Russian attacks onj Kharkiv's districts killed 3, injured 31

On September 24, Russian forces launched an airstrike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, killing at least three people and injuring 31, according to local authorities. The attack involved guided aerial bombs targeting densely populated areas, with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirming that four city districts were hit. Residential buildings in the Kyivskyi and Saltivskyi districts suffered significant damage, with one high-rise building struck directly.

Russia reportedly used eight FAB-250 bombs and one FAB-500 bomb in the assault. Emergency services are actively conducting search and rescue operations, as people remain trapped under the rubble, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov. One of the buildings damaged in the Kyivskyi district had been nearly repaired following damage at the onset of the invasion, but was struck again before the heating season. Authorities are now attempting to account for the 82 residents of the most severely affected section of the building.

One of the Russian strikes also targeted a food industry facility, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported around 5:30 p.m. local time. Authorities later confirmed that a bakery plant was hit by a FAB-500 gliding aerial bomb, killing one person and injuring eight others.

The victims include a 17-year-old girl and an 87-year-old woman. Most of the injured are in moderate condition, but four remain in serious condition. As of 6 p.m., three people were undergoing surgery, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

In addition to the bakery strike, a fire broke out at a recreation center in the Kyivskyi district. In the Saltivskyi district, the bombing damaged a sports ground, a kindergarten, apartment windows, and a supermarket, as reported by the National Police.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, attending the U.N. General Assembly's High-Level Week in New York, condemned the attack on Kharkiv and urged international allies to "stop the terror."

"At the U.N. General Assembly, there is much talk about collective efforts for security and the future. But we just need to stop the terror. To secure safety. To secure a future. Russia must stop this criminal and unprovoked aggression that violates all global norms," Zelensky said.

Kharkiv has endured continuous Russian strikes for more than two years, ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Russia surveilling Ukrainian nuclear facilities with Chinese satellites for possible future strikes - Zelensky

Russia is utilizing Chinese satellites to capture images of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, potentially planning future strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in an interview with ABC News aired on September 24. "Recent intelligence indicates that Russia has been using Chinese satellites to take detailed photos of nuclear sites," Zelensky said. "Based on our experience, when Russia photographs specific objects, there is a real threat of attacks on those nuclear facilities."

Zelensky did not specify whether the satellites in question were commercial or government-controlled. His comments follow warnings from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who, on September 21, cautioned that Russia's potential targets include open distribution devices at nuclear power plants and transmission substations, which are crucial for the safe operation of Ukraine's nuclear energy system.

Ukraine's special services have alerted international partners and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about this looming threat. Ukraine has three operational nuclear power plants under its control—Rivne and Khmelnytskyi in the west and Pivdennoukrainsk in the south. Russian attacks, by cutting off power, continually endanger their safety.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022. Since then, it has been disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid multiple times due to ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure. On September 15, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported that Russian forces were using the plant’s grounds to station military personnel and store ammunition and explosives.

Temporary occupation of Ukrainian territory most likely outcome of Russia's full-scale invasion - Czech president

Czech President Petr Pavel stated that the "temporary" occupation of some Ukrainian territories by Russia is the most likely outcome of Moscow's full-scale invasion, according to an interview published on September 23 by The New York Times. Pavel suggested that neither Ukraine nor Russia should expect to achieve a complete victory.

“To talk about a defeat of Ukraine or a defeat of Russia, it will simply not happen. So the end will be somewhere in between,” he said.

As of late August, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia controls approximately 27% of Ukraine. Russian forces occupy parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, despite Moscow claiming to have annexed these regions entirely, including the Crimean peninsula. However, Russia has not seized control of the regional capitals Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the illegal annexation of these four regions and later, in June, called for Ukrainian forces to withdraw as a condition for peace negotiations—a proposal that Ukraine firmly rejected.