Key developments on the 1,313th day of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Update for Monday, September 29:
Hostilities
- On Sunday night, Russian attacks on Kyiv resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including a 12-year-old girl, and left 13 others wounded, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration. Among the casualties were both staff members and patients at a cardiology center.
- Reports from Polish media outlet RMF24, citing spokesperson Pawel Wronski from Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the Polish embassy in Kyiv sustained damage during the assault.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared on X that Russian strikes also hit the Zaporizhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa regions, injuring at least 40 people nationwide.
- The Russian offensive prompted a military reaction in Poland, where fighter jets were scrambled early Sunday as Russian forces targeted locations in western Ukraine, according to the Polish military.
- Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 595 explosive drones and decoys alongside 48 missiles; Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted or disrupted 566 drones and 45 missiles.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that their forces executed a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex” using precision long-range air and sea weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.
- A civilian succumbed to injuries sustained during a drone attack on Novostroyevka-Pervaya village in Russia’s Belgorod region, as reported by Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via TASS news agency.
- Russian forces claimed to have downed 230 Ukrainian drones, six guided bombs, and six rockets within a 24-hour timeframe, according to TASS citing the Defense Ministry.
Security in the Region
- In his nightly briefing, Zelenskyy revealed intelligence suggesting that Russian tankers are being used to launch and operate drones targeting European nations. He urged for a ban on Russian tankers, or at least their shadow fleet, from the Baltic Sea.
- Denmark’s armed forces announced a prohibition on civilian drone flights following multiple drone sightings near military installations overnight. This move comes shortly after drone-related disruptions forced temporary closures at several Danish airports.
Diplomatic and Political Developments
- With 90% of votes tallied in Moldova’s parliamentary elections, the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) leads over the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, according to the country’s electoral commission.
- Pavel Durov, the Russian creator of Telegram, accused French intelligence of attempting to coerce him into censoring certain Moldovan voices in exchange for assistance with his legal issues in France.
- The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs responded on X, highlighting that Durov had previously made similar claims about French interference in Romanian politics during their recent elections. The ministry commented, “After Romania, Moldova. @durov seems to make allegations during election periods.”
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media that Zelenskyy’s recent remarks-where he suggested Kremlin officials should be aware of bomb shelter locations-were intended to project bravery to European supporters amid Ukraine’s worsening situation on the front lines.
