Key developments on the 1,306th day of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine are outlined below.
Date: Monday, September 22, 2025
Combat Updates
- Near Foros on the Crimean Peninsula, a Ukrainian drone strike resulted in three fatalities and left 16 others wounded, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, via Telegram.
- The Russian Defence Ministry reported that the assault involved strike drones carrying high-explosive warheads, targeting a resort zone devoid of any military installations.
- In the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, a Ukrainian drone attack on a gas station in Pervomaisk caused two deaths, as stated by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for Luhansk and reported by TASS.
- Anna Soroka, the Russian-appointed human rights commissioner for Luhansk, accused Ukraine of intentionally targeting fuel stations amid ongoing fuel shortages, according to TASS.
- TASS further noted that a Ukrainian strike in Russia’s Belgorod region killed one individual, while a drone attack on Vasylivka in occupied Zaporizhia resulted in one death and three critical injuries.
- Ukraine’s General Staff announced that its forces targeted the Saratov Oil Refinery in Russia’s Saratov region on Saturday night, triggering fires and explosions. Additionally, an assault on the Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery in Samara was reported, with damage assessments still underway, as per a Facebook statement from the General Staff.
Security in the Region
- Germany’s Luftwaffe deployed two Eurofighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane that allegedly breached neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea.
- This event follows recent airspace violations reported by Estonia, Poland, and Romania involving Russian fighter jets or drones.
- Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to address Russia’s blatant incursion into Estonian airspace.
- According to two officials speaking to Reuters, NATO’s North Atlantic Council is scheduled to convene on Tuesday to discuss responses to the Estonian airspace violation.
- When questioned about defending EU nations if Russia escalates aggression, U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed, “Yes, I would. I would.”
Diplomatic and Political Developments
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed plans to meet with Donald Trump this week amid a “very intense week” of diplomatic activity during the UN General Assembly in New York, as shared on X.
- French President Emmanuel Macron stated that European nations are acting within international law by utilizing funds from frozen Russian assets held in European banks. However, he cautioned that confiscating Russia’s central bank assets could lead to “complete disorder,” responding to CBS News inquiries about Trump’s recent remarks.
- Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned that seizing Moscow’s frozen assets in Europe would not cause chaos but would provoke severe retaliatory measures from Russia, according to RIA Novosti.
- Russian media outlet RBC reported that Colonel General Alexander Lapin, a senior commander involved in the initial phase of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has been removed from military service, citing an anonymous source.
