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Zelensky Says Ukraine Intercepted 60% of Russian Ballistic Missiles
Confirmed
In Short: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine's defenses intercepted 60% of Russian ballistic missiles, but the country is running low on interceptors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine's defenses intercepted 60% of Russian ballistic missiles, but the country is running low on interceptors.
Zelenskyy noted that Russian strikes launched against Ukraine overnight included 27 ballistic missiles, with only one intercepted due to a lack of Patriot system interceptors.
The Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv was damaged during a Russian attack, with two missiles landing nearby, breaking windows and scattering debris in the yard.
Russian forces took control of two more villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions, according to Interfax news agency, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
In retaliation, Ukraine struck three Russian oil refineries in the Bashkortostan region, nearly 1,600km from the border, and sank a sanctioned Russian container ship, Yanina, in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine's targets are facilities that sustain the war effort, and the country is intensifying its attacks on Russian territory, mainly targeting oil depots.
With the Russia-Ukraine war entering its fifth year, fighting rages along about 1,200km of front line, but Russian advances have slowed by more than half this year.
Ukraine has been launching strikes inside Russia, hitting oil facilities, logistics sites, and weapons production, while Russia has pounded Kyiv with heavy ballistic missile and drone attacks, killing nine people and wounding 33 others.
Ukrainian officials said the attack involved ballistic and cruise missiles, and the We Are Ukraine television channel's building was among the targets in Kyiv.
The Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions were also targeted, and Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing at least 384 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, including the capital region of Moscow.
Monday night's attacks followed a weekend of calm in Kyiv, as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a suspension of strikes on the Ukrainian capital to coincide with the visit of President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
What this adds
The Iran-backed Houthis say they targeted Saudi Arabia's capital with missiles, but Saudi defenses intercepted them.
Zelenskyy has pressed allies for more support and is negotiating with the United States for a license to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
Kremlin officials said the visit was productive, though Putin gave no indication that he would ease his demands for Ukrainian concessions, including Ukraine's withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region and its permanent exclusion from NATO.
Background
The Iran-backed Houthis say they targeted Saudi Arabia's capital with missiles, but Saudi defenses intercepted them.
What's confirmed
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine's defenses intercepted 60% of Russian ballistic missiles, but the country is running low on interceptors.
- Zelenskyy noted that Russian strikes launched against Ukraine overnight included 27 ballistic missiles, with only one intercepted due to a lack of Patriot system interceptors.
- The Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv was damaged during a Russian attack, with two missiles landing nearby, breaking windows and scattering debris in the yard.
- Russian forces took control of two more villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions, according to Interfax news agency, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
- In retaliation, Ukraine struck three Russian oil refineries in the Bashkortostan region, nearly 1,600km from the border, and sank a sanctioned Russian container ship, Yanina, in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
- Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine's targets are facilities that sustain the war effort, and the country is intensifying its attacks on Russian territory, mainly targeting oil depots.
- With the Russia-Ukraine war entering its fifth year, fighting rages along about 1,200km of front line, but Russian advances have slowed by more than half this year.
- Ukraine has been launching strikes inside Russia, hitting oil facilities, logistics sites, and weapons production, while Russia has pounded Kyiv with heavy ballistic missile and drone attacks, killing nine people and wounding 33 others.
- Ukrainian officials said the attack involved ballistic and cruise missiles, and the We Are Ukraine television channel's building was among the targets in Kyiv.
- The Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions were also targeted, and Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing at least 384 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, including the capital region of Moscow.
- Monday night's attacks followed a weekend of calm in Kyiv, as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a suspension of strikes on the Ukrainian capital to coincide with the visit of President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
What's still developing
- Saudi-led coalition forces reported that they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, and thwarted attempts to target other civilian areas in the kingdom.
- South Korea reported North Korea launched several missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast, a day after joint maritime drills with the US and Japan.
- Sunday, September 20, 2026 · 7:15 AM ET In Short: The Iran-backed Houthis say they targeted Saudi Arabia's capital with missiles, but Saudi defenses intercepted them.
- Zelenskyy has pressed allies for more support, and has been negotiating with the United States for a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
- The day prior, they met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the Trump administration attempts to bring an end to the war that began in February 2022.
- Witkoff said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to a three-day ceasefire before their visit to the region following months without significant progress toward a peace agreement.
- On Tuesday morning, the governor of the Russian city of Saratov said a Ukrainian drone struck civilian infrastructure and injured some people.
- "Despite the very good results against cruise missiles, it remains particularly challenging to intercept ballistic missiles, and we are constantly emphasizing this need to our partners," he wrote.
- Kremlin officials also said that the visit was productive, though Putin afterward gave no indication that he would ease his demands for a swathe of Ukrainian concessions, among them Ukraine's withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region, limits on its armed forces and its permanent exclusion from NATO.
- During a press briefing in Kyiv on Sunday, Kushner said the U.S. team was pushing for a return to a trilateral U.S.-Ukrainian-Russian negotiating track.