Victory Chronicles-DAY 1308

Russian warplanes dropped six high-explosive bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight on Sept. 23, killing a civilian man and setting fires in residential and industrial areas, local officials said.

Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, said rescue workers pulled the victim’s body from the rubble of a destroyed house, while another person still might be trapped beneath the debris. 

The blasts ignited fires in single-family homes and at nearby factories. “For the second night in a row, the enemy has massively attacked Zaporizhzhia, hitting civilian infrastructure and people’s homes,” Fedorov said.

The assault followed a wave of strikes less than 24 hours earlier, when Russian aircraft dropped 10 guided bombs on the city, killing three people and injuring four.

Zaporizhzhia, a major industrial hub of more than 700,000 people about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the front line, has endured repeated bombardments throughout the ongoing war.

Ukrainian drone startup secures $1 million in seed money to boost battlefield autonomy. Ukrainian startup NORDA Dynamics has raised $1 million to advance its autonomous drone control systems, the company announced on Sept. 23.

This investment round was led by Swedish firm Varangians, with contributions from Ukrainian fund Angel One, U.S.-Ukrainian MITS Capital, United Angels Network, and Unpopular VC. The cash injection will be used to expand production, blossom the team, and move ahead with new solutions that are designed to make drones more independent in combat.

Overnight strike on Odesa kills civilian woman, damages hotel and post office. A Russian attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight on Sept. 23 killed a woman and injured three others civilians, local officials said.

The strike set fire to five small market stalls before firefighters contained the flames. Nearby buildings were also hit, including a hotel, a post office, a telecommunications office, a cultural center and a local government service building. Several vehicles were damaged. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said six firefighters with two trucks responded to the scene.

Ukrainian intelligence forces hammer Russian positions on Lyman and Zaporizhzhia fronts. Ukraine’s  Defense Intelligence (HUR) released footage showing a week of precision strikes that crippled Russian troops and equipment on two of the most fiercely contested battlefronts: Lyman in the east and Zaporizhzhia in the south.

The operations, carried out by special forces units, destroyed Russian armored vehicles, air defense systems, supply routes and fortified shelters, while also targeting enemy drones.

Those strikes underscore both Ukraine’s growing ability to disrupt Russia’s battlefield logistics and the relentless toll of the war as it grinds through key strategic regions. 

Key Takeaways

1. Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin announced on Sept. 22 that Russia will adhere to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) for one year following its expiration in February 2026 and used threats to urge the United States to do the same.
2. Putin blamed the West for undermining Russian-US arms cooperation and violating bilateral arms agreements — ignoring how Russia has violated numerous multilateral and bilateral treaties in the past decades.
3. Putin is attempting to pressure the Trump administration to engage in arms control talks to facilitate US-Russian rapprochement and extract concessions from the United States about the war in Ukraine, as ISW forecasted Russia would in August 2025.
4. Some Russian defense industrial enterprises are reportedly struggling to expand their production and workforces due to economic constraints, while the Kremlin is prioritizing funding for high-priority enterprises such as drone and missile manufacturers.
5. The United Nations (UN) reported that the number of casualties from Russian drone strikes targeting Ukrainian civilians has increased by 40 percent so far in 2025 as compared to 2024.
6. Ukrainian forces may have targeted high ranking Russian officials in a reported strike against occupied Crimea on the night of Sept, 21-22.
7. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Dobropillya tactical area. Russian forces recently advanced near Lyman and Pokrovsk and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

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