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Russia tries to freeze Ukraine as it suffers record casualties and retreats
Is the war entering a new phase? Russia suffered its highest losses of 2026 in September, when 46,230 of its soldiers were killed or wounded, according to the Ukrainian military . The new record comes after Russian casualties of about 40,000 a month since June, and is close to the goal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set in January of 50,000 Russian casualties a month. Russia reportedly lost 2,090 troops on September 28 - its highest 24-hour casualty rate of the war. Al Jazeera cannot verify casualty claims from either side.
Russia's drones threaten Kyiv-bound Western officials as war effort stalls
Is the war entering a new phase? Russia's drones threaten Kyiv-bound Western officials as war effort stalls Share Russia's drones threaten Kyiv-bound Western officials as war effort stalls on social media Russia has threatened the safety of Ukrainian, American and European officials travelling to and from Kyiv using drones. These attacks have come as Russia's ground war stumbles. On September 13, Russian drones struck a Ukrainian train locomotive 5km (3 miles) from the border with Poland, endangering European officials travelling to Warsaw after they attended the Yalta European Strategy conference, an annual gathering of global political, business and civil society leaders in Kyiv. Boris Johnson, Britain's former premier, and European political and security officials were on the train.
Drone attacks by Colombian armed groups more than double in early 2026
Drone attacks by armed groups in Colombia surged 146 percent in the first five months of this year compared with the same period in 2025, according to the country's Ombudsman's Office. The attacks killed 21 people and wounded 145 others, including children. Civilians accounted for nearly a third of those killed or wounded, the office said on Thursday. Drones are part of the escalating war between armed groups and government forces, leaving civilians caught in between. Homes, educational institutions, petrol stations and infrastructure were also hit.
Israel weaponises AI for West Bank demolitions
'This is an apartheid regime' Does Trump have real leverage over Netanyahu? As the world wrestles with the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and the dangers of removing humans from life-altering decisions, Israel has pressed ahead with deploying AI as part of its military arsenal. In Gaza, AI systems have been used to determine potential bomb targets, contributing to the scale of the killing of Palestinians there as recently documented in the award-winning documentary NAZA . The Turkish media outlet PalDigital, citing rights activists and Israeli media reports, highlighted how Israel uses AI tools - and specifically a product called ImiSight developed by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael - to monitor vast swathes of land and observe changes that can then be used as justifications for demolitions. The tool was initially used by Israel in the Naqab desert, targeting Bedouin Palestinian citizens of Israel, PalDigital reported in July.
Peace talks rich in symbolism but fundamental differences between Russia and Ukraine remain
The talks in Kyiv were rich in symbolism. The fact they had to travel by train because they could not risk flying and running the gauntlet of Russian drones - weapons launched on the orders of the man at whose table they sat in the Kremlin only hours ago. The symbolism of Ukrainian President Zelensky greeting Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral, not only an icon of Ukraine's ancient history, but also just a few yards from where Russian drones hit the headquarters of the country's security services on Friday. You did not have to join too many dots to work out the point Zelensky was making. Both sides held talks for several hours; they were later joined by some European national security advisers, including the UK's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
Israeli drone strike on 'civilian vehicle' injures several in Syria
An Israeli drone strike in southwestern Syria has injured several people, the country's foreign ministry says, in the latest of near-daily Israeli incursions and attacks in the area. Syria's official Alikhbariya channel reported on Saturday that a man was wounded when an Israeli drone hit his truck near the town of Beit Jinn in the western Damascus countryside. The activity "posed an immediate threat to our forces", the military added. Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement that Saturday's strike resulted in several civilian injuries. It said it "condemns in the strongest terms" the targeting of a "civilian vehicle" by an Israeli drone.