A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Political Developments
After previously stating he could end the conflict within 24 hours, President Donald Trump has become more pessimistic about a swift resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war and an in-person meeting between the two countries’ leaders. Despite this, he remains involved in diplomatic efforts, recently urging European leaders to stop funding the war by purchasing Russian oil and to pressure China economically for its support of Russia.
While President Trump reassured Poland this week that the U.S. will not be withdrawing troops from the country — and even suggested that the U.S. could send more to the country that borders both Russia and Belarus — separate reports in the Financial Times revealed that the U.S. will halt some security aid programs under Section 333 to countries bordering Russia.
Bulgaria on Thursday back-tracked on reports that Russian jamming had hit European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane. Initial reporting on Sunday had suggested Russian disruption impacted the plane’s GPS on arrival to Plovdiv, but on Thursday Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadzhov stated that “there is not a single fact supporting the claim to silence the GPS signal that affected the plane.”
The joint “Zapad 2025” military drill launched by Russia and Belarus has put Eastern European nations on high alert amid fears of provocations and low-key attacks. The exercises are slated to include the use of nuclear weapons and Russian-made hypersonic missiles, prompting Poland and the Baltic States to plan a parallel exercise involving 40,000 allied troops. Concerns are heightened as the previous Zapad drill in 2021 served as a precursor to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Military Assistance to Ukraine
The U.S. has offered Ukraine additional support for its Patriot Air Defense Systems. The estimated total program cost is $179.1 million. The principal contractors will be RTX Corporation, located in Arlington, VA; and Lockheed Martin, located in Bethesda, MD. Washington separately plans to deliver 4×4 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles to Ukraine, which had been designed for use in Afghanistan.
Belgium will contribute EUR100 million ($118 million) towards the purchase of U.S. weapons for delivery to Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said this week.
In a press release on Wednesday, the U.K. stated that over GBP1 billion has been repaid from a loan to Ukraine utilizing the proceeds of frozen Russian financial assets.
Ukrainian officials are investigating allegations of corruption associated with Fire Point, the prime contractor for the Flamingo program. The company is accused of misleading the government on pricing and deliveries. Fire Point has developed the FP-1 deep-strike drone and Flamingo cruise missile, and this week the Danish government announced that the company would soon set up facilities in Denmark.
Battlefield Updates
Russia conducted a large-scale overnight attack on 14 regions of Ukraine, using nearly 540 drones and 45 missiles, which resulted in at least one death and 30 injuries. In response, Ukrainian drones targeted and struck oil refineries in Russia, with both countries claiming success in their respective strikes.
On the ground, Russia continued a major push towards the city of Pokrovsk this week, and Russian troops are on the outskirts of the city.
The U.S. has performed another reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea using an RQ-4B Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The UAV was seen over the Black Sea on August 31.
As many as 2,000 North Korean troops have been killed fighting on Russia’s behalf, according to South Korean intelligence assessments.
A Ukrainian MiG-29 has been seen armed with a new air-launched munition that appears analogous to the Russian UMPK glide bomb. The development highlights Ukraine’s push to introduce more advanced homegrown weapons to reduce its reliance on Western-supplied ordnance. The new weapon, which appears to be in the 500-kilogram class, is intended to provide a lower-cost solution for standoff strikes against Russian targets.
Crews in Soviet-era Yak-52 propeller-driven trainer aircraft are hunting and destroying Russian drones over Ukraine. Lacking radar, the two-man crews rely on ground commands to intercept drones, with a gunner in the rear seat using a handheld machine gun to shoot them down. This low-tech solution has proven effective against Russian surveillance drones, becoming an integral part of Ukraine’s layered air defense system.
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