Ukraine-Russia War: 2026-09-09

Russia's Defense Ministry said overnight air defenses shot down 596 Ukrainian UAVs across several regions. Military Summary, citing Russian reports, said Novorossiysk came under a large drone attack that set a fuel oil terminal on fire and killed four people, including a child. Intel Slava also posted imagery from Novorossiysk after the reported drone strike. Independent confirmation of the casualty figures was not immediately available from major Western wires.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban said 10 Russian diplomats were ordered to leave Budapest for unacceptable activities, framing the move as protection of Hungarian security and sovereignty. Moscow called the step an ungrounded escalation and warned of a harsh response. The expulsions follow Hungary's post-election shift away from the previous government's closer ties with Russia.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke for about an hour in a constructive and frank call after Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv. Ushakov said Putin outlined steps Washington could take to end the war sooner, while the Trump administration had not publicly detailed the call. Zelensky earlier said he expected fighting to continue into winter and called for a trilateral meeting with Russia and the United States.