Ukraine experienced a calmer night on September 13, 2025, compared to recent days, though Russian forces still carried out limited strikes with drones and guided bombs.
Russian Strikes Continue, But at Lower Intensity
Ukraine’s Air Force reported:
- 164 drones launched, including Shahed and Geran models.
- 137 intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.
- 27 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile hit nine locations across the country.
Strikes targeted the Kherson, Mykolayiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy regions, but there were no large-scale missile barrages like in previous weeks.
The heaviest ground clashes were reported on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk, with 49 engagements in the past 24 hours.
Zelenskyy Jokes About US Envoy’s “Protection”
During the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv on September 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joked that visiting U.S. Special Representative Keith Kellogg acted “like a Patriot system,” noting large-scale strikes on Kyiv often paused when Kellogg was present.
Zelenskyy quipped that Kellogg should be offered Ukrainian citizenship if he could persuade Russia to halt its strikes.
Fighting in the North and East
Despite ongoing shelling:
- Ukrainian troops repelled Russian advances near Sumy, as well as in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
- Regional officials confirmed a September 12 attack near Sumy killed three and injured five.
- Zelenskyy said Russian forces in the area had suffered heavy losses and “lost their offensive capability.”
