Latest war news. Kallas: those with Patriot stockpiles should give them to Kyiv. Zuppi’s mission to Moscow

“Ukraine could also benefit from a maximum amount of 20 billion by drawing on the remaining funds set aside under the Safe Defence Initiative.” This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, at a press conference following the EU Defence Council meeting.

The Council of the EU today approved five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI) aimed at strengthening Europe’s defence readiness and industrial capacity. The projects will bring European countries together to:
1 – develop critical capabilities in the fields of drones and anti-drone systems;
2 – maritime defence and seabed defence;
3 – space;
4 – air and missile defence;
5 – the protection of Europe’s eastern flank.

The EDPCI were introduced as part of the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), adopted by the EU in 2025.

These projects enable EU countries to collaborate on major defence initiatives, which would be too complex or costly for individual states to undertake on their own.

Five selected projects are now eligible for EU funding. On average, 18 Member States are involved in each project, and Ukraine is taking part in four of the five projects. Italia is participating in the projects relating to drones, maritime defence, space and missile defence.

The financial scale of the projects is as follows: 
drones 3.5–5 billion by 2033;
maritime defence 43–72 billion by 2045;
space 24 billion by 2034;
missile defence 55–80 billion by 2040;
eastern defence 60–100 billion by 2036. Italia is not participating in this programme.

The EU Council today adopted restrictive measures against ten Russians linked to the exclusion of the Yabloko party from the Duma elections in September, on the grounds of alleged copyright infringements, extremism and other offences.

Among others, the sanctions list includes three Supreme Court judges and an official from the Prosecutor General’s Office involved in the decision to ban the party. Yabloko is the only political party to have opposed the war in Ukraine.

The list also includes the judge who sentenced Lev Shlosberg, of Yabloko, for discrediting the Russian army, and two other judges .

The Council of the EU has also adopted a decision to impose sanctions on a further 10 individuals and 17 legal entities responsible for the illegal deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and for their “forced assimilation, including indoctrination and militarised education”. Among the entities sanctioned are the Moscow City Tourism Committee and two Russian companies operating in the sector of recreational, tourist and children’s entertainment services, which are involved in organising activities centred on Russian history, war commemorations and patriotic-military education”.

“Summer camps and sports centres in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine have also been included on the list because of their role in cultural re-orientation, propaganda-style education and patriotic-military activities aimed at integrating children into Russian identity models”, the Council’s statement specifies.

A three-day mission to Moscow by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), Matteo Zuppi, following his visit to Ukraine in July, during which he also visited the prisoners-of-war camps. This mission forms part of a humanitarian effort through which the Vatican hopes to open ‘windows of opportunity’ to create a favourable environment for genuine negotiations.

Zuppi is therefore setting off now, following the most high-level diplomatic mission undertaken by the Vatican’s ‘Foreign Minister’, Monsignor Paul Gallagher, in early August, whilst people in Ukraine continue to die under Russian air strikes.

“The meetings with Russian officials – Zuppi confirmed to the Russian news agency TASS – are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. All of this forms part of the humanitarian mission initially entrusted to me by Pope Francis and subsequently confirmed by Pope Leo XIV. I have been tasked with supporting the parties’ efforts to address issues relating to children, prisoner exchanges and the plight of civilians arising from the conflict”.

At least 14 people have been killed and a further 57 injured in attacks carried out over the past 24 hours in various regions. A raid by Russian forces on Kharkiv destroyed part of a nine-storey block of flats and injured 25 people, including nine children, according to the region’s governor, Oleh Syniehubov.

During the night, Kyiv —which has been the daily target of Russian air raids for the past five days —and Odessa were also hit. Four people were injured in the capital and two in Odessa.

At around midday, “Russia launched an attack in the centre of Kyiv. There was a huge explosion and a column of black smoke is rising above the capital”, noted the Kyiv correspondent for the Financial Times on X.

Overnight, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 165 Shahed-type attack drones – 79 of which were jet-powered – as well as Gerbera drones and Parody-type decoy drones. This was stated by the Ukrainian Air Force Command, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda, which explained that by 7 am, air defences had shot down and neutralised 112 enemy drones.

Russian air strikes were recorded in 14 locations, and debris was reported to have fallen in 7 locations.

A Russian drone caused a fire inside the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in the heart of Kyiv. Videos shared on social media showed people leaning out of windows in search of fresh air, whilst thick black smoke and bright orange flames engulfed part of the historic building. Initial reports indicate one person has died and three have been injured.

The building is located in the very centre of Kyiv – an area usually well protected from Russian attacks – near the German embassy, a famous cathedral, the National Opera House and government buildings. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force had issued an alert for Kyiv, reporting the presence of “drones heading towards the city”.

According to Ukraine, the targets of the attacks include cultural sites, government buildings and schools.

“Today, in Kyiv, in addition to the Academy of Sciences, a pharmaceutical company and a number of petrol stations were also attacked,” said Ukrainian leader Zelensky.

“The enemy’s losses amount to 2,000 men; more than 250 Russians have been captured. ‘This marks the end of the third phase of Operation Vivaldi, a decisive stage for the entire operation,’ said Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who commands the Third Army Corps.”

The Third Army Corps has captured Novo, Ridkodub and Katerynivka and regained control of Karpivka and Novomykhailivka, according to the Ukrainian news agency Interfax: ‘51 square kilometres recaptured’.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kyiv on two defence industry facilities in the Tula and Voronezh regions. “Over the past 24 hours, SBU units have done a good job against the aggressor’s oil facilities in the Krasnodar region,” Zelensky stated.

In particular, Ukrainian drones attacked the Edelweiss-95 oil depot in Krasnodar, in southern Russia.

This is reported by Ukrinform, citing the Astra channel, which is run by independent Russian journalists. “On the night of 28 September, residents of the village of Novotytarivska reported drone flights and numerous explosions in the area around the railway,” the report states. Edelweiss-95 is involved in the wholesale trade of petroleum products.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not given his consent to US President Donald Trump regarding the suspension of Kyiv’s attacks on refineries on Russian territory. According to a Ukrainian official speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine might agree to cease attacks on Russian refineries, but only if Moscow also agrees to an energy truce.

The problem is that refineries in Russia are blowing up. “I spoke to Zelensky. I told him: ‘You need to take it a bit easier with the refineries’. He replied, ‘We’ll probably do that’.” US President Donald Trump told reporters this, as reported by the US media.

The Russian Armed Forces have taken control of the town of Novovodianoe, located in the Donetsk Republic, and of Ulanovo, in the Sumy region. This was reported by the Ministry of Defence in Moscow.

Last night, the Russian army launched drone attacks against logistics centres and port infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as against ships used by the Kyiv Armed Forces. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defence on Telegram, explaining that in Kyiv, “the data centre of Ukrtelecom, one of the largest providers of fixed and mobile communications services and high-speed internet for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU), as well as the DreamLine data centre, one of the largest companies providing high-speed internet services to the AFU, including data storage services”.

“Energy facilities” and infrastructure at the “Vasilkiv military airport” in the Kyiv region were also targeted. In Odessa, the “Novaya Pochta logistics centre, used to store military supplies”, was struck.

In the port of Chernomorsk, however, “a ship carrying military equipment and dual-use cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces” was attacked.

Finally, in the port of Izmail, the Dunaysudoservis naval infrastructure was damaged; this is “a major shipbuilding and repair centre” responsible for the restoration and modernisation of vessels, as well as the maintenance and refurbishment of the Ukrainian Navy’s patrol boats.

- Russian troops have attacked Zaporizhzhia, striking an industrial facility. The news was reported on Telegram by Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Defence Council.

Subsequently, the head of the regional administration, Mykhailo Semikin, reported on the same platform that there were seven people injured. “Two of the injured are in a serious condition, whilst four others are in a moderately serious condition,” he wrote. According to Ukrinform, over the past 24 hours, Russian forces have launched 712 attacks on 54 localities in the Zaporizhzhia region. One person has been killed and four injured.

The fact that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met in New York is a positive development, but it is too early to talk of changes in Berlin’s policy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today: ‘We have always said that dialogue is always better than no dialogue at all, even in situations where bilateral relations are practically non-existent. But it is still better to communicate with one another.’