US President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure amid Russia's relentless attacks across Ukraine, including near the Polish border. "There are plenty of other targets. Don't hit diesel fuel," Trump told reporters on September 13 during his visit to Ireland. "You have to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," he said. Trump's comment came a week after his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had visited Kyiv and Moscow in the latest US-mediated diplomatic effort to bring the wartime capitals closer to a negotiated agreement. While all sides have called the talks "substantial," the dynamics on the front line have not changed, with Russia continuing to attack Ukraine and hitting its civilian, logistics, and energy infrastructure as the cold weather sets in. Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued to respond, targeting energy and military sites inside Russia with its long-range drone attacks. Kyiv has been calling the effort "long-range sanctions" as it seeks to curb Moscow's energy profits and force it to negotiate. Since the beginning of the summer, Ukrainian drone strikes have caused nationwide fuel shortages in Russia and stoked discontent among its citizens, who were disconnected from the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Ukraine's Refinery Attacks Force Russia To Turn Abroad To Process Its Oil Ukraine Warns Russia 'Knocking On NATO's Door' With the latest diplomatic efforts yielding no practical easing of tensions on the battlefield, two Russian drone strikes hit near the Polish border early on September 13. The first strike hit a petrol station near the Yahodyn border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, in the latter's Volyn region. No casualties were reported. The second, also in Volyn, struck the locomotive of a passenger train just two kilometers from the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported. According to Oleksandr Shevchenko, a local transportation official, the train was traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw. As Ukrzaliznytsia said that a threat-monitoring group was able to warn the train's crew of the attack in advance, no casualties were reported. Video footage spread over Ukrainian social media showed people running from the blast at the railway station. Tusk Says Poland On High Alert After Russian Strikes Near Ukraine's Western Border Separately, Ukrzaliznytsia said that "quite possibly," the original target of the drone strike could have been the "diplomatic train," which carried top European officials, including former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It added that former CIA Director David Petraeus was aboard another train at the time. Petraeus told The New York Times that he could hear Russian drones above and then an explosion, leading to the immediate evacuation of passengers. "For those who have not been under fire, this was terrifying...This is the act of a truly barbaric leader trying to terrorize Ukrainian civilians," Petraeus said. As the incidents occurred, air-raid alerts were issued in several eastern districts of Poland. While there were no reports of violations of Polish airspace, Jacek Goryszewski, spokesman for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, said the "threat to Poland was real." In separate incidents on September 13, Romanian authorities reported a drone entering the country, and Lithuania called on residents in the capital and neighboring regions to preventively seek shelter after issuing an alert of possible drone sighting. The country's main airport in Vilnius was shut down and NATO jets were scrambled. The alert was called off within an hour. "Russia's barbaric strikes at the Ukraine-Poland border in Yahodyn are not just a continuation of its attacks on our state borders," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X on September 13. "This is Putin's terror 'knocking' directly on the doors of the EU and NATO." He urged European leaders to "throw the full weight" of sanctions against Russia. Russian Strikes Kill 9 Across Ukraine, As Zelenskyy Offers To Meet Putin At Miami G20 Earlier this month, Germany officially blamed an incident on Moscow in which explosive-laden drones interrupted flights at Leipzig Airport. At the time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "Europeans are faced with a hard truth that this is the new normal." "It is precisely to prevent these strikes from spreading further into Europe that Ukrainian men and women fight every single day, laying down their lives to keep this aggression from expanding," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram on September 13. "Russian terrorism is a shared threat to many, but it can and must be defeated right here in Ukraine," he added. According to Zelenskyy, a total of 2,100 drones, 1,700 gliding bombs, and 73 missiles were launched at targets across Ukraine in the past week. Ukrainian authorities said that elsewhere in Ukraine, the latest Russian attacks had also targeted the country's western regions of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Lviv, as well as the war-torn eastern Donetsk region and the key southern region of Odesa. Ukrainian Soldier Honored For Rescue In 'Kill Zone' Regional authorities in the Odesa region said nine people had been injured after a drone struck several residential buildings. A warehouse in the region was also reportedly targeted. Meanwhile, in the region's capital city of Odesa, rescuers have completed work at the site of the drone strike on a 25-story residential building on the night of September 12. Two people were killed and more than 20 injured in that attack. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its overnight strikes targeted "logistics centers through which military cargo is delivered and distributed, as well as energy facilities that support their operation." The ministry also reported strikes on railway infrastructure in western Ukraine. Russia denies targeting civilian areas despite widespread evidence of such attacks that have killed thousands of people since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

KYIV-- Russia continued to pound the Ukrainian civilian population, killing at least nine people in attacks throughout the country, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated he'd be willing to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit -- something the Kremlin called "impossible." Russia has intensified air strikes throughout Ukraine over the past two months, with the Kremlin hitting power plants and other infrastructure as the potentially brutal winter months loom on the horizon. Civilian deaths were reported in several cities and regions on September 12 as Ukraine struggles to secure its population amid a shortage of air defense weapons badly needed to intercept high-speed Russian missile. US House Set To Take Up Russia Sanctions Bill Amid Fight Over Trump Tariff Powers In Kramatorsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region, the city of some 150,000 people -- which has been under Russian military pressure for months -- local authorities said Russian forces attacked private cars, killing three people in three incidents over a 90-minute period. "These are not ⁠military targets," the city council said in a statement. "They are ordinary civilian cars. ‌People were going about their business." Vitaliy Bunechko, governor of Ukraine's Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv, said a Russian strike hit a grocery store, killing two people in the town of Zvyahel. Ivan Fedorov, governor of Zaporizhzhia region, said two people were killed and 11 injured in assaults on Zaporizhzhia and other communities. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryviy Rih's ‌military administration, said two people had been killed in overnight attacks on the city by drones and missiles. Zelenskyy Says Latest Russian Missile And Drone Attacks Targeted Civilian Sites Across Ukraine Russia’s military claimed its forces targeted Ukrainian steel maker Zaporizhstal in Zaporizhzhia, an Interpipe Steel complex in Dnipro, and several plants in Kryviy Rih. The claims could not independently be verified. In response to Russian attacks, Ukraine has hit energy facilities and warehouses, often deep inside Russia, causing acute energy shortages throughout the country, while both sides have targeted each others' shipping in and around the Black Sea. Zelenskyy Willing To Meet In Miami In a interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle released on September 12, Zelenskyy said he would be willing to meet with Putin for peace talks at the December 14-15 Group 0f 20 (G20) gathering in Miami. "Yes, of course," he said when asked about a meeting. "We have to come. We have to meet, to speak, and make decisions. It's not about words. What I will tell him or what he wants to tell me, it doesn't matter. Results matter." The Kremlin immediately rejected Zelenskyy's offer. "It is impossible," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP, repeating Russia’s demand that such a face-to-face meeting could only take place in Moscow. "There is a readiness to meet him in Moscow," said Peskov, who noted that it has not been decided yet whether Putin will attend the G20 gathering. Hundreds Of Russian Teens Face Terrorism Charges As Wartime Crackdown Intensifies Zelenskyy has long rejected the possibility of meeting in Moscow at a time when his country is facing a full-scale invasion by Russian forces. “He can come to Kyiv," Zelenskyy told ABC News in reference to Putin. "I can't go to Moscow when my country's under missiles, under attack, each day. I can't go to the capital of this terrorist." Washington is attempting to kick-start long-stalled talks on Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv last week, while US President Donald Trump and Putin have conducted phone talks in recent days. In the Deutsche Welle interview, which took place on September 11 while he was in Canada, Zelenskyy said Witkoff and Kushner's visit was a "good signal" and that it was important the two had made a trip to Kyiv as well as Moscow. Exclusive: A Secluded Russian Island May Hold Bioweapons Secrets Zelensky has said he he plans to meet Trump in late September, although details have not been confirmed. Trilateral Talks Meanwhile, a top Ukrainian official suggested US-Russia-Ukraine talks could resume as early as next month. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said a new round of trilateral talks on ending the war may take place in October. Speaking to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on the sidelines of the Yalta European Security forum in Kyiv, Budanov said Ukraine is preparing for a new meeting in the trilateral format, but he did not provide details. Earlier, Budanov told The New York Times that the negotiation process would likely intensify after Russia's State Duma elections on September 18–20 and the US midterm elections on November 3. The last direct talks between Russia and Ukraine came in February in Switzerland, with the US acting as mediator and with Budanov being a part of the Ukrainian delegation. With reporting by AFP and Reuters

The US State Department has urged American companies to exercise extreme caution when considering business transactions with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after a former US official attended the signing of a deal between a Saudi energy group and the hard-line authorities. A US State Department spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the warning to RFE/RL, adding that private companies interested in doing business in Afghanistan should ensure their transactions comply with applicable US laws and regulations as the Taliban is on the list of Designated Global Terrorist Groups (SDGT). Washington Distances Itself From Former Envoy Khalilzad's Taliban Meetings Ahead Of 9/11 Anniversary The warning comes after a visit to Afghanistan earlier this week by Zalmay Khalilzad, who was US special envoy to Afghanistan from 2018 to 2021. Khalilzad was in Kabul on September 7 for the signing of a Saudi oil and gas deal and he also met with the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. The trip, which came on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, raised eyebrows as the United States does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Washington has distanced itself from Khalilzad's trip, with a State Department spokesman telling RFE/RL that "Khalilzad is not a US government employee. As such, he does not represent the United States government." According to the US Treasury Department, US citizens and companies generally do not have the right to engage in any transactions, payments, contracts, services, or financial cooperation with individuals and entities on this list. Treasury added that non-US individuals and companies that conduct certain transactions with these groups may themselves be subject to US sanctions and civil or criminal penalties. The Taliban's Mines and Petroleum Ministry, which signed the initial $200 million contract with the Saudi company Delta International Energy, says it includes the Kashk-Tirpol oil field located between Herat and Badghis in western Afghanistan. According to the ministry, the deal covers oil and gas exploration across some 23,000 square kilometers of territory of the oil field in western Afghanistan, including a proposed 700-kilometer gas pipeline. 25 Years After 9/11, Could Afghanistan Again Become A Launchpad For Global Terror? Delta International Energy is a Saudi company that invests and engages in business in the Middle East and other markets. The Taliban, which retook power in 2021, is considered one of the most repressive regimes in the world. The international community has blacklisted Taliban leaders and cut off the group from the global financial system. In recent months it has sought to reverse its isolation, seeking both foreign investment and international legitimacy. Russia is the only country that has formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government. Several countries -- including China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan -- maintain diplomatic, trade, and economic ties with the Taliban without officially recognizing its government. In June, Taliban officials for the first time held talks in Brussels on the repatriation of Afghans despite sharp criticism from rights groups that said the European Union was legitimizing the hard-line group, which has been accused of severely curtailing the basic rights of Afghans, especially of women.

A fresh round of Russian strikes on Ukraine killed at least three people and wounded dozens of others over the past 24 hours, Ukraine's president said on September 12, adding that the strikes targeted civilian sites and infrastructure across the country. "Since the night, there have been virtually constant strikes on our cities and communities," Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "Ten regions were under Russian strikes last night, and Russian attack drones are still flying in many of them." Two people were killed and six others were wounded by a Shahed-type drone strike on residential buildings in the Zaporizhzhia region, he said, adding that a missile attack on "critical infrastructure" in Kryviy Rih killed one person and injured three others. In Odesa, 37 people were injured when a high-rise residential building was hit by Russian missile overnight, and rescue operations were under way at the site. The search continued for two people that were unaccounted for, Zelenskyy said. Earlier, local officials in Odesa said that a 25-story residential building had been damaged, with apartments on the 21st through 23rd floors catching fire. The upper floors were destroyed. Three other residential buildings were also damaged in Odesa, officials said. US House Set To Take Up Russia Sanctions Bill Amid Fight Over Trump Tariff Powers Ukraine's Air Force said Russia attacked the country with ballistic and cruise missiles and 129 attack drones, including jet-powered Shahed-type drones. It said Ukrainian air defenses had destroyed or suppressed 110 of the targets. The air force said strikes were recorded in 20 locations across the country and falling debris in four others. It said the Odesa region was the most affected. The attacks came a day after Russian strikes killed at least six people in Zaporizhzhia and other parts of Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv have traded strikes on logistics, energy, and other economic infrastructure in recent weeks. The Kremlin Tries A New Weapon For Its War: The Relics Of A 14th-Century Saint Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on September 12 that Russian forces had hit the Zaporizhstal steel plant in Zaporizhzhia, as well as an Interpipe Steel complex in Dnipro and several facilities in Kryviy Rih, including the Northern Iron Ore Beneficiation Works complex. The ministry also said its forces had struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. The claims cannot be independently verified. The attacks followed a deadly Russian assault on Zaporizhzhia on September 11, when one person was killed, according to Ukrainian officials. Russia also struck other parts of Ukraine that day, including Kyiv, where attacks on two petrol stations killed two people and wounded at least 12. 'Save Him!' RFE/RL Captures Chaos After Russian Strike On Ukrainian Shops Russia has intensified its air campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks, including repeated attacks with faster jet-powered drones. The strikes have increasingly hit logistics and economic targets as fighting along the front line has largely stalled. On September 10, Russian strikes killed five people in the southeastern industrial city of Pavlohrad and also hit a petrol station in Kyiv and a sunflower-oil facility operated by US-based Bunge in Dnipro. Ukraine Strikes Economic, Industrial Targets Ukraine has also stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russian economic and industrial targets. On September 12, Ukrainian drones struck industrial facilities in Russia's Samara region, Interfax reported, citing regional Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev. He did not specify which facilities were targeted or the extent of the damage. Ukraine's military said it had struck the Togliattikauchuk plant, one of Russia's largest producers of synthetic rubber, in the city of Togliatti, causing a fire. The Ukrainian General Staff said the plant produces synthetic rubber and fuel additives used in fuel for Russian missiles. The claim could not be independently verified. The mayor of Togliatti said several residential buildings were damaged and one person was injured. Russia's Defense Ministry said it had downed 230 Ukrainian drones overnight over more than a dozen Russian regions, as well as over Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. In a separate attack, four commercial properties were set ablaze in the southern Russian city of Taganrog, local officials said.

Anthropic said it has disrupted attempts by Iran, China, and other countries from using its artificial intelligence (AI) models to disseminate state propaganda and spy on ethnic minorities and dissidents. That is according to the AI company's latest threat intelligence report issued on September 11, which covers incidents from December 2025 to August. The report also said criminals, state institutions, and scientists, including in Russia and China, were using AI models such as Claude and Gemini to design missiles and bombs as well as create deadly pathogens. Trump Downplays Report China Aided Tehran In Attack On US Troops In Jordan 'Cognitive Warfare' Anthropic named several Iranian state institutions it said were using its AI models to shape public opinion inside and outside the country. The entities include the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, which operates under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and oversees Iran's official cultural diplomacy and international relations abroad; the Islamic Propaganda Office, a religious organization; and the Islamic Propaganda Organization, a religious and cultural group. Anthropic accused the institutions of running "cognitive warfare" campaigns and promoting narratives created by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the elite branch of Iran's armed forces that plays a prominent role in politics and the economy. "In each case, the operation relied on Claude to build campaign plans, doctrine manuals, persona systems, target databases, and ministerial planning documentation," said Anthropic's report. "Using the model in this manner allowed them to generate complex organizational frameworks and assets that would otherwise have required a fully staffed program office to produce." In one case, the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization used Claude to "complete organizational plans" for the state funeral of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that took place from July 3-9, Anthropic said. From Russia With Expertise: Iranian Students Return Home With Potentially Deadly Knowledge Of Drones, AI, And More Recruitment Tool Anthropic also said it disrupted an "influence operation" by the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), an exiled opposition group that seeks to overthrow the Islamic republic and that Tehran regards as a terrorist organization. The operation, the AI company said, "used a shared AI agent to impersonate real people and recruit inside Iran." "The operation successfully scraped over 500 social media channels to build detailed profiles of individuals inside Iran," the report said. "They then grouped these targets by city, age, occupation, political alignment, and arrest history likely to help them tailor their messages to the specific audiences." Surveillance Operations Anthropic said it also disrupted operations by state actors, including Iran, that used Claude to "build, run, and otherwise facilitate surveillance operations." In one case, Iran-based actors used Claude to build and deploy a malicious Firefox extension that harvested users' identities from social media networks, the AI company said. In another case, an Iranian actor used Claude to analyze hundreds of thousands of social media posts and chose 39 opposition accounts to monitor. "The operators were state-aligned organizations that targeted the same diaspora and dissident communities these regimes have historically targeted," Anthropic said.

WASHINGTON -- The recent US destruction of five Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has exposed more than the widening confrontation between Washington and Tehran. It has highlighted an increasingly intertwined sanctions-evasion system linking Iran and Russia -- a network of ships, managers, intermediaries, and trading routes that Ukrainian officials and US sanctions experts say the West can no longer treat as two separate problems. Three of the five tankers -- Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco -- had direct links to Russia’s shadow oil fleet, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s sanctions commissioner. All three transported Russian oil and called at Russian ports, Vlasiuk told RFE/RL on September 10. Riesco, he said, carried both Russian and Iranian oil and participated in ship-to-ship transfers involving other sanctioned vessels. “Russia and Iran have a long history of cooperation, and their sanctions-evasion networks increasingly overlap,” Vlasiuk said. From Russia With Expertise: Iranian Students Return Home With Potentially Deadly Knowledge Of Drones, AI, And More Philip Luck, director of the Economics Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former deputy chief economist at the US State Department, described the system more bluntly: “There’s not a Russian shadow fleet and Iranian shadow fleet. There’s one shadow fleet that is facilitating Iranian oil sales and Russian oil sales.” Tankers Tied To Moscow Kaviz operated between the Russian ports of Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk and had a history of switching off its automatic identification system, which allows authorities and other vessels to track ships. Vlasiuk linked it to Fractal Marine DMCC, a network involved in moving Russian oil after Western sanctions were imposed. Charminar repeatedly called at Russian ports, including Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Vysotsk, and St. Petersburg. Vlasiuk said it was connected to a shipping network controlled by Iranian oil businessman Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. After Britain sanctioned Fractal Marine, vessels connected to the network were transferred to other managers while their Russian oil operations continued, Vlasiuk said. US Sanctions All Remaining Iranian Airlines In Sweeping Aviation Crackdown Riesco illustrates the two-way nature of the trade. It carried both Russian and Iranian oil and participated in ship-to-ship transfers involving other sanctioned vessels. All three tankers are sanctioned by Ukraine and the United States, according to Vlasiuk. Kaviz is also sanctioned by the European Union, Britain, Canada, and Switzerland. Vlasiuk did not estimate how much revenue the vessels generated for Russia. Their importance, he said, lies in helping Russian oil reach global markets despite Western restrictions. “These vessels were part of the infrastructure that enabled Russian oil to keep reaching the global market despite sanctions, allowing Russia to preserve a major source of revenue,” he said. For Ukraine, that infrastructure is itself a target. “The same vessels, masters, managers, intermediaries and shipping routes are used to transport both Russian and Iranian oil,” Vlasiuk said. One Fleet, Two Oil Trades Luck said the implications extend beyond the three ships because Russia and Iran sell oil to many of the same markets. That creates a challenge for sanctions policymakers: measures aimed at one country’s oil trade may affect the other because the logistics are shared. “So anything, if you want to put more pressure on Iran, you’re gonna be putting more pressure on Russia,” Luck said. “And if you put more pressure on Russia, you’re putting more pressure on Iran. It’s the exact same problem.” The issue has become more urgent as Washington combines economic pressure on Tehran with direct military action. The US says the Iranian tankers were part of a shadow network helping finance Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies. The strikes followed Iranian attacks on US naval forces, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Washington will respond to further attacks. US Targets Turkish Bank In New Bid To Cut Iran's Financial Lifelines The confrontation has also increased pressure on energy markets. Washington and Tehran are seeking influence over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed before the war. For Kyiv, the tanker strikes show why maritime networks have become an increasingly important sanctions target. “As long as this infrastructure remains operational, opportunities to evade sanctions will remain,” Vlasiuk said. Ukraine Sees A Wider Russia-Iran Link The episode comes as Washington considers expanding its ability to target Russia’s energy revenues and the networks helping Moscow evade sanctions. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed the Senate on August 7 by 86-11. It targets Russia’s shadow fleet, imposes additional sanctions on Russian officials and financial institutions, and authorizes the president to impose duties of up to 100 percent on goods from major purchasers of Russian oil and gas and countries involved in sanctions evasion. It also extends the Iran Sanctions Act for five years. The bill’s future in the House remains uncertain, but Ukraine says it could provide leverage against Russia, whose energy revenues remain central to financing the war. At a September 10 briefing hosted by the Bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires in Washington, Denys Sienik, urged lawmakers to view the measure as a source of leverage rather than a finished instrument. “All the decisions, major decisions, indeed require compromise,” Sienik said. He warned that Russia continues earning substantial oil and gas revenues while producing weapons and recruiting soldiers. “What message will it send to Ukrainians, and what message will it send to Russia if this does not pass?” he asked. Former State Department sanctions coordinator Daniel Fried offered a similar assessment. “If the US authority would increase diplomacy to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, it should increase the leverage it’s using against Russia,” he said. “Now is the time to use it.” Fried cited the Obama administration’s Iran policy, when Congress pressured the administration to threaten countries buying Iranian oil while allowing waivers for nations that significantly reduced purchases over six-month periods. China and India protested but ultimately reduced their imports. He said the current bill could likewise give Washington room to negotiate with major buyers rather than automatically impose maximum penalties. Fried acknowledged questions about how the bill’s thresholds would be calculated and how authorities would determine the destination of Russian oil. “But with this bill, if it passes, there is something to work with,” he said. “There is leverage. If it doesn’t pass, there is nothing, zero.” Fried said sanctions need not eliminate every barrel of Russian or Iranian oil from global markets. Their goal is to reduce the revenue available to sustain war. Forcing Russia to sell at lower prices, he said, can also reduce money flowing to the Kremlin. That approach places the shadow fleet at the center of the sanctions debate. The objective is not simply to stop individual ships, but to make the networks moving sanctioned oil more expensive, unreliable, and difficult to replace. Ukraine’s argument is that those networks are already shared by Russia and Iran. The three tankers identified by Kyiv offer a case study: vessels moving Russian oil, Iranian oil, or both; managers shifting between sanctioned networks; and ship-to-ship transfers helping cargoes reach international markets. As Washington escalates pressure on Tehran and considers additional measures against Moscow, that convergence could become increasingly important.

A visit to Afghanistan by a former US special envoy that included meetings with senior Taliban officials and a major oil and gas deal has touched a raw nerve on the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 . Zalmay Khalilzad, US special envoy to Afghanistan 2018-21, was in Kabul on September 7 for the signing of an agreement between a Saudi energy group and the Taliban authorities that could lead to billions of dollars of investment. During his visit, he also met with the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. The United States does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and Washington has distanced itself from Khalilzad's trip. "Khalilzad is not a US government employee. As such, he does not represent the United States government," a State Department spokesman told RFE/RL. 25 Years After 9/11, Could Afghanistan Again Become A Launchpad For Global Terror? "The Taliban remain designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. As such, we urge private companies interested in conducting business in Afghanistan to exercise extreme caution and ensure their transactions comply with applicable US law and regulation," the spokesman added. Khalilzad's presence has raised questions about his role in the deal and speculation about a possible back channel in communications with the Taliban. He negotiated and signed the agreement with the Taliban in 2020 under which international forces would withdraw from Afghanistan, an operation that was completed the following year. He has traveled to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan several times and held previous meetings with Taliban officials. He notably was present in Kabul at the release of 64-year-old American citizen Dennis Coyle from a Taliban prison on April 4 this year. "Experience has shown that people who have worked at high levels of the American government in recent decades can sometimes influence the country's foreign policy and relations even after retiring," Mir Abdul Wahid Sadat, head of the Afghan Lawyers Association, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi . Tariq Farhadi, an Afghan political analyst based in Europe, said that even though Khalilzad's visit appeared private, his influence and contacts in the United States could be important to the Taliban. The group is seeking both foreign investment and international legitimacy. "He has about 40 years' experience in American politics and knows many people in the government and Congress," Farhadi told RFE/RL. From Al-Qaeda To Lone Wolves And AI: How Terrorism Has Changed Since 9/11 "History does not stand still, and it is not easy to predict the future course of US policy," he added, pointing to how Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has gone from being hunted as a terrorist to being feted at the White House. Khalilzad has posted news reports on the energy deal in which he says it is an "indication that Afghanistan is ready for business" and a significant development for the country. It came days after the Financial Times reported that the Taliban had offered the Trump administration access to Afghan mineral resources in return for sanctions relief and release of frozen assets. The deal brings together Saudi Arabia's Delta Energy Group and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum for oil and gas exploration across some 23,000 square kilometers of territory in western Afghanistan. It includes a proposed 700-kilometer gas pipeline. "[Khalilzad] is currently working as a consultant on the Delta project…and there is also a possibility that he will partner with a company in this project," said Farhadi. His possible business role has raised some eyebrows. Michael Rubin, director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum , noted that Khalilzad was in the White House situation room on September 11, 2001, yet now "appears to profit" from the deal. "Khalilzad's tone-deaf ceremony in the Taliban's capital as Americans mourn…demands congressional hearings if not greater investigation," he wrote. Afghan war veteran Will Selber, writing for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies , also criticized his presence. "Whatever his intentions, Khalilzad gave the Taliban something it has sought since returning to power: an appearance of American validation," he wrote.

PAVLOHRAD, Ukraine -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ottawa will provide Ukraine with air defense support as he visited Canada in an attempt to shore up support from the country's allies amid deadly Russian drone and missile attacks. "This is a very important package of air defense," he told reporters on September 10, adding that Canada will also provide aid to Ukraine's energy industry. He provided no further details. The Ukrainian president arrived in Canada's western city of Calgary a night earlier after a visit to Norway for the funeral of King Harald V and talks on air defense support. His plane was delayed on its way to Oslo after an alert in Moldova that a Russian drone had entered the nearby airspace. "Canada remains one of our closest partners," Zelenskyy wrote on X after his arrival in Canada. "We value the support of the Canadian people and the decisions that help Ukraine to withstand the war and to protect our people." From Russia With Expertise: Iranian Students Return Home With Potentially Deadly Knowledge Of Drones, AI, And More Zelenskyy's visit came as Russia continued to launch intense air attacks on Ukraine, with fresh strikes reported on September 10 in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Mykolayiv regions. At least 10 people were killed in Russian strikes across these regions, while more than 100 others were injured, including children. In Dnipro, the capital of the east-central Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces struck a food-industry facility that had already been damaged in an earlier attack the same day, while in neighboring Pavlohrad, a shopping area and cars caught fire after an evening strike. "There was a hit in central Pavlohrad by a Shahed drone," RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent Roman Pahulych reported from the aftermath site, adding that another strike followed less than a minute later. "There are shopping premises here. There was heavy traffic here -- a bus stop is located here," he added, as he filmed devastating images showing ruined buildings and burnt-out cars. Farther east, in the frontline city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, regional authorities said Russian forces had struck four times, with impacts reported near educational facilities and a multistory residential building. Russian air strikes also hit the southern port city of Mykolayiv, as well as civilian and industrial infrastructure in the surrounding region. Aftermath of Russian Attacks on Ukrainian Cities Moscow has stepped up its air war in recent months, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones that have taken advantage of Ukraine's dwindling air defenses. Among other targets, the attacks have hit Ukraine's power grid ahead of the upcoming fifth wartime winter. Since the beginning of its invasion, Russia has sought to paralyze Ukraine's energy system, leaving thousands of people across the country with no heating and electricity amid freezing temperatures. Russia's Jet-Powered Drones: A Major New Threat To Ukraine Amid Speeding Arms Race Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued its own long-range strikes inside Russia. Overnight on September 9-10, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala in Daghestan. Elsewhere, Russian authorities reported one person died and two were injured in another attack in the Voronezh region. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 448 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. The intensifying exchange of strikes has put air defense and the protection of Ukraine's energy infrastructure at the center of Zelenskyy's trip. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement on September 9 that Zelenskyy's visit "will focus on shared priorities between Canada and Ukraine, including deepening defense, economic, and energy cooperation." "It will also address the human cost of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and build on the strong people-to-people ties that connect our countries," the statement said, adding that Canada "remains steadfast in our commitment to support Ukraine's defense, recovery, and reconstruction." Renewed Diplomatic Efforts As fighting remains intense, Zelenskyy's latest international trip comes amid renewed US-mediated efforts to find a path toward ending the war. After months of stalled talks aimed at ending the conflict, US special envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv and Moscow over the past weekend in what appeared to be the latest attempt to narrow the gap between the two sides' negotiating terms. Days later, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump, a conversation the Kremlin described as "constructive and quite frank." "We had a great conversation. He [Putin] is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that'd be very nice," Trump told reporters on September 9, adding, "These are two people that are tired of fighting." Putin has given no sign he is ready for a cease-fire unless Kyiv makes major concessions it has rejected, including ceding territory in the eastern Donbas region that Russian troops have been unable to take by force. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov suggested Putin told Trump that an immediate cease-fire could be secured if the United States would end all support for Kyiv. US Envoys Conclude Moscow Meeting With Putin As Kremlin Cites 'Difficult Situation' On September 9, the Financial Times reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe is preparing to take a bigger role in US negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, citing unnamed sources the paper said indicated the roles of US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner might be scaled back to make room for Ratcliffe. In a post on X , White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly called the FT story "incorrect and ridiculous." CIA spokeswoman Liz Lyons, also on X , wrote: "This reporting is false." Witkoff and Kushner have led the talks with Moscow and Kyiv for the last year and a half. According to the FT, officials close to Ratcliffe have told their European peers that in addition to maintaining contact with intelligence agencies in both Russia and Ukraine, the CIA director would now play a more active role in shuttle diplomacy.

Iran said it attacked vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on September 9 after the United States destroyed several Iranian oil tankers overnight, in a sharp escalation in the six-month war. The tit-for-tat strikes led to a surge in global oil prices, with Brent crude reaching $100 per barrel for the first time since July. Tehran also said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan. No casualties or damage were reported. Iran and the United States have been engaged in tit-for-tat strikes in the past few weeks, in a move that observers say could reignite a full-blown war. US President Donald Trump said on September 9 that the United States was not looking for a deal to end the war, although he added that negotiations could happen. Trump also told reporters that he believes that the conflict will end “immediately” after the midterm elections in November because Iran “can't hold out any longer.” Trump Downplays Report China Aided Tehran In Attack On US Troops In Jordan Targeting Shipping The US military said it sank five Iranian oil tankers overnight near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, calling it a response to Tehran firing missiles at a US Navy warship over the past two days. Iran retaliated by firing 20 ballistic missiles toward Jordan, which said it intercepted 18 of them. Jordan said two of the missiles landed in unpopulated areas. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of Iran’s armed forces, claimed that it also attacked two US vessels, eight oil tankers, and 10 “noncompliant vessels” that were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. A key artery for global energy supplies, the strategic waterway has been effectively closed by Tehran since the start of the war with the United States in February. Earlier in the war, Iran established a shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz that hugged the Iranian coastline. It said any vessels using a US-backed route along Oman’s coast would be targeted. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is affiliated with the British Navy, said on September 9 that “several” vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf were “subject to disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity in the region.” Tehran Targets US Base In Jordan After Iranian Oil Tankers Sunk Separately, the IRGC warned tanker crews in ports in Kuwait and Bahrain, both US allies, to evacuate, raising fears of further disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation has already affected shipping: data from Kpler, a commodities and shipping analytics company, showed only six commercial vessels crossed the strait on September 8, well below the recent average. Also on September 9, the IRGC for the first time added parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to a new "prohibited zone" where vessels will be subject to “sanctions.” US Warns Iran Will 'Lose Tankers' Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the US attack on its oil tankers as “an overt threat to regional and international peace and security,” saying that they "increase the dangers of tensions in the region.” US Sanctions All Remaining Iranian Airlines In Sweeping Aviation Crackdown US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would “lose tankers” every time it attempted to hit US ships. "Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers, and I think you'll see that again today," Rubio told reporters on September 8 on a visit to Colombia. Rubio's remarks came as Washington intensified its campaign to squeeze Iran economically. The United States announced new sanctions on September 8 targeting Iran's aviation sector and companies accused of helping Tehran obtain aircraft and sensitive technology. On the same day, Iran's national currency, the rial, fell to a new low against major foreign currencies. The United States has also imposed a naval blockade on Iranian vessels and ports, disrupting Iran’s oil exports, its key source of revenue.

A Russian drone attack targeted a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two people and injuring three others, while Russian drones also struck in Kyiv, as Moscow continues its campaign of near-continuous strikes across Ukraine. The Russian attack on the Starokazache–Tudora border crossing in Ukraine's Odesa region on September 9 damaged checkpoint infrastructure, vehicles, and buildings, sparked a major fire, and forced the evacuation of 16 people, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported . Moldovan authorities condemned the strike, and President Maia Sandu warned that Russian attacks pose a growing threat to Moldova. "Russia's front line is moving further west -- which is why air defense for Ukraine is urgent," she wrote in a post on X. Sandu said the border crossing had been closed following the attack. The strike came a day after a Russian drone entered Moldovan airspace, prompting authorities to temporarily halt flights and delaying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's departure from the country for Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store later said Zelenskyy's plane had been "almost hit by a drone" as it departed Moldova. But a Ukrainian presidential source described the suggestion that Zelenskyy had been in danger as "exaggerated" while Moldovan authorities said they had temporarily closed the country's airspace after detecting a Russian drone, delaying several flights, including Zelenskyy's. His plane was cleared to depart after the restrictions were lifted. Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan noted in a post on Facebook that the Kremlin's war against Ukraine was "increasingly endangering the lives of our citizens as well." In attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Russian drones killed one person and injured 17 others, according to Kyiv authorities. One drone struck a 24-story residential building, causing a fire. Russian Drone Strikes Residential Building In Kyiv, Causing Injuries Moscow has launched near-daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure across the country using strike drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs, underscoring its intent to press forward with the nearly 4 1/2-year full-scale war on Ukraine despite astronomical casualties. Ukraine Hits Russia's Novorossiisk Ukraine targeted the Russian Black Sea port ⁠of Novorossiisk overnight, Ukrainian authorities reported on September 9. "A naval base was hit, including a terminal used to load oil, military port facilities, and warships carrying Kalibr missiles," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine is responding effectively to "Russia's daily terrorist strikes." Ukraine Strikes Russian Warships And Oil Terminal In Novorossiisk Russian authorities confirmed the Ukrainian drone attack on Novorossiisk, reporting that four people, including a child, were killed, according to Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev. Russia's Defense Ministry said on September 9 that its forces had downed 596 Ukrainian drones overnight, a day after Russia President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump, a conversation that the Kremlin described as "constructive and quite frank." Washington has not yet commented on the call. The attacks followed US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner's visit to Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials, after their earlier meetings in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, arrived in Canada late on September 9 following his visit to Norway, where he attended the funeral of King Harald V and held talks on air-defense support. His visit to Canada is expected to focus on defense, economic, and energy cooperation, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's office. With reporting by AFP and dpa

WASHINGTON -- Researchers at Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab working to track Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine could see their positions eliminated by December unless new funding is secured, the lab’s executive director told RFE/RL. The warning comes as the US State Department moves to restructure a $25 million program that the Yale lab was among the organizations competing for. The funding, announced in March, is intended to support the identification, return, rehabilitation, and reintegration of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred or otherwise held away from their families and communities. Abduction And Reeducation Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale lab, said researchers on its Ukraine team are scheduled to be terminated around Christmas unless new funding is found. “We're running out of the last of the donations we've received,” Raymond told RFE/RL. The lab is preparing what Raymond described as a high-confidence verification of its estimate of approximately 35,000 Ukrainian children taken from their homes. The report is expected in October and could be the lab’s last if funding is not secured. More than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Raymond said, the thrust of Moscow’s activities is changing. “It’s less about taking them and more about indoctrinating them in place,” he said. How Russia Prepares Children In Occupied Ukraine For War Against Their Own Country The Yale lab has documented a network of at least 210 facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory where Ukrainian children have been taken. Researchers have found evidence of reeducation at many of those facilities and militarization at others. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner in 2023, accusing them of the war crime of unlawful transfer and deportation of children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine to Russia. The lab’s March research found with high confidence that Russian state oil and gas giants Rosneft and Gazprom, their subsidiaries, and affiliated trade unions helped facilitate the transportation and/or reeducation of more than 2,100 Ukrainian children from occupied parts of Ukraine between 2022 and 2025. Yale Report Links Russian Energy Giants To Deportation, Indoctrination Of Ukrainian Children The research is intended not only to locate children but to preserve evidence that can connect individual children to facilities, organizations, officials, and transportation networks. That information could become important in efforts to secure their return as well as in potential future legal proceedings. $25 Million Program Reshaped, Delayed The State Department announced the $25 million program in March during a Washington visit by Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska. At the time, the department described it as a comprehensive effort covering the process from identifying children through their return and reintegration. The department canceled the original grant competition, or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), on August 21, notifying applicants that it intended to “rescope the parameters of the award,” RFE/RL has learned. A State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL on September 8 that the underlying funding remains in place. “The Department intends to provide $25 million in new assistance to support the identification, return, and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children and youth who have been forcibly transferred or otherwise held away from their families and communities,” the spokesperson said. “Following further review, the Department has decided to issue two distinct awards under this program to focus on distinct parts of programming efforts. Having two distinct awards required cancellation of the original NOFO,” the spokesperson added. “Bureaucratic process is often slow, but we are working within the provided system to get this assistance out as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. Under the new structure, about $15 million is expected to support locating and returning children, preserving evidence, and maintaining databases, sources knowledgeable about the process told RFE/RL, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. A second award of about $10 million is intended for rehabilitation and reintegration. For the Yale lab and other organizations that had competed for the funding, the delay is significant. Raymond said researchers need sustained financing to maintain specialized expertise, databases, and investigative work. Losing staff could also mean losing institutional knowledge built up over years of tracking children and documenting the facilities and networks involved. Lawmakers Press State Department The funding delay has drawn bipartisan attention in the US Congress. Senators Thom Tillis (Republican-North Carolina) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut), and Representatives Marcy Kaptur (Democrat-Ohio) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican-Pennsylvania), said they wrote Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 3, urging the department to “promptly complete its review and award the full $25 million already committed” and provide a timeline for announcing the awards. Advocacy groups have also pushed for the funding to be distributed. Daniel Balson, advocacy director at Razom for Ukraine, told RFE/RL that the money should reach organizations capable of doing the work. “This money was appropriated by Congress to identify and help reunite Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russian occupiers,” Balson said. “It is vital that the full sum be distributed promptly to organizations best positioned to help bring these kids home.” The issue comes as Ukraine and its international partners prepare for a September 28-29 conference in Toronto focused on returning Ukrainian children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war. Canada, Ukraine, and Norway are co-hosting the meeting. Ukraine’s broader effort is coordinated in part through President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative. Ukrainian officials said in April that more than 2,100 children had been returned through the initiative, including 150 since the beginning of 2026. The number has since risen to more than 2,550, according to the Bring Kids Back UA. But thousands remain separated from their families. Ukrainian officials have said roughly 20,000 children have been forcibly transferred or deported by Russia, and Bring Back Kids says about 1.6 million remain under Russian control -- a number that also includes children trapped in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.

WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed sanctions on all of Iran's remaining active airlines, sharply escalating pressure on Tehran's aviation sector as part of a broader campaign aimed at cutting the Islamic republic off from international trade and finance. The US Treasury Department on September 8 sanctioned 36 targets, including 27 Iranian airlines, as well as foreign companies and an individual accused of helping Iran's sanctioned aviation networks procure aircraft, aircraft parts, and other technology. The action marks the first time Washington has used a new August 24 determination targeting Iran's aviation sector to sanction the country's remaining airlines. Treasury said the sector is used by the Iranian government to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo. "Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran's remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "We will not relent in our campaign to shut down the Iranian regime's financial lifelines, including the aviation sector," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. US Launching 'Economic Onslaught' On Iran, Demands Countries Cut 'Lifelines' That Sustain Tehran The sanctions come under President Donald Trump's so-called Operation Economic Outcast, announced by Bessent on August 24 as part of a campaign to sever what Washington describes as the Iranian regime's remaining economic lifelines. Among the airlines designated are Iran Aseman Airlines, Iran Airtour, Kish Airlines, Qeshm Air, Karun Airlines, Sepehran Airlines, Taban Airlines, Varesh Airlines, Zagros Airlines, Chabahar Airlines, Fly Persia, and Saha Airlines, formally known as the Armed Forces Air Transport Service. Other carriers sanctioned include Air Shiraz, Ava Airlines, Fly Kish, Mehr Airways, Raimon Airways, and Soroush Air. There was no immediate public response from Iran to the September 8 measures. Targeting Iran's Aviation Lifelines The Treasury action goes beyond Iranian carriers, targeting a network of foreign companies that Washington says helped sanctioned Mahan Air acquire aircraft and operate international flights. Mahan Air has been under US counterterrorism sanctions since 2011. Washington accuses the carrier of providing logistical support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), including by transporting personnel, weapons, and military equipment. The Treasury said Mahan Air received at least three Boeing 777 aircraft this summer through a route involving the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The UAE-based ECT Aviation Support and Turkey-based Sky Phoenix were identified as intermediaries in what Washington described as a scheme to transfer US-origin aircraft to Mahan Air. ECT Aviation Support's owner and chief executive, Egyptian national Mahran Ibrahim Ali Mohamed Mahran, was also sanctioned. Crashes, Bankruptcy Litter Iran's Runway For Passenger-Plane Production Other foreign companies targeted include Malaysia-based iCargo, Kazakhstan-based Tour Invest, and Turkish firms MES Cargo and S Sistem Logistics. Treasury said the companies provided general sales, cargo, logistics, or other services to Mahan Air. S Sistem, for example, was accused of coordinating shipments of unmanned aerial vehicle components and industrial equipment destined for Iran. Treasury said iCargo had coordinated shipments of US-origin parts to Iran on Mahan Air's behalf. Kerri Bitsoff, a former senior official at the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, told RFE/RL that the measures could have a broad impact because of the extent to which international aviation relies on US-origin equipment and technology. "Treasury's action today designated every remaining Iranian airline and pulled the authorizations that let foreign carriers fly US-origin aircraft into Iran," Bitsoff said. "Nearly every commercial plane in the world is US-origin or flies on US-controlled engines and avionics, so that reaches almost the entire global fleet," she added. For Iranians Seeking A Way Out, Even The English Test Is Becoming A Barrier Bitsoff said direct air links had been among Tehran's remaining channels to the outside world and accused the Iranian government of using them to move "gold and hard currency," IRGC personnel and weapons, as well as aircraft parts and dual-use components. She said the pressure was particularly significant amid what she described as a broader tightening of economic routes around Iran, with maritime routes restricted, European governments backing the pressure campaign, and Persian Gulf countries reducing trade. "These designations force a choice on every fuel supplier, ground handler, and bank that still touches an Iranian airline," Bitsoff said. Pressure On Intermediaries Treasury also suspended three Iran-related aviation authorizations, including permissions concerning overflights and the operation of US-origin or US-controlled commercial aircraft in Iran by non-US airlines. Requests related to aviation safety will be considered on a case-by-case basis, the department said. Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert at Obsidian Risk Advisors, described the move as a major escalation of Washington's pressure campaign. "This is a significant escalation of Operation Economic Outcast," Erickson told RFE/RL. "Washington is pairing a naval blockade with sanctions designed to close off airspace as an alternative economic route and make it harder for Iran to move goods or buffer its economy." Oil Hits 4-Month High As Hormuz, Red Sea Risks Mount The Treasury said foreign companies and individuals that facilitate transactions involving sanctioned Iranian airlines could face serious consequences, including secondary sanctions that could restrict their access to the US financial system. US persons are generally prohibited from conducting transactions involving the blocked entities, while foreign financial institutions can face restrictions on their US correspondent or payable-through accounts for certain significant transactions involving sanctioned parties. Alongside the sanctions, the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, issued an alert urging financial institutions to watch for Iranian procurement networks seeking aircraft and aircraft parts through front companies and intermediaries in third countries. The department said Iranian airlines have used companies posing as aviation, technology, or logistics businesses in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to acquire Western aircraft, components, and dual-use goods while concealing the ultimate Iranian end-user. The new measures extend Washington's campaign from individual airlines and support companies to virtually the entire commercial aviation infrastructure serving Iran, increasing the risks for foreign businesses that continue to provide Tehran with aircraft, parts, cargo services, sales representation, or financial support.

Ukraine's top prosecutor said he had submitted his resignation as anti-corruption investigators homed in on an embezzlement scheme connected to a top official in the prosecutor's office. Ruslan Kravchenko said his resignation was a political decision, hinting that he was forced to make the move. Earlier, he had said publicly he would not leave his job. "I made it consciously. I do not want the position of Prosecutor General to be used as a tool for political confrontation. My position regarding the accusations remains unchanged," he wrote on Telegram on September 7. The move is the latest in a swirl of corruption allegations and investigations that have cast a pall over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government. A top Zelenskyy aide, Andriy Yermak, was forced to resign last year as investigators probed a scheme involving hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks from contractors to the state nuclear company, Energoatom. 'What A Nightmare': Zelenskyy's Dismissal Of Defense Minister Sparks Fury In Ukraine Mykhaylo Fedorov, who served as defense minister until he was forced out in July, has publicly and loudly complained about corruption in the defense sector, in what many observers saw as an open challenge to Zelenskyy. The top general overseeing Ukraine's military, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, with whom Fedorov had clashed, was later pushed out. Zelenskyy has not been implicated in the scandals, which earlier resulted in the resignations or firing of justice and energy ministers. In July, Zelenskyy also shook up his entire government, pushing out Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and replacing her with the head of state energy company Naftogaz. He also replaced the country's ambassador to Washington who faces her own graft allegations. Exit 'The Butcher': Zelenskyy Makes Another Shakeup To Ukraine's Military Command But the scandals have tarnished Zelenskyy's popularity, and several opinion polls show him trailing several prominent public figures. Foremost among them is Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the former top general and commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s military. He is now serving as as Kyiv's ambassador to London.

KYIV -- Russia hammered the Ukrainian capital with drones and ballistic missiles, killing at least five people in a major attack hours after White House envoys left Kyiv amid a renewed push for peace negotiations. The September 8 bombardment followed a lull in near daily attacks, underscoring Moscow's intent to press forward in its nearly 4 1/2-year full-scale war on Ukraine despite astronomical casualties. Emergency workers pulled bodies from the rubble in one district of Kyiv while firefighters battled to put out fires from the attack, which also included jet-powered drones -- a relatively new weapon that Ukraine has struggled to defend against. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitshcko said five people were confirmed dead, and emergency officials reported at least 16 people were wounded. Russia Pounds Kyiv In Deadly Overnight Attack The Russian attack included dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles along with more than 160 drones, Ukraine's military said. The onslaught came after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner departed Kyiv following meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials. Prior to Kyiv, the pair visited Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin. It was the first time the White House officials had traveled to Kyiv; by contrast, Witkoff has met with Putin eight times since the beginning of 2025. US efforts to push peace negotiations have been dormant in recent months as President Donald Trump's administration has prioritized the war with Iran, now in its sixth month. That conflict has severely depleted stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, which are the only weapon effective against Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles. European countries that operate Patriot systems have been working to help make up the shortfall and maintain supplies to Ukraine. In recent months, Ukraine’s ability to defend against the nearly daily Russian assaults has been severely constrained by a lack of missile interceptors, above all US-built Patriots. The European Union will provide Ukraine $3.7 billion "to purchase crucial products for Patriot air defense systems," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced hours after the attack. Britain also announced $135 million to help Ukraine boost air defenses including Patriot missiles. US Renews Ukraine Peace Push, But Former Ambassadors See No Breakthrough Trump and Putin spoke by telephone on September 8, and Putin gave his assessment of the battlefield, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said. He also said Putin stated that Russia had no hostile plans toward Europe, something a growing number of European nations have voiced concern about. Trump, Ushakov said, told Putin that he wanted a swift end to the war, which he said would allow Russian-US ⁠ties to be fully restored. The White House had no immediate comment on the phone call. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on Kyiv's allies to "to act and increase pressure on the aggressor." Russia's Defense Ministry said the attack on September 8 targeted Ukrainian defense and military logistics facilities. EU Ambassador Katarina Mathernova said she spent the night in a shelter as "Kyiv was exploding and burning." "What happened in Kyiv last night was hell," she wrote on X. "I would not wish it on anyone who lives in peace and falls asleep safely in their own bed." After meeting Zelenskyy, Witkoff described discussions as constructive and said Washington had heard "new ideas" from Moscow. Kushner said the United States was working on a broader "peace package." Zelenskyy, for his part, called his discussions with the Americans "very substantial" and said Ukraine was prepared to move toward trilateral talks involving Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow. National-security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany also joined part of the Kyiv discussions. The Kremlin has shown no indication it has softened its hard-line position on its war aims. In comments to reporters after the September 5 meetings with Putin, Ushakov said Russia would press forward to "eliminate" the "root causes" of the conflict. "Root causes" is a phrase representing a grab bag of Russian grievances dating back to before the 2022 invasion, including the assertion that Zelenskyy is not a legitimate president and the Ukrainian government was oppressing native Russian speakers in Ukraine.

An Iranian-American citizen, Kamran Hekmati, has been released from Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, sources told RFE/RL's Radio Farda, but he is unable to leave the country due to a travel ban. The release has not yet been officially confirmed by Iranian authorities but was welcomed by US authorities on September 8. “We welcome Mr. Hekmati’s release from detention and continue to call on the Iranian regime to lift the exit ban so that he may return home," the State Department told Radio Farda. Hekmati, who was designated as a wrongfully detained person by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March, is believed to have been released on September 5. The 71-year-old traveled to Iran to visit relatives on his Iranian passport in May 2025 and was detained by the authorities two months later. Tehran's Revolutionary Court subsequently sentenced him to four years in prison for having traveled to Israel for a religious ceremony over a decade earlier. Holders of Iranian passports are barred from traveling to Israel. His sentence was later reduced to two years after a change in the law governing such travel. Oil Hits 4-Month High As Hormuz, Red Sea Risks Mount Hekmati's family has repeatedly raised concerns over his health, saying he suffers from aggressive bladder cancer and has been denied access to proper specialized treatment in detention. The case is one of several involving Iranian-American dual nationals caught up in Iran's use of arbitrary detention as diplomatic leverage against the West, a practice critics have called "hostage diplomacy." Dena Karari, another Iranian-American, was briefly detained in Shiraz in 2024 and released on bail but was barred from leaving Iran for about 19 months. She faced accusations including "collaboration with a hostile government" and espionage but was eventually allowed to leave the country in July this year. Shortly after her departure, a Zahedan court convicted her in absentia and sentenced her to five years in prison. Reza Valizadeh, a former Radio Farda correspondent, remains imprisoned at Evin. "The regime should immediately release Reza Valizadeh and all Americans unjustly detained in Iran,” the State Department said. In a recorded phone call from inside the prison this past June, he appealed to the US government to secure medical assistance for himself and other detained Americans, saying four US citizens held at Evin were suffering from various illnesses without access to real medical care. Valizadeh resigned from RFE/RL in November 2022, returned to Iran in March 2024 to see his family, and was arrested that September. He was convicted of "collaborating with the hostile American government" and sentenced to 10 years in prison, along with a ban on residing in Tehran and neighboring provinces, a travel ban, and a two-year prohibition on joining political parties or groups. His appeal was rejected.

BELGRADE -- Former Bosnian Serb Army commander Ratko Mladic, who was convicted by The Hague tribunal for war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been buried with state honors in Belgrade on September 7 despite international condemnation. In the presence of members of the Serbian Army, Serbian officials, and the political leadership of the Republika Srpska entity, many of those gathered at the Belgrade cemetery chanted Mladic's name and greeted the arrival of his coffin with applause. Mladic, who died at the age of 84 on August 27 in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity, had lain in state at the Church of St. Luke in the Serbian capital. Serbia Honors 'Butcher Of Bosnia' Ratko Mladic, Drawing Outrage Over Glorification During the ceremony, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, said the Hague convict's name "will remain deeply embedded in the memory and prayers of the majority of the Serbian and Orthodox people." Mladic was honored on September 7 by numerous officials from Serbia, Republika Srpska, and Montenegro, despite warnings from the United States and the European Union that glorifying convicted war criminals was unacceptable. During the funeral service, a prayer was offered that "General Ratko be forgiven for his voluntary and involuntary sins" as an honor guard from the Serbian armed forces stood watch. Veterans from the former Bosnian Serb Army are taking turns to stand beside the coffin. Thousands of people waited in lines outside the church to pay their respects, with some wearing T-shirts with Mladic's image or symbols related to the 1992-95 Bosnian War. Four buses carrying demobilized members of the former Bosnian Serb Army traveled to Belgrade from Banja Luka, the administrative center of Bosnia's Serb-majority Republika Srpska, for the funeral. The transportation was organized by the Republika Srpska Veterans Organization. Ratko Mladic: The 'Butcher Of Bosnia' Who Was Convicted Of Genocide Politicians from Serbia attending the funeral, included Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic and Public Investment Minister Darko Glisic. Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic and Justice Minister Nenad Vujic also paid tribute to Mladic. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he could not attend because the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoev, was visiting Belgrade. The ceremony was also attended by Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Serb member of Bosnia's Presidency, and former Republika Srspka leader Milorad Dodik. Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko also led a delegation to the funeral. Reporters from RFE/RL's Balkan Service say numerous media crews were outside the church during the ceremony but were not allowed to enter the cordoned-off area or the site itself. Nearby streets were closed to traffic ahead of the funeral, and police patrolled the area. 'A Mirror Of Serbia' Mladic took command of the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992 and led a campaign that seized large parts of Bosnia. His forces laid siege to Sarajevo and carried out the 1995 Srebrenica massacre killing more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys. 'Only The Truth Matters': Families Of Srebrenica, Sarajevo Victims React To Mladic's Death In 2017, the UN-backed International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted Mladic of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws or customs of war. Speaking to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Fazila Efendic, president of the Mothers of Srebrenica association that represents families of victims, lamented that Mladic had been buried "as if he were a statesman." "This is terrible for me. But there it is. This is a mirror of Serbia, let the whole world see," said Efendic, who lost her son, husband, and 22 other family members in the massacre. Earlier, the association had said the funeral "threatens to become the largest fascist gathering in Europe in the past 70 years." US lawmaker Joe Wilson (Republican-South Carolina) wrote on social media that the funeral was "a rogue's gallery of anti-American Vucic and Russian regime figures." Bosnia's foreign minister, Elmedin Konakovic, announced on September 7 that the country was downgrading its diplomatic relations with Serbia and recalling a majority of the diplomatic staff from the embassy in Belgrade. He justified the decision by citing developments in Serbia following Mladic's death, including the funeral, the commemoration, and the public messages that emerged. "If I could, I would sever diplomatic relations with Serbia today. What I can do, I will work on reducing relations to the absolute minimum," Konakovic said. In the days since Mladic's death, tributes have been held across Serbia and Republika Srpska. A banner describing Mladic as a "hero" has been put up on a wall near the Church of St. Luke. A post on X shared by the Red Star Belgrade soccer team showed fans unfurling a tifo with a portrait of Mladic next to a banner with the words "Direction Potocari." Potocari, a village just outside Srebrenica, was the site of the Dutch UN base where thousands of civilians fled in July 1995 and where Bosnian Serb forces separated men and boys from women and children. It is now home to the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial. On August 27, Denis Becirovic, chairman of Bosnia's presidency, issued an official statement saying the Hague judgment placed Mladic among the most brutal killers of the 20th century. In a statement on September 4, Becirovic condemned the granting of Serbian state and military honors to Mladic, saying they represented an "unacceptable act of institutional glorification" of a convicted war criminal and constituted an insult to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Politicians in the United States and Europe joined in the condemnation of the public glorification of Mladic in Serbia. Serbia Draws International Criticism For Honoring War Criminal Mladic Ahead of the funeral, US Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Grassley, and Keith Self released a joint statement, calling on the authorities in Republika Srpska and Serbia to distance themselves from Mladic's funeral. "It is deeply concerning that Serbia has announced Mladic will be buried with state and military honors. The coming days will be a test of whether Serbia and RS are ready to break with the past and move toward European Union membership and Euro-Atlantic integration," the statement reads. On September 4, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia after a government plane flew Mladic's body to Belgrade, where soldiers carried his Serbian flag-draped coffin from the aircraft. The US Embassy in Bosnia said two US representatives, Greg Murphy (Republican-North Carolina) and Marc Veasey (Democrat-Texas), "traveled to Srebrenica to honor the victims of the 1995 genocide." In a statement, the diplomatic service of the European Union said, "Any glorification of war criminals, genocide denial, and revisionism contradict the most fundamental European values and have no place in the EU or in EU candidate countries." Serbia is an official candidate for membership of the EU.

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration has revived its diplomatic drive to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled from Moscow to Kyiv in a high-profile effort to restart negotiations. But after separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the central question remains: Has Moscow changed its position enough to make a settlement possible? Judging by a statement from a top Putin aide, no. Three former US ambassadors to Ukraine interviewed by RFE/RL also said they saw no sign of any concession from the Kremlin. Zelenskyy Calls For Trilateral Negotiations With Russia After 'Substantial' Talks With US Envoys The weekend marked the first time Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Kyiv together for talks with Zelenskyy, after meeting Putin in Moscow the previous day. Witkoff, who has met Putin eight times, described discussions as constructive and said Washington had heard "new ideas" from Moscow. Kushner said the United States was working on a broader "peace package." Zelenskyy, for his part, called his discussions with the Americans "very substantial" and said Ukraine was prepared to move toward trilateral talks involving Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow. National security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany also joined part of the Kyiv discussions. The diplomatic activity is significant. But the former ambassadors cautioned against confusing movement with progress. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor Jr. William Taylor, who served twice as US ambassador to Ukraine, said the Kyiv visit was "good news" but argued the crucial test lies elsewhere. "The real problem in diplomacy is not Kyiv. The real problem in diplomacy is not Washington. The real problem in diplomacy is Moscow," Taylor told RFE/RL. He said he had heard nothing from the Kremlin suggesting that Putin had moved away from his maximalist demands. In comments late on September 6, Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, said Putin told Witkoff and Kushner that Russia was confident of achieving its goals, and stressed the necessity of addressing "all the root causes of the conflict." "Root causes" is a phrase representing a grab bag of Russian grievances dating back to before the 2022 invasion, including the assertion that Zelenskyy is not a legitimate president and the Ukrainian government was oppressing native Russian speakers in Ukraine. It's a signal that Moscow's position is unchanged. John Herbst, who preceded Taylor as ambassador under President George W. Bush, offered a similar assessment. He said the current effort is arguably the most substantial US diplomatic initiative in months simply because there had been little comparable activity since January. "The question is: Is there something serious here? And the answer is: We don't know," he said. That uncertainty is likely to dominate the next phase of the diplomacy. Geoffrey Pyatt, who served as US ambassador to Ukraine from 2013-16, also welcomed the renewed American engagement while warning that the fundamental obstacle remains Russia's willingness to de-escalate. The Missing Piece The most intriguing claim emerging from the weekend is Witkoff's assertion that the Americans heard "new ideas" in Moscow. Neither he nor Kushner has publicly explained what those ideas are. That leaves a crucial distinction between new language and a new Russian position. John Herbst, former US ambassador to Ukraine. For Taylor, the test would be concrete military de-escalation. A Russian agreement to a cease-fire along the current lines, a halt to long-range strikes, an end to attacks on energy infrastructure, and an understanding covering shipping would represent a genuine departure from Moscow's current position, he said. Without such steps, the word "new" risks describing proposals that merely repackage existing Russian demands. Herbst also pointed to a history of unfulfilled expectations. American officials have previously suggested that Moscow was prepared to compromise, only for the substance of those supposed compromises to remain unclear or fail to materialize. That history makes the details of this weekend's meetings particularly important. Geoffrey Pyatt, former top US diplomat in Kyiv A senior US administration official briefed on the visit told RFE/RL that Washington remains ready and optimistic about the possibility of another round of negotiations involving Moscow and Kyiv. The official said the administration will assess the outcome of the envoys' meetings before determining concrete next steps, while the coming weeks will be important for developing a more detailed road map. The official also pointed to the upcoming UN General Assembly as a potentially useful opportunity to continue the work, saying it could allow the sides to "pick up from where Jared and Steve have left off" over the weekend. Territory, Security Remain Key Kushner's reference to a broader "peace package" raises the question of what such a package would actually contain. The former ambassadors' answers converge around two fundamental issues: territory and Ukraine's future security. Russia and Ukraine remain far apart over territory. Moscow has demanded Ukrainian concessions that Kyiv has rejected, while Ukraine continues to regard Russian-occupied land as sovereign Ukrainian territory. Taylor outlined one possible solution: Ukraine and its Western partners could acknowledge the fact that Russia controls roughly 19 percent of Ukrainian territory without recognizing that control as legitimate or permanent. Exclusive: A Secluded Russian Island May Hold Bioweapons Secrets In such a framework, the territorial issue would effectively be frozen rather than settled. Russia would retain de facto control while abandoning demands for international recognition of permanent Russian sovereignty over the occupied areas. But Taylor stressed that there is no indication Putin is prepared to accept it. Zelenskyy himself has said the territorial question remains unresolved and ultimately requires decisions at the highest political level. Herbst takes the broader view that Putin's objectives extend beyond territory. In his assessment, the Kremlin seeks substantial control over Ukraine's territory and political direction -- objectives that would be incompatible with a durable settlement based on Ukrainian sovereignty and independence. Cease-Fire Still Far From Peace The distinction between ending the fighting and resolving the war is becoming increasingly important. Taylor said the first step toward a lasting settlement should be a comprehensive cease-fire covering land, air, and sea. Herbst similarly argued for a cease-fire along the existing lines, combined with security guarantees and a reconstruction effort designed to leave Ukraine economically and militarily capable of defending itself. The security question may ultimately prove even more consequential than territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Jared Kushner visit St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv on September 6. Kyiv has repeatedly sought guarantees strong enough to deter Russia from attacking again after any agreement. Taylor said a credible arrangement could involve European troops deployed in Ukraine under a coalition of willing countries, supported by the United States through air power, intelligence, and other capabilities. He also pointed to Ukraine's eventual integration into the European Union and, ultimately, NATO as longer-term elements of its security. That would require substantial Western commitments at a moment when Washington has shown reluctance to undertake open-ended military obligations. For Ukraine, therefore, a cease-fire without credible deterrence could simply create a pause before another war. For Russia, meanwhile, such Western guarantees could be precisely what Moscow seeks to prevent. Europe Moves Closer To The Table The participation of British, French, and German national security advisers in the Kyiv talks was one of the more consequential developments of the weekend. Witkoff said their presence demonstrated that "collaboration is critical" to reaching a settlement. Taylor argued that European involvement is essential because European countries would likely be the principal providers of any security arrangement for Ukraine. Europe is also a major source of financial and military assistance to Kyiv. Aggressive Recruiters Are Rounding Up Russians To Fight In Ukraine. In One Town, They're Pushing Back For now, the Europeans appear to have been brought into consultations rather than given a formal negotiating role. Whether that will change depends in large part on what Washington eventually puts on the table and what Moscow is prepared to accept. The diplomacy is also taking place against a backdrop of continued and, in some respects, intensified fighting. If Moscow and Kyiv cannot sustain even limited military restraint while talks are under way, reaching agreement on a comprehensive cease-fire will be considerably harder. The Test Is Moscow Ukraine has already signaled it is prepared for another trilateral meeting. Zelenskyy said Kyiv wants to do everything possible to make such talks involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia happen. Putin has said such a meeting could take place only once a deal has been worked out. For Taylor, that is the immediate benchmark. "What we need to hear is 'yes,'" he said -- a clear indication from Putin or the Kremlin that Moscow is prepared to meet with Zelenskyy and the US president. Herbst said the first test over the coming days will be whether details of what was discussed in Moscow and Kyiv begin to emerge, and how Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow respond to them.

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for resumption of trilateral negotiations between the United States and Russia as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded talks in Kyiv and Moscow, including with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as part of efforts to end the conflict, now in its fifth year. Both Zelenskyy and Witkoff described the September 6 talks as "substantial," with the Ukrainian president telling reporters that, among other things, the sides discussed security and economic guarantees for Kyiv, supplies of urgently needed air-defense missiles, as well as a support package for Ukraine, as another wartime winter looms. At the same time, Witkoff stressed that the United States was seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict rather than a kinetic one, while Kushner supported the idea of renewing trilateral negotiations between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington. "It's going to take both sides to make some compromises and narrow the issues between them and we think we have the ingredients to get to that place," Witkoff said. "It is very difficult but we are committed." Separately, as the Kyiv talks were unfolding, Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram page that representatives of Britain, France, and Germany had also joined the discussions. Zelenskyy offered some guarded remarks following the talks, suggesting no immediate breakthrough. "We had three rounds of talks today. All of them were very substantive," he wrote on social media as Ukrainian officials told reporters that Zelenskyy, Witkoff, and Kushner met again following the formal sessions. "We hope we will have the opportunity to reach an agreement with our American partners, and we hope for the support of our European partners." "If the war continues in the winter, we are very much counting on the winter [aid] package, which I discussed in detail with Steve, Jared, and our European partners today." Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "counting on support for both air defense and energy, and for a serious volume and possibilities of using American [liquid natural gas]." A year ago, Ukraine suffered through a brutal winter as Russia targeted the country's energy infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without heating. The Ukrainian railway said in the early hours of September 7 that the American envoys departed Kyiv by "special train," likely headed to Poland for a flight back to the United States. The US envoys had arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland early on September 6 hours after they held a three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow late the night before. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying the three men would have to address a "difficult situation" during their Kremlin discussions. A White House official told RFE/RL that "the two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks" and that the envoys "look forward to equally productive meetings" in Ukraine. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, who participated in the session, called the talks "substantive, very frank, and constructive." He added that the envoys stated the US position and promised to present Putin's views to Ukrainian leaders during their talks in Kyiv. Ukraine Accuses Russia Of 'Winter Genocide' After Fresh Strikes On Energy Sites "They not only expressed their traditional interest in bringing the hostilities to a quick end, they put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement," he said. Ushakov insisted Russia would achieve its goals and that the "root causes" of the conflict must be resolved, Kremlin code for putting an end to Ukraine's hopes of NATO membership and steps to effectively disarm the Ukrainian military, among other historical grievances -- items Kyiv has long rejected. Even as the diplomatic push continued, Russian forces launched another large-scale drone attack on Ukraine overnight into September 6. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 108 drones , including Shahed attack drones and jet-powered variants. It said air defenses had shot down or suppressed 88 drones by 9:30 a.m., while strikes were recorded at 11 locations and falling debris at seven. Ukraine, meanwhile, said its forces had struck a number of targets inside Russia overnight, including the Ryazan oil refinery and a military airfield in the Rostov region. Aftermath of Russian drone strike in the Ukrainian city of Chuguiv near Kharkiv on September 5. Ukraine's General Staff said on September 6 that a fire was recorded at the Ryazan refinery , one of Russia's largest, and that the facility was involved in supplying the Russian military. It also said Ukrainian forces struck a radar station and two Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems in the Rostov region. RFE/RL could not independently verify the claims. Russian officials acknowledged drone attacks and fires but did not confirm that the facilities identified by Ukraine had been hit. Ryazan regional Governor Pavel Malkov reported a fire at "one of the enterprises," while Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar said around 30 drones had been destroyed and three people were injured. The latest attack on Ukraine followed a day of Russian strikes across the country that killed seven people and left 57 others injured or otherwise affected in five regions, according to regional military administrations. Four of those killed were in the Kharkiv region, including an 11-year-old boy. 'Apocalyptic Scenes' In Druzhkivka As Ukrainian Civilians Struggle To Leave As the United States pressed ahead with its latest effort to end the war, President Donald Trump had said his envoys would be presenting a peace deal to the Russians and then would relay the offer to Ukraine the next day. Trump said Washington had "an idea for peace" and that his envoys were "bringing with them a proposal to end the war," now in its fifth year since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "I sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance that we'll do it," Trump told reporters on September 4. 'Diplomatic Activities' The US envoys' visit to Kyiv marks their first visit to Ukraine since taking leading roles in the administration's efforts to end the war and comes amid a renewed diplomatic push aimed at reaching a peace agreement. New EU Sanctions To Hit North Korean Camp Where Russia Sends Abducted Ukrainian Kids Trump made ending the largest war in Europe since 1945 a priority when he took office in January 2025, but an agreement has been elusive, and diplomacy had been largely stalled since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran in late February. Putin has shown no sign of compromise in recent comments, among other things insisting that Russia must control all of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, including the parts its forces have failed to capture in years of heavy fighting. At a joint news conference with US envoys in Kyiv following their talks on September 6, Zelenskyy called the issue of the Donetsk region "the question of this war," suggesting it remains one of the central obstacles to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict. With reporting by RFE/RL senior Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu, Reuters, and AFP

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have ended their meeting in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin as the White House renews efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, with the US pair set to visit Kyiv afterward. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that talks lasted approximately three hours, with the US envoys leaving the Kremlin at about 11 p.m. on September 5. There was no official Kremlin or US comment immediately after the meeting. As the session started, RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying the three men would have to address a "difficult situation" during their discussions at the Kremlin. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to Russian strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight ahead of the US envoys' planned visit to the Ukrainian capital, which Russia has hammered with attacks for a week. Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev (center) walks with US special representatives Jared Kushner (left) and Steve Witkoff (right) in Moscow on September 5. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had accused Russia of deliberately targeting Kyiv's two airports in September 4-5 overnight attacks in an attempt to disrupt the US envoys' visit. Other Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least five people. Prior to the envoys' arrival, US President Donald Trump said Washington had "an idea for peace" and that his team was "bringing with them a proposal to end the war," now in its fifth year since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "I sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance that we'll do it," Trump told reporters at the White House. He gave no details. Putin has shown no sign of compromise in recent comments, among other things insisting that Russia must control all of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, including the parts its forces have failed to capture in years of heavy fighting. Alleged Confession Video Raises More Questions About Ukrainian Security Agencies' Shoot-Out Responding to increasing concerns in the West that Russia could attack a NATO member to test the alliance's resolve, Trump again said he doesn't believe Putin is planning such a move. "I speak to him. I know him very well. Putin's not looking to attack NATO territory," Trump said. Zelenskyy said on September 4 that "today it has been clearly determined that American representatives will be in Ukraine and in Russia in the coming days" and he called for a pause in air strikes by both sides to facilitate any meetings. He added that the US team had informed him that Witkoff and Kushner would visit Kyiv on September 6, a day after their talks in Moscow. Zelenskyy Calls For Pause In Air Strikes Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces would "ensure the normal functioning of Russia airspace so that the negotiators can arrive there safely" and demanded that Moscow reciprocate. "There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must also refrain from conducting air strikes for the time needed to hold these negotiations." Putin's order for a halt to strikes on Kyiv from September 6-8 came the following day. Peskov made no mention of other parts of Ukraine when he told Russian media about the decision, which came amid reports that Russia continued its attacks elsewhere in Ukraine ahead of the planned pause. Zelenskyy said on September 5 that Russian forces had targeted Kyiv's Zhulyany and Boryspil airports, accusing Moscow of seeking to create uncertainty over the US envoys' planned journey to Ukraine. "Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine," Zelenskyy said on X , adding there would be "no threats to diplomacy" from the Ukrainian side. How Much Can Ukraine Disrupt Civilian Flights In Russia? Flying into Kyiv would be highly unusual. Ukrainian airspace has been closed to regular civilian flights since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, and visiting foreign leaders and officials have generally reached the capital by train. The visit would come just days after a Russian drone strike hit the headquarters of Ukraine's domestic security service -- known as the SBU and a key agency that would be responsible for the US envoys' safety during a visit. Despite Zelenskyy's call for a mutual pause ahead of a fresh round of diplomacy, Russia continued to target places across Ukraine on September 5, killing five people and wounding five at an industrial facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional authorities. Two people were also wounded in the Kyiv region and two others in the southern Mykolayiv region, according to reports. The Ukrainian military said that, in its overnight strikes, Moscow used Iskander-M ballistic missiles and at least 167 drones, around half of which were jet-powered. Russia's Jet-Powered Drones: A Major New Threat To Ukraine Amid Speeding Arms Race New Diplomatic Push The US envoys' visit to Kyiv would mark their first visit to Ukraine since taking leading roles in the administration's efforts to end the war and come amid a renewed diplomatic push aimed at reaching a peace agreement. Trump made ending the largest war in Europe since 1945 a priority when he took office in January 2025, but an agreement has been elusive and diplomacy had been largely stalled since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran in late February. Despite the renewed diplomacy, fundamental differences between Moscow and Kyiv remain. The Kremlin said on September 4 that Putin's position that Ukraine should cede the entirety of the four mainland regions claimed by Russia -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson -- and abandon its ambition to join NATO remained "unshakeable." Kyiv has voiced willingness to hold talks with the front lines frozen in place, but has repeatedly rejected giving up its territory to Russia and has insisted on security guarantees as part of any peace settlement. Ratcliffe's Moscow Warning: What We Know A Week Later, According To Ex-CIA Officers CIA Director John Ratcliffe on August 25 met with the heads of the Russian intelligence and security services in Moscow. The US spy agency did not disclose the full agenda, but the Kremlin said Ratcliffe did not meet with Putin. Analysts say Washington's broader approach to the conflict remains difficult to discern. Heather Conley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and a former senior State Department official, said "it's not clear if the US is willing to place pressure, more pressure on Russia," citing confusion over a Russian sanctions bill currently on an uncertain course in the US Congress and uncertainty over potential licensing of the production of Patriot missiles to Ukraine. "There's just a lack of clarity right now on on how the US is planning to proceed," she added. With reporting by RFE/RL senior Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Reuters, AFP, and dpa