Russia and Ukraine fire drones, missiles and bombs as Zelenskyy seeks help at UN

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, the fire following a Russian missile attack is seen in Tatarbunary, Odesa region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia said that it shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow while Ukraine said that Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy persevered with efforts to bolster international support for his country at a UN gathering of world leaders on Tuesday.

With his troops under strain on the front line after more than three years of fighting Russia’s bigger invading army, Zelenskyy was due to begin meetings with leaders gathered in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. They included U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, told The Associated Press.

Peace efforts set in motion by Trump since he returned to office in January appear to have stalled. Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Zelenskyy and key European leaders took place more than a month ago, but the war has continued unabated.

Zelenskyy said that he met late Monday in New York with Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy. Kellogg and Zelenskyy discussed cooperation agreements on the manufacturing of drones and Ukraine’s purchase of American weaponry, the Ukrainian president said on Telegram.

European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, even as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is expected to take center stage at the United Nations. Some European countries are alarmed by the possibility that the war could spread beyond Ukraine amid what they have called Russian provocations.

NATO allies will hold formal consultations at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said that three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace last week without authorization.

Meanwhile, the full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said earlier this month that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared to 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.

Also, a UN Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.

“Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian civilian detainees in occupied territory to torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in a widespread and systematic manner,” the report said.

Russian aircraft dropped five glide bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia during the night, killing a man, regional head Ivan Fedorov said Tuesday.

In the Odesa region of southern Ukraine, Russian ballistic missiles struck the town center of Tatarbunary, killing a woman, regional head Oleh Kiper said Tuesday morning.

Overall, Russian forces launched three Iskander ballistic missiles and 115 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. It said that 103 drones were intercepted or jammed, but 12 drones and three missiles reached their targets at six locations.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 40 Ukrainian drones flying toward the Russian capital were shot down between Monday evening and midday Tuesday.

Flights were temporarily halted overnight in and out of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, causing delays and cancellations, because of the attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported Tuesday that it intercepted 69 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

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Illia Novikov, The Associated Press