Ukraine and Russia Trade Strikes as Winter Nears

In September 2026, as winter approaches, Ukraine and Russia continued exchanging attacks. Russian strikes hit data centers and a shopping center in Ukraine, killing at least four people, while Ukrainian drone attacks set fires at Russian oil refineries and Ozon hubs. The EU approved a €6.1 billion defense package for Ukraine, and the IEA reported that Ukrainian strikes have degraded Russia's oil-refining industry. British intelligence estimated that half a million Russians have been killed in the war.