Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sept. 1 that the Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Russia after Moscow intensified strikes on Ukraine despite recent peace talks.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sept. 1 that the Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Russia after Moscow intensified strikes on Ukraine despite recent peace talks.
⚡️EU considers tighter rules to block Russian gas after 2027 ban, Bloomberg reports. The plan specifically raises concerns over gas shipped through TurkStream, the pipeline linking Russia with Southeast Europe.
⚡️Ukraine's SBU files in absentia notice of suspicion against Kadyrov for war crimes. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Sept. 1 that it had filed in absentia a notice of suspicion against Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, for various war crimes against Ukrainian soldiers.
Ukraine's 425th Regiment has liberated the village of Novoekonomichne in Donetsk Oblast; The pace of Russia's advance in Ukraine slowed by 18% in August; and more.
After a string of devastating Ukrainian strikes that crippled much of its Black Sea Fleet, Russia is now turning to naval drones in a bid to rebuild its presence and adapt to a new phase of maritime warfare.
⚡️Slovak PM Fico plans meetings with Putin, Zelensky this week. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Sept. 1 that he will visit China to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Slovakia.
Footage released by Russia's Defense Ministry on Aug. 30 showed a map behind Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov suggesting Moscow's potential ambitions to seize Odesa and Kharkiv oblasts.
⚡️Ukraine liberates village of Novoekonomichne in Donetsk Oblast, General Staff says. Ukrainian assault groups spent two weeks fighting to liberate the settlement, raising the national flag in the village center on Aug. 31, according to the General Staff.
Though the Alaska summit ended without a ceasefire, it underscored a significant development: Moscow’s international isolation is beginning to erode.
One of the signs of major geopolitical shifts in recent weeks was U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska, which marked another turning point in how the world engages with Russia.
⚡️Russian forces allegedly preparing major assault toward Siversk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's military says. Siversk, Russia's new potential target, lies about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of Russian-occupied territory and just south of the contested Serebrianskyi Forest.
⚡️Russian front-line advances have slowed down in August, monitoring group says. The pace of Russia's advance in Ukraine dropped by 18% in August, with Russian forces occupying 464 square kilometers of territory.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) has destroyed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and a struck tugboat in occupied Crimea, the agency reported on Sept. 1.
Ukraine's offensive capabilities look set to receive a significant boost in the coming months with the announcement that the U.S. has authorized a European-funded $850 million sale of 3,350 Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles.
What’s it like to live in a Ukrainian village during wartime? “Dare to Ukraine: Village” takes viewers beyond Ukraine’s bustling cities and into the heart of the countryside at a time when Russian attacks on the country’s urban areas are intensifying.
⚡️ Zelensky announces faster air defense deliveries after deadly Russian strikes. "We are accelerating the supply of additional air defense systems to enhance protection against missiles," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur covers stalled U.S.-Ukraine peace talks, Russia’s massive missile strike on Kyiv that killed 25 civilians, and Moscow’s first reported occupation of villages in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
⚡️ Update: EU confirms von der Leyen’s plane hit by GPS jamming, Russian involvement suspected. "We can confirm there was GPS jamming," European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta told the media, adding that Bulgaria suspects Russia to be behind the “blatant interference.”
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⚡️ Ukrainian refugee girl killed in Germany after being pushed under train. The victim, identified as Liana, was struck by a train traveling about 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) after a 31-year-old Iraqi citizen allegedly shoved her onto the tracks.
⚡️ Russian map behind top general hints at ambitions to seize Odesa, Kharkiv. While Moscow has publicly insisted on full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the map indicated possible plans extending to Odesa and Kharkiv.
⚡️ Zelensky to reportedly meet European leaders in Paris on Sept. 4. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, is not expected to attend the Paris meeting at the moment, a source told AFP.
⚡️ Suspected Russian jamming hits von der Leyen's plane over Bulgaria, FT reports. Suspected Russian interference forced European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane to land in Bulgaria using paper maps, the Financial Times reported.
⚡️ Key Chinese bank reportedly halts Russia payments after EU sanctions. Heihe, a small rural lender, was one of the last Chinese banks willing to process transactions for Russian non-sanctioned credit organizations after larger Chinese banks cut off such services.
⚡️ Man detained after ramming car into Russia's consulate in Sydney. Officers arrived at the scene shortly after 8 a.m. local time and tried to speak to the driver before he drove his car into the consulate gate, the Australian police said.
⚡️ 4 killed, 27 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day. Ukraine's Air Force said Russian forces launched 86 Shahed-type attack and decoy drones overnight, with air defenses intercepting 76.
⚡️ Ukraine says it destroyed 2 Russian Mi-8 helicopters, tugboat in occupied Crimea, shares footage. Drones struck the Russian military air base in Hvardiiske near Simferopol, destroying helicopters worth an estimated $20–30 million, according to HUR.
⚡️ Ukraine destroys Russian S-300 radar in occupied Crimea, military says. Radars serve as the "eyes" of an air defense system — without them, anti-aircraft units are effectively blind and unable to operate.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Sept. 1, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
⚡️ Russian-led CSTO starts drills in Belarus with nuclear planning practice. More than 2,000 troops from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan are taking part, with 450 units of equipment, nine aircraft, and over 70 drones involved.
⚡️ Putin meets Modi, Xi at China's SCO summit, again blames 'NATO expansion' for Russia-Ukraine war. Putin met Xi and Modi during the summit as he seeks to strengthen ties with India and China amid the war in Ukraine and in the face of Western pressure.
⚡️Drone debris sparks fire at Russian power substation in Krasnodar Krai, officials say. The blaze was quickly contained, and "preliminary reports indicate no injuries," the regional administration said on Telegram.
"Security guarantees are paramount and absolutely crucial. We have a clear road map and we had an agreement in the White House . . . and this work is going forward very well," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told FT.
⚡️Ukrainian authorities arrest suspect in shooting of politician Andrii Parubii. "The suspect has given an initial testimony. Urgent investigative actions are currently underway to establish all the circumstances of this murder," President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in the early hours of Sept. 1.
⚡️75% of Ukrainians are ready for a ceasefire only if security guarantees are provided. A survey by the Rating Group, conducted Aug. 21-23, found that the majority of Ukrainians polled want peace & are open to concessions, but only if their country receives security guarantees.
Ukraine's ex-parliament speaker shot dead in Lviv; 'Wishful thinking, outright lies' — Ukraine dismisses Russia's claims of battlefield success; and more.
⚡️Russia's war in Ukraine 'to last a long time,' Merz says. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview on Aug. 31 that he expects Russia's war in Ukraine to last a long time, as most wars end in military defeat or economic collapse — a scenario he does not foresee for Russia or Ukraine.
⚡️ Hungary continues to veto Ukraine's accession to EU, negotiations. As an EU member, Hungary has veto power over further progress.
⚡️ Civilian ship damaged after hitting unidentified explosive device in Black Sea near Odesa. It is reported that part of a Russian Shahed drone shot down previously detonated under the ship.
Ukraine's offensive capabilities look set to receive a significant boost in the coming months with the announcement that the U.S. has authorized a European-funded $850 million sale of 3,350 Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles.
This week on Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur covers stalled U.S.-Ukraine peace talks, Russia’s massive missile strike on Kyiv that killed 25 civilians, and Moscow’s first reported occupation of villages in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
⚡️ Russian attacks kill 5, injure 61 in Ukraine over past day. One woman in Kherson Oblast was killed as a result of explosives being dropped from a Russian drone.
⚡️ 'Wishful thinking, outright lies' — Ukraine dismisses Russia's claims of battlefield success. "The only 100% verified result achieved by Russia since the beginning of 2025 is its own losses — over 291,000," the General Staff said on Aug. 31.
⚡️ Russia's Rosneft net income plummets 68%, Reuters reports. Oil prices were dragged down by production hikes by Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries.
⚡️ Russia says the quiet part out loud — war in Ukraine to continue, more mass bombings of cities. "Today we will clarify the tasks of the troop groups in the directions for the autumn period," Valery Gerasimov said.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Aug. 31, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
⚡️ Trump administration to fire most of Voice of America's staff. VOA was established during World War 2 in an effort to counter Nazi propaganda.
⚡️Ukrainian forces liberate village near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. The positions previously allowed Russian troops to control the road leading into Kupiansk, approximately 104 kilometers (65 miles) east of Kharkiv, the regional capital.
⚡️Putin arrives in China for regional security summit hosted by Xi Jinping. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV described China-Russia relations as at their "best in history," calling them "the most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries."
⚡️Ukraine's intel chief warns of Russian disinformation wave ahead of Zapad-2025 military drills. Kyrylo Budanov said that the joint exercises, set to begin in about two weeks, will pose challenges for both Ukraine and European countries, through what he described as "cognitive influence."
⚡️Russian soldier allegedly executes unarmed civilian in Donetsk Oblast, footage shows. Ukraine’s 1st Azov Corps said the victim was clearly in civilian clothing and unarmed, describing the incident as a direct violation of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians.
⚡️EU weighs frozen Russian assets for Ukraine but rules out confiscation for now. The bloc has frozen some 210 billion euros ($245.85 billion) in Russian assets under sanctions imposed over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
⚡️Russian units surrounded near Dobropillia, Ukraine's military says. Russian forces have been surrounded by Ukraine's military near Dobropillia, located in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast — currently the hottest sector of the front line.
⚡️US officials accuse Europe of prolonging Russia's war in Ukraine, Axios reports. According to Axios, U.S. officials have grown increasingly impatient with European leaders, whom they allege are pushing Ukraine to hold out for a "better deal."
⚡️ Update: Ex-parliament speaker’s murder ‘carefully prepared,’ Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had instructed security services to present verified information about the investigation of Andrii Parubii's murder as soon as possible.
⚡️ Trump considers sending US private military companies to secure Ukraine peace deal, Telegraph reports. The focus for such U.S. contractors appears to be on helping to build new defenses and securing U.S. business interests in Ukraine, the Telegraph reported.
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The so-called "dragon teeth" — pyramid-shaped concrete anti-tank obstacles — were set up as part of the Baltic Defense Line, a planned string of defenses along the Baltic countries' borders with Russia and Belarus.
⚡️ Lithuania sets up 'dragon teeth' barriers at borders with Belarus, Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.
The Kyiv Independent’s “Dare to Ukraine” wartime travel series returns for a second season, set in a Ukrainian village. It premiered on Aug. 30 and will release every Saturday for the next five weeks.
⚡️ Poland deports 15 Ukrainian nationals amid heightened tensions. Polish authorities have expelled 15 Ukrainian citizens after they were detained for offenses like drug possession, drunk driving, theft, and illegal border crossings, RMF24 reported on Aug. 30.
📅 The Week Ahead: Key Global Security & #Ukraine Agenda 🧵 (September 1-7): 👇 🤝 President Zelensky announced that a security guarantees framework for Ukraine will be ready next week. Photo: Turkish Presidency #KIweekahead #SecurityGuarantees 1/🧵
⚡️ Ukraine destroys underground explosives depot in western Russia, intelligence source claims. The facility was used to store pyroxylin gunpowder, a smokeless powder used in the production of small arms, artillery, and rocket engines, a military intelligence source claimed.
The Kyiv Independent’s “Dare to Ukraine” wartime travel series returns for a second season, set in a Ukrainian village. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAl...
What’s it really like to live in a Ukrainian village during wartime? In “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” host Masha Lavrova leaves the capital, Kyiv, and moves to a village to explore authentic Ukrainian rural life. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAl...
⚡️ 'We are already in conflict with Russia' — Merz says Putin destabilizing Germany. "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is destabilizing a big part of our country," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told French outlet La Chaine Info.
⚡️ Amid Trump's pressure, India to host Putin in December. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to China on Sept. 1.
⚡️ Ukraine's military denies mass re-deployment of soldiers from air defense to infantry. Military spokesperson Andrii Kovalov acknowledged that reassignments take place, but said this does not concern air defense specialists protecting Ukrainian skies.
Earlier in the day, the National Police said that a political figure was murdered after a shooting in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
⚡️ BREAKING: Ex-parliament speaker shot dead in Lviv. Andrii Parubii, a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker, was shot dead, Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported on Aug. 30.
⚡️ Russian attacks kill 3, injure 45 in Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian forces intercepted 510 drones, six ballistic missiles, and 32 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
⚡️ Trump endorsed Chinese peacekeepers in post-war Ukraine, FT reports; White House denies. Trump suggested that Chinese peacekeepers could monitor a neutral zone in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Aug. 30, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
⚡️Trump giving Ukraine 'deeper strike capabilities,' NATO envoy says after missile sales deal. The comments come after the U.S. greenlit a European-funded $850 million sale of 3,350 ERAM missiles for Ukraine.
⚡️Update: Ukrainian drones strike oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, Samara Oblast, commander says. Ukrainian drones struck oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast overnight on Aug. 30, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, confirmed.
⚡️Update: 1 killed, 22 injured in Zaporizhzhia as Russia launches large-scale missile, drone attack on Ukrainian cities. The number of injured victims has risen to 22, including three children, in Russia's overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
⚡️Patriot components, Starlink upkeep — US approves $329 million in military sales for Ukraine.
⚡️Update: 1 killed, 16 injured, including two children, in Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia. The number of injured victims has risen to 16, including a 10-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, in Russia's overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia, officials reported.
The strike comes amid a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack that has targeted various regions across Ukraine overnight on Aug. 30.
⚡️Update: 1 killed, 6 injured, including child, in Zaporizhzhia amid large-scale Russian attack. One person has been killed and another six people injured, including a child, in a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
"In line with established procedures, the Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces has activated all available forces and assets at his disposal," the country's Air Force wrote on social media.
⚡️Update: Poland scrambles fighter jets as missiles target western Ukraine. In response to Russia's large-scale attack, Poland's Air Force said it had scrambled fighter jets to protect Polish air space, as missiles target Ukraine's far-west.
Ukraine's Air Force has warned of renewed Russian missile attacks targeting regions across the country.
⚡️Update: At least three people injured in large-scale Russian missile, drone attack. Russia's large-scale overnight missile attack has injured at least three people in the city of Zaporizhzhia amid a strike on a residential building, local officials reported.
The Air Force reported that Russian cruise and ballistic missiles had been launched at Ukraine's front line regions. Russian attack drones have also been reported across multiple regions, including the country's far-west.
⚡️Russia targets Ukrainian cities with missile, drone attacks as peace talks stall. Russia launched a missile and drone attack targeting various Ukrainian regions overnight on Aug. 30, Ukraine's Air Force reported.
⚡️Large fire seen after Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on Aug. 29, Russian Telegram channels reported.
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Ukrainian officials in New York City on Aug. 29, calling the discussions "very productive and constructive," Fox News reported.
⚡️Ukrainian drone strikes halt operations at Russia’s Kuibyshevsk refinery, sources tell Reuters. The refinery, operated by Rosneft, saw both of its main crude distillation units — CDU-4 and CDU-5, each with a capacity of 70,000 barrels per day — taken offline in the recent strikes.
The U.N. Security Council will convene on Aug. 29 at Ukraine's request to discuss a recent deadly Russian attack against Kyiv; Russia has lost close to 220,000 people killed in the war against Ukraine as of August; and more.
⚡️Kyivstar celebrates NASDAQ bell-ringing ceremony in Kyiv. The bell ringing took place at the Nasdaq headquarters in New York City on Aug. 29, with Ukraine's Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak in attendance.
⚡️Death toll of Aug. 28 attack on Kyiv rises to 25, 2-year old girl and mother among killed. Russia launched a large-scale aerial strike on Ukrainian cities overnight on Aug. 28, attacking Kyiv with missiles and drones.
⚡️Hungarian opposition politician speaks up in support for Ukrainian commander banned by Budapest over oil pipeline attack. Lawmaker Marton Tompos sent 414 euros to the 414th Strike UAV Brigade "Magyar's Birds," founded by Robert Brovdi, the target of the ban.
Ukraine's anti-corruption agency has been investigating the country's star deep-strike drone company — Fire Point — over concerns it misled the government on pricing and deliveries, five sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Kyiv Independent.
Diplomats, officials, and experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent say there's little chance Russia will ever agree to robust security guarantees, and Ukraine's Western allies lack the political and military resolve necessary to enforce them.
⚡️EU member states ready to deploy military instructors to Ukraine after potential truce, Kallas says. Kallas met with EU defense ministers ministers in Copenhagen on Aug. 29 to discuss issues including plans for security guarantees for Ukraine.
⚡️Ukrainian drone сauses fire near Vladimir Putin's Black Sea palace and winery, media reports. The fire started as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on Aug. 28 near a village close to Gelendzhik, the Insider reported.
The Kyiv Independent’s investigative journalist Alisa Yurchenko exposes how Russia has quietly expanded its Votkinsk missile plant with the help of Chinese and Taiwanese machinery imported through intermediaries to evade Western sanctions.