Zelensky weighs scenarios, vows to step down
Ukraine’s president, addressing the UNGA, called on states to unite «for peace».
Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to leave the presidency when the conflict ends, despite this not aligning with Russia’s position. He reflected on two scenarios for ending the conflict but rejected them. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had been actively involved in mediation, has stepped back, declining to give countries what he had promised.
In the SVO — Russia’s ‘special military operation’ — area, something is constantly happening: countries trade strikes and fight on the battlefield while top-level talks consider ways to end the conflict and negotiations continue. Tracking every development is difficult, so this weekly digest compiles the key events around the SVO.
In Novorossiysk, drones struck a hotel and residential buildings
Drones attacked central Novorossiysk in the afternoon on 24 September, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
«They attacked the city’s central part, in the area of the “Novorossiysk” hotel», — reported Kondratyev.
It turned out the drones flew directly into the hotel building at the height of the velvet season. They also damaged five residential buildings, including apartment blocks. Two people were killed and five more were injured.
Footage showed damage near the Novorossiysk hotel and emergency services at the scene.
The day proved difficult not only for Novorossiysk residents but for all of Krasnodar Krai (region). The drone threat persisted from morning until evening, with various cities reporting drones shot down.
In Sochi they initially closed the airport and warned people of danger. But as the day progressed, the threat grew, and authorities decided to evacuate people from the beaches. Uncrewed boats were approaching the coast at that time.
Authorities evacuated the Riviera beach area in Sochi as uncrewed boats approached.
Airports in Gelendzhik and Krasnodar also restricted operations.
In Crimea, tourists at a sanatorium were killed in an attack
Ukrainian Armed Forces drones attacked Crimea overnight into 22 September. Several people were killed and more than 10 injured. The republic’s head Sergei Aksyonov said drones struck several sites on the grounds of the Foros sanatorium and its affiliated school.
«The UAV attack on the Foros school completely destroyed the assembly hall; the library was badly damaged. A security guard was wounded», — added Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the head of the republic.
Drones struck facilities at the Foros sanatorium and its affiliated school.
Three people were killed and sixteen injured. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation — Ministerstvo oborony Rossiyskoy Federatsii (Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, MOD) — the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Crimea’s resort area using UAVs with high-explosive warheads. Four of the injured in the Crimea drone attack are in serious condition, two in intensive care, the FMBA of Russia — Federal’noye mediko-biologicheskoye agentstvo (Federal Medical-Biological Agency, FMBA) — reported.
After interceptions, debris ignited dry grass near Yalta, prompting firefighting efforts.
Fallen debris from a downed drone also ignited dry grass near Yalta.
In Sevastopol, air defenses shot down three drones over the Black Sea. Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said neither buildings nor residents were harmed.
Attacks on Moscow, Saratov, and Samara
More distant regions also came under attack. On the night of Tuesday, many drones were shot down over Moscow. Airports had to be closed, causing flight delays nationwide.
Earlier, Samara and Saratov oblasts were attacked. In the former, 15 drones were shot down overnight. Four people were killed in the nighttime drone attack, regional governor Andrei Fedorishchev said. Because of the drone threat, the airport was closed and mobile internet was switched off.
Saratov also sustained a large drone attack. Explosions and the sounds of air defenses were heard across the city. Eyewitnesses reported a fire on the outskirts of the Zavodskoy District, but officials did not specify what happened. Only in the morning did Governor Roman Busargin report that a residential building was damaged and a person was injured. He did not specify the location.
Retaliatory strikes
In response, the Russian Armed Forces also struck targets on Ukrainian territory. For example, after the attacks on Saratov and Samara, the military hit temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations in 147 areas. The primary targets then were defense-industrial enterprises.
«Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery of the groupings of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted damage on a Ukrainian aviation industry enterprise, military airfield infrastructure, locations for storing and launching long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and a training center for foreign mercenaries», — the Ministry of Defense of Russia wrote on its Telegram channel.
The MOD detailed strikes on Ukrainian airfields, drone depots, and training sites.
Russian forces also responded to the strike on Crimea that destroyed a school and killed people.
«The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group strike against the temporary deployment points of a unit of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Sily spetsial’nykh operatsiy Vooruzhennykh syl Ukrayiny — Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, SSO) and foreign mercenaries of the “Ghosts” unit of Ukraine’s GUR (Glavnoye upravlenie razvedki — Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, HUR) in the areas of the settlements of Tatarbunary and Rasseyka in Odesa Oblast, which had been preparing and conducting this terrorist action», — the military department’s channel reported.
In addition, a strike was carried out on UAV storage sites at the Shkolny airfield in Odesa Oblast, from which strike drones were launched, and workshops at the Motor Sich enterprise (part of Ukraine’s defense industry) assembling drones were hit.
Beyond airstrikes, the military is advancing on the ground. In 2025 they have, according to the MOD, «liberated» more than 4,714 square kilometers.
«Units of the groupings of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, through decisive actions from 1 January to 25 September 2025, have liberated more than 4,714 square kilometers», — the statement said.
Zelensky addressed the UN General Assembly
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week. In his speech he called on other states to unite «for the sake of peace».
«We must ensure our planet is preserved for future generations. We must unite our efforts for peace and security», — Zelensky said.
There were also reproaches toward European allies. Ukraine’s leader criticized their assistance, noting that it is more beneficial now to “stop” Russia than later to rebuild Ukraine.
He also complained about the absence of large, powerful missiles. Instead, the country allegedly has to rely on long-range drones. But rather than supplying new weapons, countries began discussing creating a “drone wall” on NATO’s eastern border.
Trump refused to «give» land to Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously allowed that, upon ending the conflict, the liberated territories would come under Russia’s control. This week the U.S. leader changed his rhetoric.
«Today Trump understands that we cannot simply trade territories. It is unfair and impossible», — Zelensky told Fox News.
In Zelensky’s view, much now depends on China, which could “pressure” Moscow and force an end to the conflict. If it does not, pressure should be applied not directly to Russia but specifically to China. The U.S. president can do this, but has not yet.
Instead, Trump also put on hold discussion of security guarantees for Kyiv. He believes it is too early to decide that issue.
«I hope we will be in a position to talk about this a little later», — the U.S. leader said at a joint press conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
‘Korean’ and ‘Finnish’ scenarios for ending the conflict
Following that, Volodymyr Zelensky again began to discuss two scenarios for ending the conflict — the ‘Korean’ and the ‘Finnish’.
«Our story is definitely different from Korea’s. There, the war ended without a final peace treaty… It may happen that there will be no final document ending the war. That is why, for example, President of France [Emmanuel] Macron says that security guarantees should not wait for the end of the war… A ceasefire is sufficient to grant security guarantees… No one is considering a “Korean”, “Finnish” or any other model. Because we have what we have», — Zelensky’s words are cited by the Ukrainian outlet Glavkom.
However, there will be no military end to the conflict, believes Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In his view, everyone understands this, and the sides now need to develop «realistic paths» out of the crisis.
«It is necessary to take into account the legitimate security concerns of all participants», — he noted.
But for Russia one important point is who will conduct negotiations and sign agreements. As President Vladimir Putin has noted, Ukraine’s leader is already illegitimate: his term has expired. This week Zelensky said he is ready to step down, but only when the SVO ends.
«My goal is to end the conflict», — he said.
