Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,309

On Thursday, September 25, 2018, the situation is as follows:

Fighting

• The Russian Times reported that a daytime Ukrainian drone attack on Novorossiysk, Russia, killed at least two people. Employees of a Russian-Kazakh oil project were among those who suffered injuries.
• According to Russian state news agency TASS, the ministry of defense reported on Wednesday that 1,495 Ukrainian troops had been killed in the previous 24 hours of fighting. The figures have not been independently verified.
• Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, described concerns about Russian airstrikes as unfounded “hysteria” in the AFP news agency.
• Our military pilots allegedly violate some rules and invade someone’s airspace, according to Peskov, who reportedly says, “we hear such exaggerated hysteria.”

diplomacy and politics

• In a statement to the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning to international leaders about the threat posed by Russian technology and weapons.
• Zelenskyy stated on Wednesday that “topping Russia is now less expensive than waiting to see who will be the first to develop a straightforward drone carrying a nuclear weapon.”
• The Ukrainian leader also issued a warning about the potential “most devastation” of the “most devastating” arms race in human history being caused by artificial intelligence in the weapons sector.
• On the UN summit’s sidelines, Ukraine and Syria formally resumed diplomatic relations. After Bashar al-Assad, the then-leader of Syria, recognized the independence of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, Kyiv broke up ties in 2022.
• On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and American counterpart Marco Rubio had a private meeting in New York. Rubio urged “Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution,” and Lavrov accused Kyiv and Europe of “prolonging” the conflict.
• Russian President Donald Trump’s statement that Russia is a “paper tiger” was refuted by Kremlin spokesman Peskov, who said the nation “maintains its macroeconomic stability.”

Economy

• On Wednesday, Russia released its 2026 wartime budget, which included a proposal to increase its value-added tax (VAT) from 20% to 22%. The Moscow Times predicted that this would bring in additional $15.5 billion in funding.
• According to the newspaper, VAT continues to be a significant source of government revenue in Russia, accounting for approximately 40% of the country’s federal income this year.
• According to the Reuters news agency, the Reuters forecast that growth in 2025 will be only 1%, down from 4.3 percent in 2024, in Moscow’s most recent budget.
• The Russian Times reported that the federal deficit increased to $61.1 billion between January and July, while the Russian economy is projected to grow only 0.5% in 2026.