- Russia-Ukraine Daily News
- Posts
- Weekend Briefing
Weekend Briefing
Here's what you need to know to start your week
Dear Reader, if you find this email interesting, helpful or of value, please do consider forwarding it to your friends or colleagues and encouraging them to subscribe. Thank you.
Morning Headlines
CNN: Moldova’s ruling pro-European party has won a crucial parliamentary election against its pro-Russian rivals, a result that keeps Moldova’s bid for European Union membership alive amid persistent allegations of Russian interference.
The Kyiv Independent: The Karachev electrical components plant in Russia's Bryansk Oblast is burning following a drone attack overnight on Sept. 29, local media reported.
Politico: European Council President António Costa is leading a push to advance Ukraine’s application for EU membership despite Hungary’s opposition as leaders head for a pivotal summit in Copenhagen this week.
The Guardian: Britain may already be at war with Russia because of the depth and intensity of cyber-attacks, sabotage and other hostile activity orchestrated by Moscow against the UK, according to a former head of MI5.
The Kyiv Independent: Washington authorizes specific instances where Ukraine can carry out long-range strikes within Russia, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Sept. 28.
ISW: Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that Russia will use its upcoming United Nations Security Council presidency to “review” the 1995 Dayton Accords in a likely effort to destabilize the Balkans and divide and distract Europe.
28.09.2025
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian HIMARS rockets reportedly stuck a thermal power plant near the Russian city of Belgorod on Sept. 28, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
Reuters: U.S. sanctions on Serbia's Russian-owned NIS oil company that were supposed to take effect on October 1 will be postponed for eight days, Tanjug news agency reported, quoting President Aleksandar Vucic.
The Kyiv Independent: Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers are being used to "launch and control" Russian drones over European cities, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 28, citing intelligence reports.
Reuters: The United States is considering Ukraine's request to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for its effort to push back against Russian invaders, Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine's military intelligence claimed on Sept. 28 that it killed at least four Russian drone operators in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Reuters: Denmark ordered a ban on Sunday on civil drone flights, after drones were observed at several military facilities overnight, following a week in which drone sorties caused the temporary closures of several Danish airports.
The Kyiv Independent: Attempts to disrupt Moldova's parliamentary election, viewed as pivotal for the country's political future, were reported by local authorities on Sept. 28.
Reuters: Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine early on Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, in one of the most sustained attacks on the capital since the full-scale war began.
27.09.2025
Reuters: Ukrainian officials will visit the United States this month or next for talks on major arms purchases and drone production deals, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday.
The Kyiv Independent: Unidentified drones have been detected in the airspace of Denmark, Lithuania, and Finland, several media outlets reported on Sept. 27.
Euractiv: Ukraine received a US-made Patriot air defence system from Israel a month ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
United24 Media: Russia continues to restrict the International Committee of the Red Cross from freely accessing Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to a report released by an independent expert mission of the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism.
Reuters: Russia failed to win enough support on Saturday to get elected to the United Nations aviation agency's governing council, in the latest rebuke of Moscow for actions taken after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
France 24: Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been off-grid for four consecutive days, Ukrainian and Russian authorities said Saturday, its longest blackout to date as both sides accuse each other of attacking power-supply lines. The plant's reactors are shut down but still need energy to maintain vital cooling and safety systems.
ERR: Estonia is contributing €10 million to a NATO initiative which allows allies to buy US-made weapons and ammo to support Ukraine.
BBC: More than 20 people have been rescued in Kenya from a suspected human trafficking ring that lured them with job offers in Russia but intended to send them to fight in Ukraine, police said.
RFI: The International Paralympic Committee decided on Saturday to lift a partial suspension of Russia and Belarus imposed since Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
CNN: Russia has agreed to help China equip and train an airborne battalion, according to leaked documents reviewed by a leading think tank, illustrating the ever-deepening military partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
26.09.2025
Reuters: United Nations sanctions on Iran are set to be reimposed on Saturday, Britain's U.N. envoy said on Friday after a Russian and Chinese Security Council resolution to delay them failed, prompting Tehran to warn that the West bore responsibility for any consequences.
Politico: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is standing in the way of the EU's plan to seize €140 billion of sanctioned Russian assets and lend them to Ukraine. But the European Commission thinks it’s found a legal workaround to cut Hungary out of the decision-making process.
Reuters: U.S. trade negotiators have told their Indian counterparts that curbing purchases of Russian oil is crucial to reducing India's tariff rate and sealing a trade deal.
The Kyiv Independent: Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian Moldovan businessman, has used $8 billion in cryptocurrency to help Russia evade sanctions and meddle in Moldova's upcoming elections, blockchain firm Elliptic said on Sept. 26.
Reuters: A British former member of the European parliament and ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales pleaded guilty on Friday to bribery charges relating to pro-Russian statements he had made.
Politico: The European Commission will work on technical and financial details to build a drone wall to protect Europe against Russia, after a series of airspace violations by Moscow's warplanes and unmanned aerial vehicles.
ABC News: The front line on the battlefield in Ukraine has grown in length to nearly 1,250 kilometers (800 miles), stretching Kyiv’s defenses, while Russian forces employ a new tactic of sending swarms of small assault groups to infiltrate Ukrainian lines, Ukraine’s top military commander says.
Politico: Reconnaissance drones from Hungary crossed into Ukraine, the government in Kyiv said Friday.
Reuters: Two teenagers were arrested in the Netherlands earlier this week on suspicion of spying for pro-Russian hackers, Dutch daily the Telegraaf reported on Friday. The Dutch prosecution service confirmed two 17-year-olds were arrested on Monday.
The Kyiv Independent: A Russian commander ordered his soldiers to open fire on subordinates attempting to retreat, according to an alleged intercepted phone call released by Ukraine's military intelligence on Sept. 25.
Russa-Ukraine Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Do you think your friend or colleague should know about this newsletter? Forward it to them, please. They can also sign up here.
Please consider supporting my work