Europe

War in Ukraine, Poland raises fighters during a Russian attack. Zelensky will see Trump

The Ukrainian president denounces strikes on civilian infrastructure and homes and calls for more air defences, weapons and sanctions. Moscow claims to have intercepted 149 drones and claims operational successes on the frontline. Explosions were reported in Dnipro, Mykolaiv and other cities, while information on damage and casualties remains patchy

20 September 2025

In questa fotografia scattata e diffusa dal Servizio di emergenza ucraino il 20 settembre 2025, si vedono i residenti reagire sul luogo di un attacco aereo a Dnipro, durante l’invasione russa dell’Ucraina. La Russia ha lanciato 40 missili e circa 580 droni contro l’Ucraina in un “attacco massiccio” che ha causato tre morti e decine di feriti, ha dichiarato il presidente ucraino il 20 settembre 2025. (Foto di Handout / SERVIZIO DI EMERGENZA UCRAINO / AFP)

3' min read

Key points

Infrastructures and civilians in the crosshairs
Moscow version
Drone operations on the front
A Night on the Alarm
Attacks across borders

3' min read

Volodymyr Zelensky denounced a 'massive attack' conducted overnight by Russian forces against his country. According to the Ukrainian president, Moscow allegedly launched 40 missiles and about 580 drones, striking several regions: from Dnipro to Mykolaiv, from Chernihiv to Zaporizhzhia, up to Poltava, Kiev, Odessa, Sumy and Kharkiv. The provisional toll speaks of three dead and dozens injured.

Poland scrambled its jets overnight while Russian attacks on Ukraine were in progress. "Due to the activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, which is conducting attacks on the territory of Ukraine, the Polish and allied air force has started to operate in our airspace," the country's armed forces said in a note. This was reported by Sky News Uk. Poland explained that this was done to ensure 'maximum readiness' and security in the neighbouring areas. At around 7am, the country's armed forces declared that their operations had ended.

Zelensky also stated that he will meet with Donald Trump next week. The Ukrainian president informed a group of journalists, including the France Presse news agency, that he will have 'a meeting with the US president' as part of his trip to New York for the UN General Assembly next week.

The Ukrainian president said he would raise the issue of sanctions against Moscow. "I think we are wasting a lot of time if we wait, don't impose sanctions or don't take the measures that we really expect from him," he said. Zelensky also said he will discuss with Trump the "security guarantees" his country requires from its Western allies in the event of a peace agreement. These guarantees should protect Ukraine from another Russian attack in the future, which Kiev considers almost inevitable.

Zelensky: "Senza risposte incisive Putin si sentirà autorizzato a continuare la guerra"

Infrastructures and civilians in the crosshairs

Zelensky said that the raids hit strategic infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian businesses. In Dnipro, a cluster missile hit a residential building, causing casualties and serious damage. "Every attack of this kind does not respond to a military need, but to a deliberate strategy of terror against civilians", the president accused, calling for more international support to strengthen air defence and impose new sanctions on Moscow.

The Moscow version

For its part,the Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have intercepted and shot down 149 Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Saturday 20 September. Of these, 40 were reportedly neutralised in the Rostov region, 27 in Saratov, 18 in Bryansk, 15 in Samara and 12 in Crimea. Other shoot-downs were recorded in Volgograd, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Smolensk and Nizhny Novgorod. According to Moscow, 15 drones were also neutralised on the Black Sea and three on the Sea of Azov.

Drone operations on the front

The Russian Ministry also reported that its own FPV drone operators allegedly destroyed Ukrainian vehicles and soldiers in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkivka area. Attacks were also allegedly conducted by the 6th and 71st Motorised Rifle Divisions, which hit pick-ups, a minibus used to transport soldiers and ammunition, and another vehicle near a Ukrainian drone control centre.

A Night on the Alarm

The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that the entire country remained under airborne alert for hours, with explosions reported in Pavlohrad, Mykolaiv and Dnipro. Information on casualties and damage remains fragmentary, while local authorities speak of an unprecedented attack in terms of intensity.

Cross-border attacks

According to Russian Telegram channels, Ukraine also reportedly struck deep into enemy territory: an oil refinery in the Saratov region was reportedly damaged, along with a residential building in the city, where one person was injured. Governor Roman Busargin confirmed the damage.