Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is preparing a new major attack on Ukraine, based on Ukrainian intelligence, and that Kyiv is working with allies to strengthen its air defences.
“There’s intelligence right now that Russia is preparing a new massive attack against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
It comes as a senior Nato commander has warned that Putin is becoming “increasingly cavalier, dangerous and risk-accepting”, as the war in Ukraine continues.
Soon after Zelensky met with US president Donald Trump, he said Ukraine has not received a “concrete answer” from the US on whether it will receive more Patriot missile interceptors, which are vital for defending against Russia’s now daily aerial attacks.
The Ukrainian president was speaking to reporters after a much-anticipated meeting with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Asked about whether the US would take steps to ease Ukraine’s shortage of Patriot missiles, he said: “They are positive to help us, but I didn’t get the very concrete answer.”
Zelensky also said he hoped Russia’s war with his country would end “before winter”.
Key Points
- Zelensky says US has not yet given a ‘concrete answer’ on Patriot missile interceptors
- Senior Nato commander says Putin becoming ‘increasingly cavalier’ and ‘dangerous’
- Zelensky says Kyiv ready for an ‘energy ceasefire’ with Russia
- Ukraine reacts as EU removes two Russian oligarchs from sanctions list: ‘Unacceptable’
- Senior Nato commander says Putin becoming ‘increasingly cavalier’ and ‘dangerous’
- Trump's frustration with Russia-Ukraine war mounts
Latvian PM says removing sanctions on Russian oligarchs means ‘normalising Russia’
07:42 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Latvia initially blocked an EU deal to remove Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s sanctions list, arguing that delisting individuals in exchange for political or prisoner-release deals could set a dangerous precedent.
Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs told Euronews: “Either it is sports, what we’ve seen, either culture, and now one by one cherry-picking out of sanctions, that is not the way to go.
“That is normalising Russia.”
“I’m worried about the playbook which it leaves,” he said.
“I don’t think this is a very good example, because that gives a message. ‘Oh, we arrest some politicians somewhere, and then we can ask for a sanctions package.’ This is not a good playbook, and that’s exactly why we froze it for 36 months. That’s it. No discussion.”
Latvia initially opposed the move but agreed to abstain after securing concessions from France, including talks on French nuclear deterrence cooperation and a stronger French military presence in Latvia.
“It's important for the eastern flank, for us, to have the coverage of their security,” he said.
Russia is using Ukrainian POWs to fuel its propaganda – report
07:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Russia has coerced thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) into appearing in propaganda videos, often making them criticise Ukraine or say they do not want to return home, an investigation by NBC has found.
Former POWs told the American broadcaster they were beaten, tortured or threatened, while some cooperated simply to prove they were alive.
The investigation focuses on Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Srebrodolskyy, whose 2024 propaganda video led people in his home village to believe he had betrayed Ukraine.
He later died in Russian captivity, and some villagers opposed burying him locally. His cousin said: “At least they could have buried him near his mother.”
Former POW Yevhen Shybalov described the propaganda operation as an organised system. “Russian propaganda – it’s an industry.”
The UN, which interviewed more than 850 Ukrainian POWs, found 96 per cent reported torture or mistreatment, including beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation and mock executions.
Zelensky says Kyiv ready for an ‘energy ceasefire’ with Russia
07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv is ready for an “energy ceasefire” with Russia, under which both sides would stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure.
He raised the proposal with US president Donald Trump at the UN in New York and said he was also willing to meet Vladimir Putin in a trilateral meeting with Trump.
“We are ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack our energy system,” Zelensky told reporters.
He said the “American side will find a way … to bring them to any kind of negotiations”.
Trump said he believed the war could end sooner than expected, although there is little indication so far that Putin is ready for a settlement.
Zelensky is also urging India, China and Turkey to stop buying Russian oil, arguing that the revenues help fund Moscow’s war effort.
How Ukraine’s devastating attacks on Putin’s oil refineries brought the war to Russia’s doorstep
06:35 , Maroosha Muzaffar
All but five of Russia’s 32 major oil refineries have been hit by Ukrainian drone attacks, costing the country an estimated $20bn. Experts tell Maira Butt that Zelensky has brought the reality of Putin’s invasion to the doorstep
How Ukraine’s devastating attacks on Putin’s oil refineries brought the war to Russia
Trump says Russia-Ukraine war will end ‘more quickly than people understand’
06:18 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump has said he is working with both Russia and Ukraine to end the war, despite little indication that the Russian president was willing to agree to a settlement.
“It’s going to happen, I think, more quickly than people understand,” Trump said in his UN speech.
Trump said of Putin: “He’ll meet. He’s willing to meet. He wants to see the war end.”Putin and Zelensky haven’t met face-to-face in seven years.
Zelensky, meanwhile, said he wanted the war to be over before winter. “I hope we will end this war, and President Trump will help us end this war.
“I think we need to do this as quick as possible – before winter,” he added.
Zelensky says Russia preparing for a ‘new massive attack against Ukraine’
05:47 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is preparing another major attack on Ukraine, based on Ukrainian intelligence, and Kyiv is working with allies to strengthen its air defences.
He argued that this makes any discussion about easing sanctions on Russia inappropriate while Ukraine remains under daily missile and drone threats.
“There’s intelligence right now that Russia is preparing a new massive attack against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Reuters reported that Russia has recently changed its tactics, including using jet-powered drones that fly higher and are harder for Ukrainian air defences to intercept.
Zelensky also said Russia is making slow advances in eastern Donetsk, while Ukraine has been striking Russian targets, particularly oil facilities, deep inside Russia.
During meetings in New York, Zelensky discussed ending the war with Trump, including an “energy ceasefire” with Moscow.
Ukraine reacts as EU removes two Russian oligarchs from sanctions list: ‘Unacceptable’
05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The EU is set to remove sanctions imposed on two Russian oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, who were targeted after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
France pushed for Usmanov’s removal, citing “national security” concerns, while Luxembourg backed removing Fridman, who is challenging the freezing of his assets.
Ukraine has condemned the decision as “unacceptable”.
“Moscow is celebrating because it got what it wanted: a sense of impunity, the humiliation of the EU, and division among Europeans,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha said on X.
Latvia initially opposed the move but agreed to abstain after securing concessions from France, including talks on French nuclear deterrence cooperation and a stronger French military presence in Latvia.
The EU agreed to extend sanctions on about 2,600 other individuals and entities for three years, rather than renewing them every six months.
Senior Nato commander says Putin becoming ‘increasingly cavalier’ and ‘dangerous’
04:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A senior Nato commander has warned that Vladimir Putin is becoming “increasingly cavalier, dangerous and risk accepting”, as the Ukraine war continues and Russia seeks to weaken Western unity.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, who serves as Nato’s deputy commander in Europe, said Moscow could try to test Nato through more aggressive actions, including sabotage and espionage.
He warned Nato members to be cautious in their response because, in his assessment, Russia could be trying to provoke the alliance into an “overreaction”.
He said that Nato members needed to be aware of the “febrile environment”.
Zelensky says US has not yet given a ‘concrete answer’ on Patriot missile interceptors
04:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Ukraine urgently wants the US to provide more Patriot missile interceptors to protect its cities from Russia’s ballistic missile attacks, but Washington has not yet given Kyiv a firm commitment, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“They are positive to help us, but I didn’t get the very concrete answer,” he said.
The US is itself facing a shortage of Patriot interceptors after using large numbers to defend against Iranian attacks in the Middle East.
As Ukraine’s stocks run low, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are becoming more vulnerable to Russia’s attacks.
Zelensky says Kyiv ready for an ‘energy ceasefire’ with Russia
03:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv is ready for an “energy ceasefire” with Russia, under which both sides would stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure.
He raised the proposal with US president Donald Trump at the UN in New York and said he was also willing to meet Vladimir Putin in a trilateral meeting with Trump.
“We are ready for any kind of format of energy ceasefire” if Russia agrees to “not attack our energy system,” Zelensky told reporters.
He said the “American side will find a way … to bring them to any kind of negotiations”.
Trump said he believed the war could end sooner than expected, although there is little indication so far that Putin is ready for a settlement.
Zelensky is also urging India, China and Turkey to stop buying Russian oil, arguing that the revenues help fund Moscow’s war effort.
In full: Senior NATO commander warns Putin is becoming more cavalier and open to risk as Ukraine war drags on
03:00 , Dan Haygarth
Senior NATO commander warns Putin is becoming more cavalier and open to risk as Ukraine war drags on
How Ukraine’s devastating attacks on Putin’s oil refineries brought the war to Russia’s doorstep
02:00 , Dan Haygarth
On Sunday, just as polling closed in Russia’s parliamentary elections, Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone strikes on Moscow since the war broke out over four years ago.
Striking images from the city showed a large refinery in flames and vast plumes of smoke billowing from chimneys. Over 450 drones were shot down in what the region’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin called “the most massive” attack it had seen.
The attacks came shortly after US president Donald Trump had ordered both sides to quit their attacks on energy infrastructure. But both countries have continued to attack each other despite the pleas.
Read more:
How Ukraine’s devastating attacks on Putin’s oil refineries brought the war to Russia
Watch - Trump's full speech to the UN: 'Globalist conspiracies', annihilating Iran and 'Super Intelligence'
01:00 , Dan Haygarth
Senior NATO commander warns Putin is becoming more cavalier and open to risk as Ukraine war drags on
Tuesday 22 September 2026 23:59 , Dan Haygarth
Vladimir Putin is becoming "increasingly cavalier, dangerous and risk accepting," as his war in Ukraine drags on and as he seeks to divide Western allies, NATO's deputy commander in Europe said Tuesday.
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer spoke to The Associated Press at a security conference in Estonia amid warnings from some European leaders that Moscow is planning to test NATO's collective defence pact with bolder attacks that have already included sabotage and espionage.
Stringer warned that NATO members need to be aware of the "febrile environment" and careful in their response because Putin would like to provoke the alliance into an "overreaction."
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said last week that Russia might target NATO nations with deliberate drone or missile strikes while claiming they were accidental. French president Emmanuel Macron agreed and has asked his government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure against potential drone attacks and cyberattacks.
Other European officials say the threat from Russia is serious but have called for calm.
In focus: Inside the real wargame: How Britain would actually react if Russia were to strike
Tuesday 22 September 2026 23:00 , James Reynolds
Infrastructure collapse, evacuation orders and the army on the streets to protect food supplies? As ‘The Wargame’ simulates the government’s response after an attack, Chris Stokel-Walker looks at how we’d be alerted to the emergency and how prepared (and safe) the UK are from a cyberstrike:
The real wargame: How Britain would actually react if Russia were to strike
Trump's frustration with Russia-Ukraine war mounts
Tuesday 22 September 2026 22:30 , Dan Haygarth
In his address, Donald Trump touched on Russia's continuing war against Ukraine - a conflict that during his 2024 campaign he predicted would be resolved on day one of his second term. He once again expressed hope that the conflict will soon be resolved.
Mr Trump hasn't obscured that his patience is being tested by Ukraine's targeting of Russia's diesel refineries - an issue that's added to the global oil markets' volatility - and Russia's targeting of Ukraine's energy grid.
Mr Trump last week asserted that he got the two sides to agree to not target each other's energy infrastructure.
Mr Zelensky had said he was willing to go along with Mr Trump's plan if Russia abided by it.
Russia said it could only go along with Trump's energy truce proposal if Western energy sanctions on Moscow were lifted first.
The two sides have continued carrying out strikes on refineries and other energy infrastructure.
Mr Trump noted that last week he signed a new sanctions bill targeting Moscow. It empowers him to impose up to 100 per cent tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas.
The legislation includes an exception for countries that import less than 15 per cent of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports. Trump, however, has yet to enact the stiff penalties.
"If necessary, I will have to use them," Mr Trump said. "It's time to stop the killing."
All the ways Putin could attack the UK with devastating consequences
Tuesday 22 September 2026 22:01 , James Reynolds
As it is revealed that drones are targeting Britain’s military bases almost daily, leaving the UK vulnerable to growing threats from Russia and Iran, defence expert Francis Tusa explains how and where a Russian hybrid warfare campaign could start and spread:
All the ways Putin could attack UK with devastating consequences
Zelensky says he discussed peace efforts, energy ceasefire with Trump
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:40 , Dan Haygarth
Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he discussed an energy ceasefire and how to end the war with Russia during his meeting with Donald Trump.
Talking to the media after a 40-minute meeting with Trump and his team, Zelensky said that Kyiv was ready for any format of the energy ceasefire with Russia, but there had been no discussion of Ukraine unilaterally halting its attacks on Russian refineries.
Zelensky reiterated that he was ready to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin at a trilateral meeting with Trump, adding that he hoped that the US would find a way to bring Moscow to any kind of negotiations.
Trump says he would get Ukraine war 'done'
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:23 , Dan Haygarth
Donald Trump has told world leaders as he said he would get the Ukraine war “done”, claiming both sides “have had it”.
In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on the Ukraine war, Mr Trump said: “We’re working very closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and we will get that one done.
“It’s going to happen, I think, more quickly than people understand.
“They’ve had it – 25,000 young people, mostly soldiers, a month are dying, 25,000 a month.
“And I look at those battlefield pictures, and I really don’t want to see them any more. It’s so horrible to see – 25,000 a month, both sides.”
Greenland deal protects Europe, says Trump as he hails ‘bond’ after tensions
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:20 , Dan Haygarth
A deal between the US and Denmark over Greenland will make Europe safer, Donald Trump has told world leaders as he said he would get the Ukraine war “done”, claiming both sides “have had it”.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the US president also said Iran faced a choice of reaching an agreement to end the Middle East conflict or face annihilation, as he would “drive them into hell with no chance of survival”.
However, Mr Trump claimed Tehran would not make a pact until after US mid-term elections in November in an apparent attempt to appease domestic voters angered at the higher costs fuelled by the conflict.
He also again levelled the charge that Iran had developed a missile “capable of hitting Europe” as he sought to justify his military intervention.
Washington announced last week that a deal had been reached with fellow Nato member Denmark over Greenland, which had been the focus of a fractious diplomatic standoff after the president made repeated threats to annex the semi-autonomous Arctic territory.
At the UN, Mr Trump hailed it as an “unprecedented agreement regarding the northern frontier of North America”.
Watch: The woman ridding Ukraine of Russian mines
Tuesday 22 September 2026 21:00 , James Reynolds
Ukraine has been littered with mines since Putin invaded the country in 2022, posing a devastating risk to civilians.
Antonina Kulhava, a humanitarian deminer, tells Maira Butt how she is trying to make her country safer:
The Independent View: Our people-pleasing PM faces his ultimate challenge in Donald Trump
Tuesday 22 September 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds
Editorial: Andy Burnham came to power saying all the right things – now, when he and the US president meet for the first time at the United Nations in New York, he would do well to show due deference and exploit the one area where they both agree: keeping Britain and America ahead in artificial intelligence:
Our people-pleasing PM faces his ultimate challenge in Donald Trump
UK supporting Saudi Arabia could help keep fuel prices down, minister claims
Tuesday 22 September 2026 19:00 , James Reynolds
Providing British military support to Saudi Arabia should help contain additional surges in fuel costs, according to a defence minister.
Luke Pollard explained that sending an RAF refuelling plane to the region was intended to stop "further escalation" within the Red Sea, a crucial corridor for oil shipments currently targeted by Yemeni Houthis backed by Iran.
In remarks to the BBC, Mr Pollard stated that while the government has moved to reduce living costs, "ultimately" only stability across Ukraine and the Middle East will lower fuel prices.
He said: “We’re working with our friends to try and deliver that de-escalation, and part of the reason why we deployed the RAF Voyager to Saudi Arabia, for instance, is to ensure there’s not further escalation in the Red Sea, which could further risk our fuel prices.”
Supporting Saudi Arabia could curb rising fuel prices, minister claims
Messy, troubled, unpredictable: Diplomats describe a world in turmoil as UN opens annual meeting
Tuesday 22 September 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
There is not much that diplomats can agree on these days. But if asked about the state of the world ahead of the annual meeting at the U.N. General Assembly, heads of state and government and ministers alike will describe a globe in massive turmoil.
With two escalating wars raging in Europe and the Middle East, a global economy in flux, and a shifting world order, international leaders are arriving in New York on Tuesday to an outlook that is massively different from this time last year.
“World leaders will be gathering at the United Nations in an era of deep uncertainty,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters recently. “At the same time, power is shifting. The world is changing. And our institutions must change with it.”
Messy, troubled, unpredictable: Diplomats describe a world in turmoil as UN opens annual meeting
Historic first or symbolic gesture? What Canada’s associate membership with the European Union could look like
Tuesday 22 September 2026 17:00 , James Reynolds
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has proposed Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member, just as relations between Ottawa and its historic ally in Washington deteriorate.
Canadian premier Mark Carney said he was seeking a “unique” arrangement with the bloc, as he pushes for new alliances in the wake of repeated threats from US president Donald Trump against Canada’s sovereignty.
However there is currently no such status as “associate member” set out in the EU’s treaties, and such an alliance would force a significant shift in EU policy. It could also create new questions for the future of ties with the United Kingdom and Australia.
Here’s what it could mean:
Historic first or symbolic gesture? What Canada’s associate EU membership could mean
Pictured: Ukraine hits Russian oil refineries in Ufa and Samara
Tuesday 22 September 2026 16:20 , James Reynolds
Ukraine's military has struck Russian oil refineries in the cities of Ufa and Samara, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Tuesday.
The attacks, carried out on Monday and overnight, caused fires at both sites, the General Staff said on the Telegram messaging app.
