Russia is implementing a comprehensive informational strategy to deter Western support for Ukraine and weaken European involvement in the peace process

Russia has recently intensified three key propaganda lines aimed at shaping Western policy in Moscow’s favor: accusing European governments of prolonging the war in Ukraine, issuing veiled nuclear threats against the West, and insisting that Russia’s victory in Ukraine is inevitable.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), have been at the forefront of this campaign. Both men suggested that European states are deliberately dragging out the war—an attempt to revive a long-standing Russian narrative designed to erode U.S. confidence in its European allies. Dmitriev in particular often serves as Moscow’s voice to Western audiences on issues such as sanctions and the so-called “peace process,” using English-language media platforms to advance Kremlin talking points.

Meanwhile, former Russian president and current Security Council chair Dmitry Medvedev escalated the rhetoric with threats directed at European leaders. On August 31, writing in English on X (formerly Twitter), Medvedev lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for supporting U.S.-led efforts to end the war. He accused them of “forgetting the lessons” of World War II and suggested they could meet the same fate as Japan in 1945—an unmistakable reference to U.S. nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Medvedev also claimed that recent Russian battlefield gains are “bad news” for European leaders, amplifying the Russian Defense Ministry’s ongoing effort to paint Russia’s ultimate victory as inevitable, despite relying on inflated and misleading battlefield data.

Ukrainian power engineers were attacked in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, has reported that one of its service vehicles was destroyed by a Russian drone strike in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on August 29. The attack occurred while crews were carrying out emergency repair work in a frontline area.

According to the company, the drone completely destroyed the vehicle and all the specialized equipment on board. Fortunately, the workers managed to escape unharmed. “Despite the daily danger, our engineers continue to bring light to people in wartime,” DTEK said in a statement.

This was not the first time DTEK repair teams have come under fire. On August 6, another crew was targeted by Russian first-person view (FPV) drones in the same region, sparking a fire in power equipment. Once again, no employees were injured—but the repeated attacks underscore the severe risks faced by Ukrainian energy workers as they keep critical infrastructure running under constant threat.

Russians occupied a village in Donetsk Oblast and advanceed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Russian forces have captured the settlement of Komyshuvakha in Donetsk Oblast’s Volnovakha district, according to Ukrainian military analysts from the DeepState monitoring group.

The analysts also report that Russian troops have pushed forward in several other directions: near the village of Maliivka in eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and near Novoukrainka in Donetsk Oblast. These latest gains highlight the ongoing intensity of fighting across multiple fronts in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy ordered to purchase more air defence systems to protect the energy sector

On September 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directed Ukraine’s top military and security leadership to ramp up the country’s air defense and drone production ahead of winter.

Speaking after a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Zelenskyy said preparations for the heating season have been underway since the summer, with a strong focus on protecting Ukraine’s energy grid from Russian attacks.

He tasked National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umierov with coordinating government officials, regional administrations, and energy companies to procure more short- and medium-range air defense systems and to expand funding for domestic UAV manufacturers.

“The priority is intercepting Shaheds,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, referring to the Iranian-made drones Russia frequently uses to strike Ukrainian infrastructure. He added that the government is also reinforcing protection of power networks and facilities in frontline and border communities and ensuring backup supplies are in place.