Day: October 4, 2026

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that foreign nationals and diplomats who stay in Kyiv are exposing themselves to mortal danger. Responsibility, the ministry wrote, lies with those who ignore the warning. At the same time Moscow pledged continued strikes on military targets in the capital and other cities, framed as a response to Ukrainian attacks.

Hours earlier a drone hit the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded and the road surface and trolleybus wires were damaged. Traffic was restricted.

It is a repeat. A similar warning was issued in May. Heads of government from countries backing Ukraine have travelled to Kyiv since. A warning from the side doing the striking is not an evacuation order. It is a message: we intend to continue.

Merz will announce a package of measures that includes the release €1 billion (around $1.12 billion) in military aid and €350 million (around $393.78 million) for repairs in the energy sector, according to German government officials.

The visit is also expected to finalise a deal for joint production of various kinds of drones.

Merz said Ukraine would continue to have Germany’s support, warning that if Russia is not stopped, its war machine could eventually turn against Europe. He is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the visit.
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The officer put him in his place in the nicest way she could have.

Writer: Mhedi
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At the Valdai Club on October 1, Putin claimed Russian forces captured 1,301 km² during September.

The Institute for the Study of War’s geolocated assessment paints a very different picture:
• Russia gained 175.54 km²
• Ukraine liberated 256.35 km²
• Net result: Russia -80.81 km²
ISW argues the gap is so large that it raises a bigger question: Is the Kremlin knowingly inflating the numbers, or is the leadership receiving reports filtered through a system where bad news rarely travels upward?

Since March, Russian territorial gains have reportedly slowed and at times reversed. Ukraine is assessed to have regained a net 293.59 km² between March and September, much of it during Operation Vivaldi.

Biletskyi claimed 176 km² were liberated in that operation. Zelenskyy said more than 5,000 Russian troops were killed or wounded, with 250 captured.

The difference between +1,301 km² and -81 km² is not a rounding error.

It’s the distance between propaganda and the battlefield.

It is possible that Russia is using the Iranian systems because they are cheaper, or because of shortages of similar air-defense systems in Russia.

Misagh-2 uses a passive infrared seeker and is designed as a fire-and-forget weapon. Once launched, the missile can track the target’s infrared signature without further guidance from the operator, allowing the operators to quickly leave their position.