(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Twelve people have been killed and at least 21 wounded as Russian forces launched a sixth consecutive night of missile and drone strikes against the Ukrainian capital, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The strikes, which began on Monday night, targeted residential areas and civilian infrastructure. At least 218 drones were launched into Ukrainian territory alongside multiple cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv and the surrounding region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 350 rescue workers were deployed across the Kyiv region to tackle fires and damage caused by the overnight attacks. At least six Ukrainian railway employees were killed when a ballistic missile struck a railway depot in the capital.
“Russia always plans its strikes in a way designed to cause maximum destruction to people’s lives and it succeeds only when there are not enough air defence systems,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
Ukraine continues to plead with the United States for additional air defence capabilities as the country struggles to protect its skies against ballistic barrages.
European leaders deliver blunt message to Russian envoy at G20
The United States’ decision to include Russia in a G20 gathering of top economic officials has sparked tensions with European allies who continue to push for Moscow’s isolation over its war in Ukraine.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the US hosted talks in Asheville, North Carolina, where Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a private meeting with him. According to US officials, Bessent stressed that no economic relief would be available to Russia until the war ends, while promoting former President Donald Trump’s plan for peace and economic growth.
Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domański voiced strong opposition to Siluanov’s inclusion.
“The presence of Russia here in Asheville in the US is no sign of any normalisation of our relations. We of course recognise the right of the presidency to invite guests. That being said, we strongly condemn all moves of Russia and Poland is very vocal while pressing for more sanctions on Russia,” Domański said.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Europe was preparing a further package of sanctions against Russia, but Siluanov’s presence sent a troubling signal for US cooperation with the effort.
The two day meeting, which began on Monday, comes as the global economy is being buffeted by an energy shock triggered by the Iran war, rising tensions over China’s goods trade surplus, and concerns over how an investment surge in artificial intelligence will ultimately play out.
Modi tells the Russian dictator: time to end the war
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin appeared displeased after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an overwhelming message calling for a transition from “endless war to the end of the war” in Ukraine.
The appeal came during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kazakhstan, where leaders of China, India and Russia greeted each other with smiles. The Russian dictator’s mood soured when Modi later told him to stop his war against Ukraine.
“Every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from an endless war to the end of the war to the cessation of hostilities and this is precisely the direction in which we must move,” Modi said.
Experts say Modi’s outspoken appeal should come as no surprise because the organisation lacks unity. Two of its members, India and Pakistan, went to war last year.
“The big criticism of course has been that it is a very disunited and slightly fractured organisation. Two of its key members, India and Pakistan literally went to war with each other a year ago. And of course it is largely seen as a duopoly between Russia and China,” an expert said.
EU defence ministers discuss security in Ireland
European Union defence ministers have arrived in County Wicklow, Ireland, for a full day of informal talks with Ukraine once again expected to dominate the agenda.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asked allies to step up defence support for Ukraine’s airspace, which has come under a constant barrage of Russian missiles and drones in recent days. President Zelenskyy also requested an additional 300 Patriot missiles and warned of a €27 billion funding gap (£23.1 billion, $29.2 billion).
Ministers are expected to examine Europe’s security architecture, considering recent drone incursions in the Baltic States, a drone attack in Leipzig, and a series of fires at Polish drone factories, raising questions whether Russia’s hybrid warfare is stepping up in scale and intensity.
Discussions will include space security ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s major speech in Paris, where she is set to unveil the European space shield designed to protect the bloc’s satellites.
V4 foreign ministers meet in Bratislava
A meeting between foreign ministers of the Visegrád Group began on Tuesday in Bratislava. Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary were joined by Japan’s foreign minister.
The ministers discussed pressing issues affecting Central and Eastern Europe, including legal migration, collaboration, transport, energy and the development of closer relations among the four countries. The meeting aimed to revive relations within the group after they had deteriorated, particularly between Warsaw and Budapest over their differing views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
EU Arctic Forum takes place in Brussels
The EU Arctic Forum is taking place in Brussels, with officials from several Arctic nations and territories, including Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, discussing EU engagements in the region.
The timing is not favourable for the EU’s standing in the Arctic. Three days ago, Iceland voted against reopening membership talks with the European Union by a margin of roughly 53 to 47 per cent. The vote came as a blow to both the Icelandic government and the European Union.
Back to school in Ukraine amid war
For children, the first day of school should be about new books, new classrooms and seeing friends again. But for families in Ukraine, 1st September 2025 once again began with air raid sirens, explosions and one question: is it safe to go to school?
Explosions shook Kyiv before dawn as Russia launched missiles and drones at the capital. For Yuliana Oliinyk and her sons Adrian and Damian, even getting ready for school has become a challenge.
“I’m already thinking maybe we should just take sleeping bags and sleep in the metro at the station near the high school. I don’t know. Last year it was difficult at school and now I honestly don’t even know what to do. I just don’t know,” she said.
Adrian is 11. Damian is seven. The uniforms were ready. The school things were waiting. But after years of war, an air raid can still change the simplest of family plans.
“We’ve been waiting for about an hour maybe. And yesterday, because of the air raid alert, we couldn’t get home and spent a night at their grandmother’s,” she added.
For Ukrainian children, this September marks another grim milestone. It is the fifth school year to begin since Russia launched its full scale invasion. Five Septembers of lessons interrupted by sirens. Five school years in which children have learned not only where the classroom is, but where to find the nearest shelter.
Poland marks 87th anniversary of Second World War outbreak
Poland’s top officials made their way to Westerplatte, the former Polish military fortress, on Tuesday morning. Ceremonies were held to mark the 87th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki once again called on Germany to settle the issue of war reparations for damages suffered by the Polish nation in the conflict. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the lessons of the Second World War must be learned and called on the free world to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Sirens sounded just before dawn, marking the exact moment Nazi German forces launched their attack. The attack at 4:45am local time on 1st September 1939 by a German battleship on a Polish military depot at Westerplatte was one of the events that initiated the Second World War. Polish troops defended the facility against enemy attacks from sea, land and air until 7th September 1939.
“I appeal here from Westerplatte to the German Chancellor, to the German nation. Let us settle this issue of reparations and compensation with historical justice in mind, but also with the future in mind,” President Nawrocki said.
Prime Minister Tusk added: “Here at Westerplatte, we must say it loudly. The coming months, this autumn and winter that lie ahead may be crucial for Ukraine’s independence, but also for the security of Poland and the entire free world.”
Be First to Comment