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Ukrainian Science Academy, Struck by Drone, Played Key Role in Research
Over 90 percent of Ukraine’s scientific discoveries have been attributed to Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, including advancements in astronomy and military technology.
Ukraine’s Academy of Sciences warns against Russian cooperation after attack
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has urged the international scientific community not to “restore or legitimise institutional cooperation with Russian state scientific and educational structures,” after a Russian drone hit its Presidium building in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others. The drone strike took place in the early afternoon on September 28 while staff were working.The academy called the strike, one of several Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital using jet-powered drones in recent days, an act of terrorism. “It is a strike [. . .] on the very idea that knowledge, research, and the search for truth should serve life, not its destruction,” it said in a statement.The academy thanked the global scientific community for its solidarity following the attack and warned against any temptation to normalise scientific relations with Russia.“Science cannot exist outside of moral responsibility. There can be no ‘ordinary scientific cooperation’ with a state that kills people and destroys scientific institutions of another country,” it said.“We urge not to create opportunities for Russian state institutions to return to the international scientific community as if nothing happened. There can be no ‘science beyond politics’ when science is attacked with weapons.”After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe almost entirely cut institutional ties and joint programmes with Russian science, although personal academic contacts are still ongoing.Related articlesRussia widens targeting of European research centresHow geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaborationThe European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), for instance, continues to exclude the Russian Academy of Sciences from its network.ALLEA condemned the latest attack as a “barbaric act” and part of a broader “systematic targeting of Ukraine’s scientific and cultural infrastructure.” This is a “deliberate attempt to erase the conditions under which free inquiry, knowledge, and democratic life are possible,” it said in a statement.Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 4,650 educational institutions across Ukraine have been damaged, and a further 423 have been destroyed, according to ALLEA.National academies across Europe joined ALLEA in condemning the attack. “Science is about the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of humanity, so this is an attack on civilisation itself,” said Paul Nurse, president of the UK’s Royal Society.Attacks on scientific, university and cultural institutions “are attacks on the foundations of society and constitute a clear violation of international law,” wrote the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.The presidents of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also released a joint statement condemning the attack and pledging to continue to support the Ukrainian research community.The targeting of the Ukrainian academy prompted outcry from European leaders. “Today, science became a target for Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.“These strikes are the latest illustration of the Russian regime’s hostile contempt for science and truth,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Contempt for Science and Truth": Macron Condemns Russian Strike on Ukraine’s Science Academy
The attack on the National Academy of Sciences follows drone hits on a Kyiv university where 160 sheltered, and damage to a UNESCO World Heritage site.
German firm Metro loses control of Russian business after Putin decree
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered that the assets of German retailer Metro AG be placed under temporary administration. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Germany and Russia over the Ukraine war.
Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine
Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine
Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine
In recent weeks, Russia has begun hitting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with faster, high-flying jet drones.
Russian strikes hit science academy and medical facility in Kyiv
Russian strikes struck a science academy building and a medical facility in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring six others, including three children, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said on Monday that the casualties were reported at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine building, which sustained a direct hit. […]
Two Scientists Killed in Russian Strike on Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences
The death toll from a Russian strike on the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv has risen to two scientists, with several colleagues still missing,
Kremlin transfers control of German retailer Metro's Russia business
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian assets of German retailer Metro AG placed under temporary administration. The step comes against a background of tension between Germany and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Fire, Smoke and Desperation After a Strike in the Heart of Kyiv
A Russian jet-powered drone hit Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, the source of almost all of the country’s major scientific discoveries.
Russian attack on Ukrainian Academy of Sciences
Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, responds to the attack on the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
Staff killed and wounded in Russian strike on Kyiv’s science academy
Moscow’s jet-powered drones pummel Ukraine’s capital in switch to daytime attacks
Russian drones hit Kyiv science academy and hospital
One person killed and six injured in attack on capital, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges countries to do more to protect Ukraine
Rebuilding Ukraine’s Wounded: Dr Volodymyr Staude on the Science of Military Rehabilitation
By Matthew ParishMonday 28 September 2026The Lviv Herald interviews the head of rehabilitation at Kharkiv’s Sytenko Institute about blast injuries, prosthetics, virtual reality, the limits of early rehabilitation and the new medical science emerging from Ukraine’s war.Kharkiv is a city in which war and science live remarkably close to one another. The missiles and drones that have repeatedly struck Ukraine’s second city are manifestations of a new kind of warfare, but Kharkiv is also one of Ukra
Kyiv Science Academy hit as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine
KYIV, Sept 28 () - At least one person was killed when a drone hit the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv on Monday, as Russia pounded the centre of the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali...
Russian strikes on Ukraine kill at least 7, including woman at Kyiv's National Academy of Sciences
Deadly strike on Kyiv Science Academy as Russian jet-drones hit Ukraine
The Ukrainian capital’s mayor said 19 people had been injured in attacks on the city.
Russia attacks scientists in strikes on Kyiv
A Russian drone hit Ukraine’s science academy in the heart of Kyiv, killing a woman and causing a large fire.
Russian drone ‘hits National Academy of Sciences’ in central Kyiv
A Russian drone slammed into a building belonging to Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv on Monday, causing a fire local media reported.
South Korea’s POW row with Ukraine puts ties and aid at risk
Analysts say Kyiv’s breach of secrecy over the North Korean prisoners of war may cause Seoul to halt non-lethal aid to Ukraine.
After five years of war, how do Ukrainian small businesses survive?
In this interview, writer and journalist Victoria Belim-Frolova shares her observations about Russia’s war on Ukraine and how it forces “a constant process of adaptation,” especially in women-led small businesses.
Swiss voters reject bid to lock neutrality into Constitution
The country is known for neutrality, but Russia's war in Ukraine reopened questions over its non-engagement in foreign conflicts
Trump claims stunning casualty numbers in Russia-Ukraine war
Trump claims 25,000 people died last month in the Ukraine-Russia war and reveals he pushed Volodomyr Zelenskyy to settle with Vladimir Putin.
‘Paper Tiger’ Director James Gray Says ‘Art Isn’t Sunday School’
James Gray says he doesn’t “want to preach” politics with “Paper Tiger,” despite the film’s unexpected parallels to Trump, Russia and Ukraine.
Trump declines to say if Ukraine can manufacture Patriot missiles to fend off Russian attacks
President Donald Trump declined to say if he agreed to allow Ukraine manufacture Patriot missiles a day after Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky reported he would.
Why are Northern Ireland playing Ukraine in Slovakia?
Northern Ireland will head to Slovakia to face Ukraine in the Nations League
Bipartisan group of senators urge Trump to disinvite Putin from G-20
Top senators on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees argue the invitation legitimizes the Russian assault on Ukraine.
Trump Invites Putin to Attend Group of 20 Summit in Miami
Many leaders are unlikely to welcome the Russian leader’s presence at the event because of his country’s war against Ukraine.
Eriksen leaves Wolfsburg by mutual consent
Christian Eriksen leaves Wolfsburg by mutual consent, just over three months after collapsing during Denmark's friendly with Ukraine.
What does Burnham want from Trump – and will he get it?
PM will press for US support for Ukraine in first meeting, but defence spending, Middle East and North Sea oil remain potential flashpoints
Live updates: Trump to speak at the U.N. General Assembly
Live updates and the latest news as Trump gives a speech at the U.N. General Assembly and meets with world leaders from Denmark, Japan and Ukraine.
Trump set to address UNGA with Middle East and Ukraine on agenda
President also due to hold meetings with 11 world leaders
Trump to address U.N. General Assembly and meet with world leaders as he navigates Iran, Gaza, Ukraine conflicts
Trump set to press Zelenskyy at UN to agree energy ceasefire with Russia
President to meet Ukrainian counterpart in New York as Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian energy sector
Zelensky said Trump agrees to speak in New York for diplomatic meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans for a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump in New York. As the Ukraine-Russia war continues for more than four years, the U.S. has provided support valued at billions. Zelensky and Trump have had a strained relationship as the U.S. president balances relations with Ukraine and Russian leader Vladimir […]
Trump says Russia has ‘lost control’ of its diesel industry, calls for end to Ukraine war
The US president called for an end to the “ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine.”
Trump and Zelenskyy set for UNGA talks
With wars in Ukraine and Iran looming over the UN gathering, Trump faces a packed diplomatic agenda as Zelenskyy seeks talks on peace, Gulf leaders push for an end to the Middle East conflict...
Britain’s Burnham is set to meet Trump for the first time at the UN in New York
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Burnham plans to discuss ways to bolster Ukraine's defenses and ease fuel prices that have soared since the US-Israeli war with Iran blocked ships from moving freely through the Strait of Hormuz. Burnham, once critical of Trump, now says he wants to seek common ground. Trump has called Burnham “a nice guy,” but has also concerned U.K. officials by expressing support for Irish unification and musing about the future of the Falkland Islands.
Six Girona footballers called up to their national teams
Six Girona FC footballers have been called up by their respective national teams to take part in international commitments during this September and October break.Vlad Vanat will be part of Ukraine's ...
Putin’s United Russia set to win Russia’s first wartime parliamentary staged election
The Kremlin is likely to present the results as evidence of public backing for Putin's policies and for the war in Ukraine.
Beyond Ukraine: Why Europe is preparing for a wider conflict
Something is spooking Europe. Something is spooking Europe. Even famously neutral Switzerland adopted a new national security strategy calling for greater resilience and an ability to defend itself against armed attack.
INTERVIEW: Canada-style EU deal ‘not an option’ for Ukraine
Kyiv’s desire to reform will wane without a breakthrough on EU membership, warns senior MP
‘No legal effect’: Poland condemns Russian ‘sham elections’ in occupied Ukraine
The Polish foreign ministry also condemned the voting held in breakaway regions of Moldova and Georgia.
Russia-Ukraine war creates new voting bloc in Israel as immigrants find their political voice
More than 102,000 immigrants from Russia and Ukraine since the 2022 invasion are eligible to vote in the October 27 election; several tell ynet that democratic institutions, minority rights, regional investment and immigrant integration are shaping their priorities
Russia holds parliamentary vote in areas it seized from Ukraine in the war
Russia's parliamentary election for the first time is being held in Ukraine's regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago.
Running a business in wartime
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine began four and a half years ago, Centravis—a large maker of seamless tube and pipe in Ukraine—remains hyper-focused on people and the many details of survival.
Ukraine's companies, soldiers want drones that need less human control
Ukrainian drone makers are building more autonomy into their systems so one operator can manage multiple drones.
Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions bill, aiming to choke off funds for Moscow in Ukraine war
President Donald Trump has signed a major sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key sectors of its economy
Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions bill, aiming to choke off funds for Moscow in Ukraine war
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy that
Zelenskyy welcomes leaders from 7 countries for a regional summit
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted leaders and representatives from seven regional countries for talks on deepening cooperation on Friday, as overnight Russian strikes in multiple regions sparked fires and caused several deaths and injuries. The inaugural summit of the so-called “Carpathian Eight” brings together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech […]
Poland warns Russia is planning drone or rocket strikes on NATO territory
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Thursday that Russia is planning hybrid strikes with drones or rockets on European countries supporting Ukraine, among them Poland. Russia will pretend the attacks are “accidental” in order to “paralyze or at least weaken the motivation of NATO countries” to rush to the defense […]
Nestlé Weighing All Options After Kremlin Takes Control of Its Russian Business
Nestlé said Friday that it was weighing all options to protect its rights after the Kremlin decided to take control of the Swiss food maker's Russian business, the latest move against a Western company since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
NYT: Trump considers "appeasing" Russia with business deals before hostilities end
The Trump administration is reportedly considering economic deals with Russia before the war in Ukraine ends in an effort to incentivise Moscow to pursue peace.
Russians begin voting in controlled election as war drags
It will be Russia's first parliamentary election since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022
Trump Wants Putin to End the War. He May Offer Russia Business Deals First.
A new sanctions bill is meant to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to end the war in Ukraine. But President Trump is doubling down on a different approach: offering enticements to Russia.
Ukraine Health Cluster Partner Emergency Response to Attacks, as of 31 August 2026
in English on Ukraine; published on 17 Sep 2026 by Health Cluster
Is NATO ready to fight? The Ukraine war is raising doubts among military analysts
Ukrainian and Western defense officials told Reuters that developments on the battlefield are moving so quickly that some NATO weapons and tactics risk becoming outdated.
The Strange New Politics of AI. Plus. . .
It’s Thursday, September 17. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Douglas Murray asks, why do we allow terrorists to die of old age? The American nonprofits backing Hamas. A conversation with Dara Horn and Coleman Hughes. And much more. But first: inside the unlikely coalition warning that AI may kill us all. Last week, an AI researcher named Jacob Coxon made headlines around the world after saying that he had resigned from Anthropic because he believes AI might cause human extinction—and his co-workers do, too. Unlike the rest of us, potentially, the story just won’t die. The Pro-Human Assembly, a conference held Tuesday in Washington, D.C., about the existential dangers of artificial intelligence, couldn’t have come at a better time—or with a more eclectic coalition. The Archbishop of San Francisco was there. So was Steve Bannon, screaming about the Chinese. Bernie Sanders did a quasi-dramatic reading of messages posted to an online forum by rogue AI agents. Ashley Judd paraphrased a graphic Andrea Dworkin quote for reasons that remain a mystery to me still. It was odd. People in the AI industry have talked openly about the possibility of this technology causing human extinction for years, but it hits differently in the wake of the Hugging Face incident. If you don’t know what that is, all the more reason to read my dispatch today. As the doomers see it, the best-case scenario is a future in which humans are basically kept as pets: well cared for, but with zero autonomy. The worst-case scenario, obviously, is the everyone dies thing. What should be done? I heard lots of ideas but no easy answers. There are currently zero federal regulations on AI, which is sort of strange even to think about. After all, we regulate microwaves, and the people running the microwave industry have never once refused to rule out the possibility that their products will end all human life on Earth. What I saw in D.C. left me even more convinced that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes nothing should be done. You know, except for President Trump. — River Page River Page • Tech and Business [ The AI Doomers Have a Plan to Save Us. I Went to Find Out What It Is. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-ai-doomers-have-plan-save-bernie-sanders-bannon) Read story How Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr—and How to Better Fight Antisemitism On Monday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a group of other NFL owners banned Macklemore from performing at their stadiums after the rapper delivered a “Free Palestine” speech while opening for Ed Sheeran. Kraft cited the rapper’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.” Once multiple venues refused to host shows with Macklemore on the lineup, the tour’s promoter officially dropped him. Today, Josh Kaplan says that the move was counterproductive, arguing that though well-intentioned, Kraft’s decision turned an irrelevant footnote into a martyr. “You cannot cancel people into liking you,” Josh writes. Read his column on what a better response to Macklemore would have looked like. Read [ Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr ](https://www.thefp.com/p/robert-kraft-made-macklemore-martyr-antisemitism-palestine) This raises the question: What actually works against antisemitism? On the latest episode of Conversations with Coleman, recorded in front of a live audience in New York, Dara Horn joins Coleman Hughes to talk about her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question. She argues that antisemitism is a script that has repeated itself across countries and ideologies, and that most people don’t understand that well enough to fight it. Don’t miss their conversation. Watch [ The Lie at the Center of Antisemitism, with Dara Horn ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-lie-at-the-center-of-antisemitism-coleman-hughes-dana-horn) Listen now Douglas Murray • U.S. Politics [ Douglas Murray: The 9/11 Failure That Still Haunts America ](https://www.thefp.com/p/douglas-murray-911-failure-justice-terrorist-guantanamo-bay) Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, the men who planned them have still not faced trial. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and most of the accused have been locked up in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. Judges have retired, and plea deals have collapsed. Today, Douglas Murray examines how this happened and argues that a justice system that allows terrorists to die of old age in an interminable pretrial process is one that has failed. Read his latest column on what that failure says about our unpreparedness for the era we are now living in. Read story The Editors • U.S. Politics [ When Nonprofits Support Terrorists ](https://www.thefp.com/p/when-nonprofits-support-terrorists) A newly declassified CIA brief from 1998 found that Osama bin Laden used nonprofit shell organizations—including U.S.-based Islamic groups—to fund his terror plots. Today, a similar story is unfolding as multiple organizations on American soil present themselves as nonprofits, taking advantage of tax-exempt status while seeking to advance the ideological mission of terrorist groups like Hamas. Read our editorial on the latest evidence of this dangerous trend—and why there’s no excuse for making the same mistake the CIA revealed 28 years ago. Read story Simon Sebag Montefiore and Bari Weiss Live in New York For decades, the Middle East has shaped American foreign policy and loomed large in the public consciousness. Few understand its influence on our politics better than Simon Sebag Montefiore, who argues that America’s quagmires in the Middle East stem from a deep misunderstanding of the region—on both the left and the right. Join him October 1 as he sits down with Bari Weiss live in New York City to kick off his U.S. book tour for The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Get Tickets Now MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Sydney Sweeney’s Naked Truth ](https://www.thefp.com/p/sydney-sweeneys-naked-truth-caitlin-flanagan) Caitlin Flanagan Read story [ I Thought Ukraine Was Losing. Then I Was Almost Hit by a Russian Drone. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/elliot-ackerman-ukraine-drone-gas-station-train) Elliot Ackerman Read story [ The Dangerous Ideology Behind the AI Warnings ](https://www.thefp.com/p/dangerous-ideology-effective-altruism-artificial-intelligence) Shyam Sankar Read story [ Amanda Knox: Patrick Clancy Can’t Win ](https://www.thefp.com/p/amanda-knox-patrick-clancy-grief-internet-crime) Amanda Knox Read story THE NEWS The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point, its first hike since 2023, signaling that another increase could follow as the central bank tries to bring inflation under control. President Donald Trump fired back by demanding that rates be cut sharply, though he stopped short of criticizing Fed Chair Kevin Warsh by name. The Houthis fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including a major oil port on the Red Sea, and Saudi jets struck back with air strikes across Yemen in an escalating front of the Middle East war. (For more on the Houthis, read Zineb Riboua’s column from earlier this week.) A sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill passed the House in a 262–159 vote and is now heading to Trump for his signature. Named after the late senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation would hit countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil and gas with tariffs of up to 100 percent, and is aimed at cutting off revenue that funds Russia’s war in Ukraine. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the European Union’s first-ever “associate member,” drawing a standing ovation from European lawmakers. The proposal, framed as a response to a world grown more hostile, faces an uncertain path as EU member states would have to approve it, and one diplomat said that “nobody really knows what it means.” The House voted unanimously to send billionaire Leon Black a criminal contempt referral after he defied a congressional subpoena to testify and hand over documents related to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Black chose to fight the subpoena in court rather than comply. Charlie Kirk’s family filed a wrongful death notice Wednesday against Utah Valley University, alleging that a series of security failures left him exposed to a rooftop sniper. The notice is a required legal step before the family can sue. Merriam-Webster added 1,400 words and definitions to its dictionary, including looksmaxxing, vibe coding, and cuffing season. The publisher said the new entries offer “a window into the world today.” The Free Press earns a commission from any purchases made through all book links in this article.
Dayton Literary Peace Prizes honor wartime Ukraine novel and book on history of Charleston church
The Dayton Literary Peace Prizes have announced this year's winners.
House approves sweeping Russia sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House
House passes Russia sanctions bill named for Lindsey Graham, sending it to Trump
The legislation passed the Senate last month. It targets Russia’s energy sector by punishing the largest buyers of its oil and gas to slash revenues Russia uses to attack Ukraine.
Russia Purges Anti-War Politicians Before State Duma Elections
Ahead of the first State Duma elections since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, few are left to speak for peace.
Ukrainian defence tech seeks new ways to scale up
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's defence sector has expanded several-fold, becoming a significant source of military innovation, especially in unmanned systems, counter-drone technologies, electronic warfare and AI-driven combat systems. But finding the funds and personnel to scale up and to reach international markets remains a challenge.Spurred on by the demands of the front-line, Ukrainian defence companies say they can develop a minor component in a couple of weeks, or major hardware or software solutions within a year. This is several times faster than the usual development cycles in the sector. Tencore, founded in 2024, is now one of Ukraine’s largest providers of unmanned ground vehicles, well exceeding the production of NATO members in this category. Odd Systems, a Ukrainian combat cameras developer founded in 2023, launched its first thermal camera in 2024. Less than two years later, it is developing the fourth generation of the product, one that has evolved into a full vision system.According to Michael Singer, managing partner at Verne Capital, a venture capital fund supporting defence companies in Europe, this speed is down to the short feedback loop between the developer and the end user. “Ukrainian companies develop technologies in close interaction with soldiers and military units, test them under real combat conditions and rapidly incorporate feedback into the next generation of the product,” he says. “Sometimes we need to react to feedback and deploy an upgrade within hours,” says Polina Tymchenko, the spokesperson for Himera, which develops electronic warfare-resistant walkie-talkies. “It means that, as a company, you have to have a higher tolerance for risk, and also design your products in a way that fosters those quick changes.”Getting a product deployed by a combat command involves no paperwork other than a purchase order, says Perry Boyle, co-founder and chief executive of Mits Capital, a Ukrainian-US investment group focused on attracting capital for Ukraine's defence tech sector. “New weapons can be developed and deployed based largely on handshakes.”Nevertheless, the speed of development is largely subject to the level of funding, says Iryna Sukhomlyn, head of business development at RMachine, a developer of unmanned ground systems. “Financial support needs to start much earlier, particularly at technology readiness level 3-5, not only when most of the technological risk has already been removed,” she says.In 2025, Ukrainian defence tech companies attracted about $129 million in investment, with the true figure likely higher given the share of undisclosed security-sensitive deals, according to a report published by the Kyiv School of Economics. These investments were primarily concentrated in the AI and software segment, as they are considered a lower financial risk.Scaling production is a major barrierAccording to Iryna Supruniuk, business development director at Odd Systems, proving a defence product in Ukraine is not the end of the development process, but the beginning of a continuous evolution, since operational requirements change rapidly. “Continuous iteration remains our highest priority,” she says.It's also when production must scale up, which represents a major hurdle. “Scaling production requires capital, manufacturing capacity, components, certification, procurement access and reliable supply chains,” Singer says. Scale-up is also hampered by demographic pressures, especially a shortage of young specialists needed to expand engineering teams. Companies have reported struggling to replace specialists lost due to Russian attacks, mobilisation and emigration. In order to meet this scale-up challenge and finance arms production, begun allowing defence technologies to be exported, assuming it has an excess capacity. It has also announced the creation of ten defence and weapons export centres across Europe by the end of 2026.According to Singer, a technology that has demonstrated its value under real combat conditions has a fundamentally different credibility than a product that has only been tested in a laboratory or training environment. But combat validation alone doesn’t automatically create an international business. “Companies still need access to foreign defence ministries and procurement organisations, international certification, financing for production scale-up and, in many cases, local industrial partners,” he says.Already in 2026, the EU has signed several agreements with Ukraine that aim at joint defence technology development and production. These include allowing Ukraine to join the European Defence Fund, signing a financing agreement under the European Defence Industry Programme, and setting up the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance.For Singer, it is important that European defence companies don’t just see their Ukrainian partners as technology suppliers, but rather as potential innovation partners. “Ukrainian companies bring speed, operational experience and an exceptional ability to iterate. European partners can provide industrial capacity, capital, established supply chains and access to European procurement markets.”Procurement possibilitiesWhen it comes to exports, the procurement and compliance processes involved require time, taking months or even years, and money. In other words, resources that small defence tech companies need if they are to improve and scale up their technologies. According to Sukhomlyn of RMachine, if the priority is to rapidly increase available defence capabilities, then the processes need to reflect that urgency. “If Europe wants defence innovation at wartime speed, its administrative processes also need to operate much closer to wartime speed,” she says, highlighting a need for support with certification, market access and mutual recognition of relevant testing. “Otherwise, we risk having excellent technology available but spending years making it administratively eligible to be purchased.”Related articlesRussia widens targeting of European research centresEU must support research managers in central and eastern Europe, says Visegrad fund headThis is a lesson Europe’s defence sector would do well to learn, Singer says. “Defence innovation needs to be organised around the speed and requirements of the end user, not around the speed of the bureaucracy.”Supruniuk says the European defence sector should rethink the balance between quality and quantity. “In many cases, a good-enough system available in thousands of units creates greater operational value than a perfect system available in dozens.”“For decades, everyone has been looking for that all-powerful, exquisite system that can protect everyone,” adds Tymchenko. “We see in crime that only scalable, dedicated, affordable solutions can actually defend democracies.”
EU membership bid gives boost to Moldova’s fledgling R&D landscape
Moldova’s push to join the EU is having the spillover effect of helping to improve the country’s R&D landscape, which in recent years has suffered from fragmentation, decreasing personnel and a lack of research infrastructure.The country became an EU candidate country in 2022, alongside Ukraine, and officially began accession negotiations in 2024. With a pro-EU government, Moldova has been actively carrying out reforms to align with EU standards. This has helped accelerate the development of R&D, said Igor Chiosa, acting head of the Research and Innovation Policy Directorate at Moldova’s Ministry of Education and Research. “Our R&D landscape is moving up, and we are more and more involved in the European Research Area,” he said. “The support we receive from the EU is very important, not only financially, but also because of incentives, consultation and capacity building.”The R&D landscape in the former Soviet republic is still relatively underdeveloped, despite attempts at improvement going back to a 2004 law on science and innovation and later reforms in 2017 and 2018. But the system remains in a “precarious situation” and “in the process of contraction,” according to an assessment carried out by the government for the current National Programme for Research and Innovation, which runs from 2024 to 2027. The analysis highlights in particular the declining number of researchers and PhDs, which has been continuously falling, as well as limited research funding. This is around 10 times lower than the EU average and “insufficient to maintain a level of research activity that supports higher education and meets the needs of the economy.” The mechanisms for allocating research funds are also described as inefficient, as well as the general fragmentation of the landscape, with research and innovation activities being carried out in 67 different places. The lack of strategic vision for research infrastructure is also noted. The strategy sets out to address these issues and is being fuelled by reforms linked to EU accession. Moldova now has a regulation on open science and gender equality. There is also a new support mechanism for technology transfer offices and a business-academia roadmap. In 2025, the country also became the first Eastern Partnership country to approve a Smart Specialisation strategy, which will coordinate its R&D efforts to focus on strengths, within a European context. “We’ve done a lot in terms of normative acts,” Chiosa said. Horizon Europe successMoldova is also seeing more success in the EU’s flagship R&D programme, Horizon Europe. The country has now won nearly €15 million in funding, already double the amount won under the previous programme, Horizon 2020, and more than the €10 million target set by the government. Chiosa said the priority has shifted now to winning more research-centred projects, rather than those related to support and capacity. Moldova is also targeting further involvement in large European projects. Last year, it joined the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking giving Moldovans access to Europe's supercomputing network. The country is also a member of Danubius-RI, a European research infrastructure focused on river and sea research. Despite these efforts, Moldova’s research capacity is still shackled by its limited R&D budget, which equates to 0.23% of its GDP. This is around half of what its neighbour Romania spends, which is the lowest in the EU. According to Chiosa, the research budget is increasing year-on-year, jumping by €6.34 million between 2024 and 2025. But this doesn’t show up when looking at it as a proportion of GDP. “Of course, it’s difficult,” he said. “That is why we are putting more emphasis on collaboration between business and academia, as well as participation in Horizon Europe, to try to diversify our sources of funding.”A World Bank loan of €30 million, plus a grant of €7.8 million, was agreed in 2025 to support the modernisation of Moldova’s universities. As part of this, a call was launched this year to provide universities grants of up to €900,000 to develop their research infrastructure. Moldova is also collaborating closely with Romania, with which it shares a common language, funding 100 joint projects in 2023 and 2024. This support has been instrumental. “They are helping with sharing their expertise, inviting us into consortia, and lots more,” Chiosa said. Looking forward, Moldova is eagerly anticipating joining the EU. “We are looking closely at what the EU is doing and will shape our future national programme in research innovation accordingly.”EU accession “blocked at a technical level”Moldova is aiming to join the EU by 2028, but despite its swift and eager efforts to meet the accession criteria, there remain obstacles outside of the country’s control. For a country to join the EU, it must have certain legislation in place and meet specific standards in various areas. This is categorised into six thematic clusters containing 33 chapters. Moldova and the EU have so far opened two of the clusters, numbers one and six. The first covers fundamental laws, such as the judiciary, security and financial legislation. The sixth covers external relations. The remaining four clusters are still unopened. This includes the third cluster, on competitiveness and growth, which contains the chapter on science and research.Related articlesQ&A: Albania’s ambition to become a ‘moderate innovator’Data corner: Horizon success rates are droppingThe European Commission has confirmed that these clusters are ready to be opened, with an official saying that the Commission is encouraging EU governments, who have the final say, to move forward on the matter. However, both clusters two and three remain blocked by the EU Council’s working party on enlargement and countries negotiating accession to the EU, a different official, representing the Council, confirmed.This working party is set to meet several times in the coming weeks, with a Council meeting scheduled for mid-October in which enlargement, and Moldova’s bid, will be discussed. But there is no certainty that these talks will lead to progress. According to the Council source, it is “completely impossible to foresee if and when the file will be unblocked,” citing the sensitivity of the matter. Moldova’s situation is particularly complicated. One factor is that it borders Ukraine and is increasingly embroiled in Russia’s war, with drone incursions occurring more often on its territory. Another is Transnistria, a Russian-backed breakaway state that lies within the territory of Moldova. It is unclear how the EU would be able to accept Moldova into the bloc while this situation remains unchanged. While there is no direct reason to delay opening cluster three with Moldova, as it covers matters unrelated to security, it could be that the EU is reluctant to speed through accession negotiations without first resolving broader, geopolitical issues.Chiosa is confident that, if and when the chapter on science and research is opened, Moldova will be able to finalise it quickly. It doesn’t require any legislative changes and is only a matter of proving certain standards, which Chiosa believes Moldova is well prepared to do. “We hope that chapter 25 on science and research will be one of the first chapters opened and closed,” he said.
Burnham and Trump expected to meet for first time next week as PM steps up presence on world stage
Andy Burnham will attend UN general assembly where he is expected to try to drum up more support for Ukraine
The Politics of Shared Scarcity
Five weeks before the war against Iran began, the Pentagon published a strategy warning that the United States could find itself facing simultaneous major conflicts across several theaters.
Thune says he is open to diesel export ban to ease record-high prices
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he is willing to consider a ban on diesel exports to help ease the run-up in prices caused by supply constraints from the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. “We’ll be looking at any proposal that is a viable solution, but I do think if we have […]
Alex Ovechkin faces backlash over pro-Putin political campaign ad
NHL star Alex Ovechkin is facing criticism after appearing in a political ad to support one of "the architects of Russia's war against Ukraine."
Zelenskyy says Ukraine will pause strikes on Russia if Kremlin spares critical infrastructure
His comments Monday follow President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia and Ukraine agreed not to target each other’s energy infrastructure.
Trump claims Russia-Ukraine energy truce; Kyiv says not yet
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Ukraine offered differing accounts of a supposed agreement with Russia to stop attacks on energy infrastructure, as strikes on oil refineries help drive diesel
Russia continues to divide Italian politics: Why defending Ukraine matters
M5S leader Giuseppe Conte’s call to stop sending weapons to Ukraine has reopened the clash with Elly Schlein’s Democratic Party over an issue that has long cut across Italian politics. Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, is maintaining a tough line on Moscow despite resistance within the governing coalition and pressure from the far right. With less than [...]
Shadows Over CEE: Hybrid Sabotage and the Creeping Political Drift Away from Ukraine
Mysterious blazes at UAV production plants, improvised explosives at critical power grids, and foiled arson plots: hostile hybrid operations across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are no longer a theoretical threat. Yet, as defense supply chains come under literal fire, the region’s political consensus on Ukraine is quietly eroding at the polls, creating a dangerous […]
Poland, Ukraine slam Russian strikes near border as 'escalation'
The strikes came as US President Donald Trump called on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt attacks on Russian refineries
Trump demands Ukraine halt refinery strikes as diesel surges
President Donald Trump said he’d warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop targeting oil refineries in Russia amid strikes that have shut down diesel refining and helped drive prices for
Meloni rules out electoral U-turn on Ukraine
Facing elections in 2027, Italian PM comes under pressure from far-right pro-Russian rivals
Putin warns European troops in Ukraine would mean war with Russia
The Russian president issued the warning ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
House tees up vote on Russia sanctions bill, but prospects for passage are uncertain
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to take up a punishing Russian sanctions package next week, though prospects of passage are uncertain despite the overwh
Even if it’s real, Trump’s new Ukraine push is already being undermined by events
Events since the United States revived its Ukraine peace bid say more about its chances than the sunny rhetoric that accompanies it.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
‘Few new ideas’: What Trump’s feckless diplomacy tells Putin
Trump’s envoys in Ukraine seem desperate while Germany’s right surges.
HeRAMS Ukraine health services across oblasts August 2026 - All divisions [EN/UK]
Situation Report in English on Ukraine about Health; published on 9 Sep 2026 by WHO
HeRAMS Ukraine health services across oblasts August 2026 - legal entities [EN/UK]
Situation Report in English on Ukraine about Health; published on 9 Sep 2026 by WHO
Putin and Trump discuss Ukraine in 'extremely frank' call
Washington has been pushing for fresh face-to-face talks between Moscow and Kyiv to reach a peace deal
Russia launches massive, deadly, and ‘complex’ attack against Ukraine
Fighting between Ukraine and Russia commenced after a 72-hour pause for diplomatic visits to both countries by U.S. officials. Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine on Tuesday, firing dozens of cruise missiles and over 140 drones as the war raged on after this weekend’s peace talks brokered by U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve […]
The New York Times
Seven of Ukraine’s top 10 military contractors won new business despite open criminal investigations for fraud, failures to deliver on earlier deals or the arrest of chief executives for corruption,...
Former Pentagon official analyzes Strait of Hormuz oil threats
Former Pentagon official Brent Sadler discusses rising geopolitical risks including Iran's threats in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. envoys pushing for Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations and the new Russia-North Korea road bridge.
UK commits £100m to bolster Ukraine’s air defences over winter
Package of military equipment includes Patriot missiles, supplies of which have dwindled amid Russian attacks
Ukraine war briefing: New political turmoil in Kyiv as prosecutor general resigns
Anti-corruption agencies raid offices and arrest a deputy of Ruslan Kravchenko in case linked to alleged laundering of phone scam proceeds. What we know on day 1,658
Ukraine's chief prosecutor resigns over call centre corruption scandal
In his resignation letter, Ruslan Kravchenko denied the allegations against him, saying he did not want his office "to be used as a tool in political confrontation".
Ukraine's prosecutor general submits resignation citing political conflict
Ukraine's prosecutor general said on Monday he had offered his resignation citing political reasons, in the latest sign of disunity in the senior ranks of the Ukrainian ruling elite.
Merz ‘deeply shocked’ as far-right victory tests Germany’s political firewall
The fallout from the AfD’s landslide in Saxony-Anhalt is testing Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s reform agenda, Germany’s support for Ukraine and the political firewall designed to keep the far-right out…
Ukrainian troops take casualties just moving in and out of trenches
Ukraine's drone-filled front lines have made even routine movement in and out of trenches a deadly risk for troops.
Poland’s anti-Ukrainian turn spills into violence
The number of crimes against Ukrainians in Poland is rising as right-wing Polish politicians ramp-up anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
Europe wants to build with Ukraine. Can its defence industry keep up?
As Kyiv pushes Europe to move faster, its defence industry is showing just how far behind the bloc still is
Noskova edges Kostyuk to reach US Open quarter-finals
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova reached the quarter-finals of the US Open on Sunday, edging Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in three sets.The Czech Noskova, who has largely flown under the radar in New York despite winning Wimbledon, beat Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, finally sealing the win on her sixth match point when Kostyuk netted a backhand return.
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner set for talks in Kyiv after meeting with Putin in Moscow
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday in their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of a renewed push for peace in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.