Trump, Putin and Netanyahu all sent condolences to Charlie Kirk at exactly 3:02pm.
Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of September 11 to 12.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 40 Shahed, Gerbera, and other unspecified drones, including over 20 Shahed-type drones, from the directions of Kursk City; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai.[101] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian air defenses downed or suppressed 33 drones and that six drones struck three locations in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drone and missile strikes killed three civilians and injured five, and damaged civilian and residential infrastructure in Sumy City and Kharkiv and Mykolaiv oblasts.[102]
Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian air defenses downed or suppressed 33 drones and that six drones struck three locations in Ukraine.
Ukraine conducted a series of long-range drone strikes against energy infrastructure in Leningrad and Smolensk oblasts on the night of September 11 to 12. A source within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne on September 12 that the SBU conducted drone strikes against the port of Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast, Russia’s largest Baltic Sea oil port, starting fires on a ship in the port and at the pumping station that forced port authorities to suspend oil shipments.[31] The SBU source assessed that Russia transports roughly 60 million tons of oil worth $15 billion through the port per year. The source stated that the SBU also struck the NPS-3, NPS Andreapol, and NPS-7 oil pumping stations of the Transneft Baltic Pipeline System-2 that supply crude oil to the port of Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed on September 12 that Russian air defenses downed over 30 Ukrainian drones over Leningrad Oblast overnight and that authorities extinguished fires on a ship in the port of Primorsk and at a pumping station.[32] Geolocated footage published on September 11 shows fires after a drone strike on a Lukoil oil depot in Kardymovo, Smolensk Oblast.[33] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces downed 42 drones over Smolensk Oblast overnight.[34]
The Russian Central Bank likely prematurely lowered its key interest rate for the third time since June 2025 in an attempt to maintain the facade of domestic economic stability. The lowering of the key interest rate will likely continue to exacerbate Russia’s economic instability. The Russian Central Bank announced on September 12 that it lowered its key interest rate from 18 to 17 percent.[24] The Central Bank previously lowered its key interest rate from a record 22-year high of 21 percent to 20 percent in June 2025 and lowered it again to 18 percent in July 2025.[25] The Central Bank claimed that officials measured annual inflation at 8.2 percent as of September 8 and forecasted that annual inflation in Russia will decline to between six and seven percent for the remainder of 2025 and four percent for 2026. The Central Bank acknowledged that the Russian economy is still highly susceptible to pro-inflationary rises associated with high inflation expectations and deteriorating Russian foreign trade. The Central Bank’s decision to lower the key interest rate will likely adversely affect the Russian economy and raise inflation by weakening consumer purchasing power, devaluing the ruble in the medium-to long-term and creating deeper macroeconomic instability.[26]
Ukraine’s partners continue to sanction Russia. The United Kingdom announced on September 12 that it introduced 100 new sanctions targeting the Russian military sector and illicit shadow fleet.[27] The UK sanctions targeted 30 entities and individuals that supply key equipment to Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB), including electronics, chemicals, and explosives that Russia uses to manufacture missiles and other weapons systems. The United Kingdom sanctioned 70 additional ships connected to Russia’s shadow fleet. Japan announced on September 12 that it expanded sanctions against Russia, freezing the assets of 14 individuals and 51 organizations, including Russian officials, company executives, and pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine.[28] Japan lowered the current oil price cap from $60 to $47.60 per barrel in alignment with the recent EU price cap on Russian crude oil. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters reported on September 12 that New Zealand is also lowering the price cap on Russian crude oil from $60 to $47.60 per barrel and sanctioned Russian actors involved in cyber-attacks against Ukraine.[29] EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas reported on September 12 that the EU extended its sanctions on Russia.[30] Additional Western sanctions targeting Russian oil revenues will likely exacerbate greater economic challenges that can degrade Russia’s long-term ability to continue its war in Ukraine.
Russian and Belarusian forces began the joint Zapad-2025 military exercises on September 12 for the first time since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus may have walked back efforts to use Zapad-2025 to support nuclear saber-rattling operations against the West, at least temporarily.
Belarusian and Russian officials blamed Poland for overreacting to the threat of Russian aggression in response to Poland’s decision to close its border with Belarus due to Zapad-2025.
NATO announced the Eastern Sentry operation on September 12 in response to the Russian drones that violated Polish airspace on the night of September 9 to 10.
The Russian Central Bank likely prematurely lowered its key interest rate for the third time since June 2025 in an attempt to maintain the facade of domestic economic stability. The lowering of the key interest rate will likely continue to exacerbate Russia’s economic instability.
Ukraine’s partners continue to sanction Russia.
Ukraine conducted a series of long-range drone strikes against energy infrastructure in Leningrad and Smolensk oblasts on the night of September 11 to 12.
US senators Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Katie Britt, and Amy Klobuchar introduced a bill to the US Senate on September 11 to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children that Russia deported.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Novopavlivka. Russian forces recently advanced near Lyman and Velykomykhailivka, and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of UkraineOperational information as of 22:00 on September 12, 2025 regarding the Russian invasionThe defense forces are focusing their efforts on disrupting the Russian invaders’ plans for an offensive and exhausting their combat potential.Since the beginning of the day, there have been 168 combat engagements. The enemy launched one missile and 57 air strikes, used three missiles and dropped 88 guided aerial bombs, deployed 2,236 kamikaze drones, and carried out 3,593 shelling attacks on the positions of our troops and populated areas.
Two attacks by Russian invaders took place in the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions. Today, the enemy launched one missile and 11 air strikes, used three missiles and dropped 19 guided aerial bombs, and carried out 102 shellings, including two with multiple launch rocket systems.
In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, there were 14 combat engagements in the areas of Vovchansk, Ambarne, and in the direction of Odradne and Kutkivka. One combat engagement is still ongoing.
In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy carried out seven attacks on the positions of our troops. Fighting took place in the Golubivka area and in the direction of Pishchane and Nova Kruhlyakivka.
In the Lyman direction, Russian troops stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders 13 times in the Kolodyaziv area and in the direction of the settlements of Shandryholove and Stavy. Two clashes are still ongoing.
In the Siverskyi direction, Ukrainian soldiers have already repelled 16 out of 18 attempts to attack our positions today. Occupying forces attempted to advance in the areas of Serebryanka, Hryhorivka, and in the direction of the settlements of Yampil, Dronivka, and Vyimka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Defense Forces stopped five enemy attacks in the Orikhovo-Vasylivka area and in the direction of Stupochky.
– In the Toretsk direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of our defenders 12 times today in the areas of the settlements of Shcherbinivka, Katerynivka, Oleksandro-Kalinove, and in the direction of Pleshchiivka, Stepanivka, and Poltavka. The Defense Forces held back the enemy’s advance and have already repelled 11 assaults.
– In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy made 37 attempts to push back our units. The most active fighting is observed in the areas of the settlements of Volodymyrivka, Shakove, Mayak, Zatyshok, Novoekonomichne, Mykolaivka, Myrolyubivka, Udachne, Muravka, Dachne, Novoukrainka, and in the direction of the settlements of Myrnohrad, Promin, Sukhyi Yar, Pokrovsk, Zvirove, Molodetsk, Novopidhorodne, and Filia. Two combat engagements are still ongoing.
According to preliminary estimates, our soldiers eliminated 99 and wounded 60 occupiers in this direction, destroyed two tanks, three cars, four motorcycles, 15 unmanned aerial vehicles, an ammunition depot, and damaged a car, two guns, a UAV control point, and seven enemy personnel shelters.
– In the Novopavlivka direction, the enemy attempted to break through 10 times near the settlements of Vorone, Maliivka, Ternove, Novomykolaivka, Olgivske, and in the direction of Filiya and Ivanivka. Fighting continues in one location.
– In the Huliaipole direction, the enemy did not conduct offensive operations, but carried out air strikes on the settlements of Bilohirya and Zaliznychne.
– In the Orikhiv direction, the invading forces attacked twice in the direction of Mala Tokmachka and Novodanilivka. The aggressor’s aviation struck the areas of the settlements of Novoyakovlivka and Veselyanka.
– In the Prydniprovsk direction, the enemy carried out two futile attacks on the positions of our defenders, while also launching an air strike in the area of the settlement of Lvove.
– No significant changes in the situation were recorded in other directions.
