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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 is bringing the remains of Orthodox saints and medieval princes to the front lines of its war in Ukraine, using religious relics as symbols to rally troops and cast the invasion as a holy cause. The report examines how the Russian military and Orthodox Church have intertwined, with sacred relics deployed for morale and patriotic messaging.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ukraine says its forces have deployed ground combat robots as far as 10 kilometres behind Russian lines, claiming the unmanned systems have inflicted around 3,000 Russian casualties. The reported use of robotic units deep in enemy territory is drawing attention as an example of how unmanned vehicles are increasingly taking on frontline combat roles in the war, though the casualty figures have not been independently verified.

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.

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.