Russia's top security agency says it has seized dozens of kilos of explosives sent from Ukraine concealed in Orthodox Christian religious icons that had transited through the European Union. The seizure took place on Tuesday, following an inspection of cargo in the northwestern Pskov region near the Latvian border, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement. There was no immediate comment by Ukraine, which has been fighting off a Russian invasion since February 2022. The FSB said the cargo had passed through Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and comprised 70 kilos (154 pounds) of home-made explosives and explosive devices "hidden in icons and ready for use". One person was arrested, it continued, adding that it would seek to track down all those involved, including foreigners, who would then face legal proceedings in Russia.

Senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports the latest. Russia on Tuesday is claiming that so far this year, more than 335,000 people have signed up to fight in its military and volunteer units, although a further deployment to Ukraine is not coming, a report says. Reuters, citing Russian state television, quoted Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telling top generals that there are "no plans for an additional mobilization" and that "the armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation" in Ukraine. "Since the start of the year, more than 335,000 people have entered military service under contract and in volunteer formations," Shoigu reportedly added. "In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens signed contracts."

The United States says it has seen notable military progress by Ukraine's forces fighting in the Zaporizhia region over the last 72 hours. Ukrainian troops achieved "some success against that second line of Russian defences", White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. A recent drone attack on an airport in northwestern Russia's Pskov region was carried out from within Russian territory, Ukraine's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said. The Pskov regional governor said Russian air defence units had "neutralised an unidentified object" spotted flying over the region, just days after a wave of Ukrainian drones destroyed military planes parked at an airfield in the region. The United States says it has seen notable military progress by Ukraine's forces fighting in the Zaporizhia region over the last 72 hours.

Ukrainian officials are generally tight-lipped about attacks inside Russia, says BBC World Affairs correspondent Paul Adams. But it seems that as the campaign gathers pace, officials in Kyiv are more willing to claim them as part of the country's war effort.

Ukrainian officials are generally tight-lipped about attacks inside Russia. But it seems that as the campaign gathers pace, officials in Kyiv seem more willing to claim them as part of the country's war effort.

Russian transport aircraft have been reported damaged in a drone attack on an airport in Russia's western city of Pskov – located near the borders of Latvia and Estonia – where explosions, a large blaze and gunfire were reported, a local official and state media said. Russia's state-run TASS news agency, quoting emergency services, said early on Wednesday morning that four Il-76 heavy transport aircraft, which have long been the workhorse of the Russian military, were damaged at the airfield in Pskov, located roughly 800km (some 500 miles) from the border with Ukraine. "The defence ministry is repelling a drone attack in Pskov's airport," the regional Governor Mikhail Vedernikov said on the Telegram messaging app, posting a video of a large fire, with sounds of explosions and sirens in the background. Vedernikov, who was at the scene of the attack, said that "according to preliminary information, there are no victims". The scale of the damage to the airport was being assessed, he said.

Although Ukraine has not said it carried out specific drone strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process" as the war with Russia continues.

Fox News' Alex Hogan reports on Russia claiming Ukraine attacked the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate Vladmir Putin as the war in Ukraine rages on. Russia has trimmed down annual Victory Day celebrations, with some claiming the Kremlin fears protests and dissent following continued and severe losses in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has used the celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II, as propaganda opportunities. He used 2021 to warn that Russia's enemies once more followed "much of the ideology of the Nazis," a rallying cry he repeated throughout his invasion of Ukraine, and in 2022 he marched in the Immortal Regiment procession while holding a picture of his father in military attire. However, this year's celebrations will have much less fanfare as governors in Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, Oryol and Pskov as well as the Crimean Peninsula have all canceled their parades, The Guardian reported.