Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says Russia is planning hybrid strikes with drones or missiles targeting Nato countries supporting Ukraine, potentially including Poland.
The warning came as “a massive attack on the western part of Ukraine – very close to the Polish border,” took place, with Poland repeatedly forced to scramble its aircraft.
While Poland’s airspace was not breached, Tusk warned that Russia was planning to strike Nato territory and then pretend the attack was "accidental".
This, he told the parliament, would be in a bid to "paralyse or at least weaken the motivation of Nato countries" to rush to the defence of the member state coming under attack.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian forces carried a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian cities, including a strike on an industrial park west of Kyiv that killed one person, a local official said.
And in Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
Key Points
- Russian elections 'held at gunpoint' in occupied Ukraine
- Poland warns Russia is planning ‘accidental’ drone or rocket strikes on Nato territory
- Donald Tusk warns Nato of growing threat from Russian jet-powered drones
- Russian barrage on Ukrainian cities leaves one dead in Kyiv
- Night strike on Odesa damages apartments in 19-storey residential building
Kremlin officials 'secretly urging loved ones to flee' amid mobilisation fears
12:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
Kremlin officials have been secretly telling friends and relatives to flee Russia amid fears of a looming mass mobilisation, it has been reported.
Documents seen by Bloomberg show that officials have been looking to open foreign bank accounts and move assets abroad, while encouraging loved ones to leave.
It is believed that Vladimir Putin plans to draft an additional 300,000 men into the army after the parliamentary elections, amid mounting losses on the frontline.
While the Russian president has previously denied such plans, Russians are taking no chances and leaving for neighbouring countries like Georgia.
Volodymyr Zelensky warned last month: “We believe it will not take place in the central cities. But I don't think they will be able to hide it very well.”
Ukrainian intelligence said Russia plans to call up 300,000 men by the end of 2026 and another 300,000 in 2027.
Russia 'strikes military cargo ships' in Ukrainian ports
12:00 , Gergana.Krasteva
Russia has claimed to have struck ships transporting military cargo for the Ukrainian army.
The Ministry of Defence said the attacks happened in the Odesa and Izmail areas in southern Ukraine.
In pictures: Russia heads to the polls for first time since invasion
11:40 , Maira Butt
France to convene meeting a meeting on 'rapid deterioration' of international order
11:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting on the consequences of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine on France.
Party leaders and heads of intelligence agencies have been summoned to discuss the “rapid deterioration in the international situation.”
The meeting, to be held at 10.30am today, will focus on the country’s security and the rising energy prices.
"Given the rapid deterioration of the international situation in recent days , the meeting, scheduled for 10.30am [on Friday], will focus on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and their consequences for France in terms of security and energy," the President's office announced yesterday.
Eager to demonstrate his proactive approach, Macron held talks with Iraq’s prime minister and the Crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the Emir of Qatar on restoring the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“When oil is under pressure, pump prices climb,” he said in a statement on X. “I know what that means for the French.
“What happens thousands of miles from our shores always ends up weighing on our daily lives. So I'm taking action to reduce tensions, secure our supplies, and ease the pressure on prices.”
PM Meloni says Europe 'should not respond to provocations' by Russia
11:00 , Maira Butt
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has advised Europe to refrain from responding to provocations from Moscow in comments on Thursday amid rising fears of a Russian strike on a Nato country following a spate of hybrid attacks.
“I believe these provocations from Moscow are multiplying because Putin needs to shift attention by creating an escalation with Europe,” she said.
“This comes from a situation on the battlefield in Ukraine that is not going as Putin had predicted, declared and promised to his people.
“I think we should not respond to these provocations. Responding to these provocations would be more in the interest of Moscow than of Europe.”
Watch: Night strike on Odesa damages apartments in 19-storey residential building
10:40 , Maira Butt
Family of five injured in Russian drone strike on Kyiv
10:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
A family of five, including three children, has been injured in a Russian drone attack on the Kyiv region in the early hours of this morning.
Kyiv Regional Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said: “The children sustained acoustic trauma and acute stress reactions; all three have been hospitalised.
“A woman suffered an acute stress reaction, while a man sustained thermal burns, shrapnel wounds, and a laceration to his foot. He was also hospitalised.”
One house was destroyed and a second damaged in the strike, Tkachenko added.
Tusk hits out at Nawrocki and says Poland won't give up 'scrap of territory'
10:00 , Maira Butt
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has said that the country will not give up even a “scrap of territory” amid warnings that Russian president Vladimir Putin could be plotting a drone or missile attack on Nato.
On Thursday, Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki wrote: “We are a nation that may lose territory, but we will never lose our soul; we may surrender territory, but we will never surrender our Homeland.”
Tusk hit out at the leader advising him to delete the post, writing on X: “Mr President, I suggest deleting this post. We do not intend to give up even a scrap of our territory.”
Panie Prezydencie, proponuję skasować ten wpis. Nie zamierzamy oddać ani skrawka naszego terytorium. https://t.co/LmO66TmWii
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) September 17, 2026
Russian elections 'held at gunpoint' in occupied Ukraine
09:40 , Gergana.Krasteva
People in territories occupied by Russia are being “held at gunpoint” and forced to vote in the parliamentary elections, Ukraine has warned.
The foreign ministry said the State Duma elections, in which United Russia, the governing party that backs Vladimir Putin, is expected to keep its dominant position, bear “no resemblance to democracy”.
“This is a farce orchestrated by the occupying state,” a statement said.
“It bears no resemblance to democratic elections and establishes no legal grounds for extending Russian jurisdiction to any part of Ukraine's territory.”
Voting is being held for the first time in the occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Meanwhile, the annexed Crimean Peninsula is participating for the second time.
The ministry added that “no ‘vote’ organised by Russia at gunpoint alters the internationally recognised status of these territories.”
“Temporary occupation confers no sovereign rights upon the occupying state,” the statement said.
'Less than 5%' turn up to vote in Russia elections
09:20 , Gergana.Krasteva
Two hours after voting got underway in a three-day parliamentary election in Russia, the turnout remains incredibly low among the 111 million eligible voters.
The Russian Central Election Commission estimated that only 4.83% of people have cast their vote nationwide as of 10am local time, state news agency Tass reported.
Regional polls open in Russia
09:00 , Maira Butt
Regional polls have opened in Russia for the first parliamentary election since the country's war on Ukraine that began four years ago.
They come amid plummeting approval ratings for Vladimir Putin, mounting casualties on the frontline and minimal territorial gains in the grinding war.
The country’s electoral system is tightly controlled and Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma, which comprises 450 members. It currently has 310 seats and needs to win at least 300 in order to retain its supermajority.
In pictures: Inferno at shopping centre after Russian strike
08:45 , Gergana.Krasteva
Slovak prime minister warns prospect of war has 'never been as serious and tense'
08:30 , Maira Butt
Slovak prime minister Robert Fico has warned that the prospect of a pan-European conflict is fast becoming a possibility.
“Perhaps we will dig some trenches and build some bunkers,” he said on Thursday.
“Please don’t underestimate it. The situation has never been as serious and tense regarding the possibility of a pan-European military conflict as is the case now.”
What Putin’s war in Ukraine means for Russian elections this week
08:00 , Maira Butt
Russia is holding its first parliamentary elections this week since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
They come amid plummeting approval ratings for Vladimir Putin, mounting casualties on the frontline and minimal territorial gains in the grinding war.
The country’s electoral system is tightly controlled and Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma, which comprises 450 members. It currently has 310 seats and needs to win at least 300 in order to retain its supermajority.
What Putin’s war in Ukraine means for Russian elections this week
Polish air traffic authority says airports in Lublin and Rzeszow halt operations
07:30 , Maira Butt
The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency said on Friday that airports in Lublin and Rzeszow in southeastern Poland suspended air operations due to military aviation activity.
Putin doesn't budge on his war goals despite dip in approval ratings
07:10 , Namita Singh
Vladimir Putin acknowledged the attacks from Ukraine on Russian oil refineries and warehouses inflicted significant damage but insisted the economy can weather it. He said Ukraine had opened a "Pandora's box," inviting massive retaliation.
Russia intensified attacks on Kyiv and other cities with missiles and new jet-powered drones, exploiting Ukraine's shortage of defensive interceptors. Moscow also dramatically stepped up its barrage on Black Sea ports, disrupting Ukrainian exports of grain and other agricultural products, a key source of revenue.
Amid the escalation, fears mounted that the Kremlin was mulling a massive mobilisation.
A partial mobilisation of 300,000 reservists in 2022 prompted hundreds of thousands of Russians to flee abroad, undermining domestic stability. Since then, the Kremlin has relied on volunteers to fight, offering comparatively high wages and other benefits. Military experts warned, however, that the flow of volunteers has ebbed while massive losses have continued.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly claims the Kremlin is considering a post-election mobilisation, which Putin dismissed as "nonsense".
At a 5 September Kremlin meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and a subsequent call with president Donald Trump, Putin said Russia holds the upper hand on the battlefield, signalling he will keep to his maximalist demands for striking a peace deal.
Economic damage for Russia mounts from summer attacks
07:00 , Namita Singh
A summer marked by Ukraine's long-range drone strikes brought the war home for millions of Russians.
The attacks exacerbated problems for the economy, which has plunged into stagnation after an initial boost from massive military spending. The government raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep the growing budget deficit under control.
Strikes on Russian oil refineries sparked a severe fuel crisis that peaked in June, eased for a few weeks and then returned in August.
Adding to the pain was a series of attacks on warehouses of online retailers Wildberries and Ozon. Hundreds of thousands of individual sellers lost their merchandise, sending a shock wave through the economy.
All this dampened the public mood.
Polls recorded a dip in Putin's approval ratings, even though they remained high, with the independent Levada Center showing it at 76 per cent in August, down from 87 per cent in September 2025.
Even some senior members of Russia's elite openly expressed discontent.
Andrei Klepach, chief economist of the state VEB.RF bank, warned of possible internal turmoil.
"We won't win the competition in this war of attrition," he said at a seminar. "Our costs are mounting. I'm almost sure that we will come to face a social crisis."
Wartime parliamentary election in Russia includes illegally annexed region
06:53 , Namita Singh
For the first time, the election in Russia includes residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the invasion.
Ukraine has called the vote illegal.
"Your choice and resolve will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our fighters, that we are a united people, bound by shared values, historical memory, and love for the Motherland," Putin said in an address before the vote.
With the result predetermined and Vladimir Putin's political dominance under no immediate threat, analysts say the Kremlin sees the election as a key effort to mobilise public support for the war and legitimise its action.
The Kremlin has stifled even the slightest signs of dissent before three days of voting that began Friday in Russia's Far East.
The only party that dared to criticise the war was unceremoniously removed from the ballot, and a few anti-war politicians have been imprisoned or forced to flee abroad.
Russia strikes Nova Poshta facilities near Ukraine's Odesa, defence ministry says
06:32 , Namita Singh
Russian drones have hit Nova Poshta's logistics hub near the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa as well as a cargo vessel in the nearby port of Chornomorsk, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram, citing the use of both for military purposes.
Regional polls open in Russia
06:16 , Namita Singh
Regional polls have opened in Russia for the first parliamentary election since the country's war on Ukraine that began four years ago.
They come amid plummeting approval ratings for Vladimir Putin, mounting casualties on the frontline and minimal territorial gains in the grinding war.
The country’s electoral system is tightly controlled and Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain its majority in the State Duma, which comprises 450 members. It currently has 310 seats and needs to win at least 300 in order to retain its supermajority.
Night strike on Odesa damages apartments in 19-storey residential building
05:22 , Namita Singh
Russian barrage on Ukrainian cities leaves one dead in Kyiv
05:15 , Namita Singh
Russian forces carried a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian cities on Thursday, including a strike on an industrial park west of Kyiv that killed one person, a local official said.
Russia's military had previously carried out most of its attacks at night, but in recent weeks it has expanded them to daylight hours.
Vitali Bunechko, governor of Zhytomyr region, said the industrial park strike occurred near the town of Korosten.
The Ukrainian capital underwent a series of air alerts through the day and its mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said one strike hit a non-residential building, injuring one person.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said Russian forces attacked a market, triggering a large blaze.
Pictures posted on social media showed the fire reducing the area to charred ruins. No casualties were recorded.A Russian attack also caused a fire in the southeastern city of Dnipro, injuring two people.
Outgoing UN chief Guterres warns of Security Council paralysis
05:00 , Namita Singh
Due to leave office at the end of this year, UN secretary-general António Guterres has warned that the "huge geopolitical divide" and paralysis in the Security Council have created an environment of impunity, with powerful countries flouting international law and the UN Charter.
He cited the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the attacks on Iran by the United States, both veto-wielding council members, as examples.
"Many countries say, 'If superpowers can violate the law, why can't we?"' the secretary-general said.
"And so what we are seeing around the world is more and more situations in which countries simply do not care. They do whatever they want, knowing that there will be total impunity."
The violations and impunity have caused death and enormous destruction, he said, and the combination of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the broader Middle East conflict are having "a dramatic impact" on the world economy.
Food and energy prices are going up, interest rates are rising and developing countries face enormous difficulties in responding to the needs of their people.
He expressed hope that these problems will force people to realise that the obstacles can't be eliminated alone and require international cooperation.
Russia will not indulge in peace talks ‘without total capitulation of Ukraine’
04:55 , Namita Singh
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said at the moment Russia was not ready for any peace talks "without the total capitulation of Ukraine."
"They are convinced the winter will be tragically critical for Ukraine," Tusk said. He said last winter Poland stepped in with deliveries when Ukraine's energy infrastructure came under attack, but if border crossings are destroyed, it will be much harder for Warsaw to offer such help this upcoming winter.
"Russia's goal is to destroy as much as possible the economy and logistics of Ukraine," Tusk said, adding that intelligence indicates continuous attacks of "very high frequency and intensity" on six main Ukrainian cities should be expected in the near future.
Tusk warns Nato of growing threat from Russian jet-powered drones
04:40 , Namita Singh
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said Russia was more dangerous because it was increasingly using jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster and thus are more difficult to detect by air defence before reaching their targets.
Tusk has been for months warning that Russia might be preparing a more serious hybrid attack against a Nato country. His warnings have gotten increasingly specific as he received intelligence from Nato, Ukrainian and US secret services, including the CIA, he said.
In recent days, Tusk has said Russia was now focusing on attacking border crossings between Ukraine and its European neighbors in order to disrupt delivery lines to Ukraine.
Four such incidents happened on Poland's border with Ukraine in the past week and several others took place in the last weeks on Ukraine's border with Moldova.
Poland warns Russia is planning ‘accidental’ drone or rocket strikes on Nato territory
04:14 , Namita Singh
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk warned on Thursday that Russia is planning hybrid strikes with drones or rockets on European countries supporting Ukraine, among them Poland.
Russia will pretend the attacks are "accidental" in order to "paralyse or at least weaken the motivation of Nato countries" to rush to the defence of the member state coming under attack, Tusk said in a speech to the Polish parliament.
"There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction," Tusk warned.
"The official narration will be that it's an accident and there is no reason for Nato to think about a response," he added.
Polish prime minister defiantly announces plans to travel to Ukraine
03:56 , Namita Singh
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk announced on Thursday he would travel to Ukraine overnight to Friday, in what could be seen as an act of defiance against Russia after European leaders narrowly escaped a drone strike on a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border on Sunday. Officials usually keep their travel plans to Ukraine secret for security reasons.
In Kyiv, he said he would discuss with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky how to defend against new types of drones, as well as discuss further sanctions against Russia with partners including Slovakia.
Zelensky hails passing of Russian sanctions bill as 'extremely powerful tool'
03:00 , Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has celebrated the passing of the Lindsay Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in a statement on Thursday.
“It is symbolic that the US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on the night of yet another Russian attack on Ukraine with ballistic and other missiles and drones,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Once again, civilian infrastructure was targeted, with damage reported in eight regions. The Russians struck energy infrastructure in the Sumy and Odesa regions. In Kyiv and Odesa, ordinary residential buildings were hit. More than 10 people were injured, including children. Some were hospitalised. There were fires in many communities.
“The Lindsey Graham bill, along with other strong sanctions steps by our partners against the source of this war – against Russia – is an extremely powerful tool that can stop this terrorist war and bring Russia to the point where it has to make peace.
“Sanctions must be strong so that all efforts for peace – including our joint diplomatic efforts with the United States, Europe, and our other friends – can succeed. I thank the members of the House of Representatives, senators, and leaders of the US Congress for supporting this legislation. Russia needs to end this war.”
Romanian border residents fear fallout as frequency of drone alerts rises
01:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The text alerts blare first, then the blasts arrive.
For 48-year-old Robert Marian, who lives in Isaccea, a small Romanian border town in eastern Tulcea County along the Danube River with a crossing into Ukraine, the proximity of Russian drone strikes — just hundreds of meters across the river — has become a source of constant fear.
“There are alerts warning us that something is coming,” he told The Associated Press. “It happened two weeks ago, maybe three. I was asleep at midnight … One was quieter, but another was really loud. I got scared and ran out of the house.”
Romanian border residents fear fallout as frequency of drone alerts rises
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine officials preparing for peace talks in US
Friday 18 September 2026 00:00 , Alex Croft
Trump says progress made towards US army base in Poland
Thursday 17 September 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that progress is being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland, crediting "the bold leadership" of Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
"If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Poland has been pushing for a bigger allied presence on NATO's eastern flank after Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022.
Fresh US sanctions against Russia could be 'game-changer’, says Miliband
Thursday 17 September 2026 22:35 , Alex Croft
A sweeping package of new US sanctions aimed at putting the financial squeeze on Russia’s ability to wage war against Ukraine “has the potential to be a game-changer”, foreign secretary Ed Miliband has said.
The passage of legislation through Congress, paving the way for the introduction of the punitive measures, was “a significant moment”, according to the Cabinet minister, who argued it would send “a clear message to the Kremlin”.
The bill, which cleared the House of Representatives this week having been passed by the Senate in August, now goes to US president Donald Trump to sign into law.
It is named after the late senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who championed its provisions on Capitol Hill.
The new sanctions legislation targets Russian officials, financial institutions and the “shadow fleet” of tankers used to ship Russian oil while dodging sanctions.
It also gives the president the power to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, such as China and India.
In a post on X, Mr Miliband said: “The passage of the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act by the US Congress is a significant moment.
“This legislation has the potential to be a game-changer, ramping up economic pressure on Russia.
“Congress is sending a clear message to the Kremlin: It’s time to negotiate now.”
UK armed forces member who died in Ukraine was decorated officer
Thursday 17 September 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A 40-year-old intelligence officer has died in a road collision in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
Major Paul Wilks was killed in a traffic accident away from the front lines on Saturday 12 September.
Having commissioned from Sandhurst in 2012, he spent his entire military career serving in the Intelligence Corps.
UK armed forces member killed in Ukraine road traffic accident named
Europe closer than ever to large-scale war, says Slovak PM
Thursday 17 September 2026 21:01 , Alex Croft
Europe is closer than ever to a large-scale war erupting from the war in Ukraine and politicians must strive for peace, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said on Thursday.
The comments came as he planned to visit Ukraine for a meeting of several European leaders.
Fico, who has kept warm relations with Russia, said a drone incursion could spark the activation of Nato's common defence clause and he wanted to prevent Slovakia from becoming part of an armed conflict.
Tusk says Russia planning hybrid drone and missile strikes on countries supporting Ukraine
Thursday 17 September 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that Russia was planning hybrid drone and missile strikes against countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland, according to intelligence agencies.
He did not specify which intelligence agencies he was citing.
Later on Thursday evening, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency said in a post on X on Thursday that due to the operations of military aviation, airports in Lublin and Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland have again temporarily suspended air operations.
India vows to protect its interests as US prepares 100% tariffs for countries importing Russian oil
Thursday 17 September 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The US house of representatives on Wednesday passed a major sanctions and tariff bill to intensify economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, allowing the Donald Trump administration to impose strict tariffs of up to 100 per cent on nations like India.
This is done to reduce the dependence of India and other buyers on Russian oil, as well as to extend sanctions on Iran. The bill is awaiting Mr Trump’s signature after which it will be signed into a law.
India has vowed to remain committed to ensuring its energy security after US lawmakers approved the legislation that heavily penalises buyers of Russian oil and gas.
US prepares 100% tariffs for countries importing Russian oil
Watch: Zelensky says Ukraine officials preparing for peace talks in US
Thursday 17 September 2026 18:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigns after election loss
Thursday 17 September 2026 17:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will resign after the left-leaning opposition won a narrow majority in the country's parliamentary election.
The Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties won 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament in Stockholm, the Riksdag, in Sunday’s election. The four parties that make up or support the outgoing conservative-led government took 173 seats.
Shortly after the final results were announced, Kristersson said he would resign as the head of government in a letter to the parliament’s speaker posted on social media.
Sweden’s prime minister resigns after election loss
War between Russia and Europe would be ‘very short’, Putin’s foreign minister warns
Thursday 17 September 2026 17:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned a war with Europe would be “very short”, amid mounting tensions with Moscow.
Lavrov insisted Russia has “no interest” in attacking Western countries but that if it were attacked first, it would retaliate and the outcome would be swift.
“Russia has repeatedly said that we are not going to attack Western countries and have no interest in doing so,” he said in comments made at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday.
War between Russia and Europe would be ‘very short’, Putin’s foreign minister warns
