Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky celebrates major ‘hit’ against Moscow after anti-drone weapon test success

Zelensky says new anti-drone weapon being testedVolodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had recorded some success as it tests a new weapon to intercept Russian drones.Ukraine’s military said its forces had downed 187 airborne targets overnight, with Ukraine’s president reporting 93 per cent of all Russian drones had been intercepted."That is significant. But, of course, more is needed," ⁠he said. "Another development is undergoing testing. “It's a Ukrainian development and it scored a hit, the 'shahed' was destroyed," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, ⁠referring to the Iranian-designed ​drones that ⁠Ukraine's military has faced."But some technical things still need to be ⁠refined. We need a bit more time. The ​work ⁠of other developers ‌is continuing."It comes as Vladimir Putin’s war continues to spread past Ukraine’s borders, with Denmark accusing Russia of firing flares “within metres” of a military helicopter.Defence minister Jeppe Bruus said no warning or radio contact was made before the warship fired the flares. Moscow accused Danish military helicopters of making “dangerous” manoeuvres near its warships in the Baltic Sea and handed an official note to Copenhagen on the incident, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, is reported to have said, according to RIA. Watch: Zelensky says new anti-drone weapon being testedZelensky says new anti-drone weapon being testedArpan Rai16 September 2026 05:35Russian strike sets fire to Kyiv warehouseA Russian strike caused a fire at a warehouse in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of this morning, city authorities said.Ukraine’s air force has issued dozens of alerts since midnight warning of the threat from jet-powered Russian drones, guided aerial bombs and missiles across the country on its Telegram channel.Arpan Rai16 September 2026 05:19Zelensky says new anti-drone weapon being testedUkraine has carried out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky said."Another development is undergoing testing. It's a Ukrainian development and it scored a hit, the 'shahed' was destroyed," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, ⁠referring to the Iranian-designed ​drones that ⁠Ukraine's military has faced."But some technical things still need to be refined. We need a bit more time. The work of other developers is continuing."Ukraine's military said on Facebook that its forces had downed 187 airborne targets overnight.In his remarks, Zelenskiy said 93 per cent of all Russian drones had been intercepted overnight. "That is significant. But, of course, more is needed," ⁠he said.(Reuters)Arpan Rai16 September 2026 04:42FBI ends Russian plot to kill US individuals and target Ukraine supportersRussia’s intelligence services are plotting to carry out targeted killings and acts of terrorism in the US and European nations that support Ukraine, federal authorities said as they announced charges against five people who remain at large.An indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court said a network of the intelligence services has paid and attempted to pay individuals in the United States and in other countries to surveil targets to be killed, with plans to then kill them.The associates recruited in the network also have been solicited to carry out acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries that are perceived to be aligned with Ukraine, the indictment said.The FBI disrupted the plans “through relentless work” as members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates "conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on US soil and around the world,” said James C Barnacle, Jr, head of New York's FBI office.Arpan Rai16 September 2026 04:17Hockey champion Ovechkin 'was asked by his country' to appear in political ad, Capitals sayRussian hockey champion Alexander Ovechkin was asked to participate in a video campaign for the United Russia political party, which is backed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, while in his native country this summer, the Washington Capitals said on Tuesday.The National Hockey League's all-time leading goal scorer can be seen standing behind Russian foreign ⁠minister Sergey Lavrov in a political campaign ad for the ruling United Russia party.The appearance has drawn criticism, with Ovechkin facing scrutiny over his longstanding ties to Putin as Russia wages war in Ukraine."Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign," Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov said in a statement to Reuters.“As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, DC and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he ‌makes on the ice and in our city.”Arpan Rai16 September 2026 03:56Russia claims it warned foreign diplomats away from KyivRussia’s foreign ministry claims western politicians ignored warnings not to visit Ukraine.Western politicians and diplomats should “soberly” evaluate existing risks to visit Ukraine, the ministry said as it claimed that Russia warned foreign diplomats in May to leave Kyiv due to Moscow’s strikes on the country.Boris Johnson was on board a train near the Polish border on Sunday as he returned from a security conference in Kyiv when a Russian drone targeted a stationary passenger train directly behind his.A Kremlin spokesperson did not deny that Russia was responsible for the attack, saying its forces would continue to operate across Ukrainian territory.Jane Dalton16 September 2026 03:00Poland ramps up protection of Ukrainian bordersPoland is reinforcing its border crossings with Ukraine, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz says, after Russian drone attacks just miles from the Nato member's guard posts at the frontier over the weekend.A Russian drone hit a passenger train on Ukraine's border with Poland on Sunday while another hit a truck at a nearby petrol station.Border guards later said they had had to suspend crossings, evacuate vehicles and seek shelter."Recent days show that Russia's actions threaten the security of all of Europe. In accordance with our government's decision, the infrastructure used by the Border Guard is being strengthened," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote."Soldiers of the 18th Engineer Regiment are already carrying out tasks, thanks to which the checkpoints and infrastructure near the Polish-Ukrainian border will be reinforced."Jane Dalton16 September 2026 02:00UN could move aid supplied underground as Russia ramps up strikesThe UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine ​says his organisation is considering moving aid supplies underground to dodge Russian strikes, which have hit 10 of its warehouses ⁠this year, destroying millions of pounds’ worth of supplies.One of the World Health Organisation’s main warehouses containing medical supplies was hit earlier this month, and other strikes have ⁠destroyed hygiene kits and ​children's ⁠school supplies, said UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale."These deliberate attacks ⁠on warehousing capacities (...) is a new trend of ​the ⁠last few months," he ‌said.He said ‌the UN was considering moving supplies into ‌underground bunkers and were delaying purchases of aid supplies until the last minute to reduce exposure to strikes."This feels ⁠increasingly like the front line is moving into the air," he said. "That means extra cost also to the taxpayers, who at the end of the day pay for the goods that the UN and other humanitarians bring in," he said.Jane Dalton16 September 2026 01:00In pictures: A personal account of daily life in KyivJane Dalton15 September 2026 23:59Zelensky says new anti-drone weapon being testedPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday ​that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit ⁠overnight."Another development is undergoing testing. It's a Ukrainian development and it scored a hit, the 'shahed' was destroyed," Zelensky said in his nightly video address, ⁠referring to the Iranian-designed ​drones that ⁠Ukraine's military has faced."But some technical things still need to be ⁠refined. We need a bit more time. The ​work ⁠of other developers ‌is continuing."Ukraine's military said on Facebook that its forces had downed 187 airborne targets overnight.In ‌his remarks, Zelensky said 93 per cent ‌of all Russian drones had been intercepted overnight."That is significant. But, of course, more is needed," ⁠he said.Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has rapidly developed anti-drone technology and now offers its expertise to other countries, including some in the Middle East that have faced Iranian strikes.It has focused on developing ‌interceptors as an efficient and cheaper means ​of intercepting drones.Ukrainian forces have ‌had more difficulty downing ⁠Russian ballistic missiles and have asked Western ⁠allies to step up supplies of interceptors. Kyiv is ‌also pressing ​for the rapid development of ‌a European-designed air defence ​system, known as Freyja.Bryony Gooch15 September 2026 23:27