Live blog on the Ukraine war: Moldova reports drone strikes and Putin threatens NATO

Live blog Ukrainian war:

Moldova reports impacts from Russian drones

Oct 3, 2026, 3:14 p.m. Reading time: 1 min.

Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, in Chișinăudpa in 2025

According to President Sandu, missiles have also violated the airspace +++ Russia is also attacking the second Dnipro bridge in Kiev +++ Putin: Ukrainian attacks cost Russia 1 percent of GDP +++ all news in the live blog

You can also find all texts, background information and comments on the war in Ukraine on our special page.

Moldova reports impacts from Russian drones

According to official information, Russian drones have landed on Moldovan territory. “Five Russian airstrikes, including Banderol missiles and drones, violated our airspace and exploded on our soil,” wrote Moldovan President Maia Sandu on the X platform.

According to the army, explosions were heard in towns in the southeastern part of Moldova. There was no information about possible victims or damage. However, there was no air alert in the neighboring southern Ukrainian city of Odessa at the times mentioned.

Russia warns diplomats against further attacks on Kyiv

Russia has once again called on foreigners and employees of diplomatic missions in Kiev to leave the Ukrainian capital in view of impending new attacks. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Saturday that a previous warning had not been heeded by everyone. This means that anyone who stays is exposed to a “mortal danger” from “massive Russian retaliation.”

Russia also attacks second Dnipro bridge in Kyiv

Russia also attacked the northern bridge over the Dnipro in the Ukrainian capital Kiev with jet drones. According to official information, the bridge was hit early Saturday morning. The roadway and the overhead line of the trolleybuses were damaged. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the bridge was now closed to traffic. There were initially no reports of victims.

On Thursday and Friday, Russia's jet drone attacks hit the Kiev South Bridge over the Dnipro. In addition to the car lane, the subway area and a bridge pillar were damaged. According to Ukrainian reports, the southern bridge remains closed. Many residents of the Ukrainian capital live east of the river and commute to the west side for work. There were also traffic jams on Saturday after the attack on the north bridge.

Russia is increasingly relying on jet drones in its attacks on Ukraine. “Geran 4” and “Geran 5” models reach speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour. This makes them significantly faster than propeller-driven drones. In many cases, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense system is unable to shoot down aircraft. Ukraine used to be able to intercept 90 percent of Russian drones, but in September it was only 55 percent.

Read here why Russia is now particularly targeting major Ukrainian cities in its war:

Kallas talks to Leo XIV about the Ukrainian War

The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met on Friday for talks with Pope Leo XIV in Rome. According to Kallas, the topics were Russia's war against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and urgent humanitarian needs as well as the dangers of social polarization and artificial intelligence.

As Kallas further announced via the online service Bluesky, she thanked the Pope for his advocacy of international law, multilateralism and his “clear voice in defense of human dignity.”

On Monday, during a visit to Metz, France, Leo Europe can put an end to this downward spiral, said the Pope. He highlighted the pluralism within the EU and cited international law and multilateralism as suitable means to prevent conflicts arising from the desire for supremacy.

For an end to the grain blockade: Wadephul calls for more pressure on Russia

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) is calling for more pressure on Russia to end the blockade of Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. We must ensure that “Europe becomes louder on this issue and, secondly, that the states of the Global South also formulate their interests here more clearly,” said Wadephul on Friday after talks in the Vatican. “I think there is a serious chance of finding a solution.”

“Time is of the essence, hunger is unfortunately approaching,” said the Foreign Minister. The grain is in danger of spoiling, “and we cannot let that happen,” Wadephul continued. "It would be another completely unnecessary catastrophe. And that's why I won't tire of continuing to work on this issue."

Wadephul had met for talks with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, number two in the Vatican, and the foreign affairs representative, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Wadephul also spoke about the issue of impending famine in his conversation with his Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last Saturday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting at that time did not produce any tangible results.

Wadephul had already called for a “partial ceasefire” on grain exports on Thursday. Russia cannot actually want to jeopardize its relations with the global south. “I therefore believe that the problem of grain exports can be solved,” the Foreign Minister told the Web.de portal.

Putin: Ukrainian attacks cost Russia one percent of GDP

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukraine is hurting the Russian economy with its targeted attacks on Russia's oil industry. In his speech at the annual Valdai forum, he described this as the goal of Ukrainian warfare.

"Has the goal been achieved? Partially," Putin said in his speech in Moscow on Thursday. The Moscow warlord said the Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities resulted in the loss of around one percent of Russia's gross domestic product.

In September, several refineries in Russia had to stop or significantly reduce production due to Ukrainian drone attacks. The International Energy Agency recorded a successful attack on a Russian refinery on average every three days in the first eight months of 2026.

In response to the Ukrainian counterattacks, Putin announced that he would attack targets in Ukraine that he considered important to the Ukrainian economy. In his speech, Putin also rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal to stop mutual attacks on energy facilities.

Mayor: Russian air strikes hit bridge in Kyiv again

According to Ukrainian information, Russian air strikes have again hit the southern bridge in Kyiv. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced this on the short message service Telegram. The day before, Russian drone attacks on a school and the bridge over the Dnipro River had triggered fires in the capital.

Ukraine is trying to resolve the dispute with South Korea

Ukraine is working to resolve a diplomatic dispute with South Korea, according to Ukrainian media reports. The trigger for the disagreements between the countries was the public announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that two North Korean soldiers were being handed over to South Korea. The South Korean presidential office is demanding an apology and insisting on an agreed secrecy of the action. "I don't want to call this an incident. Let's say it's a diplomatic misunderstanding," said Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, according to a report by the news portal nv.ua. He hopes that the situation will be resolved in the near future. North Korea supports Russia in the war against Ukraine with thousands of soldiers.

Putin wants to conquer Donbass in less than a year and a half

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has announced the complete conquest of Ukraine's Donbas region in less than a year and a half. At the same time, he assumes that “given the advance of our troops, this will happen much sooner,” Putin said at the international Valdai discussion forum in Moscow. According to this, around eleven percent of the region currently remains under Ukrainian control.

He also accused Kiev of senselessly sacrificing people in the fight for Ukrainian territory. “If the loss of these territories is inevitable, does it make sense to hold on to it and sacrifice people, their safety and their lives?” the president asked.

In the past, Putin has repeatedly declared Ukrainian places such as Svyatohirsk or Kupyansk to be conquered, some of which are still clearly under Ukrainian control. Most recently, Ukrainian units in the Donetsk region near Lyman even gained territory and reclaimed dozens of square kilometers. Russian troops are still more than a dozen kilometers away from fortress-like cities such as Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. The front line has remained largely unchanged in many sections for several months.

Kyiv announces first use of its own ballistic missile

Ukraine says it has used a self-developed FP-7 tactical ballistic missile in the war with Russia for the first time. "The first combat mission. I thank you for the result," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social networks. The next task is to expand rocket production. The head of state did not provide any information about the target, but published a video of a rocket launch at night.

The Ukrainian arms company Fire Point had previously postponed the first combat missions for its ballistic missile several times. Initially, the company's management announced the first rocket attacks on the Russian capital Moscow for the summer. A few days ago, the company attributed to Zelensky's environment rowed back and announced its first deployment for the end of the fall. The center of Moscow is a good 450 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

By developing its own ballistic missile weapon, Kyiv wants to achieve parity with Moscow. During the war, Kiev used short-range ballistic missiles from old Soviet stocks.

Putin threatens NATO with “use of all weapons”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to deploy Russia's entire military arsenal in the event of a “threat” to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Military maneuvers and the detention of Russian ships represented an escalation, Putin said on Thursday at the annual Valdai forum in Moscow.

Should a “threat” arise to Kaliningrad, Russia will consider using all weapons in its arsenal. In this case, it is inevitable that the use of all available resources will be put on the agenda. Russia does not want to intimidate or attack anyone, but will respond to “aggression”. Putin also said Russia does not plan to attack any country in Europe, either in 2030 or in 2050.

Putin did not mention the word nuclear weapons. However, since Russia has nuclear weapons, they would also be able to be used if necessary, according to its definition. On Monday, Russia's embassy in Brussels threatened to use NATO's entire arsenal if the military alliance tried to isolate Kaliningrad. On Tuesday, the country's representation in Ireland also spoke of the possible use of nuclear weapons. The heavily militarized Russian exclave is located on the Baltic Sea and is otherwise surrounded by the NATO states Poland and Lithuania.

Putin also commented on Western arms deliveries to Ukraine. Putin claimed that attacks on Western arms suppliers that produce military equipment for Ukraine were not planned. The situation is a “threat”, but so far Russia is only keeping an eye on it, said Putin. A bigger “threat” was that Western countries would provide Ukraine with satellite data for attacks on Russia, he said.

Ukraine loses another MiG-29 fighter jet

The Ukrainian Air Force has lost another fighter jet in the war against Russia. The MiG-29 was shot down by a Russian missile during a combat mission, the Ukrainian military said on Telegram. The pilot triggered the ejection seat, but did not survive the crash. The pilot had previously flown an attack on an unnamed sector of the front.

According to official data, the Ukrainian Air Force lost two more MiG-29 fighter jets during combat operations in June and August. According to unconfirmed reports, aircraft of this type were also lost in Russian air strikes on Ukrainian air bases. According to experts from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, Ukraine still had 14 Soviet-built MiG-29s at the end of 2025.

Most recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyj promised the delivery of three more F-16 fighter jets from Belgium by the end of the year. However, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Kiev has a problem maintaining U.S.-made jets, leaving few operational.