The upcoming"Zapad" exercise is causing new tensions: Poland is responding by closing its border. Russia wants to simulate the occupation of the so-called Suwalki Gap, according to Warsaw. More in the live ticker.
Efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue. After a devastating Russian attack, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for tougher sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, Eastern European states are preparing for a major Russian military exercise.
All events related to the Ukraine war in the live ticker:
6:58 PM – Poland closes border with Belarus due to military exercises with Russia
In light of a joint military exercise by the Russian and Belarusian armed forces, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the closure of the border with neighboring Belarus."For reasons of national security, we will close the border with Belarus, including the railway crossings, at midnight on Thursday in connection with the Zapad exercises," Tusk told reporters on Tuesday. The Zapad-2025 military exercise will take place from Friday to next Tuesday.
According to the Polish Prime Minister, the"Zapad" maneuvers are intended to simulate the occupation of the so-called Suwalki Gap. The area on the Polish-Lithuanian border borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the north and Belarus to the south. There are fears that Russia and its ally Belarus could occupy the 65-kilometer-wide strip of land if the war in Ukraine escalates, thus cutting off the Baltic states' overland supply routes.
18:15 – Selenskyj: Need more air defense and tougher sanctions
Following a Russian airstrike on the village of Yarova in the Donetsk region that resulted in numerous casualties, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more air defense systems."There must be faster decisions on deliveries, especially regarding Patriot systems," the head of state said in his evening message broadcast via video. In particular, the Ramstein meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group, which is taking place concurrently in London, must deliver concrete results on air defense, Zelenskyy said. To this end, he expects increased financial support from NATO states for the purchase of US weapons.
At the same time, the Ukrainian head of state hopes for stronger sanctions against Russia. Time is of the essence."For too long, there has been no increase in pressure on Russia," Zelenskyy said. A tangible impact must be exerted on the Russian war machine."Delayed effects on the economy don't work," the president said. The constant new Russian strikes prove this. Without new sanctions, there can be no progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war.
16:52 – “That’s what happens” – AfD leader blames Ukraine for Russian attacks
AfD leader Tino Chrupalla has blamed Ukraine for the significantly increased Russian attacks on Kyiv since the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For example, Ukraine bombed the Druzhba pipeline leading to Hungary and Slovakia."Well, that's what happens," Chrupalla told journalists before a meeting of the AfD parliamentary group in Berlin. Unfortunately, the war continues to escalate. This is to be condemned. He accused the EU of furthering the escalation with arms deliveries.
Chrupalla was asked how disappointed he was with Putin that nothing had progressed after the meeting with Trump a good three weeks ago, and that Russia was bombing the Ukrainian capital Kyiv more heavily than before. He replied that one doesn't know whether anything has progressed. It was right and important that this dialogue was taking place at all.
16:02 – Decision on extradition of Ukrainian postponed
Three years after the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the decision on the extradition of a suspect from Italy to Germany has been postponed. An appeals court in Bologna has not yet reached a decision after hours of deliberations, as the Ukrainian's defense attorney told the dpa news agency. This means that the 49-year-old will remain in custody for the time being.
2:28 p.m. – Lithuania strengthens border protection with Belarus and Russia
Lithuania is responding to the Russian military exercise"Zapad." The Baltic country's border guard announced that it will strengthen its security measures against Belarus and Russia.
1:08 p.m. – More than 20 dead – Selensky condemns “brutal airstrike” on pensioners in eastern Ukraine
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, more than 20 people were killed in a Russian airstrike on a village in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk on Tuesday."Brutal Russian airstrike on the rural settlement of Yarova in the Donetsk region. Directly on the people. Ordinary civilians," Zelenskyy declared online. He also posted a video showing bodies lying on the ground.
A glide bomb hit the village as residents were receiving their pensions, Zelenskyy further stated. According to the governor of the eastern Ukrainian region, Vadym Filashkin, 21 people were killed and another 21 injured in the attacks."This is not a military operation, but pure terrorism," Filashkin criticized. Rescue workers, doctors, police, and local authorities are on site.
12:05 p.m. – Finnish Foreign Minister against “compromise peace” in Ukraine
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen is strongly opposed to a"compromise peace" for Ukraine that entails territorial cessions to Russia."A waiver of the right to the inviolability of borders would mean that in 2025 we would rewind our reality to the time of the Second World War" – the time before the 1945 UN Charter, Valtonen warned at the Economic Day of the Ambassadors' Conference at the Federal Foreign Office.
"This would have colossal, cruel consequences for the entire world: It would not be the jointly agreed set of rules that would govern the coexistence of nations, but the ruthlessness of the strongest," said Valtonen, adding:"In the short and long term, this would be anything but peace."
Russia is not prepared for a ceasefire or even for negotiations."If we were to sacrifice parts of Ukrainian territory or its sovereignty in negotiations, we would not have solved the fundamental problem," the Finnish woman said."The Putin problem will not be solved at Ukraine's expense."
10:53 a.m. – Russian chief propagandist Simonyan makes illness public
Russian television journalist Margarita Simonyan, one of Moscow's most influential propagandists, says she is seriously ill. She recently reported on the X portal that she had undergone surgery. On Sunday, during a television appearance, she first spoke of a"serious, terrible illness." She said she wasn't sure if she would ever appear on TV again.
Simonyan is editor-in-chief of the state-run media group Rossiya Sevodnya (Russia Today/RT), which is specifically designed to disseminate Russian views at home and abroad. She sees the channel as a political weapon. The European Union placed Simonyan on the 2022 sanctions list because of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
06:06 – Ukraine faces air defense shortages due to slower US deliveries, according to report
According to a newspaper report, Ukraine is facing shortages of air defense weapons. The reason for this is stalled deliveries from the US following a review of military aid by the US Department of Defense, the Financial Times reported. The newspaper cited Western and Ukrainian government officials.
The shortage comes at a time when Russia is intensifying its air strikes against the country. Just on Sunday, Russia launched the largest air strike on Ukraine since the war began about three and a half years ago, using more than 800 drones and 13 missiles, according to Ukrainian sources.
04:26 – USA ready for further punitive measures against Russia
The US is threatening new sanctions against Russia. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on Platform X that all options are on the table as part of US President Donald Trump's strategy to support peace negotiations."We are prepared to take strong measures against Russia, but our European partners must fully support us for this to be successful," Bessent said after a meeting with EU sanctions chief David O'Sullivan. According to the EU Commission, O'Sullivan is currently consulting with a team of experts in Washington about further sanctions against Russia.
03:10 – Berlin and Paris propose new sanctions against Russia
Germany, together with France, is advocating for new EU sanctions against Russia. According to a position paper sent to other EU member states, Berlin and Paris are advocating, among other things, even more decisive action against the Russian energy sector. The text, obtained by the German Press Agency, states that this sector is the most important source of funding for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's war budget.
Among other things, it advocates targeting other oil companies such as Lukoil and service companies in the oil industry. These could also include actors responsible for exporting Russian oil to the EU or companies that trade in Russian oil. It is also conceivable to extend the price cap mechanism for Russian oil to European companies that transport refined products from Russian crude oil between third countries.
In addition, Berlin and Paris are seeking to close the financial and logistical loopholes Russia has used to circumvent existing sanctions. The Franco-German position is intended as a contribution to the ongoing planning process for the 19th package of EU-Russia sanctions.
Monday, September 8:
10:49 PM – Rheinmetall supplies Ukraine with drone defense system
The defense company Rheinmetall plans to supply Ukraine with its new Skyranger air defense system for drone defense. A corresponding contract will be signed on Wednesday at the DSEI defense trade fair in London, CEO Armin Papperger told the ZDF magazine"Wiso." "The first deliveries will be made this year." According to the magazine, the deal is worth hundreds of millions.
Skyranger is a mobile air defense system that can be mounted on vehicles."Each of these systems can cover an area of four by four kilometers, ensuring complete drone-free operation," Papperger explained. This means that Ukraine will receive the Skyranger ahead of the Bundeswehr. Germany has also awarded the Düsseldorf-based defense company a major contract worth €595 million to supply a prototype and 18 additional production vehicles.
10:46 PM – Kyiv: Russia used Iskander missile in attack on government headquarters
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia used a ballistic missile in Sunday's attack on the Kyiv government headquarters."For the first time, the enemy has attacked the seat of the Ukrainian government – an attack with an Iskander ballistic missile," Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Monday in the online service X. He said he had discussed the attack and tightening sanctions against Russia in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
21:37 – Estonia reports violation of its airspace by Russian helicopters
Estonia, a Baltic EU and NATO member, has again reported a violation of its airspace by Russia. An MI-8 helicopter illegally entered its airspace near the Baltic Sea island of Vaindloo for approximately four minutes on Sunday afternoon, the army in Tallinn reported.
According to a statement, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Russian Embassy regarding the incident and submitted a note of protest. According to the statement, this was the third airspace violation by Russia this year.
