Russia’s fourth-largest city, a regional hub and a flashpoint in the Ukraine war
Since July 18 Ukraine has struck multiple Wildberries warehouses across Russia, causing fires, deaths and major stock losses. The campaign has put at least 1.5 million sq m of warehouse space out of operation, forced evacuations and pushed merchants toward bankruptcy. Wildberries and Russia are discussing compensation and possible state support.
Ukrainian drone attacks have struck multiple Wildberries warehouses and nearby energy and port facilities across Russia's Volga and southern regions over recent weeks, causing fires, evacuations and injuries. Russian authorities say they have intercepted hundreds of drones; Wildberries says some logistics centres have halted operations but denies assisting the military.
Drones and glide bombs have intensified attacks across Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian drones continue targeting deep inside Russia, while Russia strikes Ukrainian ports and civilian infrastructure, causing casualties and property damage. Both sides report strikes on multiple fronts, with no independently verifiable casualty figures.
Vladimir Tkachuk, founder and CEO of Uraldronzavod, has been hospitalised in grave condition following an explosion in Bolshoy Istok, near Yekaterinburg. The Upyr drone is cited as central to recent sanctions and war efforts. Authorities have opened a murder investigation as details remain unclear.
Long-range Ukrainian drones have hit multiple Wildberries logistics hubs across Russia, including a warehouse in Yekaterinburg that has burned. Russian officials say hundreds of drones have been intercepted during recent waves of attacks. Kyiv is using the strikes to disrupt Russian logistics and economic capacity while Russia reports civilian casualties from reciprocal strikes in Ukraine.
European defence budgets are rising as leaders consider a Europe-led NATO amid growing concerns over Russia. The shift could see the US provide less conventional support, prompting plans for a more autonomous European security framework while core allies vow unity in the face of potential Russian aggression.
Ukraine has intensified strikes on Wildberries logistics hubs inside Russia, destroying warehouses and disrupting the online retailer’s distribution network. Reuters and other outlets report fires and significant material losses as Kyiv presses the campaign to pressure Moscow’s war economy, with the latest attacks following a string of recent incidents.
A Russian military officer has been killed and his wife injured when their car exploded in the Pushkinsky suburb of St. Petersburg. Investigators have opened a criminal probe; Kyiv has denied involvement in the attack, while Moscow has blamed Ukraine for previous assassinations. The incident follows a series of high-profile blasts targeting Russian military figures.
Russia has held a three-day parliamentary election from Sept. 18–20 that is set to return a United Russia-dominated State Duma. Most anti-war candidates were barred, the liberal Yabloko party was disqualified from the nationwide list, voting is being held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and Moscow reported large drone attacks and a sustained cyberattack on electronic voting in the capital.
As Russia's campaign against Ukraine escalates, Ukrainian authorities report multi-city strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. Kyiv and other regions face ongoing air raids, with civilian casualties and disruptions to daily life. Ukraine says jet-powered drones are now part of Russia's upgraded arsenal, forcing a rapid evolution of interceptors and defenses.
Russia has announced the closure of Goethe-Institut centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, following Germany’s decision to shut a Russian cultural center in Berlin after a drone incident near Leipzig/Halle. Moscow says Berlin’s move ends their shared cultural presence and escalates tensions as the EU considers further sanctions.
The Federal Security Service has detained a 21-year-old Moldovan national linked to an assassination attempt on a Russian Defense Ministry officer in Engels, Saratov region. Authorities say the suspect was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence and offered $70,000. The case follows a string of attacks tied to the Ukraine conflict. The victim is hospitalized; officials have not named him.
A study traces Scotland’s cultural and social shifts from the mid-1960s to the 1966 general election, highlighting changes in family planning, rebirth of media, housing redevelopment in Glasgow, and youth culture shaped by The Beatles and Dylan.