On September 25, 2025, fighting intensified between Ukraine and Russia, with reports of a Ukrainian drone attack in Novorossiysk resulting in at least two fatalities and injuries among workers connected to a Russian-Kazakh oil project, as reported by The Moscow Times. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed the deaths of 1,495 Ukrainian troops in the previous 24 hours, though these figures remain unverified.

In political developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting the dangers posed by Russian advancements in weaponry and artificial intelligence. He cautioned that halting Russian aggression now would be more cost-effective than grappling with future threats involving nuclear-equipped drones.

Additionally, Ukraine and Syria have reestablished diplomatic relations after a break in 2022, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who urged for progress towards a sustainable resolution to the conflict.

In economic news, Russia introduced its 2026 wartime budget, proposing an increase in the value-added tax (VAT) from 20% to 22%, which would generate an additional $15.5 billion. The budget forecasts a modest growth of 1% in 2025, a decline from 4.3% in 2024, with a projected growth of only 0.5% in 2026 amid a growing federal deficit of $61.1 billion reported earlier this year.



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