A man walks past damage and fire from Russian strikes on Ukraine

UPDATE 1413 GMT:

The Trump Administration is excluding several countries, including the UK, France, and the Baltic nations, from a gathering of NATO members next month.

“We’re doing everything that is being asked of us,” said an official from an excluded country. “We’re trying to understand what the criteria is and what the purpose of these meetings are. Not much has been passed on to us yet.”

UPDATE 1406 GMT:

The European Commission and Kyiv have said in a joint statement, “Today through coordinated joint efforts, we have identified the means to cover Ukraine’s budget and defence needs for 2026. We have also reconfirmed the steps needed to ensure their timely release.”

UPDATE 1400 GMT:

Analysts estimate that Ukrainian forces liberated 172 square km (66 square miles) of territory in the northern Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

Overall, Ukraine made a net territorial gain of 80 square km in September.

UPDATE 1046 GMT:

The UK has adopted 31 new measures sanctioning Russia’s LNG shadow fleet vessels, disinformation networks, and perpetrators of civilian torture and child indoctrination.

The listings include eight people involved in the arbitrary detention, torture and ill treatment of Ukrainian civilians. Seven are targeted “for their role in the indoctrination and militarization of Ukrainian children”.

UPDATE 1040 GMT:

Russia has summoned Hungary’s top diplomat in the country, telling him that “a group of employees” of the Hungarian Embassy and of consulates in St. Petersburg and Kazan must leave within two weeks.

Budapest had expelled 10 Russian diplomats, in the words of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, over “activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats”. He assured, “We will defend our country’s sovereignty.”

In May, Magyar replaced Vladimir Putin’s long-time ally Viktor Orban after Parliamentary elections.

UPDATE 1037 GMT:

Metro and public transport services in Kyiv across the Dnipro River have been suspended after two Russian drones hit the support structure of the Pivdennyi Bridge.

Specialists are inspecting the condition of the bridge.

UPDATE 0932 GMT:

Russian attacks on Kyiv this morning include a strike on a school.

There were no casualties, as children and teachers were in a shelter during the air raid alert. Fire broke out on the school’s third floor. A wall was destroyed, and windows and doors damaged.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky commented:

Russian scumbags continue attacking life across our country, Ukrainian children, and our schools. Russia must be held fully accountable for this and receive a response to its strikes. We are counting on additional pressure from our partners on Russia and additional support packages for Ukraine.

UPDATE 0926 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a strike on an oil refinery in the Samara region, around 860 km (534 miles) southeast of Moscow.

Zelensky also said a drone launch and storage site in the Oryol region, a supply depot in the Bryansk region, and a target in the Black Sea were hit.

UPDATE 0632 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 87 of 107 drones fired by Russia overnight. Strikes were recorded at 11 locations.

UPDATE 0623 GMT:

Russian exports to Turkey, Moscow’s 3rd-largest trade partner, have fallen by almost 41% amid Ukraine’s de facto blockade of ports in southwest Russia.

The exports declined from $3.23 billion to $1.93 billion, their lowest level since 2022. There were reductions or complete cutoffs of coal, ferrous metals, copper, motor fuel, and grain.

Some trade with Turkey has shifted to long and expensive overland routes through the Caucasus or to ports in northwest Russia.

Ukraine damaged or destroyed more than 200 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea this summer.

Russia has blockaded Ukraine’s Black Sea ports in the Odesa region with strikes on shipping, including foreign-flagged vessels.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: As expected, Russia has launched its winter campaign to break Ukraine’s civilian resistance and energy infrastructure, attacking Kyiv throughout Thursday.

Four civilians were murdered, including a child, and eight injured in and near the capital. Three others were slain across the country.

State power grid operator Ukrenergo said it imposed emergency power cuts, the first since the spring, in Kyiv and three surrounding regions. Ukraine’s biggest private energy firm, DTEK, said they restored energy to 8,000 customers on Kyiv’s left bank.

“Since the summer, there has been practically no day when the enemy has not attacked energy infrastructure. But such a massive and combined attack has occurred for the first time since the end of the last heating season,” Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky again appealed to partners for help with air defenses:

Every interceptor missile truly saves lives. And the closer we get to winter, the more of this protection we need. We must do everything to ensure that Russia’s bet on ballistic missile and drone terror does not pay off.

Ukraine War, Day 1,680: Russia Attacks Kyiv’s Energy Infrastructure