Russian military

Ukraine has carried out what is being described as its largest attack on Moscow, marking a significant escalation in the more than three-year war with Russia. Military experts are weighing in on the scale of the strike, the systems likely used, and what it signals about Ukraine's growing ability to strike deep inside Russian territory, as attention turns to how Moscow will respond.

Attention is on the actual number of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, a figure that remains difficult to verify as official Russian reporting is widely considered incomplete. Independent researchers, journalists and Western officials have offered estimates far above Moscow's acknowledged losses, and debate continues over the true scale of casualties as the fighting goes on.

Russia's defence ministry says it carried out strikes on military infrastructure and vessels in Ukraine, according to reporting carried by Reuters and multiple US outlets. The claim comes as the war continues and follows repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian military targets. Details on casualties, locations or the scale of damage have not been confirmed, and Ukrainian officials have not commented in the available reports.

Ukraine's General Staff figures say Russian combat losses have climbed by more than 2,000 personnel over the past day. Cumulative Russian casualties since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022 are now estimated at around 1,531,060 killed or wounded as of September 28, 2026. The daily tally is among the higher figures reported recently and underscores the continued intensity of fighting along the front lines.

Experts say a plan floated by President Trump to license Patriot missile production to Ukraine rather than supply the systems directly could take years to implement. Analysts point to the complexity of setting up licensed manufacturing, training and supply chains, raising doubts the approach could meet Ukraine's urgent air defense needs against ongoing Russian strikes.

Finland and Sweden have jointly scrambled fighter jets against a Russian aircraft for the first time, marking a historic milestone in military cooperation between the two Nordic countries. The joint response reflects their deepening integration into NATO's air defense posture following both countries' recent accession to the alliance and heightened concern over Russian air activity near their airspace.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its strikes targeted data centers used to support the Ukrainian military's operations. The claim, reported by Xinhua, was not accompanied by independent verification or comment from Ukraine. Attacks on such infrastructure highlight how the war has expanded to digital and communications targets supporting military command systems.

Ukraine's General Staff says its forces struck a Russian defense plant that produces components for missiles. The attack targets Russia's military-industrial capacity as the war continues. Further details on damage or casualties were not immediately provided, and Russia has not yet commented on the strike.

Ukraine's General Staff reports that Ukrainian forces killed and wounded 2,090 Russian soldiers over the past day, which would be one of the higher daily figures of the war. According to the military's updated tally, Russia's total combat losses since the full-scale invasion now stand at 1,531,060 personnel. The figures, issued in the Armed Forces' daily briefing, cannot be independently verified, and Russia rarely discloses its own casualty numbers.

Russian forces carried out large-scale strikes on Kyiv, with reports claiming hits on Ukrainian military hubs and what Moscow describes as NATO specialists present in the country. The claims of foreign casualties have not been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the extent of the damage. The strikes mark a further escalation in Russia's sustained bombardment of the Ukrainian capital.

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.

Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to scale back attacks on Russian oil refineries. The request, which touches on Ukraine's most effective long-range strikes against Russia's energy sector, has drawn attention as Washington pushes for negotiations while Kyiv weighs the military and economic value of targeting Russian oil infrastructure.

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.

The Financial Times examines whether the European Union can construct a 'hybrid defence' against Russia, addressing Moscow's use of non-military pressure such as disinformation, cyberattacks, sabotage and election interference. The debate centres on whether EU institutions and member states can coordinate effectively to counter these tactics alongside traditional military deterrence.

Lithuania is holding its largest-ever military exercises, Vyčio skliautas 2026, running until October 3. Authorities are rehearsing the evacuation of Vilnius and regions near the Belarusian border in the event of a military threat from Minsk. The drills underscore rising concern in the Baltic state over regional security and are drawing wide attention across Russian-language media.

Ukraine says a secret military operation, supported by robotic systems, targeted around 3,000 Russian soldiers. Details of the push remain scarce, with Kyiv releasing few specifics about where or how the robot-aided assault was carried out. The claim has drawn attention as an early example of ground robots being used in large-scale combat operations, though it has not been independently verified.

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.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces neutralized more than 10,600 Russian military personnel at the front over the past week. He made the claim in one of his regular addresses on the course of the war. If accurate, the figure would point to continued heavy fighting and high Russian casualty rates along the front line, though independent verification of wartime casualty claims from either side is difficult.

Donald Trump says he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "calm down" on attacks targeting Russian oil refineries, arguing Ukraine should strike other targets instead. The remark, reported amid ongoing US pressure for a negotiated end to the war, is drawing criticism from observers who see it as Washington limiting Ukraine's most effective strikes on Russia's energy and export infrastructure.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said North Korea is studying the Russian-Ukrainian war and using its lessons to improve and expand its weaponry. The warning adds to concerns that the conflict is becoming a training ground for other armed forces, with Pyongyang already backing Moscow and gaining battlefield experience in return.

The Institute for the Study of War has released its Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment dated September 27, 2026, its regular analysis of battlefield developments in Russia's war against Ukraine. The think tank's daily assessments track frontline activity, Russian advances or setbacks, and Western policy responses, and are widely cited by governments, militaries and journalists following the conflict.

China, widely ranked the world's second most powerful military, has delivered an air-defence system derived from Russian technology and designed to counter cruise missiles to a major North African state. The report highlights growing arms transfers from Beijing to the region, though the specific recipient country and delivery terms are not detailed in the coverage.

A new military analysis examines the threat of a Russian offensive into Ukraine from the north and the defensive measures Ukraine could use to stop it. The piece breaks down likely invasion routes, terrain challenges and battle plans, drawing attention to how Kyiv is preparing its northern front as the war grinds on.

Reports say numerous explosions have been heard in the Mariupol area of occupied southern Ukraine. Details on the cause, targets or casualties were not immediately available. Mariupol, seized by Russian forces in 2022, has previously been hit by strikes on military and infrastructure targets, so observers are watching for confirmation of what was struck.

Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has reportedly reversed Russian gains, repelling a Russian pincer movement while using robotic systems to carry out combat airdrops and clear minefields. The operation highlights Ukraine's growing reliance on ground robots to reduce risk to soldiers while sustaining offensives, drawing attention to how unmanned machines are reshaping frontline tactics in the war.

Poland is offering to pay $15,000 annually for each US service member stationed on its territory, while also covering infrastructure costs. The offer was announced by Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski in an interview. The move underlines Warsaw's push to deepen the American military presence in the country amid ongoing security concerns on NATO's eastern flank.

Russia's Ministry of Defense says its armed forces hit a Kyivstar data center in Kyiv that provides internet services to Ukraine's Armed Forces. The claim, reported by CGTN, highlights the growing targeting of telecommunications infrastructure in the war. Kyivstar is Ukraine's largest mobile operator, and any disruption to its facilities could affect both military communications and civilian connectivity in the capital.

Poland and Lithuania are developing an international plan to evacuate civilians from the Baltic region in the event of a major crisis or military threat. The Suwalki corridor, the narrow land link between the Baltic states and Poland, is expected to play a key role in the evacuation route, reflecting growing concern in the region over a possible conflict with Russia.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said the country needs expanded Starlink and Starshield capabilities from SpaceX to enable strikes on Russian missile systems inside Russia. His comments underline Kyiv's push for longer-range strike ability and deeper reliance on Western satellite technology as the war continues.

Russia's finance ministry has announced tax increases aimed at shoring up the country's military budget, as the war in Ukraine continues to strain public finances. The move signals Moscow's willingness to place more of the tax burden on businesses and households to sustain defence spending. Observers see it as evidence that the costs of the conflict are increasingly being passed on to ordinary Russians.

Russia lost 1,690 troops in its war against Ukraine over the past day, according to Ukrainian military reporting carried by Ukrinform. The figure is part of Kyiv's regular daily updates on Russian personnel and equipment losses, which continue to run high more than three years into the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine's General Staff says Russia has lost 1,528,970 troops since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. The figure comes from Kyiv's daily casualty updates, which Western analysts treat as estimates, as Russia does not publish its own military losses. The claim underscores the scale of attrition in the war, now in its fourth year.

Several Russian operatives have been detained near a U.S. air base in the United Kingdom on suspicion of violating explosives laws. Authorities reportedly evacuated residents of a nearby village as part of the response. The arrests, involving alleged Russian personnel close to an American military installation on British soil, have drawn widespread attention given the heightened tensions between Russia and Western countries.

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.

Ukraine's Defense Forces struck a drone launch site and four Russian warehouses in temporarily occupied territories, according to Ukrinform. The attacks targeted Russian military logistics and drone operations infrastructure. Details on damage and casualties have not yet been disclosed.