Kyiv under attack and new diplomatic advances at the UN

After the controversial lifting of EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, the Baltic states have adopted national punitive measures against the two billionaires. “Estonia did not consider it right to remove these two prominent Russian businessmen from the EU sanctions list and did not support the decision,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

Russia shows no willingness to end the war against Ukraine and Usmanov and Fridman continue to support Russia's aggression. Therefore, Estonia has imposed national sanctions against them, it said in a statement from Tallinn without providing further details on specific measures. Neighboring Latvia had previously imposed national financial restrictions and entry bans against the two oligarchs. Lithuania has also taken similar steps.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian armed forces hit Ukrainian defense installations, logistics and telecommunications centers as well as ships used by the military in night attacks.

After months of negotiations, two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine have been brought to South Korea. South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yong Won, who personally met the two men during a visit to Ukraine in 2025 and has since advocated for their transfer, said at a press conference that they had arrived safely in South Korea a few days ago.

The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said during his speech at the UN general debate in New York that Ukraine had sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. "Taking these men alive was not easy. One of them tried to take his own life when he realized he would be captured," Zelensky said.

He also criticized military cooperation between Russia and North Korea: "That too is madness. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un uses them like currency. And he gets something in return." According to South Korean intelligence estimates, North Korea has sent around 15,000 soldiers to support Russia in the war against Ukraine. It is believed that North Korea receives money, military technology and security guarantees from its ally Russia in return.

According to Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, one person was killed and two others were injured in a Russian rocket attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The injured were medical personnel who were being treated in the hospital, said Klitschko. Ballistic missile debris crashed in three districts. A residential building was partially destroyed. “People could be trapped under the rubble,” writes Klitschko on the short message service Telegram. He calls on residents to stay in shelters.

The Ukrainian capital Kiev was again attacked by Russia with ballistic missiles during the night. After the air alarm was triggered, several heavy explosions were heard in the city. Military-affiliated Telegram channels counted at least fourteen rockets in the first three waves of attacks.

Local media reported fires. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescue workers had been called to several parts of the city. A precise picture of the damage was not initially available, and there was no information about victims.

The attack after 1:00 a.m. local time (12:00 a.m. CEST) followed a day in which there had already been eleven air alerts. Fast, jet-powered combat drones struck again and again, against which the Ukrainian air defense system still has hardly any means. Kyiv also lacks ammunition to intercept ballistic missiles.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of escalating aggression against Europe in view of increasing hybrid attacks. “Russia’s hybrid attacks against those who support Ukraine and international law have reached a new level,” criticized the CDU politician at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Wadephul was referring to the drone incident at Halle/Leipzig airport at the beginning of August, which the German government attributed to Moscow, which targeted Ukrainian cargo planes. Russia tried to blow up the machines with a drone prepared with explosives, the minister said. “This is not an isolated case of Russia’s reckless and dangerous escalation in Europe,” he added. Russia denies any connection with the Leipzig drone incident.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has justified Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's invitation to the G20 summit in the US. In order to solve problems, you have to meet with people with whom you have different opinions or problems, said Rubio on Wednesday on the sidelines of the general debate at the UN General Assembly in New York.

President Donald Trump's administration hopes that Putin will accept the invitation. Washington believes that it is an opportunity for Putin to exchange ideas not only with Trump, but also with other heads of state and government.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the international community to further cut Russia's revenue and thereby make it more difficult to wage war. “Russia’s revenue must remain a goal,” Zelensky said on Wednesday at the general debate at the UN General Assembly in New York.

“If someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time,” Zelensky said. “And that is precisely why we insist on restricting trade with the aggressor and why we are burning Russia’s revenue ourselves.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the UN General Assembly on Saturday on behalf of Russia. President Vladimir Putin did not travel to New York.

According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the USA is concerned about the possible expansion of Russia's war against Ukraine to other countries. On the sidelines of the UN general debate in New York, he listed hybrid attacks or sabotage attacks as possible triggers for such a scenario. "These things are a cause for concern. We are raising this in numerous meetings with different countries," emphasized Rubio. Shortly before, he had met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York.

Rubio was explicitly asked by a reporter about the suspected Russian attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. In his general answer, however, he did not address the specific case.

The Russian army attacked the Ukrainian capital Kiev with combat drones throughout the day. At least two people were killed, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. By evening, 43 people had been injured. In the city of over a million people, impacts and the fire of anti-aircraft defenses that fired at the jet-powered Russian drones could be heard again and again.

Two Internet providers reported problems after a hit in a data center. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha accused Russia of specifically attacking the alarm devices designed to protect the population. “Rapid warnings about threats from missiles and drones are important, they save lives,” he wrote on the X platform. A conference center, an office building, a pharmaceutical factory and a gas station were also reportedly hit.

The United States has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in December in Miami, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The United States hoped that he would accept this invitation, Rubio told reporters in New York.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed the new direct talks between the USA and Russia on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “If talks between the American Foreign Minister and the Russian Foreign Minister bring us closer to negotiations, then that would be good news here from New York,” said the CDU politician on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in the US east coast metropolis of New York.

Wadephul wanted to speak to the UN Security Council in the afternoon (local time) about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than four and a half years. The Federal Foreign Minister expressly demanded that the Security Council should not remain silent about Russia's actions against Ukraine and Moscow's hybrid threats against Europe. “Germany and the European Union, reliable supporters of the UN system, are threatened by a permanent member of the Security Council,” said Wadephul, adding that this was on the agenda of the international community.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russia and Ukraine have shown interest in a limited ceasefire to protect energy and grain facilities. The USA is ready to play a constructive role in this, he adds. It is unclear what consequences Rubio's words will have. About a week ago, US President Donald Trump went a step further and declared that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to bomb each other's energy facilities. The shelling continued nonetheless.

According to the Defense Ministry, Russian air defense intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones over various regions of the country, Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law, and the Azov and Black Seas.

Before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj's speech at the general debate at the UN General Assembly in New York, planned for this Wednesday evening (CEST), Russia also attacked various areas in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Marco Rubio met on the sidelines of the UN general debate in New York. The Russian Foreign Ministry shared photos of this on the X platform, but did not provide any information about the content of the conversation. There was initially no official information from the USA either.

Russian-American relations remain tense, even though US President Donald Trump always emphasizes his supposedly good relationship with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.

According to the Kremlin, there are currently no concrete plans for further US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this on Wednesday.

At least four people have been killed in Russian bombing raids in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. According to military governor Vadym Filashkin on Telegram, four other people were injured. A total of four glide bombs were dropped on the Oleksandrivka settlement.

Accordingly, one multi-story residential building was completely destroyed and eleven damaged. There was also damage to 42 single-family homes, a kindergarten, a shop and an administration building. Filashkin called on the remaining residents of the embattled region to flee. Oleksandrivka is about 40 kilometers from the front line.

The AI ​​developer OpenAI supports Ukraine in cyber defense. Ukrainian specialists will now have access to the Daybreak software package, the US startup announced on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “We want to give them more powerful tools to find and remediate vulnerabilities and protect the critical networks people rely on.” Daybreak helps to detect and close security gaps in IT systems. The program package is not freely available.

According to the Polish operational command, a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter briefly entered the airspace of NATO member Poland from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. As the command on platform X reported, the helicopter stayed in Polish airspace for 42 seconds and flew up to 300 meters over the border. Fighter aircraft took off, ground troops remained on standby. “The nature of the incident suggests that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defense,” the military leadership explains. There is currently no statement from the Russian embassy in Warsaw.

The Kremlin believes there is still no basis for peace talks with Ukraine. The presidential office in Moscow said there were no concrete details about plans for a top meeting on the Ukraine conflict. The attitude towards a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky is unchanged. Moscow continues to say that Selenskyj must travel to Moscow for future talks and make certain decisions in advance.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardons a French citizen imprisoned for espionage.