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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian law enforcement officers stand among the debris of a destroyed gas station following an air attack in Kyiv on Sept. 11, 2026. An early morning Russian drone strike on the gas station killed two people, the city’s mayor said. (AFP via Getty Images)
‘There might be nothing left tomorrow’ — Russia ramps up attacks on Kyiv’s gas stations. One emergency responder was among the injured in the Russian attacks on the gas stations, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.
EU gives final green light to 6 billion euros in defense aid for Ukraine, Patriot missiles purchase. The European Commission’s approval allows Ukraine to use funds from the EU’s 90-billion-euro ($104-billion) support loan to purchase U.S.-made PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, one of the few weapons capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Fires reported at manufacturing sites in Russia following Ukrainian drone strikes. Ukrainian forces appear to have struck industrial sites in the Russian cities of Tolyatti and Taganrog on Sept. 12, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
Ukrainian Flamingo missiles strike chemical plant in Russia’s Volgograd, Fire Point says. “Flamingos paid a little visit to Volgograd last night,” Fire Point said in a social media statement. “Ukrainian sanctions, as always, proved to be the most effective.”
Lawmaker charged in graft case involving President’s Office returns to Ukraine. In August President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, and Viktor Dubovyk, head of the legal policy department at the President’s Office, were also charged as part of the case. The suspects are accused of both corporate raiding and money laundering.
Lawmaker, formerly from Zelensky’s parliament group, jailed for 9 years over 2020 graft case. Oleksandr Yurchenko, then a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People parliamentary group, was charged in 2020 for soliciting bribes in exchange for legislative amendments.
US House to take up Graham’s Russia sanctions bill next week. The legislation passed with overwhelming support in the Senate in August but is expected to face stronger opposition in the House, with some House Democrats fearing it would grant U.S. President Donald Trump too much authority over tariffs.
Zelensky calls for stronger US sanctions against Russia, says Ukraine must engage in peace talks with Moscow. “Strong decisions from the U.S. President’s administration are crucial. Personal decisions from President Trump are also very much desired,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russia targets Kyiv gas stations for second day
Russian drones struck two gas stations in Kyiv on Sept. 11, killing two people and injuring 12 others, including a child, local authorities said.
Photo: Ukraine’s Emergency Service / Telegram
Investigation: Inside Russia’s FSB prison system in Crimea
Two new Russian pretrial detention centers in occupied Crimea form part of a system in which Ukrainian civilians are held for months without formal charges, access to lawyers, or family contact, and detainees report torture and abuse under the watch of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), a new investigation by the Kyiv Independent reveals.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
Traveling to Kyiv during war: What you need to know
Booking spontaneous trips within minutes using a single platform is a distant memory for those wanting to come home or visit Ukraine.
Photo: Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent
Human cost of war
Russian forces kill 9, injure 145 across Ukraine over past day as Moscow expands gas station strikes to Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 161 attack drones of various types overnight, including jet-powered drones, as well as one S-8000 “Banderol” low-cost cruise missile.
Russian forces executed 2 Ukrainian POWs near Dobropillia, prosecutors say. The Russian troops allegedly executed the Ukrainian servicemen with automatic weapons, prosecutors said.
Half a million Russian troops killed since start of full-scale invasion of Ukraine, British intel reports. U.K. intelligence said the number of Russian casualties, meaning killed, wounded, and missing, is thought to be 1.5 million since February 2022, matching Ukrainian estimates.
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International response
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski arrives in Kyiv as Russian drones attack. “Good morning from Kyiv,” Sikorski posted on X. Fifteen minutes later, Kyiv Independent reporters noted explosions in central Kyiv and the air raid sirens began to sound.
18 EU, Ukrainian defense companies join up to launch Drone Alliance. “Speak out about your bottlenecks, components, testing slots, certification, intellectual property, skilled staff. We can only address the obstacles we are able to see,” the EU’s Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told attendees of the meeting.
‘Shameful and immoral’ — Ukraine reacts to far-right Polish politician vandalizing UPA monument. Polish far-right politician Grzegorz Braun published a video of himself damaging a memorial in eastern Poland, which commemorates UPA fighters killed while fighting the Soviet secret police.
Serbia’s Russia-friendly president to resign in late September before running for PM. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he would resign from office on Sept. 25 or 26 before focusing on his campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
‘Dialogue and diplomacy’ are path toward ending conflicts, India’s Modi tells Putin. The two leaders met in New Delhi ahead of a BRICS summit held in India’s capital between Sept. 12 and 13.
‘The time has come’ — Belarus’s Lukashenko inspects troops, says army ‘needs shaking up.’ The dictator also said his youngest son, Nikolai, was currently serving in the armed forces.
Canada sanctions 8 individuals over deportation, militarization of Ukrainian children. The sanctioned individuals include Russian officials, youth movement leaders, and occupation officials accused of facilitating the removal of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories and their integration into Russia’s education system.
Inside Russia’s FSB prison network in Crimea | Documentary
In other news
Ukraine increases food exports in September, but remains at 40% of its capacity. Since the start of September, Ukraine has exported 630,000 metric tons of agricultural products, more than half of which was grain — 380,000 tons.
SBU foils Russia’s FSB plot to assassinate prominent Ukrainian activist in Kyiv Oblast. Hennadii Druzenko, a lawyer, civic activist, and co-founder and president of the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital named after Mykola Pyrohov, confirmed in a Facebook post that the incident took place about a month and a half ago.
Russia’s Central Bank holds key rate for the first time since mid-2025. The Russian Central Bank’s board of directors on Sept. 11 decided to keep the key rate at 14%, the first time the regulator has opted not to cut it since mid-June 2025.
Russia uses AI in cyberattacks against Ukraine, Europe, targeting WhatsApp accounts, government ministries, Anthropic says. “A common theme of the targeting was Ukraine and military drone technology providers and supply chains,” Anthropic wrote in a report on countering AI misuse.
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