On Monday (September 22), Russia and Ukraine traded blame over lethal drone attacks on civilian areas, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky geared up for what he described as “a very intense week” of diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The UN Security Council is also expected to deliberate on the war, which has stretched into its fourth year.

 

Zelensky noted on Telegram that his schedule already included nearly two dozen meetings with world leaders from various regions. He also confirmed plans to meet U.S. President Donald Trump during the week to press for a peace initiative.

 

The Ukrainian leader has proposed both a ceasefire and a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though Moscow has voiced reservations about certain aspects of the plan.

 

Zelensky stresses strength for peace

 

In his remarks, Zelensky underscored the importance of unified global action against Russian aggression. “This week must strengthen the world’s determination for decisive steps — because without strength, peace will not prevail,” he said.

 

According to Zelensky, Russian forces launched more than 1,500 drones, 1,280 guided bombs, and 50 missiles of varying types at Ukraine in just the past week. He added that investigators had found over 132,000 foreign-made components in those weapons, sourced from dozens of countries. Kyiv continues to lobby for tighter sanctions to restrict Russia’s military supply chain.

 

Rising European concerns

 

The conflict has also raised alarms in neighboring countries. Reports suggest that Russian drones landed on Polish territory, while fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, prompting an urgent UN Security Council session.

 

Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna labeled the airspace violation a “dangerous escalation,” warning that Russia’s actions cannot be tolerated. Moscow, however, denied the claims, with Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy dismissing the criticism as an attempt to “blame Russia for everything.”

 

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics cautioned that Moscow was testing NATO’s readiness while attempting to draw Western attention away from Ukraine.

 

Civilian toll in Ukraine

 

The southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia faced heavy bombardment overnight when seven Russian aircraft targeted civilian areas, killing three people and injuring two others, according to regional chief Ivan Fedorov.

 

“These strikes had nothing to do with military sites,” Fedorov stressed, noting that residential buildings, shopping centers, parking lots, and vital infrastructure were hit. Ukrainian forces reported intercepting 132 out of 141 drones used in the attack.

 

Ukraine retaliates with drone strikes

 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone operations struck targets inside Russia. In Belgorod, three people were killed and 10 injured, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. In Crimea, local leader Sergei Aksyonov confirmed three deaths and 16 injuries in the town of Foros due to Ukrainian drone strikes.