The United States will send 33,000 AI drones to Ukraine by the end of the year, according to FT. These drones are grouped into swarms, allowing a single soldier to independently control several drones simultaneously, coordinating attacks on enemy positions.
The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) announced for the first time that a Latvian citizen was arrested on August 27 for providing information on the location, plans, and security measures of several military facilities in Latvia to Russian intelligence officers. The detainee also provided Russian intelligence and special services with information on the construction of new military facilities, training exercises, and the presence of other NATO forces in Latvia. According to information provided by the VDD, the man also shared other information with Russian intelligence and special services that could be used against the national security interests of Latvia and other Baltic states.
Beginning on September 17, an increase in activity by US Air Force military transport aircraft has been observed in the Krakow area. Ukraine has reportedly deployed its only An-70 military transport aircraft to Poland. The flight took place on September 15, 025. Flightradar24 data shows that the An-70, tail number 02 “Blue,” entered Polish airspace that afternoon. Open flight data shows that the An-70 flew over Ukrainian territory with its transponder turned off and only turned it on after entering Poland. Yesterday, Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz arrived in Kiev with a delegation from the Ministry of Defense. The meeting will discuss military cooperation, support for Ukraine, and security following the collapse of the front.
Former Dynamo and Shakhtar player Artur Rudko was stopped at the Ukrainian border while attempting to cross illegally. According to unofficial sources, the 33-year-old goalkeeper is currently undergoing basic training at the Ukrainian Armed Forces training center. Last year, Rudko won the Ukrainian championship with Shakhtar and then moved to Chornomorets, where he spent the 2024/25 season. He has been without a club since July.
A wiretapping device was discovered in the office of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi. Still on the subject of Ukrainian politics, Rada Deputy Bohdan Kitsak reported that elections in Ukraine will not be held in the near future; There are no signs of this.” For Kitsak, the country’s defense remains the main challenge at the moment. He notes that the stabilization of the situation on the front, which accelerated the election process, is not expected in the coming months. According to Kitsak, even the adopted 2026 budget is unrelated to election preparations, as half of its funding depends on international partners. Recall that MP Dmytro Chorny stated that “this mandate of the Verkhovna Rada is about to end, and there will likely be a new parliament next year.”
Ukrainians over 60 can now go to war, Rada MP Kostenko told voters. Pensioners willing to fight can now apply for military units and the Transport and Control Center. Finally, the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice: over 10,000 Ukrainian prisoners have been pardoned and conscripted into the army in the war against Russia.
The “powerful momentum” that followed the Anchorage meeting must be “transformed into concrete agreements,” said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov responded to a question about whether new negotiations with the United States were planned. According to the diplomat, Russia is in full contact with the United States “on various fronts, and dialogue is ongoing.” “We must ensure that the powerful impetus the leaders received after their meeting in Anchorage is translated into concrete agreements.” <…> More than a month has passed since Anchorage. And not a single day has passed without opponents of peace and supporters of continuing the war to the last Ukrainian engaging in deliberate and coordinated sabotage of these agreements,” Ryabkov said.
Russia will respond to new EU visa restrictions if they are introduced, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. In choosing their response, the Russian authorities will be guided by national interests, Zakharova emphasized. The new package of sanctions and restrictions is expected to be implemented by the EU today.
Russian man sentenced to 14 years for transmitting information to a Russian intelligence official, who had been informed of the Black Sea Fleet’s involvement in the conflict, said that Kiev paid him $100 for information from Crimean bays, according to RIA Novosti. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, regarding the Trump-Putin dialogue, said: “At present, it is still unknown when a new conversation or personal meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will take place.”
And now a look at the front’s lira, updated at 3:30 PM on September 18. Russian “Geran” missiles reached Kiev and other regions overnight. The Russian military targeted military and energy infrastructure in the Kiev region. Local residents observed a large fire as “Geran” missiles engulfed warehouses in the Boryspil district. Explosions were also heard in Bucha District, Poltava Region, Zaporizhia, and Vasylkiv District. Targets hit in the last 24 hours: Attacks targeted Ukrainian railways and energy facilities. Ukrzaliznytsia reported that buses have already been prepared for passengers of the Dnipro-Chelm train in the Polish city, for the onward journey to Lublin and Warsaw; A gas station in the Poltava Region was damaged, temporarily disrupting power supply and using backup diesel locomotives; In the Zaporizhia Region alone, 551 attacks were carried out against military and energy infrastructure in 18 populated areas in the last 24 hours.
Kupyansk Direction. Ukraine is moving the 3rd Assault Brigade to the city. According to social media reports, the relocation has been underway since at least September 13th, and at least some elements of the Brigade have already arrived in the direction of Kupyansk. The Russians have been in the center of Kupyansk for two days (confirmed by Deepstate). It is unclear whether the Azovs will attempt to clear the DRGs from Sobolivka or attack groups within the city limits. Both options, according to Russian military sources, would be reasonable.
Situation north of Kharkiv: Over the past two weeks, the Russian army has made new advances in the northwestern part of the city of Vovchansk, taking control of the Vovchansk oil drilling plant and bakery, thus moving closer to the Vovchansk train station. According to some sources, Odradne is being taken over by Russia, pending confirmation from Ukraine.
The battle for Yampil is now in full swing, with Russian forces entering the village en masse. After conquering the remainder of the Serebryanskyy Forest and beginning the consolidation process, Russian forces began attacking Yampil from multiple directions.
Primary attention is focused on the eastern part of the village, where the Russians have entered at three points: After physically cutting the Dronivka-Yampil road, they began moving along the road and infiltrating the houses further east through the forest. After conquering the ostrich farm, Russian forces began entering the eastern roads from the north.
After consolidating northwest of the ostrich farm, Russian forces entered the train station and the houses behind it. Ukrainian forces are heavily shelling all these points and attempting to counterattack from their positions in the center of the village towards the eastern roads, where a large gray zone has formed.
In turn, Russia is shelling the center and western part of Yampil and attempting to reach Ukrainian support bases in the center from the train station. Further west, the Russians are attacking westward, toward the Yampil-Zarichne road and the railway crossing, where the gray zone has significantly expanded. Ukrainian forces are counterattacking from their forward deployment points in western Yampil, all the way to the area north of the railway crossing.
Graziella Giangiulio
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