Sep 28, 2026, 01:00 PM UTC

Cross-border attacks between Russia and Ukraine continued overnight, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage despite reported commitments to pause strikes on Kyiv and Moscow during upcoming diplomatic visits. Russian bombardments targeted several Ukrainian regions, including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, while Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery and sites in Belgorod and Sochi.

The ongoing hostilities coincide with scheduled weekend visits by U.S. envoys to both nations to discuss potential peace proposals, ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to the United Nations General Assembly. Concurrently, European Union diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned a Russian strike on a train near the Polish border, describing it as an effort to intimidate European allies.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated both nations agreed to halt energy infrastructure attacks, though Kyiv maintains any freeze requires firm Western guarantees.

Sources: Avaz, Beta, CDM, N1, Vijesti

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the European Union "will not tolerate attacks" on its territory after German authorities identified two Moscow-linked suspects in connection with explosive drones discovered in Leipzig.

The diplomatic friction coincides with escalating military action in Eastern Europe. Russian forces launched renewed attacks against Ukraine's energy network, conducting overnight drone raids on Kyiv that damaged property and injured a civilian. The bombardment intensified following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he described Vladimir Putin as "patient zero" of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces expanded long-range aerial strikes targeting Russian oil refineries. The resulting damage to petroleum infrastructure has forced Moscow to import fuel from foreign suppliers to maintain domestic reserves.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

United States prosecutors have charged five alleged Russian intelligence operatives for managing a covert network tasked with carrying out assassinations and sabotage targeting supporters of Ukraine across North America and Europe. According to federal indictments unsealed in Manhattan, the suspects remain at large after paying operatives to surveil and attack targets, including during a June 2024 incident in Prague.

Meanwhile, a regional court in Stuttgart, Germany, convicted a Ukrainian national over a separate Russian-directed scheme involving explosive parcel bombs. Prosecutors established that the convict and two accomplices dispatched packages equipped with tracking devices from Germany to Ukraine. The court determined the operation was orchestrated by a Russian state entity to destabilize public confidence in security.

Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, France24, OCCRP, The Guardian.

Russian forces launched nearly 60 strikes across five districts in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region over a 24-hour period, according to local emergency authorities. The attacks left five people dead and 16 others injured as the conflict reached its 1,625th day.

The heaviest losses occurred in the Kamianske district, where shelling killed three individuals and wounded five. In Pavlohrad, strikes resulted in two deaths and seven injuries. Additional casualties were reported in the Nikopol district following repeated bombardment. Local emergency crews operated overnight to extinguish fires caused by the strikes and evaluate damaged civilian infrastructure.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă

US President Donald Trump has warned of additional military strikes against Iran if Tehran retaliates following recent military exchanges. Explosions were reported near the Iranian coastal cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, marking the first direct military engagement between the two nations in a month. Trump claimed that Iranian leadership was "begging" to negotiate a diplomatic deal with Washington.

In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that while Tehran does not seek conflict, it will "respond decisively to aggressors." Meanwhile, Iranian military officials asserted that naval operations continue as normal despite the strikes. Both nations maintain heightened military readiness while diplomatic channels remain frozen.

Sources: CDM (Cafe del Montenegro).