
“We will work to receive these aircraft through an accelerated procedure.”
Zelensky said Ukraine had already received “urgent deliveries” of F-16 ammunition from Belgium and Spain, among other countries.
Zelensky said foreign governments must ‘counter’ Putin’s plan (Reuters)
Zelensky said later in his nightly video address that Ukraine had received delivery the day before of a “very good” assistance package of a NASAMS air defence system, developed jointly in the US and Norway.
He also said that talks were proceeding to ensure that Ukraine has a supply of missiles for the Patriot air defence system, which play a critical role in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky said tests were continuing to improve the efficiency of Ukrainian interceptors against Russian jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster than conventional drones.
Of more than 100 Russian drones deployed on Tuesday, he said, 29 were jet-powered and 18 of those had been downed.
Namita Singh30 September 2026 09:00
Russia claims massive overnight strike hit Kyiv communications centre and energy facilities
Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that it had launched a massive overnight strike hitting a communications centre and energy facilities in Kyiv, as well as Ukrainian port infrastructure in Izmail.
In Kyiv, Russia said it struck the De Novo data centre, which it described as a major internet traffic exchange hub supporting the Ukrainian armed forces.
In the wider Kyiv region, Russia said it hit the Kyivska power substation near Nalyvaikivka, the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant in Vyshhorod, the Trypilska thermal power plant and an energy storage facility in Horenychi.
And in the Odesa region, Russia said it struck an industrial complex at the port of Izmail used to receive, store and transport military cargo and fuel for the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine is yet to comment on the specific claims but said its emergency services are responding in Kyiv.
Adam Withnall30 September 2026 08:45
