Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had recorded some success as it tests a new weapon to intercept Russian drones.
Ukraine’s military said its forces had downed 187 airborne targets overnight, with Ukraine’s president reporting 93 per cent of all Russian drones had been intercepted.
"That is significant. But, of course, more is needed," he said. "Another development is undergoing testing.
"It's a Ukrainian development and it scored a hit, the 'shahed' was destroyed," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, referring to the Iranian-designed drones that Ukraine's military has faced.
"But some technical things still need to be refined. We need a bit more time. The work of other developers is continuing."
It comes as Vladimir Putin’s war continues to spread past Ukraine’s borders, with Denmark accusing Russia of firing flares “within metres” of a military helicopter.
Defence minister Jeppe Bruus said no warning or radio contact was made before the warship fired the flares.
Moscow accused Danish military helicopters of making “dangerous” manoeuvres near its warships in the Baltic Sea and handed an official note to Copenhagen on the incident, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, is reported to have said, according to RIA.
Zelensky says new anti-drone weapon being tested
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight.
"Another development is undergoing testing. It's a Ukrainian development and it scored a hit, the 'shahed' was destroyed," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, referring to the Iranian-designed drones that Ukraine's military has faced.
"But some technical things still need to be refined. We need a bit more time. The work of other developers is continuing."
Ukraine's military said on Facebook that its forces had downed 187 airborne targets overnight.
In his remarks, Zelensky said 93 per cent of all Russian drones had been intercepted overnight.
"That is significant. But, of course, more is needed," he said.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has rapidly developed anti-drone technology and now offers its expertise to other countries, including some in the Middle East that have faced Iranian strikes.
It has focused on developing interceptors as an efficient and cheaper means of intercepting drones.
Ukrainian forces have had more difficulty downing Russian ballistic missiles and have asked Western allies to step up supplies of interceptors. Kyiv is also pressing for the rapid development of a European-designed air defence system, known as Freyja.
Drone shot down over Nato member Lithuania appears Russian, say sources
An Italian fighter jet deployed on a Nato mission shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace on Tuesday that "most probably" came from Russia, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto said.
Authorities in Lithuania, a Nato and European Union member, said on Tuesday they were still investigating the origin of the debris.
A Ukrainian military source said the debris in the images appeared to be from a Geran-2, a long-range attack drone widely used by Russia.
If confirmed, it would be the first known instance of a Russian military drone entering Lithuania since last summer, when two Russian drones accidentally crashed in the country.
The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus, a Russian ally.
Zelensky says Russian drones attacked Moldova twice while he was in transit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while he was in the country aboard his aircraft in transit.
Zelenskiy told the US television network CBS that he was in Moldova on Ukraine's western border, at Chisinau airport, on his way to and from a trip abroad when the incidents occurred.
"In Moldova, my presidential jet was there and that's why they attacked Moldova, the airspace of Moldova. Maybe they didn't want to attack me personally...," Zelensky said.
"When we came back home, again through Chisinau, again they did the same."
On 9 September, a Moldovan government spokesperson said the departure of Zelensky's aircraft for Norway was delayed as Moldovan authorities closed the country's airspace over a drone alert.
Two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace on that day. One landed in a field north of the capital, triggering a fire, while the second carried on into Romanian airspace.
Zelensky had not previously spoken of the second incident.
It was not clear exactly when the president was again in transit in Moldova on his way back to Ukraine from Canada.
Moldovan authorities said two drones entered the country's airspace on Monday, September 14 for about 10 minutes each over the space of an hour before noon local time.
On Sunday, a Russian drone hit a passenger train on Ukraine's border with NATO member Poland, shortly after former British prime minister Boris Johnson and other European diplomats had used the same line.
No casualties were reported.
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine will support energy ceasefire as 'first step' to end war
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone strike in Kyiv
Russia accuses Danish military helicopters of making dangerous manoeuvres near its warships, RIA reports
Russia has accused Danish military helicopters of making dangerous manoeuvres near its warships in the Baltic Sea, according to Russia’s RIA state news agency.
Moscow reportedly handed an official note to Copenhagen complaining about such incidents, Russia's ambassador to Denmark said on Tuesday, according to the outlet.
Vladimir Barbin, the ambassador, was speaking after the Nordic Nato member's military said that a Russian frigate had fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft.
EU chief to lay out priorities and vision for tackling the bloc's challenges in major speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver a major state of the European Union speech on Wednesday setting out her priorities for the next year and her vision for tackling the challenges faced by the world’s biggest trading bloc.
The content of von der Leyen ’s address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, has been kept under wraps. Political groups in the assembly have lobbied to get their priorities and pet projects included.
But the speech is likely to touch on AI, climate change and the fires that have swept Europe this summer, as well as protection for children online, Russia’s war on Ukraine, conflict across the Middle East and international trade tensions.
EU chief to lay out priorities and vision for tackling the bloc's challenges in major speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to deliver a major state of the European Union speech on Wednesday
Turkey accuses Russia of 'spreading war' to the Black Sea, threatening safety of citizens
Turkey’s foreign ministry has accused Russia of “spreading” the war to the Black Sea, saying that such actions threatened the safety of its citizens and is “unacceptable” in a statement made on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Russia 'testing Denmark's boundaries', say sanctions campaigners
Campaigners have warned that Russia is “testing” Denmark’s boundaries at sea following reports that a warship shot flares at a military helicopter.
“Russia is testing Denmark’s boundaries at sea. Denmark must now draw a clear line on land,” said Alexander Kirk at German sanctions campaign group, Urgewald.
“Fossil-fuel revenues sustain the Russian state budget and the military-industrial complex behind the war against Ukraine.
“Denmark’s response cannot stop at summoning the Russian ambassador. The government must stop Danish shipyards servicing these tankers and press for immediate EU restrictions.”
Animal rescuers severely injured in Russian drone attack while saving dogs in Ukraine
A Ukrainian animal rescuer has said he is “grateful to be alive” after his car was struck by a Russian drone while rescuing a group of stranded dogs from near the frontline.
Ruslan Horbal, a volunteer for Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK), was on a rescue mission in Ukraine’s war-torn eastern city of Kramatorsk, when a Russian drone hit the vehicle, killing one of the rescued dogs. He had only just gathered the animals into the back of the car when the attack took place.
“It happened very fast. There was an explosion, smoke and glass everywhere,” recalls Mr Horbal, who was hospitalised after the attack, in an interview with The Independent. “At first, I was confused. It took me a moment to understand what had happened. Then I started checking if everyone was alive and if the animals were OK. That’s when I realised I was badly injured too. There was a lot of blood.”
Animal rescuers severely injured in Russian drone attack while saving dogs in Ukraine
Volunteers travel to some of the frontline’s most dangerous areas to evacuate stranded animals
