In September, Russia gains almost two times less Ukrainian territory than the preceding month, DeepState says. Russia launched more drones at Ukraine in September than the previous month. Ukraine has received a 4 billion euro loan from the EU funded by seized Russian assets.
Russia gains almost two times less Ukrainian territory in September than preceding month, DeepState says
Russia’s rate of advance slowed in September as its territorial gains last month amounted to almost two times less than they were in August, a Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState said Wednesday.
Russian forces captured 259 square kilometers in September, the smallest gains since May 2025. They also appear to be 44 per cent less than what they occupied in August. Russia seized 0.04 per cent of Ukraine’s overall territory in September, bringing the swath of occupied land to a total of 19.4 per cent.
Russia made its largest gains in the Novopavlivka direction that account for 53 per cent of all land seized last month.
“The Novopavlivka direction is a key troubled section [of the front line] where a share of gains far exceeds that of assaults and the latest appointments do not give much hope for improvement,” DeepState said.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian defenses continue to be efficient. “The price [Russia has paid] for each meter here is much higher. The enemy has closed in on the city from the south, while fighting in the windbreaks and inside the city entail different levels of difficulty,” the message reads.
Russia has failed to capture any big cities during its offensive in spring and summer 2025. The campaign largely ended in nothing, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on August 31.
The Russian military command reportedly redeployed relatively “elite” naval infantry and airborne (VDV) forces to Donetsk Oblast from northern Sumy Oblast and the Kherson direction in an effort to seize the remainder of Donetsk region, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report on September 1.
Russia launches more drones at Ukraine in September than previous month
In September 2025, Russia carried out major drone attacks on Ukraine every day. A similar pattern was recorded between January and March, and between June and August this year. Russia used more drones against Ukraine than the previous month, Ukrainian news outlet Novynarnya said on October 1 having analyzed daily updates issued by the Ukrainian Air Force throughout last month.
Russia used a total of 5,823 missiles, attack and decoy drones against Ukraine in September. It used an average of 194 aerial targets a day.
In August, Russia fired a total of 4,288 missiles and drones at Ukraine, with the daily average standing at 138. July’s total was 6,495, and the daily average was 209. June’s total was 5,665, and the daily average was 189.
Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 5,023 missiles and drones that Russia launched at Ukraine throughout September.
It used a total of 5,638 drones, including decoys, 1,506 drones more than in August when it fired 4,132 drones at Ukraine. In July, it launched 6,297 drones against the country. The June figure stood at 5,438 and that of May was 4,003.
In September, Russia used an average of 188 drones in an attack. The figure was 133 in August, 203 in July, 181 in June, 92 in May, 138 in April, 135 in March and 139.5 in February.
Russia increased its daily use of drones with the levels matching those of the first half of the summer.
The Ukrainian Air Force said in morning updates that a majority of drones Russia used against Ukraine were Shahed attack drones.
Ukraine’s air defenses destroyed or otherwise neutralized a total of 4,895 drones throughout September. The number of drones that were destroyed was 3,445 in August, 5,574 in July, 4,681 in June, 1,852 in May, 1,198 in April, 2,435 in March, 2,209 in February and 1,598 in January.
In September, Ukraine’s air defenses destroyed an average of 163 drones per an attack, placing the number between 180 in July and 111 in August. The figure was 90 in June, 64 in May, 44.4 in April, 78.5 in March and 79 in February.
Ukraine receives 4 billion euro loan from EU funded by seized Russian assets
Ukraine received on October 1 a 4 billion euro tranche from the EU under the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loans initiative, the country’s Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Wednesday.
The EU has sent to Ukraine 14 billion euros from these assets of the planned 18.1. The country is supposed to get the rest by the end of 2025.
The funds can be used to cover social and military expenditures as well as finance recovery projects, the ministry said.
“Since February 2022, the European Union has been the largest provider of direct budgetary support to Ukraine – EUR 62.5 billion. The ERA funds have become an important tool to meet budgetary needs in 2025,” Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko was quoted as saying in a statement released by the ministry.
The ERA Loans for Ukraine Initiative uses extraordinary revenues generated by immobilized Russian sovereign assets to provide financial support to Ukraine. G7 countries are collectively providing USD 50 billion to the country through the initiative.
G7 countries and the EU have disbursed almost 28 billion dollars as part of the move since 2024. Ukraine received a previous 1 billion euro tranche on September 10.
The EU is looking at using frozen Russian assets to finance military assistance for Ukraine.
