⚡️🇺🇦🇷🇺 — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately asserted that Ukrainian intelligence had obtained what he described as evidence, including intercepted communications involving Kremlin officials, that Putin ordered Russian commanders in September to abandon previous constraints on aerial operations and intensify strikes on civilian sites. Kyiv has not released the intercepts, and their contents could not be independently verified. — FT

Zelenskyy said the alleged instruction came as Russia increasingly struck schools, hospitals, telecommunications facilities and data centres, and alleged that Moscow had expanded its target list after failing to achieve battlefield objectives, particularly in Donbas, with the aim «to pressure people», frighten civilians, drive residents from Ukrainian cities and weaken Ukraine’s capacity to resist.

➡️ Zelenskyy said Russia launched around 500 drones over the previous day, about half of them jet-powered, with Ukraine intercepting roughly 57% of the jet-powered models versus 85–90% of conventional Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian Air Force figures cited in the report showed an eightfold increase in Russian use of jet-powered drones between June and August; their higher speed gives defenders less time to detect and intercept them and can require Ukraine to use comparatively expensive aircraft and missiles. Zelenskyy said F-16s had proved effective against the new drones, but around half of Ukraine’s F-16 fleet was spending extended periods abroad for maintenance and repairs, prompting Kyiv to seek Western assistance to move more maintenance work into Ukraine.

Ukraine is also testing five high-speed interceptor-drone models; Zelenskyy said one could enter production at approximately 400 units by the end of October, while four remained in testing, with suitable-engine shortages and insufficient financing cited as the main obstacles to mass production. He also criticized the US and European governments for insufficient economic and diplomatic pressure on Putin, saying: «Not enough, of course not enough.»

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