Massive Russian Airborne Attacks across Ukraine Shed First Blood in Lviv

Russia launched in the past few days its largest series of airborne attacks against Ukraine from east to west, shedding blood for the first time in Western Ukraine’s metropolitan jewel Lviv, some 80 to 120 kilometers (50 to 75 miles) from the Polish border.

Moscow fired 53 ballistic and cruise missiles and some 600 drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that nine regions were targeted and tens of thousands have been left without electrical power at a time when the country is preparing for cold weather.

Moscow stepped up attacks specifically on Ukraine’s energy grid and gas production sites in recent weeks as the fourth winter of war approaches, and as diplomatic efforts to end the fighting have stalled due to Moscow’s stubbornness in fulfilling its manifest destiny to subjugating all of Ukraine. Outwardly, in meetings with European and American officials it feigns interest in peace. However, if fact, Russia is not interested in peace or an end to the war that it began in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials have urged its European and American allies to step up their comprehensive support for Ukraine.

Russia is clearly pursuing its age-old mission, enunciated unambiguously by the Kremlin’s leadership, of annihilating as many Ukrainian men, women and children as possible and then imprisoning the survivors in a renewed captive nation.

Local officials reported that four members of one family, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed by the Russian strike in the village of Lapaivka as attacks mostly targeted the Western Ukrainian region of Lviv. Another family member was injured, as were two neighbors, in the strike that killed their relatives in Lapaivka.

Lviv endured several hours of strikes, leading to the suspension of public transport services and the cutting of electrical supplies. Maksym Kozytskyi, Lviv’s regional head, said it was the largest attack on the region since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He said some 163 drones and missiles were identified in the area.

Ukraine’s neighbor Poland, concerned by the closeness of Russian airborne attack, scrambled fighter jets in order to ensure the safety of its airspace, the Polish military confirmed. “Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said in a post on X. Allied NATO aircraft were also deployed. Russia’s Defense Ministry admitted it had successfully carried out a “massive” strike on Ukrainian military and infrastructure targets.

One person also died in Zaporizhzhia. Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 50 missiles and around 500 attack drones. Ukraine’s air force put the combined figure at 549.

The Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad regions were targeted as well as Lviv and Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy.

He added: “We need more protection and faster implementation of all defense agreements, especially on air defense, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning.

“A unilateral ceasefire in the skies is possible and it is precisely that which could open the way to real diplomacy,” Zelenskyy observed.

Russian assaults came days after a US official said Washington would support Ukraine launching deep strikes inside Russian territory. The White House is considering dispatching to Ukraine Tomahawk missiles, an American long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is used by the United States Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations.

At 05:10 (02:10 GMT), all of Ukraine was under air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks.

Russia continues to focus its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Kyiv’s energy ministry said overnight attacks caused damage in Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv and Sumy.

In Zaporizhzhia, Russia’s overnight attack left “more than 73,000 consumers... without electricity” after a power plant was struck, according to Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor.

A woman was killed and several others injured in the region.

A 16-year-old girl was among those receiving medical assistance, Fedorov added, posting photos apparently showing a partly destroyed multi-story block and a burnt-out car from the site of the attack.

Emergency outages were implemented in Chernihiv and Sumy, the energy ministry added.

Russia’s drone incursions against several EU countries were well-calculated and an attempt to ‘move the red lines’, said Sergiy Kyslytsya, the former Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations and currently First Deputy Minister in charge of foreign affairs. 

Europe needs to “get serious” about the existential threat posed to it by Russia, Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister has said, warning that Vladimir Putin will “escalate escalating.”

In an interview with the Guardian, Kyslytsya, known for his acerbic criticism of Russian diplomats at the UN, said the Kremlin was already at war with Europe. He said Russia’s recent drone incursions against several EU countries were well-calculated and an attempt to “move the red lines.”

“I’m sure Putin gets emotional if not physical satisfaction humiliating the West by showing what he perceives as his super-strength,” Kyslytsya said, adding that the Russian despot’s reckless actions risked antagonizing a White House that appeared to be cooling on him. “It’s a boomerang thing,” Kyslytsya said.

What Russia does next depends on whether Europe and the Trump Administration show collective resolve, he suggested. Without a decisive transatlantic response, Putin would “escalate escalating,” he predicted, with more actions designed to disrupt and paralyze the continent.

Kyslystya is one of the Ukrainian government’s most effective communicators, known for his lively social media posts. He became something of a cult figure in Ukraine soon after Putin’s full-scale invasion when he ostentatiously read a book titled “What’s Wrong With Diplomacy?” as the Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, made a speech to the UN Security Council.

Russia launched its largest attack of the war against critical natural gas facilities run by Ukraine’s Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz group overnight, officials said on Friday.

Serhii Koretskyi, chief executive of Naftogaz, said Russia had fired 35 missiles and 60 drones at facilities of the gas and oil company in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions.

Koretskyi said the attack had “no military purpose” and was “yet another act of Russian malice aimed solely at disrupting the heating season and depriving Ukrainians of warmth in winter”.

Officials accused the Kremlin of plotting to wear down the Ukrainian power grid ahead of winter.

“Last night, the Russians committed a real act of genocide against the population of the Chernihiv region. During another drone attack, several important power supply facilities were damaged at once. Emergency power cuts affected about 50,000 users,” Chernihivoblenergo said, News.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

“The Russian side is testing our strength again, but we will stand firm! Energy workers are continuing to restore power, so please be patient and take care of your safety,” the regional power company added.

Earlier, over the past few days, Russians carried out massive attacks on 17 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, delivering more than 600 strikes with various types of weapons, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration. Russians sent 390 drones of various modifications to the Zaporizhzhia region, carried out 6 MLRS strikes, and 202 artillery strikes.

Russia attacked the settlements of Hryhorivka, Malokaterynivka, Plavni, Stepove, Huliaipole, Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, and Poltavka.

According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia carried out 17 air strikes on Hryhorivka, Malokaterynivka, Komyshuvakha, Stepnohirsk, Lukianivske, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka, and Poltavka.

A total of 390 Russian drones, primarily of the FPV (First Person View) modification, had attacked the following locations: Tavriiske, Plavni, Stepove, Huliaipole, Shcherbaky, Novodanylivka, Mala Tokmachka, Novoandriivka, Charivne, Bilohiria, Rivnopillia, and Poltavka.

Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine’s energy facilities on Oct. 3, Zelenskyy said in his evening address, accusing Moscow of trying to deepen the hardship of civilians ahead of the cold season.

“Just today, Russia struck our gas infrastructure with 35 missiles, including ballistic weapons. It was a combined strike, and only half of the missiles were shot down,” he said after a meeting with Ukraine's top military command.

Zelensky said additional attacks also hit the Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, while ballistic missiles struck energy facilities in Donetsk Oblast, including in Kramatorsk, Sloviansk and Druzhkivka.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones attacked the Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Perm Krai overnight on Oct. 3, regional Governor Dmitry Makhonin reported.

The strike briefly disrupted production at the facility, which is one of Russia’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers and a key supplier of chemicals used in both agriculture and explosives.

Located about 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the plant produces ammonia, urea, and ammonium nitrate, as well as higher aliphatic and crystalline sodium nitrite. In 2024, it reported record output of more than 2.3 million tons of products.

“According to updated information, an attack by enemy drones was carried out at night... There was a brief stoppage of the technological cycle at Azot,” Makhonin said. “Emergency services specialists continue to work at the scene, and an operational headquarters has been set up.”

Reuters previously reported that five Russian chemical companies supplied over 75% of the materials used by the country’s explosives and gunpowder factories since the start of the full-scale war.

Substantiating its intention to hurt unarmed civilians, at least 30 people have been injured following a Russian drone strike on a railway station in northeast Ukraine, Zelenskyy has said. In a post on X, he said that preliminary reports indicated train staff and passengers were at the site of the strike in the city of Shostka, in the Sumy region.

He also posted a video showing a damaged train carriage on fire.

“The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians. This is terrorism, which the world has no right to ignore,” Zelensky wrote on X.

“Every day Russia takes people’s lives. And only strength can make them stop.”

According to the regional governor Oleh Hryhorov and the Ukrainian Railways body, there were two strikes which hit two passenger trains. Three children, aged 8, 11 and 14, were among the injured, Hryhorov said.

The second strike hit at a time when evacuations from the area were already under way, a statement from the railways body said.

It represented a “vile” attack “aimed at stopping communication with our frontline communities,” the statement continued. Shostka lies in north-eastern Ukraine, some 50km from the Russian border.

It is clear that Russia doesn’t want to end the war it started; it doesn’t want peace to return to Europe. Hopefully, the Trump Administration will pursue its new policy of disbelieving Putin’s comments while arming Ukraine with every weapon it needs to defeat Russia and expel it from all Ukrainian lands. He should also welcome Kyiv’s desire to join NATO and other defensive structures.

Murder, Depravity, Crimes Surround Russia’s Actions in Ukraine

War crimes know no limits in the minds and actions of Russian cutthroats.

Every day brings more examples of premeditated acts of Russian inhumanity committed during its latest 1,300-plus day war against Ukraine. Moscow’s abomination also testifies to the fact that its mission is to annihilate today’s and future generations of Ukrainians and inflict upon the survivors as much pain and suffering as they can.

Russian aggression against Ukraine is not a horrific, electronic war game. The bombardment is real, the destruction is real, the blood is real, and the deaths of innocent men, women and children are real.

Ukrayinska Pravda reported this week that Russian butchers near the town of Shandryholove on the Lyman front have executed a civilian family of civilians and captured their under aged daughter. The Russian invaders are now using her as a human shield for their units to facilitate attacks.

The Ukrainian newspaper wrote: “Radio intercepts have revealed that even before the assault on the settlement, the Russian commander, who goes by the alias Bali, gave orders to wipe out the civilian population, instructing his forces to act quickly and ‘kill everyone on their way with no exceptions.’ 

“An enemy unit entered a residential building and killed the civilians – the child’s parents – by shooting them. The Russians abducted the girl and are continuing assault operations, holding her hostage to prevent anyone from firing on them.

“Units in the Third Army Corps are documenting the Russians’ war crime live: ‘All the radio intercepts indicate the premeditated nature of the enemy’s actions.’

“The Third Army Corps stressed how important it is for civilians to evacuate from the combat zone as soon as possible.”

Murdering civilians and using them as human shields constitutes a war crime, according to the Geneva Conventions. Russia has been accused of widespread abuse, torture, and summary executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians during the full-scale invasion.

Children have also been among the victims of Russian aggression. The UN documented over 2,000 children killed during the full-scale war, though the real figure is likely much higher, as Moscow does not allow independent monitoring of some of the most war-stricken areas. One in every five children in Ukraine also reported losing a relative or a friend since the start of the full-scale war, UNICEF, the UN’s children's rights agency, reported in February.

Ukrainian prisoners of war, who are universally accorded special rights based on their status, have also fallen victims to Russian wanton debauchery.

A video showing the execution of six unarmed Ukrainian POWs by Russian soldiers began circulating online on Thursday, Jan. 23, of this year.

In the video, the date and location of which Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify, but said to be in the Donetsk region, Russian cutthroats are seen shooting six captured Ukrainian soldiers. The fate of a seventh soldier is unclear, as the video cuts off.

Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets reacted to the footage on Telegram: “The shooting of each prisoner occurs in front of their comrades. The occupiers order them to ‘lie down and shut their mouths,’ while the ‘operator’ of the crime says ‘One is mine,’ before firing a series of bullets into the back of one of the prisoners.”

Lubinets said that the video shows the Russian military’s “criminality.”

As of early July, Russian forces have executed 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Ombudsman's Office believes these executions could be carried out under orders from Russia's top military leadership.

Lubinets said this during a press conference marking his third anniversary in office, Ukrinform reports.

“According to our data, investigations are currently underway into the execution of 268 Ukrainian POWs by Russian soldiers. We've seen a sharp increase in this number over the past year,” Lubinets said.

He emphasized that such actions are unlikely to occur without approval from Russia’s top military command. “We understand that this treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war is sanctioned from the very top. Unfortunately, this is the reality we’re witnessing,” he added.

Two years ago, on March 6, 2023, a graphic 12-second video showed a captured Ukrainian soldier, Oleksandr Matsievskyi, in camouflage, unarmed, standing in a shallow trench in a wintry forest, calmly puffing a cigarette. As the soldier is heard saying “Slava Ukrayini” (“Glory to Ukraine”), salvos of automatic weapons from multiple sides are heard and seen shooting the man, who collapses. Voices in the Russian language were heard saying “Die, bitch.” Before the murder, he was allegedly forced to dig his own grave, in the video he is in a hole, and there is a shovel behind him.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report on Sept. 23 detailing the vast scale of torture committed by Russian invaders on Ukrainian civilians held in captivity in occupied territories.

Between June 1, 2023, and Sept. 10, 2025, OHCHR documented 508 cases of civilian detainees, including 392 men, 103 women, three girls, and nine boys. These include individuals of all age groups, from adolescents to older adults, as well as 15 persons with disabilities.

“We will leave you to rot. No one will find you. No one needs you. You don’t exist. We'll bury you right here; only hungry dogs will find you,” one civilian detainee said when describing the threats he received in captivity.

While detained by Russia, Ukrainians are subjected to brutal torture, including physical and psychological torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and inhumane conditions of detention.

“People have been arbitrarily picked off the streets in occupied territory, charged under shifting legal bases and held for days, weeks, months, and even years, often with limited contact to their families,” Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in the report.

The mass abduction of children is another crime constituting genocide. Ukraine has identified 19,553 minors sent to Russia against their will. This led on March 17, 2023, to the International Criminal Court issuing a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin and his Russian Children's Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova.

Russia’s intent is to erase Ukraine's existence as a state by trying to steal its future: “Russia uses forced relocation, reeducation, and in some cases, adoption of Ukrainian children as key components of its systematic efforts to suppress the identity, history, and culture of Ukraine,” officials state.

In addition, there is militarization: in a network of more than 200 facilities (camps, cadet schools, bases, and youth centers) identified by the Yale HRL organization, children participate in close-order drill training, basic weapon handling, tactical first aid, and even drone manufacturing/assembly; some of these activities are channeled through youth structures like Yunarmiya or the Pioneers Movement (a Soviet-origin organization). The research details that dozens of locations provide systematic military training and a significant proportion run continuous patriotic indoctrination programs. Russia denies the facts and presents them as "recreation" or humanitarian evacuations, but evidence collected by Yale HRL, international media, and NGOs shows an organized and expansive pattern of the Kremlin’s child abuse.

There are also 1.5 million children growing up under the shadow of forced Russification in occupied areas.

Remember this next time you’re planning to buy Russian-made products.

‘It Depends on All of Us’

Following is the speech by the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine during the General Debate of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2025.

Bullet-point summary

• Today, no one but ourselves can guarantee security. Only strong alliances. Only strong partners. And only our own weapons.

• You know perfectly well – international law doesn’t work fully unless you have powerful friends who are truly willing to stand up for it. And even that doesn’t work without weapons.

• Ukrainians are peaceful people. But they are people who want to live – to live freely, in their own independent country. That’s why we invest in defense. For many nations, there is simply no other way left.

• And as Russia’s war against my country goes on, people are still dying every week. Yet there is no ceasefire – because Russia refuses.

• Russia abducted thousands of Ukrainian children.

• Even being part of a long-standing military alliance doesn’t automatically mean you’re safe.

• We must not forget about protecting the rights of people – and the rights of nations – in regions where these rights are under threat.

• We also mourn the Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska. She was brutally killed with a knife here in America – the very country where she was seeking refuge from Russia’s war.

• War tech doesn’t care about geography anymore – it’s now reshaping it.

• We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history – because this time, it includes artificial intelligence.

• We need to restore international cooperation – real, working cooperation – for peace and for security. A few years from now might already be too late.

• Ukraine doesn’t have the “big, fat” missiles dictators love to show off in parades. But we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000–3,000 kilometers. We had no choice but to build them – to protect our right to life.

• And none of this would have happened if Putin had not started this full-scale aggression, full-scale war.

• And every year that this war goes on, weapons become even more deadly. And only Russia deserves to be blamed for this.

• To protect lives, Ukraine builds underground schools and underground hospitals.

• The facts are simple: stopping this war now – and with it, the global arms race – is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later.

• So we must use everything we have – together – to force the aggressor to stop. And only then do we have a real chance that this arms race won’t end in catastrophe for all of us. If it takes weapons to do it, if it takes pressure on Russia – then it must be done. And it must be done now.

• If security guarantees work for Ukraine – something more than just friends and weapons – it will mean that people were able to make national security not a privilege for a few nations, but a right for everyone.

• So it depends on you – whether you help peace or continue trading with Russia and helping Russia to fund this war.

• It depends on you – what will define existence: war – like now, or our joint strong actions – as it should be.

• But in the end, peace depends on all of us – on the United Nations.

• So don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on – please, speak out and condemn it.

• Please join us in defending life, and international law and order.

Dear leaders!

Dear friends and all those who can become our friends – because you want safety and peace just as much as we do.

Today, no one but ourselves can guarantee security. Only strong alliances. Only strong partners. And only our own weapons. The 21st century isn’t much different from the past. If a nation wants peace, it still has to work on weapons. It’s sick – but that’s the reality. Not international law, not cooperation – weapons decide who survives.

Excellencies!

You know perfectly well – international law doesn’t work fully unless you have powerful friends who are truly willing to stand up for it. And even that doesn’t work without weapons. It’s terrible, but without it, things would be even worse. There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons.

No Ukrainian chose this kind of reality. And knowing our people, they would have chosen a different priority. Ukrainians are peaceful people. But they are people who want to live – to live freely, in their own independent country. That’s why we invest in defense. For many nations, there is simply no other way left.

Nations can speak about their pain from stages like this, but even during bloodshed, there isn’t a single international institution that can truly stop it. That’s how weak these institutions have become.

What can Sudan, or Somalia, or Palestine, or any other people living through war, really expect from the UN or the global system? For decades, just statements and statements.

And even everything happening in Gaza remains without a way out.

Even now, Syria – after all the changes – still has to appeal to the world to ease the sanctions that are choking its economy. It has to ask and wait. Syria deserves stronger support from the international community.

And as Russia’s war against my country goes on, people are still dying every week. Yet there is no ceasefire – because Russia refuses.

Russia abducted thousands of Ukrainian children. And we’ve brought some of them back. And I thank everyone who’s helped. But how long will it take to bring all of them home? Childhood slips away faster than adults are able to help.

Look at Israel. Nearly two years have passed, and hostages still haven’t been freed. They must be freed. But even that still hasn’t happened.

And for years, there have been no real answers to other threats either – chemical weapons, and famine used as a weapon.

Last year at this assembly, I warned the world about the risk of radiation disasters – especially due to Russia’s occupation of our Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the biggest in Europe. But nothing’s changed. Nothing. And yesterday, the plant went into blackout again. And Russia hasn’t stopped shelling – even in areas near a nuclear facility. And because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues.

Even being part of a long-standing military alliance doesn’t automatically mean you’re safe. Just recently, 19 simple Russian drones violated Polish airspace. And only 4 were shot down. Luckily, they weren’t “shaheds” or even worse. Otherwise, the results would’ve been horrific.

Estonia had to call a UN Security Council meeting – for the first time in history – because Russian fighter jets deliberately entered its airspace.

Moldova is defending itself – again – from Russia’s interference. We’re helping Moldova. And Russia’s trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon. And the global response? Again – not enough. We have already lost Georgia in Europe. Human rights and the European nature of the state system are only shrinking there. Georgia is dependent on Russia.

And for many, many years, Belarus has also been moving toward dependence on Russia. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too.

It’s important to remember how the world once ignored the need to help Georgia after Russia’s attack – and how the moment was missed with Belarus. Now Moldova must not be lost. And for Europe, supporting Moldova’s stability is not costly – but failing to do so would come at a much higher price. That’s why the EU needs to help Moldova now – with funding and energy support, not just words or political gestures.

We must not forget about protecting the rights of people – and the rights of nations – in regions where these rights are under threat. The UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must apply everywhere. But the Taliban in Afghanistan dragged a whole country back into the dark ages. Cartels in some Latin America countries are more powerful than the governments there. This is all about collapse of international law and the weakness of the international institutions. And so it’s about the rise of weapons. Weapons decide who survives.

Excellencies!

Yesterday, President Trump stood right here, in this hall. God saved him from a murder attempt during the campaign. A shot was fired from a rifle, and just a fraction of an inch saved his life.

Just days ago, President – along with hundreds of thousands of Americans – honored the memory of Charlie Kirk. Sadly, his life was cut short by a bullet – once again, violence with a rifle in hand.

We also mourn the Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska. She was brutally killed with a knife here in America – the very country where she was seeking refuge from Russia’s war.

And almost every day, when we open the news, we see headlines about violent attacks – happening all around the world. Most of it is done with weapons people are already used to. But weapons are evolving faster than our ability to defend ourselves.

Now, there are tens of thousands of people who know how to professionally kill using drones. Stopping that kind of attack is harder than stopping any gun, knife, or bomb. This is what Russia has brought with its war.

It used to be that only the strongest countries could use drones – because they were expensive and complex. Now, even simple drones can fly thousands of kilometers. War tech doesn’t care about geography anymore – it’s now reshaping it.

Just recently, airports in Europe had to shut down because of drones. Authorities couldn’t even say what kind of drones they were, who sent them, or from where.

Last week, North Korea announced the test of a tactical strike drone. That means – even countries with limited resources can now build weapons that are dangerous to their neighbors.

Ukraine – and nations like Saudi Arabia – know all too well how dangerous Iranian attack drones are. But what happens when all the types of drones become available even to small terrorist groups or cartels? The world moves too slowly to protect itself. And weapons move fast.

Now, companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones. And it’s only a matter of time – not much – before drones are fighting drones, attacking critical infrastructure, and targeting people – all by themselves, fully autonomous, and no human involved – except the few who control AI systems.

Dear leaders!

We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history – because this time, it includes artificial intelligence. And if there are no real security guarantees – except friends and weapons, and if the world can’t respond even to old threats, and if there’s no strong platform for international security – will there be any place left on Earth that’s still safe for people?

We need global rules – now – for how AI can be used in weapons. And this is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

We need to restore international cooperation – real, working cooperation – for peace and for security. A few years from now might already be too late.

10 years ago, war looked different. No one imagined that cheap drones could create “dead zones”, areas stretching for dozens of kilometers where nothing moves, no vehicles, no life. People used to imagine that only after a nuclear strike – now it’s drone reality. Mass-produced, simple drones, and without AI – yet.

Ukraine doesn’t have the “big, fat” missiles dictators love to show off in parades. But we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000–3,000 kilometers. We had no choice but to build them – to protect our right to life.

Control over the sea used to depend on having a big navy. Ukraine doesn’t have a big fleet. But we succeeded in the Black Sea – we pushed what’s left of the Russian navy into remote bays. And we did it with sea drones. That’s how we protect our ports and maritime trade routes – because Russia has left us no other choice.

And our “Spiderweb” operation, when cheap drones destroyed or damaged dozens of expensive Russian strategic bombers, became a real example for special forces around the world of what new weapons can do to old systems. These very Russian bombers attacked our cities.

And none of this would have happened if Putin had not started this full-scale aggression, full-scale war.

And every year that this war goes on, weapons become even more deadly. And only Russia deserves to be blamed for this.

Dear leaders!

To protect lives, Ukraine builds underground schools and underground hospitals. To protect lives, we have to spend more on protecting power stations from drone and missile attacks than on building sports facilities or cultural infrastructure. Ukrainian farmers are learning how to protect their equipment from Russia’s FPV drone strikes, and for them, that challenge is far greater than climate change. Russia’s war has put us in this situation. But do you have protection against similar threats?

The facts are simple: stopping this war now – and with it, the global arms race – is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later.

Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and every ship from terrorists with sea drones.

Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead.

So we must use everything we have – together – to force the aggressor to stop. And only then do we have a real chance that this arms race won’t end in catastrophe for all of us. If it takes weapons to do it, if it takes pressure on Russia – then it must be done. And it must be done now. Otherwise, Putin will keep driving the war forward – wider and deeper.

And we told you before – Ukraine is only the first. And now, Russian drones are already flying across Europe. And Russian operations are already spreading across countries. Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it. And no one can feel safe right now.

So first, we are now building a new security architecture for ourselves. More than 30 countries are already part of our Coalition.

And we’re strengthening army, launching joint weapons production with partners, and defining financial commitments for defense – in a way that could become a security model for any other nation. If security guarantees work for Ukraine – something more than just friends and weapons – it will mean that people were able to make national security not a privilege for a few nations, but a right for everyone.

Second, we’re ready to make our modern weapons become your modern security, your modern weapons. And we’ve decided to open up arms exports. And these are powerful systems – tested in a real war when every international institution failed.

And we are also ready to grow our defense production together with strong partners so that their protection is modern and reliable. You don’t need to start this race from scratch – we are ready to share what has already proven itself in real defense.

And third, many in the world – still relaxed, still. But look at how many countries are here, at this General Assembly – countries that are at war, or just came out of war, or are trying to stop one. Or openly getting ready for one. War has already reached too many people to pretend it has nothing to do with you.

So it depends on you – whether you help peace or continue trading with Russia and helping Russia to fund this war. It depends on you – whether prisoners of war will be freed, whether abducted children will come home, whether hostages will be free. It depends on you – what will define existence: war – like now, or our joint strong actions – as it should be.

Yesterday, we had a good meeting with President Trump. And I also spoke with many other strong leaders. And together, we can change a lot. Of course, we’re doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps. And of course, we count on the United States. I appreciate the support we are receiving. Yes, much depends on the G7 and G20. But in the end, peace depends on all of us – on the United Nations.

So don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on – please, speak out and condemn it.

Please join us in defending life, and international law and order. People are waiting for action. Thank you so much!

Glory to Ukraine!

Zelenskyy at UN: Russia Prolongs War against Ukraine

The following is the text of the address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the the High-Level Meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine delivered Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

My bulletted highlights appear first.

• World’s attention to the UN is fading. The Organization has less influence

• One of the permanent members of this Council is doing everything to prolong the largest war in Europe since World War 2.

• Russia does this with impunity, using its veto power, buying influence, and keeping peace on hold.

• If China truly wanted this war to stop, it could compel Moscow to end the invasion. Without China, Putin’s Russia is nothing. 

• The Budapest Memorandum, meant to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons, failed.

• Why do I say this now and here? Because you – the United States, China, Britain, France – the Permanent Members of the Security Council – represent the world’s essential power, the power that must act when international law alone cannot.

• And no, not Russia. With this war, Russia has discredited itself – even for those who do not yet criticize Putin openly, they still feel that Russia’s presence brings no good.

Thank you very much, President.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General,

Distinguished leaders, representatives of states and governments, and all those who still pay attention to the work of the United Nations,

We must admit: the world’s attention to the UN is fading. The Organization has less influence, and too often, there is a lack of real decisions on fundamental issues. 

This is exactly what we need to speak about today, about the tools that, sadly, are not working now. But they will work, I’m sure, they will work – if you are active, if we are active. Because the main tool is in your hands.

First of all, I thank the Republic of Korea for this meeting of the Security Council and for the opportunity to call for peace. Today, there will be a clear call for peace in this Council. And here is one of the main distortions of our time – whom must we call to peace and on whom must we press to achieve it?

One of the permanent members of this Council is doing everything to prolong the largest war in Europe since World War 2. Russia does this with impunity, using its veto power, buying influence, and keeping peace on hold. The Russian representative is here. But of course, not the one who makes the real decisions. That man fears to sit face to face with Ukraine and the world and openly admit – he wants only war. Instead, Putin sends delegates who cannot and don’t want to stop the bloodshed. And when he appears abroad – in Beijing, or somewhere else – it’s only to buy more time for killing, pretending he seeks diplomacy. 

Putin only cares about using every meeting, every chance to keep the war going. Each day, Russia kills our people, destroys our cities, and leaves no sign it will ever return to the principles of the UN Charter.

China is also represented here. A powerful nation on which Russia now depends completely. If China truly wanted this war to stop, it could compel Moscow to end the invasion. Without China, Putin’s Russia is nothing. Yet too often, China stays silent and distant instead of active for peace.

The United States of America is present here as well – a strong nation that supports our defense. And we’ve said “yes” to every proposal from the U.S. President for a ceasefire and talks with Russia to bring peace – but Russia always says “no” or tries to confuse everyone so that even a ceasefire can’t happen. And I met with President Trump just now. And we spoke about how to finally bring peace. And we discussed a few good ideas, and I hope they will work. I’m grateful for this meeting. And we expect America’s actions to push Russia toward peace. Moscow fears America – and always pays attention to it.

The United Kingdom is here, a permanent member of the Security Council. France is here, also a permanent member. Both nations support us, support our people, our independence, both promote diplomacy. And both are parties to a document that was supposed to be a positive milestone – together with the other permanent members of the UN Security Council – but instead, it became a warning to the world. The Budapest Memorandum, meant to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons, failed. It proved that international promises can turn into blabbering. That is why today, with Britain, with France, and already with more than 30 nations in our Coalition of Willing, we are building a new security architecture. We count on the United States of America as a backstop. Real security guarantees must become the line Russia cannot cross again. 

Here is one example of how strength can stop war – if we could strengthen our skies with a joint system to shoot down Russian missiles and drones, it would force Russia to stop its attacks from the sky – because everything could be shot down. And so, Putin would be forced to sit here, or in another respectful venue, and look for a truce on the ground. If there’s no war in the sky – Russia can’t keep fighting on the ground. I’ve talked about this with President Trump and with other leaders.

Why do I say this now and here? Because you – the United States, China, Britain, France – the Permanent Members of the Security Council – represent the world’s essential power, the power that must act when international law alone cannot. And no, not Russia. With this war, Russia has discredited itself – even for those who do not yet criticize Putin openly, they still feel that Russia’s presence brings no good.

Excellencies,

Behind every international institution, there must be real strength to enforce decisions. This is true for the Security Council and for the UN as a whole. If you stand together for ending this war, even Russia will have to obey. And if some of you act, while others delay, the war goes on.

Ukraine wants peace more than anyone in the world. The front is on our land. And we mourn our people, and we try to save our cities and to save our small villages. Russia ignores its dead, blind to its own losses. But one day, one day it will see, and it will hear. And it will happen when it sees your actions, when it hears your united call for peace.

That is my appeal to you today – be the force that acts. Act together. Please. Unite at last to stop Russia’s war.

And we know how to guarantee security. What we need now is a strong push – to force Russia toward peace.

Thank you.

Glory to Ukraine!

Trump Says Ukraine can Defeat Russia

Making a dramatic about face, President Donald Trump has blessed Ukraine’s intention to defeat Russia and return to its national domain temporarily occupied Ukrainian lands.

Trump on Tuesday, September 23, a day before President Volodymyr Zelensky is to address the 80^th UN General Assembly, argued Ukraine could win its war against Russia and regain the land it had lost and “maybe even go further than that,” suggesting the Russian army was a “paper tiger.”

Trump virtually gave Ukraine the go ahead to bomb Russia into the Stone Age and win the war that it started in February 2022. This expression of his courage and resolve in supporting Ukraine will certainly anger the Russian leadership.

“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN (Trump’s capitals) all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

“With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option,” he added. “Why not?”

The president’s social media post came on the heels of a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations with Zelensky. The two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine, which has been raging since Russian forces invaded in February 2022, and efforts by the U.S. to hinder Moscow’s war machine.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said Russia had been “fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win.” 

“This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger,’” Trump wrote.

The president suggested Russian citizens could stop supporting the war effort as they learn it is hurting the economy.

“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” Trump posted. “In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!”

Earlier, Trump had hinted of change of heart about Russia’s war against Ukraine. In his address at the UNGA, Trump noted, “I’ve also been working relentlessly to stop the killing in Ukraine. I thought that would be one of the seven wars I stopped. I thought that would be the easiest because of my relationship with President Putin, which had always been a good one. I thought it was going to be the easiest one. But in war, you never know what’s going to happen. There are always lots of surprises, both good and bad.
“Everyone thought Russia would win this war in three days, but it didn’t work out that way. It was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It’s not making Russia look good—it’s making them look bad, no matter what happens from here on out. This was something that should have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week. And they’ve been fighting for three and a half years, killing anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 young soldiers, mostly on both sides, every single week, additional deaths in cities where rockets are shot and drones are dropped.

“This war would never have started if I were president. It shows what leadership—or bad leadership—can do to a country. Look at what happened to the United States and where we are right now in just a short period of time. The only question now is: how many more lives will be needlessly lost on both sides?”

Trump said he had thought it would be “the easiest” conflict to resolve because of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, he said, the war had dragged on for three years, “killing five to seven thousand young people a week.”

Trump also accused North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries of hypocrisy for buying oil and gas from Moscow “when they are fighting Russia.”

His proposed solution is punitive tariffs: “If Russia does not end the war, the United States will impose very strict tariffs which would end the war very quickly, but the Europeans have to adopt them as well.”

Trump’s subsequent post marked the latest shift in rhetoric toward the war in Ukraine. Earlier this year, Trump had been adamant that Zelensky would need to be willing to make territorial concessions as part of a peace agreement after Russian forces advanced into Ukraine over the past three years.

Trump met last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which yielded no specific progress toward peace. He later hosted Zelensky and European leaders at the White House to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine moving forward.

The president has also in recent weeks urged European nations to stop purchasing Russian oil as a way to undercut Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Asked during his meeting with Zelensky on Tuesday whether he could trust Putin still, Trump told reporters he would let them know in “about a month.”

That would be October 23, 2025.

Ukrainians really do Believe They could Defeat Russia

In my post of August 31, I wrote that the widespread belief in Ukraine is that Russia could be defeated in its war and the Ukrainian nation could emerge victorious.

I wrote that at a gathering last month of senior Ukrainian government officials and Ukrainian American civic leaders at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City, this point – victory – was enunciated.

In a brief overview of the issues at hand, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President, who is regarded as the most powerful official in Kyiv after President Zelenskyy, unabashedly used the word “victory” in his statement. I decided to pursue this in the Q&A and asked him to confirm that Ukraine’s victory over Russia is possible and it’s not a naïve wish of Ukrainians in Ukraine and around the world.

Yermak said, yes, and elaborated that all of Ukraine, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is committed to that real end.

As pompous as that sounds, Yermak was not exaggerating – much to the irritation of President Donald J. Trump.

According to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), a total of 76% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine can defeat Russia in the war if it receives appropriate support from the West, including sanctions against Russia and assistance in weapons and funding.

“The absolute majority of Ukrainians – 76% – believe in the possibility of winning the war if Ukraine is properly supported by the sanctions policy and receives enough weapons and money. Believe that even under such conditions Ukraine is not capable of winning – 15%. The remaining 9% could not decide on their opinion,” the poll revealed.

KIIS noted that a similar question was posed to respondents in December 2023 and September 2024, but at that time it referred not to victory but to achieving success. In September 2024, 81% believed that Ukraine was capable of achieving success, while 14% thought it was impossible even with the relevant Western support. Sociologists stated that this indicates that over the past year there has been no significant decline in belief in the possibility of victory with proper Western support.

While an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians remain committed to resisting Russia’s invasion and reject Moscow’s latest peace proposals, as many respondents recognize that the war is unlikely to end soon, according to the survey.

Moscow’s latest plan, which includes the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas and recognition of Russian control over occupied territories, was rejected outright by 75% of respondents. Just 17% said they would accept such terms, even with reservations. 65% said implementing such a deal would mark a failure for Ukraine, and 69% feared it would encourage Russia to attack again.

By contrast, 74% of Ukrainians said they would support – albeit reluctantly – a settlement that freezes the conflict along the current front line without legal recognition of territorial losses, if it came with security guarantees for Ukraine. Only 30% would view such an arrangement as a success, while 44% saw it as a mixed outcome. A majority, 56%, still expected Russia to resume hostilities in the future even under that scenario. Indeed, this has been our belief as well – as long as the Russian imperial mentality persists, future Russian leaders will again attempt to re-subjugate Ukraine.

The survey highlighted strong willingness among Ukrainians to continue resisting. KIIS reported that 54% of adults not currently serving in the military were ready to join the Defense Forces if needed, including 63% of men and 46% of women. While 23% declared themselves “definitely ready,” another 31% said they were “rather ready.” Roughly 38% said they were not prepared to take up arms.

The findings suggest that while Ukrainians are open to pragmatic compromises, most remain wary of Moscow’s intentions and pessimistic about the prospects for a swift resolution.

Hungary, a member of the EU, has consistently opposed Kyiv’s accelerated accession to the bloc, arguing it would damage Europe’s economy and risk direct conflict with Russia. Ukrainian leaders, meanwhile, have insisted that EU membership and continued Western military assistance are essential to withstand Russian aggression and prevent further escalation.

Public opinion strongly favors maintaining ties with Western partners: 76% of respondents said Ukraine should continue resisting even if US aid were cut, relying instead on support from European allies. That figure has dipped slightly since March 2025, when it stood at 82%, but remains high.

KIIS noted that war conditions make polling difficult, and while the margin of error for the survey is formally around 4.1%, systematic deviations cannot be excluded. For specific questions on peace plan scenarios, the margin of error was estimated at no more than 5.8%.

Despite the strain of a conflict now in its fourth year, Ukrainians appear to retain both resilience and skepticism. The survey indicates broad rejection of concessions that would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, coupled with cautious backing for temporary freezes if tied to credible guarantees.

“Ukrainians remain determined to fight for their independence, even as they face tough choices about the future,” KIIS concluded.

The White House and Capitol Hill should take these percentages into consideration before criticizing Zelenskyy and his team for their so-called stubbornness. Nobody wants the war to end more than the President of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. Nobody wants Ukrainians to defeat Russians more than Ukrainians around the world. Listen to them.

Ukrainian & Polish American Groups Denounce Russian Provocation of Poland

Two major American civic organizations, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and the Polish American Congress (PAC), have denounced Russia’s violation of Warsaw’s sovereign airspace and endangering of NATO’s eastern flank.

On Tuesday night New York time, September 9, several Russian drones that were targeted to hit Ukraine, crossed into Polish airspace, raising fears of Moscow’s expansion of its invasion of Ukraine. It has been commonly expected that Russia would enlarge its war zone to include the former captive nations of Eastern Europe.

Poland confirmed that a number of Russian drones entered its airspace during an attack on Ukraine early Wednesday local times and were shot down with the help of NATO allies, a first since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Leaders across Europe condemned the incident as the latest sign of escalation from the Kremlin, which has rebuffed President Donald Trump’s bid to broker peace talks.

Russia denied as always, the accusations “groundless" and said it did not plan to attack any targets in Poland.

However, Poland’s foreign minister says Poland and NATO believe the country was “deliberately targeted” by Russia.

In a video from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski noted: “The assessment of Polish and Nato air forces is, they did not veer off course, but were deliberately targeted.”

He added that, with NATO’s help, some drones were shot down. Properties were damaged, but nobody was injured.

President Donald Trump has weighed in on the situation, posting on his social media platform Truth Social. In a short statement, he quipped: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Following is the statement issued by the UCCA and the PAC.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and the Polish American Congress (PAC) strongly condemn russia’s most recent act of aggression, which violated Poland’s sovereign airspace and endangered NATO’s eastern flank.

On September 9th, Poland, with the support of NATO allies, was compelled to shoot down russian drones that entered its territory during a massive aerial assault on Ukraine—the largest of its kind since the full-scale invasion began. This marked the first time that a NATO member has been forced to take direct military action against russian aggression during its genocidal war against Ukraine.

Despite moscow’s denials, Poland confirmed that 19 objects breached its airspace, and it acted decisively to neutralize those posing threats to its citizens. This grave provocation triggered Article Four of NATO’s treaty, underscoring the seriousness of russia’s escalating aggressiveness.

This large-scale provocation underscores the grave danger of Russia’s escalating recklessness, which not only threatens Ukraine but deliberately tests NATO’s resolve. Such behavior is unacceptable and must be met with unity, strength, and decisive action. 

As representatives of the Ukrainian and Polish American communities, UCCA and PAC reaffirm our shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, to Poland’s security, and to the defense of democratic values. Our advocacy in the past underscored that any hesitation only emboldens the kremlin.  Thus, we call upon the United States government and our NATO allies to:

• Tighten and expand sanctions, including secondary sanctions, to strangle russia’s war machine;

• Accelerate and increase support for Ukraine with urgent military, economic, and humanitarian assistance it needs to win;

• Strengthen NATO’s eastern flank to ensure the safety and security of all alliance members.

russia’s escalating attacks not only threaten Ukraine, but are a direct challenge to NATO, a blatant assault on international law, and a grave threat to global security. A just and lasting peace can only be achieved by ensuring Ukraine’s total victory and holding russia fully accountable for its crimes.

Together, we stand united—in defense of freedom, democracy, and peace.

www.ucca.org • www.pac1944.org