(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Russian forces launched a wave of attacks across Ukraine on Friday, killing nine people and injuring 145, as Moscow escalates its campaign against civilian targets ahead of the winter months.
Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched 161 drones into Ukrainian territory during the assaults. The attacks included three separate strikes on petrol stations in Kyiv over the past three days, with two people killed on Friday following a morning attack on a packed filling station in the capital. Two shopping centres were also struck during business hours, one in Sumy and one in Pavlohrad, where the death toll rose to five.
“This comes at a time when Ukraine is really struggling with air defences,” said Oscar, a correspondent in Kyiv. “Russia is choosing these attacks. It is targeting these places knowing that civilians will be there.”
Civilian casualties have spiked in recent months. In July, 437 civilians were killed by Russian attacks in Ukraine, the largest number recorded since May 2022. Similar figures are expected for August and September.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna visited Kyiv on Friday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as Ukraine pushes allies for additional air defence support ahead of critical winter months when Russia is expected to intensify strikes on energy infrastructure.
Ukraine retaliated with a series of deep strikes inside Russia over the past 24 hours, targeting an oil refinery and an Ozon warehouse in the Saratov region. The refinery, owned by Rosneft, has an annual processing capacity of approximately 4.8 million metric tonnes of crude oil. Ukrainian forces also struck two petrochemical plants, one in the Volgograd region and one in the Perm region. The agency releasing footage of these strikes was not specified in the source material.
Meanwhile, Germany has joined a renewed push to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine as European Union capitals discuss the bloc’s next long-term budget. According to Politico, Germany has joined Poland, Spain and Sweden in advocating for the dispersal of more than 200 billion euros (approximately 217 billion US dollars) in Russian frozen assets currently held mostly in Belgium.
The German proposal could replace at least part of the 100 billion euros (approximately 108 billion US dollars) currently earmarked for Ukraine in the EU’s next seven-year budget. The European Commission has approved another 6.1 billion euros (approximately 6.6 billion US dollars or 5.1 billion pounds sterling) for Ukrainian defence under a massive 90 billion euro loan programme.
“Excessive debt threatens our sovereignty and our ability to act,” said a German official. “We therefore face the admittedly painful task of setting priorities and we cannot avoid this by taking on new European debt.”
The shift in Berlin follows a series of sabotage incidents blamed on Russia and a strong showing by the far-right Alternative for Germany party in recent state elections. Most of the frozen assets are held at Belgium-based Euroclear, and Belgium has said it cannot be held legally or financially responsible if Russia successfully challenges the dispersal of those funds.
Poland aims to develop its own satellite communication system akin to Starlink, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday. The declaration followed the signing of a letter of intent between Polish Armament Group and Polish-Finnish company ICEYE on developing a military satellite communication system for the Polish armed forces.
“Poland could become an example for Europe to follow when it comes to autonomy and sovereignty,” Tusk said. “Polish and European security cannot depend on one man. Our own satellite communications are crucial to our security.”
Tusk noted that Russia’s war in Ukraine has underscored the importance of satellite communications, citing the 2022 incident when Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, denied a Ukrainian military request to extend coverage to Russian-occupied Crimea. The implementation of the new programme is planned for 2026 to 2030.
Poland’s hopes to host a permanent US military base have been emboldened by a review of potential sites by US officials this week, though no decisions were announced. Polish Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Govetska said the decision ultimately lies with US President Donald Trump and could be made in the coming weeks.
Despite the ongoing Russian onslaught, Hasidic pilgrims from Israel and other countries gathered in the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah. More than 40,000 pilgrims were expected despite the war. Ukraine’s civilian airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, forcing pilgrims to fly to neighbouring countries and continue overland.
“For the pilgrims, the war has made the journey longer and more difficult, but it has not stopped it,” reported Peter, a correspondent in Uman. “This tradition has survived borders, repression and war.”
Disruptions to global energy supplies are intensifying as the war in the Middle East enters a new theatre in the Red Sea. Houthi militants backed by Iran captured a strategic island next to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, a key chokepoint for shipments transiting the Red Sea. Saudi oil shipments through Bab el-Mandeb plunged to just 400,000 barrels per day last month, compared to a peak of more than 3 million before the war.
The threat to Red Sea shipping, coupled with renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, drove the price of Brent crude above 109 US dollars on Thursday, the highest level since May. In the United States, the price of diesel hit a record with the national average topping 6 US dollars per gallon for the first time.
The European Union’s Commissioner for Technology, Henna Virkkunen, called for global regulation of artificial intelligence on Friday, though neither the US nor China have shown appetite for regulatory restraints. AI is already being used on the front lines in Ukraine and Gaza, and a new report from Anthropic revealed that the Houthi group attempted to use its large language model Claude to create ballistic missiles.
NATO is working on new technologies to support its special forces, with 26 defence companies and elite soldiers from several countries testing the newest military tech in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of the Bold Machina 26 exercise.
“Some of NATO’s most elite military units are looking for technological solutions that could make them even more effective,” reported Ovid Nichea from Lisbon.
New York City honoured the victims of the 11th September 2001 terror attacks with a dramatic show recreating the shape of the Twin Towers using 2,977 drones, one for each victim killed a quarter of a century ago. Eight Poles were among those killed in New York, including 21-year-old Wukauash Malefki, the youngest Pole to die in the attacks. Poland’s prime minister paid tribute to those who lost their lives, saying: “Just like back then, you can count on us today because Poland always treats its allied obligations seriously, and we expect the same from our allies.”
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said Russia has no capacity to launch another front in Europe, noting that Russian forces are losing 34,000 troops per month in Ukraine, more than they are recruiting. He said Russian advancement this year has been just 0.9 per cent.
“There is no advancement, just burning the military force,” Kulbergs said. “As a result, there is no gains in war, there is no political gains, there is no strategic gains.”
Kulbergs added that Russia remains capable of hybrid and cyber threats, including sabotage and arson activities. He said Latvia has initiated Operation Wolf Warfare, involving border guards, police, special forces and the army, to address migration pressure orchestrated by Russia and Belarus.
“We have to be one strong border against the aggressor,” Kulbergs said.
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