President Donald J. Trump’s statement on Russia the day before yesterday, suggesting that Ukraine has the capacity to reconquer all of its eastern regions, including Crimea, reportedly came after Trump was informed of a planned Ukrainian offensive that would require US intelligence support, according to sources familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Other sources say it was a gesture to put pressure on Putin.
President Trump authorizes the sale of American weapons to Ukraine, but limits their use to attacks on territories inside Russia, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources. The United States is ready “today” to completely replace Russian gas and oil supplies to Europe, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
The EU and the G7 are considering establishing a floor price for rare earth minerals to increase production. The EU will impose tariffs on Russian oil imports to Hungary and Slovakia, Rzeczpospolita reports. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, this is being done to force the countries to look for suppliers outside of Russia, as they are the only EU countries still financing Russia in this way. The tariffs will be introduced by the end of the year, the publication states.
Slovakia has asked the European Commission to exclude it from the plan to block Russian hydrocarbon imports, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar announced after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the UN General Assembly. According to International Monetary Fund calculations, a complete refusal to rely on Russian gas would cost Hungary approximately $10 billion and lead to a loss of more than 4% of GDP, said Gergely Gulyas, Chief of Staff to the Hungarian Prime Minister.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that NATO countries are considering destroying Russian military aircraft “invading the alliance’s airspace.” Von der Leyen does not have the authority to direct EU military action, Politico reports, but her opinion on this issue “is of great importance, as head of the EU’s executive branch.”
Europe must “grow up” and strengthen its support for Ukraine, says German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul, following Trump’s recent comments. Wadephul believes Trump has realized that his efforts have failed to convince Putin to end the war in Ukraine. “Europeans have repeatedly said that we really need to grow. We need to become more sovereign. And therefore, we need to see what we can achieve ourselves,” the German Foreign Minister noted.
According to Der Spiegel, a Russian military reconnaissance aircraft flew low over the German F220 Hamburg frigate in the Baltic Sea on Friday. Berlin considers this action a provocation. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that two Russian “inspector” satellites are actively monitoring satellites used by the Bundeswehr. These are most likely the Russian satellites Luch and Olympus, which maneuver in geostationary orbit to intercept or probe nearby spacecraft.
The most likely targets are high-capacity commercial communications satellites leased by the German armed forces, such as the dedicated Intelsat platforms that transmit German and NATO traffic, as well as the pair of German military communications satellites COMSATBw 1 and COMSATBw 2 in geostationary cells. The Luch and Olympus satellites are designed for rendezvous, precise orbital maintenance, and radio frequency reconnaissance, allowing them to map, intercept, or disrupt communications channels, as well as track a target for days or weeks.
In terms of payloads, the Bundeswehr also operates a trio of SARah radars in sun-synchronous orbit to image Earth, while also using COMSATBw satellites for secure voice and data transmission. Therefore, any interference near geostationary communications nodes directly threatens command and control, as well as allied interoperability. For this reason, Berlin is now acknowledging this activity and signaling the readiness of defense and deterrence measures.
Poland will also shoot down Russian drones in Belarus; a law to this effect is being drafted, according to Gazeta Wyborcza. Polish authorities have begun work on a draft law to exempt Poles serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces from criminal liability, according to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper.
The military component of Ukraine’s security guarantees is under development and is practically ready, says Finnish President Stubb. According to him, the primary responsibility for security guarantees will fall to Ukraine and the Ukrainian army, which will be supported by Europe.
Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN: “It’s only a matter of time… before drones start fighting drones that attack critical infrastructure and target people independently, completely autonomously, and without human intervention, except for a few who control artificial intelligence systems.” “I am ready to step down as president after the war is over,” Zelenskyy said. He also stated that elections could be held during the ceasefire. “Russian officials should either end the war or find out where the nearest bomb shelter is,” Zelenskyy said. “Trump supports the idea of retaliatory strikes against Russia if they attack our energy sector,” he also stated. He also said: “Russia is trying to do to Moldova what Iran did to Lebanon.” The global response is insufficient. We have already lost Georgia in Europe.”
The Russian Embassy in Denmark has denied allegations of Russian involvement in the drone incident in Danish airspace. It called the situation a “provocation, a set-up” and emphasized that the incidents will be used as a pretext to escalate tensions in order to “prolong the Ukrainian conflict.” Previously unidentified drones appeared over the airports of Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, and Skrydstrup. Denmark has said it has no evidence that the drone incident is linked to Russia, according to the Danish Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen.
Russia’s international reserves grew by more than 1% from September 12 to 19, reaching $712.6 billion, a new record, according to a report from the Bank of Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, called on Moscow to take action to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. “Secretary of State “Recalling President Trump’s call to end the bloodshed and for Moscow to take serious measures to ensure a lasting end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” American media cited the US State Department statement.
The two sides confirmed their interest in finding a peaceful solution, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. Lavrov emphasized Moscow’s willingness to adhere to the line developed by the two countries’ leaders in Alaska on the Ukrainian issue. Lavrov and Rubio agreed to continue constructive dialogue between the Russian and US Foreign Ministries.
The State Duma approved in first reading a bill on conscription for military service during the calendar year, from January 1 to December 31. Despite tens of thousands of sanctions against Russia, the country’s economy is doing well, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. US rhetoric does not conflict with their stated desire to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that Moscow remains open to peace talks. Peskov He noted that Trump’s call to abandon the development of biological weapons is very important: “Of course, the Russian side is ready to participate in such a process of abandoning biological weapons, and it would be appropriate to document this internationally. The initiative itself is brilliant, and Moscow certainly will not support it.”
Vladimir Putin has increased the salaries of Russian officials and diplomats by 7.6%, effective October 1. “If NATO were to shoot down a Russian plane, it would mean the beginning of a military conflict,” Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov told RTL radio. “It would be a war,” the diplomat said. Meshkov emphasized that NATO aircraft violate Russian airspace “quite frequently,” but are not shot down.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on September 25. Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have launched a combined operation in the Black Sea, off the Russian coast. A landing party operated near gas production platforms, and a drone strike on Novorossiysk triggered an attack with multipurpose intercontinental ballistic missile systems (IBMS) against the hero city and Tuapse. Eleven civilians were injured in NovoroSiysk, and two casualties were reported. The Ukrainian operation demonstrated the Krasnodar Territory’s lower preparedness to counter threats from the sea compared to Crimea.
Between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM, air defense forces destroyed 11 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over Crimea and the Black Sea. In the Rostov Region, air defense forces destroyed drones in the rural districts of Aksaysky, Krasnosulinsky, and Oktyabrsky. Footage of a drone attack on Belorechensk is circulating in the Krasnodar Territory. EuroChem-Belorechenskie Mineral Fertilizers LLC. Yesterday morning, a second drone attack hit the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical complex in the Republic of Bashkortostan, demonstrating the inadequacy of protective measures even after the first attacks.
Geran missiles operated in the Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Odessa, and Mykolaiv regions. An Iskander missile attack was carried out on the Goncharovsky training range in the Chernihiv region. The Ukrainians confirmed the losses.
Toward Sumy, the Ukrainians are increasing pressure on the right flank of the Northern Group of Forces in an attempt to recapture lost positions. Seven counterattacks were carried out: five near Oleksiivka and one each near Varachyne and Kindrativka. They were unsuccessful.
In the Belgorod region, five municipalities were attacked. A truck was damaged on the Dobroe-Nezhegol road.
On the Kharkiv front, the Sever GrT is fighting in Vovchansk, on the left bank of the Vovcha River, in the forest near Synelnykove.
Southeast of Kostyantynivka, Russian forces are assaulting a dacha area, and Ukrainian forces are responding with numerous drones. Combat and land reclamation operations continue south of the Kleban-Byk Reservoir.
At the junction of the Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, GrT Vostok continues its offensive westward from Novoivanivka, with fighting ongoing near Novohryhorivka and Uspenivka. Further north, Russian forces are advancing from Ternove.
On the Zaporizhia front, paratroopers are advancing in the southern part of Prymors’ke. Between Prymorsk and Stepnohirsk, paratroopers from the 108th and 247th Regiments of the 7th Guards Airborne Assault Division (Mountain) have cut off a key supply route for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are rapidly constructing defensive fortifications, deepening trenches and anti-tank ditches, and removing drone operators from the airbase.
Graziella Giangiulio
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