Russia is building a new drone launch site near Ukraine border

Russia has begun building a new drone launch site in Bryansk Oblast near the Ukrainian border, OSINT analyst Brady Africk reported on Sept. 18, citing Maxar Technologies satellite imagery. Photos from Sept. 14 show storage areas and launch rails for drones, whereas imagery from July indicated the site was empty.

The facility is located just 35 kilometers from Ukraine’s border near the village of Aleshok, making it strategically positioned for strikes but also vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks. Bryansk Oblast borders Ukraine’s Chernihiv and Sumy regions and has already been targeted by Ukrainian strikes during the war.

Russia currently uses several locations — including Navlya in Bryansk Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, Oryol Oblast, and occupied territories in Ukraine — to launch Iranian-made Shahed drones and their Russian Geran-2 variants, which have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers.

Moscow’s drone campaign has escalated in recent months. In July alone, Russia launched a record 6,129 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine, followed by another record overnight assault of 810 drones on Sept. 7. German Major General Christian Freuding said in July that Russia is seeking the capacity to launch as many as 2,000 drones simultaneously.

The threat extends beyond Ukraine: Poland reported 21 Russian drones in its airspace on Sept. 10, at least three of which were shot down.

Russia is actively recruiting mercenaries from Middle East to fight in Ukraine

Russia, with Iran’s support, is recruiting mercenaries from across the Middle East to fight in Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 18, citing intelligence sources. Recruits include nationals from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen, with reports that even former ISIS militants are being enlisted — a move that has alarmed security experts.

According to the sources, Russia is offering cash payments and the promise of citizenship to address its ongoing manpower shortages. Mercenaries are transported through illegal migration and trade routes along four primary corridors: via Iran through Armenia or Azerbaijan into Russia, via Iran through Central Asia, or directly from Afghanistan through Central Asia.

Authorities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and several Central Asian countries have recently detained illegal migrants linked to these recruitment efforts. Their correspondence indicates coordination with Russian officials and explicit guarantees for their participation in combat.

One identified recruit, Iraqi citizen Amir Wisam Jwad, born in December 2006, was caught attempting to cross a border illegally. Photographs confirm that he had been recruited by Russia’s Ministry of Defense to fight in Ukraine.

Only half of university places in Ukraine are filled this new study year

Ukrainian universities are facing a significant surplus of bachelor’s degree places, with far fewer applicants than capacity, Education Ministry official Oleh Sharov said on Sept. 18.

This year, higher education institutions were ready to admit 429,000 students, but only around 200,000 applied. Sharov attributed the gap to a long-term demographic crisis, noting that 17–20 years ago, around half a million students enrolled annually.

He emphasized that while universities will continue admitting students until mid-October, the available 400,000 spots cannot be filled because there simply aren’t enough applicants. However, the surplus does not burden the state budget, as government-funded spots are allocated based on actual demand and demographic trends.