French photojournalist killed in Ukraine in drone raid. In Belgium 15 sightings

In the case of Elsenborn, the mayor of Bütgenbach, Daniel Franzen, was not aware of the drone threat until this morning. He did, however, report that a drone had been used to search for a stray horse in the area, but it is currently unclear whether there is a connection between the two reports.

The drones that forced the temporary closure of Munich Airport in Germany yesterday had already been spotted around 7.30pm flying over an innovation centre of the Bundeswehr, the German army. This was written in the Bild portal. This is a place where next-generation drones are being developed. At 8.30 p.m. the drones were spotted over the airport in the Bavarian capital. The last sighting was at 11.30pm, according to the tabloid.

The war in Ukraine has entered an even"more dangerous and deadly phase for Ukrainian civilians" and "every day, as the violence continues, the risks of escalation and expansion increase", warned the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, today. "This war must end," he added. In an address to the UN Human Rights Council in session in Geneva, Türk noted that "this year there have been intense attacks along the front line and massive air raids, mostly in populated areas. Injuries to Ukrainian civilians have increased dramatically, with the total number of casualties in the first eight months of the year up 40 per cent compared to 2024'. The High Commissioner added that the Russian authorities "continue to perpetrate widespread and systematic human rights violations against Ukrainian civilians in the territory they occupy in the south and east of the country. These practices reflect a deliberate attempt to suppress Ukrainian dissent and identity," he said. "This war must end. The human cost to civilians, soldiers and their families is staggering and heartbreaking." Recent reports of Russian military drones sighted in Ukraine's neighbouring countries underline the dangers "this war poses to the region and beyond," he said. For the High Commissioner, "the Ukrainian and Russian people urgently need peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions, based on human rights," he concluded. (ANSA).

Rutte: "Russia may strike Rome".

The latest report of unknown drones in Belgium's airspace was preceded by renewed alarm in Europe about the risk of Russian-engineered military aggression. "We are in danger: the most advanced Russian missiles could strike Rome, Amsterdam or London at five times the speed of sound," said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Russian President Vladimir Putin downplays these claims by urging Europeans to 'calm down', but warns: Moscow will respond to EU militarisation. The sighting of suspicious drones triggered the closure of the German airport in Munich last night, which reopened this morning. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron meets German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Germany today.

Still high tension on the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance. For Rutte, interviewed by Tg1, 'we are all in danger. The most advanced Russian missiles could hit Rome, Amsterdam or London at five times the speed of sound. They cannot be intercepted with our conventional anti-missile systems. Therefore they are a very serious danger. It means that we are all on the eastern front, not only Estonia, Poland or Romania, but also Italy'. That's why 'we have to be extremely careful with Putin. He is already our main adversary, the main threat in the long run, but from the point of view of increasing his military capabilities he could actually pose a credible threat against NATO, as some European colleagues have pointed out,' he added.

Putin, on the subject of a possible Russian attack on Europe, tells the European countries: 'Calm down and finally think about your problems'. Moscow, according to the Kremlin leader, will continue to study the path of militarisation of the other side, and reserves the right to give 'convincing' answers. Putin chose the Valdai Club conference, held in Sochi, to respond to the European initiatives of recent days, which focus on the construction of a 'wall of drones' and the use of frozen Russian capital to continue arming Ukraine. All this after the accusations against Russia of trespassing its jets and drones in the skies of EU countries, which make Donald Tusk say that Europe is already at war with Moscow.

In this regard, air traffic was suspended at Munich Airport overnight due to a drone flyover of unknown origin. This was stated by a German police spokesman after several European countries reported air intrusions attributed to Russia.

According to an airport statement, 17 flights out of Munich were cancelled in the evening, impacting nearly 3,000 passengers. Fifteen flights arriving in Munich were also diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt; 19 Lufthansa flights were diverted or cancelled.

Meanwhile, the war on the ground does not stop. During the night, Ukrainian drones attacked the Azot chemical factory in the town of Berezniki, in the Russian region of Perm. This was reported on Telegram by the mayor of the city, Oleksiy Kazachenko, and the governor of the region, Dmitry Makhonin. According to the report, there have been no casualties so far and emergency services are on the scene. The city of Berezniki is more than 1,500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

In contrast, Kiev denounces massive Russian attacks overnight on energy facilities in several Ukrainian regions, including gas infrastructure. The Energy Ministry reported that 'the enemy launched missile and drone attacks against a number of energy facilities in several regions, in particular against gas transportation infrastructure'. Rescuers and energy operators are working to restore the affected facilities to operation. For the Ukrainian authorities, it was the "largest" Russian attack against gas production sites in Ukraine in the night since the invasion began in 2022, with 35 missiles and 60 drones. "A significant part of our facilities are damaged. Some damage is critical,' Naftogaz Group CEO Sergei Koretsky said on Facebook, denouncing Moscow's 'deliberate terrorism' against civilian sites.

The Trump administration, specifically the US State Department, formally notified Congress of a $51 million arms sale to Ukraine, while simultaneously considering the provision of long-range targeted intelligence against Russian energy infrastructure, two sources confirmed to the Kyiv Post. This key procedural step, a requirement under the Arms Export Control Act, signals an ongoing US commitment to supply Kiev, one official reported.The dual-track policy, as officials say, gives Kiev an immediate boost and signals a more aggressive stance by the White House after stalled diplomatic efforts, the Kyiv Post points out. The Department forwarded two certifications shortly before federal funding expired: one for the export of firearms, parts and components to Ukraine, worth more than $1 million, and a second, larger package, covering $50 million or more in defence items, including technical data and defence services, for a trilateral group comprising Ukraine, Belgium and the UK.

The emergence of drones as the main offensive tool in contemporary conflicts is confirmed by Kiev's offer to the US of a 'treasure trove' of drones in gratitude for American generosity in terms of military supplies. In other words, Ukraine intends to build on the experience gained in the mass production of low-cost drones in recent months to ensure a supply of low-cost drones to the American ally. In fact, a Ukrainian delegation is in Washington to work out the details of an agreement with the Trump administration that envisages Kiev sharing drone technology with Washington, the vast experience it has gained over the years in the production and use of drones on the battlefield, in exchange for compensation or other forms of compensation.

Writing about it is the Wall Street Journal, which cites American and Ukrainian officials and emphasises that Trump and Zelensky are in favour of the potential agreement, which could be worth billions of dollars and has great political value for Kiev, which is seeking to consolidate relations with the Trump administration after the Ukrainian military received armaments from the US for years. The talks, according to the Wsj, began on Tuesday 28 September in Washington involving Pentagon and State Department officials and a Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister Sergiy Boyev.

A US official pointed out that it could take months to close the deal. The drone deal could be part of a package that could include the 'mega-deal', by which Ukraine hopes to buy tens of billions of dollars worth of armaments from the US, Zelensky spoke about on Saturday. Kiev hopes the arms deal will include long-range missiles.

According to German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Germany will expand its cooperation with Ukraine and Israel in drone defence. A new unit will be established within the Federal Police that will focus exclusively on future drone defence, the Csu politician said, as reported by Ard. Development and research departments will be attached to this unit, which will work closely with partners such as Israel and Ukraine. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder also told Welt TV that Ukraine, based on its experience in the defensive fight against Russia, could provide valuable help in the fight against drones.