Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said the UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato’s airspace as she warned Moscow of risking "direct armed confrontation" with the Western alliance.
“We stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato’s skies and Nato’s territory. We are vigilant. We are resolute. And if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission then we will do so,” she said, addressing Vladimir Putin in her remarks at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Ukraine and its allies met in New York yesterday to discuss Russian fighter jet and drone incursions into Nato member states Estonia, Poland and Romania’.
Russian incursions into Nato airspace “risk miscalculation” and “open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia,” Ms Cooper said.
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin has offered Donald Trump an extension to a nuclear deal between Russia and the US, a deal the Trump administration has said is “pretty good”.
Key Points
- Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
- You're risking armed conflict, foreign secretary tells Russia
- Trump says US would come to Poland and Baltic states' defence if Russia attacks
- Putin offers Trump extension of nuclear arms control deal
- German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Analysis: As US abandons UN, China can move in
04:25 , Jane Dalton
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
Foreign secretary warns UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace
04:04 , Arpan RaiForeign secretary Yvette Cooper addressed her remarks at the UN Security Council yesterday directly to Russian president Vladimir Putin, warning him over his “reckless actions” and promising the UK will confront Russian planes violating Nato airspace.
Here’s an excerpt from her speech at the council:
“To President Putin, I say: your reckless actions risk a direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia. Our Alliance is defensive.
“Be under no illusion.
“We stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato’s skies and Nato’s territory. We are vigilant. We are resolute.
“And if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission then we will do so.
“The United Kingdom stands by our friends,” the foreign secretary said.
She also said the Russian drones violating Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspaces “risk miscalculation”.
“At worst, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security. They risk miscalculation,” she said.
“They open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia,” the foreign secretary said.
Putin proposal signals change of policy
04:03 , Jane DaltonRussian leader Vladimir Putin said his proposal on extending the nuclear arms limitation deal was in the interests of global non-proliferation and could help spur dialogue with Washington about arms control.
"This measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner, and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities," Putin said.
The proposal appears to be a unilateral change of policy by Moscow, which has until now insisted it would engage with Washington on such matters only if overall ties - hampered by stark differences over the war in Ukraine - improved.
Zelensky says he discussed procurement of weapons with US envoy Kellogg
03:54 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed procurement of weapons from the United States with US envoy Keith Kellogg.
"I briefed him (Kellogg) on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk,” Zelensky said on X.
He added: “We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, including mutually beneficial agreements on drones and on the procurement of American weapons that Ukraine has proposed to the United States.”
I held a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy, @generalkellogg.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2025
I briefed him on the situation at the front and the results of the counteroffensive operation near Dobropillia and Pokrovsk. We also touched on the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the United… pic.twitter.com/CjW4fAdSLC
Recap: Putin suggests extending nuclear deal by a year
02:02 , Jane DaltonRussian leader Vladimir Putin had declared he is ready to adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year under the last remaining nuclear pact with the United States that expires in February.
Mr Putin said, in televised comments, that allowing the New START agreement signed in 2010 to expire would be destabilising and could fuel proliferation of nuclear weapons.
"To avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint, we believe it is justified to try to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during the current, rather turbulent period," he said.
He said Russia was prepared to stick by the treaty's limits for one more year after it expires on 5 February next year.
Arms control advocates long have voiced concern about the treaty's looming expiration.
Mr Putin said maintaining limits on nuclear weapons could also be an important step in "creating an atmosphere conducive to substantive strategic dialogue with the US".
Recap: Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from Nato pilots’
01:07 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian jets reportedly “ignored” signals from Nato pilots after violating Estonian airspace on Friday.
The 12-minute incursion represents the latest test of the alliance's response to Russian airborne threats, after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on 10 September.
It still “needs to be confirmed,” if the border violation was deliberate or not, Col. Ants Kiviselg, the commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Center, told The Associated Press. Regardless, he said, the Russian jets "must have known that they are in (Estonian) airspace.”
Read the full report:
Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from NATO pilots’
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
Tuesday 23 September 2025 00:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUkrainian soldiers are increasingly deploying agile, remote-controlled armoured vehicles to carry out battlefield tasks in a bid to evade Russian drones.
The machines are capable of carrying essential supplies, clearing dangerous mines, and evacuating both the wounded and the deceased amid a shortage of Ukrainian soldiers.
“It cannot fully replace people,” said the commander of a platoon of the 20th Lyubart Brigade who goes by the call sign Miami and spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military rules. “I would put it this way: A person can go in there, but for a human it’s (sometimes) far too dangerous.”
You can read the full report below...
Ukraine faces a shortage of soldiers. The army is using robots to help
ICYMI: Inside Russia’s revamped answer to Eurovision as winner crowned in night of glitter and geopolitics
Monday 22 September 2025 23:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia is banned from participating in Eurovision, but the country has come up with its own version - Intervision.
Last year, a Russian government spokesman last year said the Western version of the song contest “surpassed any orgy, coven or ritual sacrifice”.
“Eurovision pales in comparison to Intervision,” lawmaker Leonid Slutsky told Russian state news agency Tass. “(It) destroys the myth of Russian isolation.”
You can read more about the song contest and its inaugural winner below...
Inside Russia’s answer to Eurovision as winner crowned amid glitter and geopolitics
ICYMI: UK to use Russian assets to fund Ukraine war effort
Monday 22 September 2025 22:01 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRachel Reeves, the UK Chancellor, will announce plans to explore using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's war effort.
It comes after Russia's recent incursion into Estonian airspace, where three MiG-31 fighter jets remained without permission for 12 minutes, causing global outrage.
Ms Reeves said it was "Russia's war, and Russia should pay," and highlighted the defence of Ukraine as vital for the long-term security of the UK and Europe.
ICYMI: European countries must be ready to fight Russia, says Finnish president
Monday 22 September 2025 21:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEuropean countries should be prepared to step in and fight with Ukraine if Moscow takes further military action, the Finnish president has said.
Alexander Stubb said that any security guarantees negotiated in order to bring the three-and-a-half year long war to a close would have to act as “a strong” deterrent for a future invasion by Moscow.
You can read the full report below...
European countries must be ready to fight Russia, says Finnish president
RECAP: German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Monday 22 September 2025 20:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneGerman and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept and monitor a Russian surveillance aircraft operating unannounced over the Baltic Sea, military officials have confirmed.
A Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane was flying without providing a flight path or establishing radio contact, authorities said.
You can read the full report below...
German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Kallas: If Russia violates airspace then countries have right to defend themselves
Monday 22 September 2025 20:27 , Daniel KeaneIf Russian planes violate airspace "every country has the right to defend itself and act accordingly," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
She also said there was limited time for a deal to be reached between Iran and key European powers to delay a return of sanctions on Tehran.
WATCH: Trump says US would defend Poland if Russia attacks
Monday 22 September 2025 20:05 , Nicole Wootton-CanePutin treaty proposal sounds good, says White House
Monday 22 September 2025 19:50 , Jane DaltonThe White House has said Russia's proposed one-year extension to the last remaining nuclear pact treaty limiting both countries' nuclear weapons sounded “pretty good".
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Donald Trump was aware of the proposal and wanted to make public comments on it.
The treaty was originally supposed to expire in 2021, but was extended for five more years, and is now due to expire next February.
Analysis: As US abandons UN, China can move in
Monday 22 September 2025 19:08 , Jane DaltonDonald Trump is far from a shared UN vision, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
White House says Russian offer to extend nuclear weapons treaty sounds good
Monday 22 September 2025 19:05 , Daniel KeaneThe White House said on Monday that Russia's proposed one-year extension to the last treaty limiting both countries' nuclear weapons "sounds pretty good."
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump is aware of the proposal and wishes to make public comments on it.
NATO conduct ' surveillance missions' over eastern flank
Monday 22 September 2025 18:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneNATO is conducting “surveillance missions” over its eastern flank after a series of airspace incursions by Russian jets.
In a post on X, the organisation said it was conducting the mission to “ boost NATO’s vigilance”.
Russia has denied allegations it flew into Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes on Friday.
✈️ @NATOAWACS aircraft are conducting surveillance missions over the eastern part of the Alliance to boost NATO’s vigilance.
— NATO (@NATO) September 22, 2025
AWACS have a total surveillance area of 312,000 km², making them a key early warning capability for NATO’s new Eastern Sentry activity pic.twitter.com/lDDnc2ablg
Trump to meet Zelensky and EU leaders
Monday 22 September 2025 18:30 , Jane DaltonPresident Donald Trump is set to hold a series of high-stakes meetings at the United Nations this week, beginning with bilateral talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders from Ukraine, Argentina and the European Union, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
In a separate multilateral summit, Mr Trump will convene with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan, Leavitt said.
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression condemned by UN Security Council
Monday 22 September 2025 17:56 , Jane Dalton
Russia’s ‘reckless’ aggression over Estonia condemned by UN Security Council
US envoy vows to defend 'every inch' of Nato territory
Monday 22 September 2025 17:28 , Jane DaltonThe United States' new envoy to the UN told the Security Council that Moscow needed to defuse tensions, not exacerbate them.
"I want to take this first opportunity to repeat and to emphasise the United States and our allies will defend every inch of Nato territory," said Michael Waltz, making his first appearance since taking his post.
Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmytry Polyanskiy, said there was no evidence backing their claims and accused European powers of levying baseless accusations.
"We won't be partaking in this theater of the absurd," he said.
"When you decide that you want to engage in a serious discussion about European security, about the fate of our common continent, about how to make this continent prosperous and secure for everybody, we'll be ready."
UK accuses Russia of risking armed conflict
Monday 22 September 2025 17:24 , Jane DaltonNato allies accused Russia at the United Nations of violating the alliance's air space in Estonia and Poland - actions that Britain said risked triggering an armed conflict.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told Russian delegates: "Your reckless actions risk direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia. Our alliance is defensive but be under no illusion – we stand ready to defend Nato's skies and Nato's territory."
"If we need to confront planes operating in Nato space without permission, then we will do so," she said.
Germany plans for 1,000 wounded troops per day in case of conflict with Russia
Monday 22 September 2025 17:03 , Nicole Wootton-CaneGermany's armed forces are planning how to treat a potential 1,000 wounded troops per day should a large-scale conflict between NATO and Russia break out.
It comes amid long-standing warnings by the alliance that Moscow could be capable of launching an attack from 2029.
Moscow has consistently denied it might be preparing for a war with the Western military alliance, but the latest incursions of Russian jets and drones into NATO territory have raised fears of escalation.
Germany's Surgeon General Ralf Hoffmann said the number of wounded troops in a potential conflict would depend on the intensity of battle and which military units were involved.
"Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day," he told news agency Reuters in an interview.
European militaries, including their medical services, stepped up preparations for potential conflict with Moscow in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two.
Moscow testing Europe's borders, says EU foreign chief
Monday 22 September 2025 16:53 , Jane DaltonIt’s no accident that Russia violated European airspace three times in two weeks, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
Moscow was testing Europe’s borders and undermining the bloc’s security, she said.
And she warned the Kremlin would continue to provoke as long as it was allowed to do so.
What do Russia's drone incursions mean for airspace safety?
Monday 22 September 2025 16:34 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia has been accused of multiple incursions into foreign airspaces, most notably Estonia and Poland, over the last two weeks.
While the incursions were generally not understood to constitute a military threat, they have raised concern across Europe and, in some cases, resulted in disruption to civilian flights.
Speaking to The Independent, Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer and co-founder at Osprey Flight Solutions, said the aviation industry would be watching developments closely.
“On 20 plus occasions during 2025, fighter jets have been scrambled to the Ukrainian border by Poland as a precaution,” he said.
“So while the instance in Poland on 10 September was unprecedented due to the shootdowns and the fact that the number of drones and potentially cruise missiles was the largest ever, plus the airport disruption hadn’t occurred before, it has been building up towards this gradually over the last several years.
“Nato, now that this is the first time they are using kinetic air defences, is going to be tested in civil military deconfliction in a way they haven’t had to deal with before,” he continued.
“But if airlines don’t do thorough and robust risk assessments and governments don’t engage in proactive civil military mitigation efforts, that’s when you can have a catastrophic event occur.
“So airlines and governments and militaries need to work together to safely operate under these kinds of conditions.”
US will defend 'every inch' of Nato territory, ambassador says
Monday 22 September 2025 16:12 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe US will defend “every inch” of Nato territory in the face of Russian aggression, the US representative to the UN Security Council Michael Waltz said.
He added Donald Trump had spent an “enormous amount of time and energy” attempting to end the war in Ukraine.
“Russia must urgently stop such dangerous behaviour,” he said. “We expect Russia to seek ways to de-escalate, not risk expansion.”
Russia's representative accuses Europe of 'Russophobia'
Monday 22 September 2025 15:48 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia’s representative to the UN Security Council used their statement to accuse European leaders of “Russophobia”.
They said Russia was portrayed as an enemy with “no facts or evidence” and that Europe was “letting its imagination run wild in relation to the threat from Russia”.
He said the EU had made “groundless” accusations of Russian drones entering Polish airspace earlier this month.
Russia actions risk direct confrontation with NATO - Britain
Monday 22 September 2025 15:44 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBritain's foreign minister warned Russia that its incursions into NATO territory risked a direct armed conflict and that the alliance would be ready to confront warplanes entering NATO air space.
"Your reckless actions risk direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia," Yvette Cooper told the United Nations Security Council.
"Our alliance is defensive but be under no illusion we stand ready to defend NATO's skies and NATO's territory."
Russia 'choosing escalation and provocation,' French representative tells UN security council
Monday 22 September 2025 15:36 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe UN security council is now meeting over Russia’s incursion into Estonian airspace.
“This is an intentional violation,” the French representative told the council. “This is the third time in 10 days that Russia has violated the airspace of EU and Nato.
“This latest incursion leaves no room for doubt - Russia is choosing escalation and provocation.”
International rules of war being 'violated' in Ukraine, top aid chief warns
Monday 22 September 2025 15:32 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe rules of war are being “violated” in conflicts around the world including Ukraine, the boss of a leading humanitarian aid organisation has warned.
Speaking ahead of the UN General Assembly, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said states have a “moral and legal responsibility” to ensure the rules of war are followed.
“In the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, thousands of families are without any news of their missing relatives, while drone warfare is killing and injuring civilians hundreds of kilometres from the front lines,” Mirjana Spoljaric said.
“The rules of war are one of our most powerful tools in the fight for human life, safety, dignity and ultimately peace. Failure to respect those rules betrays the foundations of humanity they were designed to protect.
“By upholding IHL, states protect their own people. Violating or letting others violate them fuels instability.
“Every state has a moral and legal responsibility to reverse the erosion of those rules worldwide. The fate of millions living through war today and tomorrow will be defined by the choices leaders make to preserve—or abandon—humanity in war.”
UN gathers with 'heavy hearts' over conflict in Ukraine, EU chief says
Monday 22 September 2025 15:04 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEuropean Commission president Antonio Costa has said world leaders have gathered with “heavy hearts” on Monday due to conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza.
“Now more than ever, we need to reaffirm the UN’s core principles, and its vision of a global peace built through cooperation, as we work for the implementation of the Pact for the Future and push for reforms to make the UN more efficient and fitted to serve the needs of the people,” he wrote in a post on X.
As the UN Charter turns 80, we gather here with heavy hearts as war rages in places like Gaza, Ukraine or Sudan, and the multilateral system is under growing strain. Yet these challenges cannot weaken our resolve.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) September 22, 2025
Now more than ever, we need to reaffirm the UN’s core principles,… pic.twitter.com/37Fa1HgcPP
Russia revives Soviet-era tactics to quash dissent, says UN expert
Monday 22 September 2025 14:43 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia is reviving Soviet-era tactics such as forced psychiatric treatment to silence dissenters and anti-war voices in an increasingly repressive environment, a UN expert said on Monday.
Rights groups say President Vladimir Putin's government has lurched further into authoritarianism since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, but Moscow denies that and accuses the West of a smear campaign.
A report this month by Mariana Katzarova, the UN’s special rapporteur on rights in Russia, found that state-sponsored repression is escalating and becoming systematic via national security laws and other measures.
"Punitive psychiatry has returned as a tool against anti-war voices," Katzarova told reporters in Geneva.
The Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva pointed Reuters to a September 8 statement by its foreign minister saying that Moscow does not recognise her mandate and calling her work illegitimate. Moscow has previously called criticism of its rights record unfounded.
Putin offers Trump extension of nuclear arms control deal
Monday 22 September 2025 14:25 , Nicole Wootton-CanePutin has offered US president Donald Trump a nuclear arms control deal that would see both countries’ arsenals limited for a further year.
The deal on the table would extend a current agreement over numbers of nuclear weapons, which is due to expire on February 5 next year, by another 365 days.
This would ease pressure on the two countries as they negotiate what comes next.
"Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New START Treaty for one year after 5 February 2026," said the Russian president.
"Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will make a decision on whether to maintain these voluntary self-imposed restrictions.
"We believe that this measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities."
The proposal appears to be a unilateral change of policy by Moscow which has until now insisted it would only engage with Washington on such matters if overall ties - hampered by stark differences over the war in Ukraine - improved.
There was no immediate response from Washington.
IN PICTURES: Putin chairs a Security Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow
Monday 22 September 2025 14:03 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Three killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia
Monday 22 September 2025 13:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThree people have died after Russia targeted the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in overnight strikes.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces used at least 10 aerial bombs to attack schools, kindergartens, and a factory.
Maps from Deep State war, who track the progress of the war in Ukraine, show Zaporizhzhia’s position around 22km from the front line.
IN PICTURES: Russian strikes hit Zaporizhzhia
Monday 22 September 2025 13:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Yvette Cooper to represent UK at UN General Assembly
Monday 22 September 2025 12:39 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper will travel to New York this week to represent the UK at the UN General Assembly.
She said the conflict in Ukraine would be one of the issues at the top of her list when she meets with leaders from across the world.
“At this moment of intense global instability and conflict, UK diplomacy and leadership has never been more important,” she said.
“Innocent civilians are suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
“Countries worldwide are dealing with high levels of migration including displaced and trafficked people.
“And climate change is not just a future threat to our survival, but a source of chaos and suffering across every continent today.
“This week at the UN General Assembly we will be pursuing progress across all those challenges, in particular by strengthening the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East, and our coalition against Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
Poland will shoot down objects in clear-cut airspace violations, prime minister says
Monday 22 September 2025 12:06 , Nicole Wootton-CanePoland will not hesitate to shoot down objects that violate its airspace and pose a threat, but will take a more cautious approach to situations that are less clear-cut, the prime minister said on Monday.
Estonia said three Russian fighter jets violated its airspace on Friday, adding to a sense among NATO leaders that Moscow is testing the alliance's readiness and resolve, with some urging a firm response. The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday to discuss the incident.
Russia said on Monday the claim its jets violated Estonian airspace was false and designed to stir up tension.
The alleged incursion over Estonia came after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10. Poland also said on Friday two Russian fighter jets violated the safety zone of the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea.
"We will take the decision to shoot down flying objects when they violate our territory and fly over Poland - there is absolutely no discussion about that," Donald Tusk told a news conference.
"When we're dealing with situations that aren't entirely clear, such as the recent flight of Russian fighter jets over the Petrobaltic platform - but without any violation, because these aren't our territorial waters - you really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger a very acute phase of conflict," he added.
Tusk said that he would also need to be certain that Poland would not be alone if a conflict started to escalate.
"I also need to be absolutely certain... that all allies will treat this in exactly the same way as we do," he said.
Russia 'devised plan' to hack Moldovan elections, Bloomberg reports
Monday 22 September 2025 11:46 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Kremlin planned to hack Moldovan elections in a bid to disrupt the country’s progress towards EU membership, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Parliamentary elections will be held in Moldova on 28 September 2025.
It said the plan included tactics such as recruiting Moldovans abroad to vote, encouraging others to stage disruptive protests, and spreading disinformation on social media.
The goal, Bloomberg reported, would be to undermine the chances of President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity at the polls.
The move would see Moldova shift away from the EU and its staunch opposition of the war in Ukraine, and towards Moscow as Putin continues his offensive.
The Kremlin did not reply to Bloomberg’s request for comment.
Putin sacks top general after battlefield setbacks in Ukraine
Monday 22 September 2025 11:33 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian Colonel General Alexander Lapin, a senior commander who served in the first phase of the Ukraine war, has been dismissed from military service, Russian media outlet RBC reported on Sunday.
The 61-year-old had been in charge of the Leningrad Military District since 16 May 2024.
In 2022, he commanded Russian Central Military District and the "Centre" grouping in Ukraine, but later faced criticism from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov after Russian forces withdrew from the Ukrainian town of Lyman.
He was promoted to the rank of colonel general in 2019.
Lapin will be appointed as an aide of Tatarstan's head, responsible for support for veterans and their families, according to a local news agency Tatar Inform.
Russia accuses Estonia of fabricating airspace incursion allegation to stir up tensions
Monday 22 September 2025 11:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia has accused Estonia of making false allegations it entered the country’s airspace, accusing it of trying to stir up tensions.
It comes after Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets had violated its airspace for 12 minutes without permission on Friday.
Asked about that assertion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not heard Estonia say it had evidence to back up its accusation.
Russian pilots always operated in accordance with international law, he added.
UN expert warns of escalating state-sponsored repression in Russia
Monday 22 September 2025 11:01 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRepression inside Russia is escalating through a state-sponsored system of fear, with Moscow using national security laws to systematically suppress dissent and criticism of the war in Ukraine, a UN expert investigating human rights violations in the country said on Monday.
"Anti-war dissenters and activists are serving years in prison, not for crimes, but for courage," the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, told reporters in Geneva.
It comes as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly.
Russian forces take control of village in Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities say
Monday 22 September 2025 10:43 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussian forces have taken control of the village of Kalynivske in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said on Monday.
The Independent was not able to independently confirm the battlefield report.
Three killed after Ukrainian strikes hit holiday resort in Crimea, Russian authorities say
Monday 22 September 2025 10:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThree people were killed and 16 others were wounded late Sunday by Ukrainian drones that struck the popular vacation resort of Foros, according to the Moscow-appointed head of Ukraine's Russia-occupied Crimea peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov.
The Russian Defence Ministry said there are no military facilities there.
It comes after three people were killed and 10 injured in Russia's Belgorod border region on Sunday, according to the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The Defence Ministry said air defences downed 114 Ukrainian drones early Monday over several Russian regions.
Zelensky planning meeting with Trump, according to Ukrainian leader
Monday 22 September 2025 10:12 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVolodymyr Zelensky is planning to meet with US president Donald Trump this week, he said in a post on social media.
As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said it would be an “intense week of diplomacy”.
“We can accomplish a lot if our partners hear us and support proposals that truly bring the end of the war closer,” he added.
We are now preparing for a very intense week – a week of diplomacy. We can accomplish a lot if our partners hear us and support proposals that truly bring the end of the war closer.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 21, 2025
It will be the week of the UN General Assembly – with various events and meetings. The schedule… pic.twitter.com/mODgSTmAR0
Russia asks UN aviation agency ICAO to ease sanctions over safety concerns
Monday 22 September 2025 09:46 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRussia is urging the UN civil aviation agency to ease sanctions on spare parts and overflights, dismissing its response to the war in Ukraine as "unlawful coercive measures," according to working papers and a source familiar with the matter.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western sanctions have cut off access to foreign-made aircraft and spare parts, leaving Russian airlines to source parts for more than 700 mostly Airbus and Boeing jets on complex, indirect import routes.
Russian authorities are now trying to negotiate relief from sanctions, particularly on spare parts, which they say are critical for flight safety, a source in Russia's aviation sector told Reuters news agency.
Russian strikes target school and kindergarten, Ukrainian PM says
Monday 22 September 2025 09:32 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOvernight Russian strikes targeted a school, kindergarten, and factory, according to Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
In a post on X, she wrote: “Again last night, Russians terrorized our civilian population, launching more than 140 drones onto the people of Ukraine.
“They targeted schools, kindergartens, a bread factory, and homes in Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and other regions. Three lives were lost in Zaporizhzhia, many injured, dozens of buildings destroyed. Rescue services are working non-stop.
“And while leaders meet in New York for the UN General Assembly, Russia answers diplomacy with terror.
“This is why strong joint action is needed – sanctions that bite, pressure that isolates, and justice for war crimes. Ukraine will continue to insist on it together with our partners.”
Again last night, Russians terrorized our civilian population, launching more than 140 drones onto the people of Ukraine. They targeted schools, kindergartens, a bread factory, and homes in Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and other regions.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) September 22, 2025
Three lives were lost in Zaporizhzhia,… pic.twitter.com/Tj36Xe7dFT
Where is the UN General Assembly gathering and what will be discussed?
Monday 22 September 2025 09:08 , Nicole Wootton-CaneWorld leaders are arriving in New York on Monday for a gathering of the UN General Assembly.
The meeting will bring presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from about 150 of the 193 UN member nations to the organisation’s headquarters, where they will discuss the world’s most pressing issues.
One of those, of course, will be the war in Ukraine, as well as conflicts in Gaza and Sudan.
In a post on X on Monday morning, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the importance of the meeting: “The UN General Assembly is now effectively beginning its work, with leaders gathering in New York,” he posted.
“And it's for the fourth time in a row that Russia accompanies one of the world’s highest-level annual diplomatic events with killings. That is precisely why it is so important for this diplomatic week to be productive.
“Action must be taken so that murder and war do not become routine. Real, powerful pressure on Russia is needed; new joint steps from everyone in the world who believes that international law must work again. Europe, the United States, the G7 and the G20 countries — all who have real influence on Russia.
“Strong sanctions, strong political pressure, and accountability for Russia’s war — all of this is needed. All of this will come. I thank everyone who is helping.”
RECAP: UK flies fighter jets over Poland in warning shot to Putin
Monday 22 September 2025 08:49 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe UK sent fighter jets to Poland last week in a bid to send a clear message to Putin.
It comes after multiple incursions by Russian drones into Polish and Estonian airspace, and marks the country’s first Nato policing mission over Poland.
Defence secretary John Healey said the use of British fighter planes sent “a clear signal: Nato airspace will be defended”.
And David Lammy warned Putin Britain can “of course” face his military down. “Combined with 27 countries, of course, we can face down Putin, he knows that, and I want to reassure you that whilst we take this seriously, he understands that he will be up against a very, very serious effort,” the deputy prime minister said.
You can read the full report below...
UK flies fighter jets over Poland in warning to Putin to stay out of Nato territory
More than 140 drones launched at Ukraine overnight, Zelensky says
Monday 22 September 2025 08:29 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMore than 140 drones were launched at Ukraine overnight, including a strike in Zaporizhzhia that left three dead, according to Zelensky.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian leader said rescue efforts were ongoing in the southeastern city after bombs “targeted civilian infrastructure” and “ordinary homes”.
He added the attacks showed why it was so important for UN leaders to “be productive” as they gather in New York on Monday.
Rescue efforts and rubble clearing continue after the Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia — guided aerial bombs targeted civilian infrastructure, ordinary homes. Fifteen apartment buildings and ten private houses have been damaged. As of now, three people are confirmed killed. My… pic.twitter.com/TrlsEmmHI5
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2025
German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Monday 22 September 2025 08:15 , Arpan RaiGerman and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept and monitor a Russian surveillance aircraft operating unannounced over the Baltic Sea, military officials have confirmed.
Two Swedish Gripen and two German Eurofighter jets were deployed into international airspace yesterday to track the Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane.
The German Luftwaffe said its jets had initially followed the Russian plane before handing off monitoring to the fighters from Nato ally Sweden, and then returning to Rostock-Laage airfield in northern Germany.
The aircraft had been flying without providing a flight path or establishing radio contact, according to air force officials from both countries.
The monitoring operation concluded without incident, taking place as Nato and European Union member states maintain heightened alert for Russian military and reconnaissance activities in and around their airspace.
German and Swedish fighter jets track Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Trump says US would come to Poland and Baltic states' defence if Russia attacks
Monday 22 September 2025 07:42 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has said the US would come to the defence of Poland and the Baltic states if Russia continued to escalate its attacks.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, the US president was asked by reporters: “Will you help defend Poland and the Baltic states from Russia if Russia keeps escalating?”
“Yeah, I would,” Trump responded.
It follows increased incursions from Moscow in Nato territory, after Russian drones and fighter jets have entered Estonian, Polish and Romanian air space in recent weeks.
Nato's North Atlantic Council will meet tomorrow to discuss Russia's violation of Estonian airspace, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters, specifying the date that so far has only been described as early next week.
Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw.
Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty after the incident that it described as an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion.
Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia kills three, governor says
Monday 22 September 2025 07:15 , Arpan RaiA Russian attack on Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia has killed three people and injured two more, officials said this morning.
"Monday morning in Zaporizhzhia began with explosions and fires," governor Ivan Fedorov wrote.
He said that Russian forces used at least 10 aerial bombs in the attack on the city of around 700,000 residents.
The attack damaged 15 apartment buildings and 10 private homes as well as non-residential buildings, he said.
Ukraine's air force said it downed 132 drones launched by Russia overnight and recorded hits of nine drones at seven locations.
In the northeastern region of Sumy, various drone attacks injured two people over the past day, in addition to damaging civilian infrastructure and private homes, governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
The attack on Kyiv region injured one person and damaged apartment buildings and private homes, according to the emergency services.
Nato's borders are being intentionally tested, says Lithuania's defence minister
Monday 22 September 2025 07:00 , Alex CroftLithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said NATO’s borders were being tested for a reason.
In a post on X, she said: “Three russian fighter jets over Tallinn is one more hard proof that #EasternSentry is long due.
“PS. Türkiye set an example 10 years ago. Some food for thought.”
In 2015, a Russian aircraft was shot down by the Turkish air force after it was claimed to have violated its airspace.
In photos: Russia attacks Ukrainian cities overnight with missiles
Monday 22 September 2025 06:57 , Arpan Rai
Putin being misled, not winning Ukraine war, says Trump's envoy
Monday 22 September 2025 06:42 , Arpan RaiThe US special envoy for Ukraine has said Russian president Vladimir Putin is being misled in his war on Ukraine.
“He [Putin] is being misled. He unfortunately thinks that he is winning this war, but he isn’t. So, Trump is just giving him latitude and the time to come to the negotiating table, but we still hold the cards,” said Rt Gen Keith Kellogg, in an interview with The Telegraph.
He also warned that Putin will attack another Nato country after capturing Ukraine.
“Absolutely. You have to look at Putin and Russia as an expansionist power. He wants to re-establish the Russian Empire – just look at history. Give him an inch, he’ll take a mile,” he said on being asked about the former US vice-president Mike Pence’s remarks that Putin will not stop at just Ukraine.
Two killed in Russias strikes on Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kyiv
Monday 22 September 2025 06:15 , Arpan RaiAt least two people were killed and several others have reportedly been injured in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, officials said.The attacks targeted Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kyiv oblasts, regional officials said.
Russian missiles hit civilian and industrial infrastructure, sparking several fires that destroyed apartment buildings, private residences, and vehicles, said regional governor Ivan Fedorov.
Two people were killed and two others were injured, he said, adding that rescue crews from the State Emergency Service were working on the site.
Russia also attacked the northeastern city of Sumy with drones, officials said. Explosions were also reported from Kyiv oblast.
Watch: RAF's first aircraft deployed to secure Polish airspace after Russian drone breach
Monday 22 September 2025 05:54 , Arpan RaiPutin will fold if you raise nuclear stakes, says Trump's Ukraine envoy
Monday 22 September 2025 05:43 , Arpan RaiThe US special envoy for Ukraine, Rt Gen Keith Kellogg, has claimed Vladimir Putin will fold if the stakes are raised in a nuclear standoff.
Talking to The Telegraph, Kellogg said Putin’s boasts of being a strong nuclear power must be confronted.
Citing an example of Donald Trump’s conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kellogg said: “When the North Korean told him that they were a nuclear power, Trump’s response was, ‘So am I. I’ve got a red button too. It’s bigger than yours and mine works better’. Putin is a realist and if you raise the stakes, he’s going to fold.”
The top US diplomat called Putin "a manipulator", citing his KGB background.
“Putin is a KGB agent. He never stopped being one. He doesn’t understand the West. He pretends not to speak English, but he does, and we have caught him out several times before. He’s a manipulator. The only thing to counter that is strength, power and force,” Kellogg said.
UN Security Council to meet today over Estonia and Russia
Monday 22 September 2025 05:19 , Arpan RaiThe United Nations Security Council is due to meet today over Estonia's accusation that Russian fighter jets violated its airspace, diplomats said.
Russia's defence ministry has denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.
Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw.
Estonia has now requested consultations with Nato allies under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty after the incident that it described as an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion.
Zelensky looks to finalize security guarantees at UN General Assembly
Monday 22 September 2025 05:01 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during this week's meetings in New York.
He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the US.
"I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need," Mr Zelensky said.
He said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.
"If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions," he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.
Zelensky looks to finalise security guarantees at UN General Assembly
Monday 22 September 2025 04:41 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalising such commitments during this week's meetings in New York.
He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the US.
"I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need," Mr Zelensky said.
He said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.
"If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions," he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.
Ukrainian drone attack triggers fire at power substation in southern Russia
Monday 22 September 2025 04:29 , Arpan RaiDebris from falling drones triggered a fire at an electricity substation in Krasnodar region in southern Russia, emergency services said this morning.
The emergency services, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the fire had broken out at the substation in the town of Staraoderevyankovskaya in the region, east of the Sea of Azov.
It said there had been no injuries and emergency crews were working at the site.
Russia blames Ukraine and Nato for attack on Crimea resort that killed three
Monday 22 September 2025 04:16 , Arpan RaiRussia has accused Ukraine of a “premeditated terrorist attack” after a Ukrainian drone hit a resort area of the Crimea peninsula yesterday.
The Russian defence ministry said: "At about 19.30 Moscow time (1630 GMT) in the resort area of Crimea where there are no military targets whatsoever, the Ukrainian armed forces launched a terrorist strike using strike drones equipped with high-explosive payloads."
The attack on Faros town also injured 16 others, said Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea.
According to Krymsky Veter, an independent website devoted to Crimean affairs, senior Russian officials were likely staying in the region's guest houses.
The Russian defence ministry described the incident as a "premeditated terrorist attack on a civilian target".
The incident is "yet another act of terrorism by the Kyiv regime, said Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"And Nato and the European Union, when seeking the aggressor on the European continent, need to look into the mirror to see this," she told the TASS news agency.
"They are the ones driving destabilisation and the spread of terrorism in Europe by virtue of their sponsorship of the Kyiv regime and as supplier of arms to it,” the Russian spokesperson said.
💥 Ukraine struck the Foros sanatorium, known as the FSB Dacha, where even Putin vacationed, in occupied Crimea.
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) September 21, 2025
High-level Russian fascists were holding meetings at the facility according to the locals.
Many dead and injured in the precision strike. pic.twitter.com/l5AHG4tMV2
Nato North Atlantic Council to discuss Russian incursion
Monday 22 September 2025 03:30 , Alex CroftNato's North Atlantic Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss Russia's violation of Estonian airspace, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, specifying the date that so far has only been described as early next week.
Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw.
Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty after the incident that it described as an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion.
Article 4 states that Nato members will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.
Russia's Defence Ministry denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.
With tensions already high because of the war in Ukraine, the incursion came just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10.
That prompted Nato jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance's readiness and resolve.
Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from NATO pilots’
Monday 22 September 2025 02:02 , Alex CroftRussian military aircraft violated Estonian airspace on Friday, ignoring signals from Italian jets on NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, a senior Estonian military official confirmed.
The 12-minute incursion represents the latest test of the alliance's response to Russian airborne threats, following around 20 Russian drones entering Polish airspace on 10 September.
Russia’s Defence Ministry denied the breach, but Tallinn dismissed this, citing radar and visual confirmation. Officials suggested the incident could be a tactic to divert Western resources from Ukraine.
Read more here:
Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from NATO pilots’
Two killed and four injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region
Monday 22 September 2025 00:29 , Alex CroftTwo civilians were killed and four injured in Russia's Belgorod region in Ukrainian attacks, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram on Sunday.
We earlier reported Gladkov’s statement that one woman died when a shell hit a private house in the settlement of Shebekino.
In an update, another man was killed in a drone attack on Rakitnoe, he said.
Belgorod region has come under regular attack from Kyiv's forces since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Kremlin accuses Britain of leading Europe's party of war
Sunday 21 September 2025 23:30 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin was quoted as saying on Sunday that Britain was one of the leaders of the camp which wants to continue the war in Ukraine, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that attempts by Western powers to increase the pressure on Russia would not work and would not help attempts to end the war.
Trump says US would come to Poland and Baltic states' defence if Russia attacks
Sunday 21 September 2025 21:58 , Bryony GoochDonald Trump has said the US would come to the defence of Poland and the Baltic states if Russia continued to escalate its attacks.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, the US president was asked by reporters: “Will you help defend Poland and the Baltic states from Russia if Russia keeps escalating?”
“Yeah, I would,” Trump responded.
It follows increased incursions from Moscow in Nato territory, after Russian drones and fighter jets have entered Estonian, Polish and Romanian air space in recent weeks.
UK flies fighter jets over Poland in warning shot to Putin
Sunday 21 September 2025 21:33 , Alex CroftThe UK has sent fighter jets to Poland in a clear warning shot to Vladimir Putin that Western nations will not tolerate Russia’s repeated incursions into Nato territory.
The RAF Typhoons took part in a Nato operation to bolster European security after Russia provoked global outrage when its jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday.
Defence secretary John Healey said the use of British fighter planes sent “a clear signal: Nato airspace will be defended”.
Watch: RAF's first aircraft deployed to secure Polish airspace after Russian drone breach
Sunday 21 September 2025 20:29 , Alex CroftVietnam wins Intervision, Russia's Eurovision rival
Sunday 21 September 2025 19:32 , Alex CroftVietnam was crowned the winner of the Russian-hosted Intervision song contest in the early hours of Sunday morning, a competition backed by president Vladimir Putin and conceived as a geopolitical and socially conservative rival to Eurovision.
Putin in February ordered the revival of Intervision, a Soviet-era regional musical contest based on "traditional family values" after Moscow was excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 following Putin's decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Kyiv has called the event "an instrument of hostile propaganda".
Shown live on Russian TV and broadcast across parts of Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, Intervision was held at an arena outside Moscow with singers hailing from more than 20 countries accounting for 4 billion people, half the world's population, including China, India and Brazil.
Vietnam's Duc Phuc, whose song was based on a folktale about a king famous for repelling an enemy army, was crowned the strongest act by a jury made up of participating countries.
Russian fighter jet incursions in Estonia and drones in Poland: How the war in Ukraine is already a European conflict
Sunday 21 September 2025 18:34 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has warned that a third Russian incursion into Nato airspace, in which three fighter jet spent 12 minutes in Estonian airspace, could spell “big trouble” for Moscow.
It is the latest in a series of provocations by the Russian military, which has repeatedly sent drones into Poland and Romania as Moscow argues that Nato is already “fighting against Russia”.
“Nato is providing direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It can be said with absolute certainty that Nato is fighting against Russia.”
Read the full report:
How the war in Ukraine has already become a European conflict
NATO articles 4 and 5 explained as North Atlantic Council set to meet in Estonia next weekWhat is Article 4?
Sunday 21 September 2025 17:52 , Alex CroftNATO Article 4 has now been triggered nine times in the past 75 years, two of which have occurred in less than two weeks.
The organisation has called a meeting in Estonia early next week to discuss Russia’s incursion into Estonia’s airspace on Friday. The meeting comes after Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty.
Article 4 states that members of NATO can bring an issue forward for the North Atlantic Council, the organisation’s principal political decision-making body, to consult. The parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.
Since NATO was established in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked nine times, including today’s request. On 10 September, it was triggered by Poland after Polish forces shot down 19 drones over its airspace.
What is Article 5?
Article 5 states that "the Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all."
If members decided that Russia had attacked the territory of a member state, then Article 5 would be invoked and members would take the action they deemed necessary.
Article 5 is the cornerstone of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s founding treaty. When the treaty was created in 1949, its key aim was to counter the Soviet Union if it sought to extend its control of Eastern Europe.
US senators seek sanctions to sink Russia's 'shadow fleet'
Sunday 21 September 2025 17:08 , Alex CroftRepublican and Democratic senators are seeking a bill which would target Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
The "Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions," or SHADOW Fleets Act, would provide a list of indicators the US could use to identify vessels supporting the fleet, making it easier to sanction them sooner.
It would also put in place strict sanctions liability for any ship that engages in a transfer with a sanctioned Russian vessel.
US Senator Jim Risch said: “Putin will use every trick in the book to evade U.S. sanctions, and the U.S. is cracking down on this illicit shadow fleet of ships that he uses to fund his war.
“These ships and the oil sales they facilitate directly threaten American and European security, and will be stopped.”
Watch: Vladimir Putin observes joint military exercise with Belarus
Sunday 21 September 2025 16:30 , Alex CroftUK to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine war effort as world condemns Putin over Estonia incursion
Sunday 21 September 2025 15:50 , Alex CroftFrozen Russian assets could be used to fund billions of pounds worth of Ukraine’s war effort, Rachel Reeves will announce.
The chancellor will say it is the “right to explore all options to support Ukraine”, at a meeting with her European counterparts in Copenhagen on Saturday.
It comes after Russia provoked global outrage when its jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday.
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin with the full report:
Zelensky looks to finalize security guarantees at UN General Assembly
Sunday 21 September 2025 15:09 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during next week's meetings in New York.
He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the US.
"I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need," Mr Zelensky said.
He said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.
"If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions," he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.
Nato North Atlantic Council to discuss Russian incursion
Sunday 21 September 2025 14:33 , Alex CroftNato's North Atlantic Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss Russia's violation of Estonian airspace, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, specifying the date that so far has only been described as early next week.
Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw.
Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty after the incident that it described as an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion.
Article 4 states that Nato members will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.
Russia's Defence Ministry denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.
With tensions already high because of the war in Ukraine, the incursion came just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10.
That prompted Nato jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance's readiness and resolve.
UN security council to meet over Russian incursion into Estonia
Sunday 21 September 2025 14:05 , Alex CroftThe United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Monday over Estonia's accusation that Russian fighter jets violated its airspace, diplomats said.
Russia's Defence Ministry has denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters
Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from NATO pilots’
Sunday 21 September 2025 13:30 , Alex CroftRussian military aircraft violated Estonian airspace on Friday, ignoring signals from Italian jets on NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, a senior Estonian military official confirmed.
The 12-minute incursion represents the latest test of the alliance's response to Russian airborne threats, following around 20 Russian drones entering Polish airspace on 10 September.
Russia’s Defence Ministry denied the breach, but Tallinn dismissed this, citing radar and visual confirmation. Officials suggested the incident could be a tactic to divert Western resources from Ukraine.
Read more here:
Russian jets over Estonia ‘ignored signals from NATO pilots’
Nato's borders are being intentionally tested, says Lithuania's defence minister
Sunday 21 September 2025 13:10 , Alex CroftLithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said NATO’s borders were being tested for a reason.
In a post on X, she said: “Three russian fighter jets over Tallinn is one more hard proof that #EasternSentry is long due.
“PS. Türkiye set an example 10 years ago. Some food for thought.”
In 2015, a Russian aircraft was shot down by the Turkish air force after it was claimed to have violated its airspace.
Inside Russia’s revamped answer to Eurovision as winner crowned in night of glitter and geopolitics
Sunday 21 September 2025 12:44 , Alex CroftVietnamese singer Duc Phuc has been crowned the inaugural winner of Intervision, a new Russian song contest widely perceived as a political counterpoint to Eurovision.
Phuc triumphed at Moscow’s Live Arena on Saturday night, lifting the crystal cup trophy after a show overflowing with "thundering vocals and pyrotechnics." His winning entry, "Phu Dong Thien Vuong," a dynamic blend of pop, rap, and dubstep, secured him the grand prize of 30 million rubles, beating second-place Kyrgyzstan.
Read more here:
Inside Russia’s answer to Eurovision as winner crowned amid glitter and geopolitics
'Russia are testing the doorknobs like a burglar' says David Frum as Russian jets violate Nato airspace
Sunday 21 September 2025 12:18 , Alex CroftTwo killed and four injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region
Sunday 21 September 2025 11:48 , Alex CroftTwo civilians were killed and four injured in Russia's Belgorod region in Ukrainian attacks, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram on Sunday.
We earlier reported Gladkov’s statement that one woman died when a shell hit a private house in the settlement of Shebekino.
In an update, another man was killed in a drone attack on Rakitnoe, he said.
Belgorod region has come under regular attack from Kyiv's forces since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Kremlin accuses Britain of leading Europe's party of war
Sunday 21 September 2025 11:16 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin was quoted as saying on Sunday that Britain was one of the leaders of the camp which wants to continue the war in Ukraine, Russian state news agency RIA reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that attempts by Western powers to increase the pressure on Russia would not work and would not help attempts to end the war.
UK flies fighter jets over Poland in warning shot to Putin
Sunday 21 September 2025 10:38 , Alex CroftThe UK has sent fighter jets to Poland in a clear warning shot to Vladimir Putin that Western nations will not tolerate Russia’s repeated incursions into Nato territory.
The RAF Typhoons took part in a Nato operation to bolster European security after Russia provoked global outrage when its jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday.
Defence secretary John Healey said the use of British fighter planes sent “a clear signal: Nato airspace will be defended”.
Watch: RAF's first aircraft deployed to secure Polish airspace after Russian drone breach
Sunday 21 September 2025 10:01 , Alex CroftVietnam wins Intervision, Russia's Eurovision rival
Sunday 21 September 2025 09:37 , Alex CroftVietnam was crowned the winner of the Russian-hosted Intervision song contest in the early hours of Sunday morning, a competition backed by president Vladimir Putin and conceived as a geopolitical and socially conservative rival to Eurovision.
Putin in February ordered the revival of Intervision, a Soviet-era regional musical contest based on "traditional family values" after Moscow was excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 following Putin's decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Kyiv has called the event "an instrument of hostile propaganda".
Shown live on Russian TV and broadcast across parts of Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, Intervision was held at an arena outside Moscow with singers hailing from more than 20 countries accounting for 4 billion people, half the world's population, including China, India and Brazil.
Vietnam's Duc Phuc, whose song was based on a folktale about a king famous for repelling an enemy army, was crowned the strongest act by a jury made up of participating countries.
One woman killed in Ukrainian shelling on Russia, authorities say
Sunday 21 September 2025 09:12 , Alex CroftOne woman was killed in Russia's Belgorod region when a Ukrainian shell hit a house, the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a post on Telegram on Sunday.
Belgorod region has come under regular attack from Kyiv's forces since Russia ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Nato must shoot down Russian jets if necessary - Czech president
Sunday 21 September 2025 08:49 , Alex CroftCzech president Petr Pavel has called on Nato forces to take a far stronger stance against Russia’s repeated incursions into the airspace of member states.
Nato forces must be ready to shoot down Russian jets if necessary, he said/
"Russia will realize very quickly that they have made a mistake and crossed the acceptable boundaries,” Mr Pavel said according to the Czech News Agency.
“Unfortunately, this is teetering on the edge of conflict, but giving in to evil is simply not an option.”
Russian fighter jet incursions in Estonia and drones in Poland: How the war in Ukraine is already a European conflict
Sunday 21 September 2025 08:00 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has warned that a third Russian incursion into Nato airspace, in which three fighter jet spent 12 minutes in Estonian airspace, could spell “big trouble” for Moscow.
It is the latest in a series of provocations by the Russian military, which has repeatedly sent drones into Poland and Romania as Moscow argues that Nato is already “fighting against Russia”.
“Nato is providing direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It can be said with absolute certainty that Nato is fighting against Russia.”
Yet as Russia stages incursions into Nato territory and organises major drills with Belarus, experts say that Vladimir Putin is testing Nato’s response through its more aggressive movements past Ukrainian borders.
Read the full report:
How the war in Ukraine has already become a European conflict
NATO articles 4 and 5 explained as North Atlantic Council set to meet in Estonia next week
Sunday 21 September 2025 07:00 , Alex CroftWhat is Article 4?
NATO Article 4 has now been triggered nine times in the past 75 years, two of which have occurred in less than two weeks.
The organisation has called a meeting in Estonia early next week to discuss Russia’s incursion into Estonia’s airspace on Friday. The meeting comes after Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty.
Article 4 states that members of NATO can bring an issue forward for the North Atlantic Council, the organisation’s principal political decision-making body, to consult. The parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.
Since NATO was established in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked nine times, including today’s request. On 10 September, it was triggered by Poland after Polish forces shot down 19 drones over its airspace.
What is Article 5?
Article 5 states that "the Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all."
If members decided that Russia had attacked the territory of a member state, then Article 5 would be invoked and members would take the action they deemed necessary.
Article 5 is the cornerstone of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s founding treaty. When the treaty was created in 1949, its key aim was to counter the Soviet Union if it sought to extend its control of Eastern Europe.
US senators seek sanctions to sink Russia's 'shadow fleet'
Sunday 21 September 2025 06:02 , Alex CroftRepublican and Democratic senators are seeking a bill which would target Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
The "Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions," or SHADOW Fleets Act, would provide a list of indicators the US could use to identify vessels supporting the fleet, making it easier to sanction them sooner.
It would also put in place strict sanctions liability for any ship that engages in a transfer with a sanctioned Russian vessel.
US Senator Jim Risch said: “Putin will use every trick in the book to evade U.S. sanctions, and the U.S. is cracking down on this illicit shadow fleet of ships that he uses to fund his war.
“These ships and the oil sales they facilitate directly threaten American and European security, and will be stopped.”
Watch: Powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake shakes Russia as Tsunami warning issued
Sunday 21 September 2025 05:01 , Alex CroftZelensky looks to finalize security guarantees at UN General Assembly
Sunday 21 September 2025 04:03 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during next week's meetings in New York.
He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the US.
"I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need," Mr Zelensky said.
He said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.
"If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions," he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.
What have UK leaders said about Russia's incursion into Estonian airspace?
Sunday 21 September 2025 03:01 , Alex CroftUK officials have joined leaders across Europe in condemning Russia’s incursion into Nato airspace on Friday night.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “This is yet another edition of the Putin playbook.
“Putin’s aggression only serves to strengthen the unity of NATO and our resolve to stand with Ukraine.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was standing in solidarity with its Estonian allies, calling the incursion “reckless”
“We must continue to increase pressure on Putin, including driving forward the important new economic sanctions announced by the UK & EU in recent days,” she said.
Russia launches deadly large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine
Sunday 21 September 2025 01:29 , Alex CroftA large-scale Russian missile and drone attack struck multiple regions across Ukraine early on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the assaults impacted nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv.
“The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multi-story building in the city of Dnipro.
Full report here:
Russia launches deadly large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine
