Russia-Ukraine war: Key developments over the past week
Between 15 and 22 September 2025, the Russia–Ukraine war entered a week of heightened escalation, News.Az reports.
Russian missile and drone barrages struck multiple Ukrainian cities, Ukraine retaliated with deep strikes on Russian oil facilities, and European states voiced alarm over airspace violations. The seven days saw both military and diplomatic fronts intensify, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire.
15 September
Russian forces shelled residential areas in Kherson, killing two people, including a 49-year-old woman pulled from the rubble of her home. In Zaporizhzhia, rocket attacks set private houses ablaze, leaving two dead and nine injured. Ukraine reported localized advances in Sumy and said Russian troops suffered heavy losses in Donetsk and Kharkiv. Kyiv also regained control of the village of Filia in Dnipropetrovsk. Air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile and 164 drones of varying types within a 24-hour period. Across the border, explosions rocked Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery in the Leningrad region, which Moscow blamed on falling drone debris after intercepting three Ukrainian UAVs.
16–18 September
The mid-week period was marked by both humanitarian developments and intensified strikes. On 16 September, Russian rockets again hit Zaporizhzhia, damaging apartment blocks and critical infrastructure. On 18 September, Ukraine announced the return of more than 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers in an exchange with Russia, describing it as one of the largest since the full-scale war began. Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence sabotaged Russian railways, killing National Guard officers and destroying fuel tankers used for supply lines in Kharkiv and Sumy. Drone attacks struck a chemical plant in Perm and again targeted the Kirishi refinery, highlighting Kyiv’s strategy of hitting deep into Russian territory. International watchdogs reported that cluster munitions have caused more than 1,200 civilian casualties in Ukraine since February 2022, with Russia identified as the primary user.
19 September
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced progress in talks with the United States and European partners on establishing legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine. He described the discussions as a “breakthrough” ahead of the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukrainian officials also underlined that drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure would continue, aimed at disrupting Moscow’s military fuel supplies.
20 September
This day marked the week’s most dramatic escalation. Russia launched nearly 580 Shahed-type drones and 40 missiles across nine Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 552 drones and 31 missiles, but several penetrated, killing at least three civilians, injuring dozens, and damaging homes and energy facilities. In retaliation, Ukrainian drones struck the Saratov and Samara oil refineries, igniting large fires. The scale of the attack alarmed neighboring states; Poland scrambled jets as Russian missiles and drones flew dangerously close to its borders.
21 September
Tensions spread across Europe as Germany scrambled Eurofighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea without transponders. In Moscow, the Kremlin confirmed the dismissal of Colonel General Alexander Lapin, a senior commander in the Ukraine campaign, who will transition to a civilian role overseeing veterans’ affairs. At the same time, reports emerged of continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy and fuel facilities, part of its sustained effort to cripple logistics behind the front.
22 September
The week closed with renewed international alarm. Estonia accused Russian MiG-31 fighters of violating its airspace over the Gulf of Finland and convened an emergency UN Security Council meeting — the first initiated by Tallinn since joining the UN. Ukraine carried out further drone strikes on the Saratov refinery and the Novokuibyshevsk facility in Samara, causing explosions and significant fires. Cross-border shelling killed two civilians in Russia’s Belgorod region and one in Ukraine’s Donetsk. President Zelenskyy declared that Russia had deployed over 1,500 drones, 1,280 guided bombs, and dozens of missiles in just seven days, urging Western allies to impose tougher sanctions and provide stronger security guarantees.
Over the course of the week, Russia expanded its bombardments while Ukraine struck deeper into Russian infrastructure, signaling that neither side is easing pressure. With European nations scrambling jets and convening emergency UN sessions, the war’s regional repercussions are becoming increasingly clear.
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