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Friday, Russia officially protested against "the increase [by London] of its deliveries of drones and other weapon systems" to Ukraine. On September 8th, the British government had announced the release of 100 million pounds (£116.5 million euros) to provide Ukraine with air defense means, including Patriot interceptor missiles, "before winter."
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France called on Friday the Russian authorities to "revisit" their decision to take control of several French company subsidiaries, justified by their belonging to countries "unfriendly" to Russia which is invading Ukraine.
"France denounces the provisional administration without justification of the Russian subsidiaries of several French and European companies" and it "is in close contact with the companies concerned and calls on the Russian authorities to reconsider this decision," according to a joint statement from the foreign and economy ministries.
Russia summoned the UK's acting trade representative on Friday to protest against London's continuation of "increasing its deliveries of drones and other weapon systems" to Ukraine, explained Russian diplomacy.
London denounced "a new attempt" by the Russian authorities to "divert attention from the barbaric invasion" of Ukraine and seek to "discredit the United Kingdom on the international stage."
"We are determined to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself and we will not let up our efforts to guarantee a just and lasting peace," insisted a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement transmitted to the France-Presse Agency.
On September 8th, the British government had announced the release of 100 million pounds (£116.5 million euros) to provide Ukraine with air defense means, including Patriot interceptor missiles, "before winter."
Coming to power in July, the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, made his first trip abroad to Kyiv in August and committed to continuing his country's support for Ukraine.
An attack hit one of the Balakliia districts (🚩), in the Kharkiv region, causing two deaths and two injuries, according to the first report, announced by Vitali Karabanov, the head of the city's military administration. He specified that the two injured were hospitalized.
A fire broke out at the site of the impact. Houses were also damaged, including their roofs and windows, according to Mr. Karabanov. "The consequences are terrible," he wrote.
"Do not neglect the aerial warning signals," he asked, calling on residents to "go to shelter immediately" when the siren sounds and to stay there until the alert is lifted.
The victims were in the village of Tekstylne, where a Russian drone attack occurred around 6 pm, announced Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the military administration of the Kherson region.
Mr. Prokudin did not provide further details on the circumstances of the attack or the two victims.
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The Russian Ministry of Defence affirmed that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 328 Ukrainian drones between 8 am and 8 pm Moscow time.
The drones were reportedly neutralized over the regions of Briansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Orel, Kaluga, Toula, Ryazan and Rostov, as well as in the Moscow region and the Krasnodar krai, the Russian ministry claims.
Moscow also claims to have destroyed devices over Crimea and Dagestan, as well as in the waters of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
Air defense forces are at work in the Ukrainian capital, announced Vitali Klitschko. "Kyiv is under the fire of ballistic missiles," the mayor of the city wrote on Telegram.
Mr. Klitschko called on residents to stay sheltered but currently has not communicated any toll or details regarding possible damage or casualties.
Good evening Bastien,
Serbia remains close to Moscow on several issues and still refuses to align with the European sanctions against Russia, while being a candidate for the European Union. Le Monde already pointed out in 2022 that Serbia had voted at the UN a resolution condemning the Russian invasion but refused to impose sanctions on Moscow in parallel, particularly due to its energy interests.
But this does not mean that Belgrade is aligned with Moscow on all issues. Le Monde, in particular, recalled in 2024 that since the beginning of the war, Serbia had allowed its factories to mass-produce weaponry for Ukraine while refusing sanctions against Russia. The country is therefore seeking to preserve its relations with Moscow while maintaining its rapprochement with Europe: Serbia has been a candidate for the EU since 2012 and regularly participates in European and regional initiatives.
It is in this logic that the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the meeting of the Carpathian Mountains on Friday, September 18th, must be understood: participating in a regional meeting alongside Ukraine, Poland, Romania or Austria does not mean that Belgrade has abandoned its policy towards Moscow. Moreover, during the peace summit in Ukraine organized in Switzerland in June 2024, Serbia had already signed the final declaration alongside Ukraine and several European countries.
Le Monde still described Serbia in March 2026 as an EU candidate that refuses to align with sanctions against Russia while maintaining good relations with Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian authorities have increased the toll of the strike that hit Odessa, now reporting ten injuries, including two rescuers, compared to eight previously. The State service for emergency situations (DSNS) specified that the impact affected "an administrative building of 11 stories."
At the time of the first strike, people were in shelter, which "saved their lives," according to the DSNS. "Later, Russia struck again while rescuers and other operational services were working on site," the service added. The injured days "are not in danger."
More than 70 firefighters were mobilized, according to the same source.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said it continued its drone strikes against Ukrainian ports and used vessels, according to it, "in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces." During the day, Russian forces reportedly targeted buildings in the ports of Pivdenny, in the Odessa and Odesa regions.
According to the ministry, a "bulk carrier" that was transporting "military use cargo" was hit in the port of Pivdenny. In the port of Odessa, a "tanker" transporting "oil products and lubricants for the Ukrainian army" was also reportedly struck, the Russian ministry affirmed.
Finally, another "bulk carrier," heading by sea to the port of Odessa with cargo "intended to ensure the supply of the Ukrainian armed forces," was hit at sea, according to the same source.
The unit concerned was operational at the time of the impact, but "its mode of operation did not change and there was no fire," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated on X. The agency was informed that the nuclear power plant located in western Russia had been hit "by a drone early Thursday."
The IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, judged that "all attacks on nuclear facilities are unacceptable" because they could "endanger nuclear safety and security, wherever they occur."
Mr. Grossi also renewed his call for "the utmost military restraint" to avoid "the risk of a nuclear accident," according to the IAEA.
Most victims suffered "shrapnel injuries" following a Russian attack in the center of Odessa (🚩), according to Oleh Kiper, head of the military administration of the Odessa region. "Everyone is receiving the necessary medical aid," he added.
According to Serhi Lyssak, head of the military administration of the city, the strike hit "a very busy place in the center of Odessa."
The attack damaged the facade and windows of an administrative building. The fire that broke out "affected several floors," according to Mr. Kiper. "Rescue operations are underway," he specified.
Three girls and two boys were brought to the territories controlled by Ukraine since the occupied part of the Kherson region, announced Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the military administration of the region.
The children are now "safe" and are following a reintegration process in centers where they receive "necessary aid," according to Mr. Prokudin. "Thank you to all who contribute to bringing our children home," the Ukrainian official wrote.
Since the beginning of 2026, 185 children from the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region have thus been brought to the territories controlled by Ukraine, according to the report provided by Mr. Prokudin.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced a policy "illegitimate, from the point of international law." The new measures taken by Moscow are particularly aimed at persons "involved in making decisions regarding military aid to the Kiev regime," those responsible for adopting sanctions against Russia or accused of "harming Russia's relations with third countries."
According to Moscow, those also concerned are officials of "pseudo-legal mechanisms against Russia" within the Council of Europe, as well as those who support the "illegal seizure of Russian state assets or the use of the profits derived therefrom."
Measures have also been taken against "civil society militants" and European academics considered hostile to Russia, as well as against deputies of national parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament who voted in favor of "anti-Russian resolutions and bills."
Moscow assures that despite the "destructive" policy of Brussels, Russia will continue to defend its "national interests" and participate in the building of a "just multipolar world order." "Any new action by the European Union aimed at expanding unilateral anti-Russian sanctions will in the future receive an appropriate response from us," the ministry warned.
This new format, named "C8," includes Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. This summit, which took place in western Ukraine, is an initiative from Kyiv to strengthen economic cooperation with its neighboring EU member states.
"To the North, we work with the Baltic and Nordic countries. To the South, we cooperate in the Danube region and around the Black Sea. We also cooperate closely with the Balkan countries and with Southeastern Europe. And the Carpathian Initiative makes the Carpathians the strongest link and connection between all neighboring regions," summarized Mr. Zelensky.
According to the Ukrainian leader, this summit aims to strengthen cooperation in security, energy, logistics and cross-border exchanges.
Bilateral meetings as well as an economic forum are on the agenda of the summit, which runs until Saturday, in the presence of officials and leaders of the seven guest countries, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, stated that he attended this first summit in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in solidarity with Ukraine.
"Our solidarity, both at the regional and European level, is more important than ever. Because it is now clear - I hope it is clear for all of us - that the Russian threat (...) is a threat to all of us," he said during a press conference.
Several members of the C8, particularly Poland and Romania, have recently accused Russia of violating their airspace by means of drones. Recent Russian strikes have also been carried out near the Polish border.
"The will behind [these attacks] is to intimidate us and to break the support for Ukrainians. The consequence will be the opposite," assured the President of the Republic during a speech at the Elysée on Friday.
He took the example of the discovery of a drone loaded with explosives at Leipzig airport this summer. "We are not intimidated because we know that our security today and tomorrow is being decided in Ukraine," explained Mr. Macron.
The Ukrainian president announced that interceptors of Shahed-type drones developed by two Ukrainian companies had "already successfully passed combat trials." Mr. Zelensky, however, stressed the need to continue testing: "We want to see all the tests and examine the format that can accelerate [their deployment] and move to mass production."
According to Mr. Zelensky, discussions with the two companies are already underway and "contracts are being signed." "I consider this a success," he added, estimating that "these two examples already give optimism, positivity and confidence." But the Ukrainian president warned that "confidence and optimism [still] need money." He said he wanted to work on this issue with the European Union, following an exchange the day before with Ursula von der Leyen: "We will meet soon. We are preparing proposals on how to exit the deficit."
Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday that he had asked the government to "prepare a plan to protect our critical infrastructures" to face Russian "hybrid" attacks, affirming that the "nature of Russian aggression" had changed.
The "nature of Russian aggression and threats in Europe is changing," warned the French president after receiving the heads of state and presidential candidates for the 2027 election at the Elysée. The protection plan against "drone attacks" and "cyber attacks" will also concern the "most sensitive sites of our defense industrial and technological base," the head of state specified.