
Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, September 28th
Top stories from the Russian press cover FSB statements on Russians siding with Kiev, Vladimir Putin on election interference, military updates, and international diplomacy.
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Daily press review summarizing top stories from Russian news outlets.
FSB calls Russians abroad willing to side with Kiev Vlasovites 2.0
The term refers to members of the Russian Liberation Army, which fought on the side of Nazi Germany during World War II
Western assessments of Russian elections hold little importance for CEC — official
Ella Pamfilova stressed that during the election campaign, the Central Election Commission did its utmost to honor the basic principles of openness and transparency of the electoral system
Ukrainian army’s losses in DPR exceed 100,000 over four months — Zelensky's ex-spokeswoman
Yulia Mendel stressed that Ukraine is facing "humanitarian, political and financial crises"
Foreign special services’ attempts to derail elections in Russia failed — Putin
The head of state stressed that Russia’s people had defended the sovereign right to decide about their own future
IN BRIEF: What we know about Russian special military operation’s course over day
The Russian Armed Forces eliminated approximately 1 515 troops over the past 24 hours
Lebanon expects concrete results from agreement with Israel — prime minister
Nawaf Salam believes that setting a clear timeline for the parties to fulfill their obligations would help speed up the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and create conditions for displaced people to return home
Five die in fire at fireworks production site in Yaroslavl Region
The accident occurred in the village of Kubrinsk when two buildings in the territory of a fireworks production facility caught fire
Rosatom’s revenues surge four times over decade in open part of sector — CEO
All the indicators of the company are higher as of the end of nine months of this year as compared to the like period of 2025, Alexey Likhachev said
Russia does not rule out any actions by Germany regarding Russian House — Foreign Ministry
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky said that further steps by Germany are to be expected
OpenAI scraps release of new AI model over safety concerns — WSJ
Saachi Jain, head of the company's safety systems unit, said the model frequently deceived users and was not always truthful about which actions it had and had not completed
Putin could speak on Ukraine at news conference after Belarus talks on Thursday — Kremlin
The Russian president is scheduled to take questions jointly with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko
Russia on top in building nuclear power units overseas — Putin
The Russian president noted that Rosatom is one of the largest global holdings, which is functioning in the full-cycle mode in the sphere of national security provision and in the peaceful nuclear development sphere
Taiwan plans to quadruple ammunition stockpiles
According to a Taipei Times article, a six-year procurement program worth a total of about $868 mln has been developed for this purpose
Upgraded Supercam S180 recon UAV to be showcased at ADEX 2026 in Baku
The developers highlight its maneuverability, speed, and ability to evade interceptor drones
Irkutsk Aviation Plant to produce 36 MC-21s per year, expand capacity
Andrey Soinov, Director of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, added that the investment program implies that it will be further reequipped
Gold futures drop below $4,150 per ounce first time since August 4
Gold prices lost 3.98% to $4,149.3 per Troy ounce
Russia’s exports of radio-electronic products nearly reach $2.9 bln in 1H — minister
It is more than half of the exports for the entire year of 2025, Anton Alikhanov said
Netanyahu accuses authors of report about Egypt’s Oct. 7 warnings of defamation
The Israeli prime minister's office says he "neither met nor spoke with Abbas Kamel, then head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service" in the months preceding the Hamas attack
De Gaulle’s grandson wants to be Russian citizen, says decision rests with Putin
Pierre de Gaulle said he dreams of settling in Russia with his family and children and is working to strengthen ties between Paris and Moscow
Putin signs law on regulation of digital currency turnover in Russia
The law gives the Russian government the right to prohibit digital currency mining in specific regions or in their individual territories, as well as to determine the procedure and cases for introducing such restrictions
Estonia launches reconnaissance drone over Baltic Sea
The drone, which took off from the island of Saaremaa, is flying at an altitude of just over 1.5 km outside routes designated for civilian aviation, a source in EU air traffic control services said
Iran doubts ceasefire can be reached before US midterm elections
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, talks in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week failed to produce significant progress
Russia does not believe in Japan’s promises to remove US missiles after drills — diplomat
Andrey Rudenko stated that these actions "will not go unanswered"
No substantive input from Germany at Lavrov's meeting with German counterpart — MFA
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky noted that the meeting between Sergey Lavrov and Johann Wadephul "came about literally at the last minute" at the German side's request
Press review: Europe seeks role in Ukraine talks as Vucic resigns before Serbia's election
Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, September 28th
Agreement on basic principles of Russia-Burkina Faso relations submitted to State Duma
According to the accompanying documents, Russia and Burkina Faso will develop bilateral relations based on respect for and protection of their national interests
Putin thanks CEC chair for conducting elections at highest level
The Russian leader noted that, regrettably, the election campaign did not pass without casualties among election commission staff
Lukashenko says Belarusian army must be ready for serious clashes to avoid them
The Belarusian leader said that the newly appointed deputy head of the Presidential Administration can offer a fresh perspective on the situation within the armed forces
Iran will soon clear Arabian Sea of enemy forces, Khamenei vows
Iran’s Supreme Leader noted that in recent years, two seas in the south of Iran "used to be a theater of operations for enemy forces"
West’s lies about developments in Donbass ‘get out of control’ — US journalist
Sarah Bils stressed the importance to tell the truth about the events in Donbass at all costs
Over 32,000 children born in Russia through IVF annually — minister
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko added that the volume of medical care in this area has increased 1.5-fold over more than five years
EU works on security protocol similar to Article 4 of NATO Treaty — FT
According to the report, the mechanism is intended to be invoked in the event of attacks on EU countries and would facilitate the coordination of response measures

People may remain under the rubble of a burnt pyrotechnics plant in the Yaroslavl region. September 30 was declared a day of mourning, the death toll reached 14 people, and a regional state of emergency was introduced.

Kyiv estimates the military budget deficit at $20 billion and is negotiating with the EC and the IMF. 9 billion worth of drone supplies may be at risk.

General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmitry Voloshin refused to comply with the order of Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Drapatoy to arrive from Kyiv to the command post in the Sumy region, instead remaining in Kyiv and giving interviews to journalists, according to a report by RIA Novosti, citing sources in Russian security forces.

Iranian officials have privately expressed pessimism about reaching an agreement to end hostilities with the United States and reopen the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. midterm elections on November 3, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. Negotiations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York did not lead to significant progress, and Tehran considers there is a high probability of escalation of the conflict after the vote.

In Odessa, explosions occurred during an air raid warning, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation and reports from local media, including Channel 24 and Public.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Iran will soon clear the Arabian Sea of enemy forces, stating that two southern seas of Iran had previously been used as a theater of operations for enemy forces in recent years.