Russian Jet-Drones Strike Kyiv as North Korea Prepares More Troops and Yemen War Toll Passes 800
Tuesday brief 34 | 2026
TUESDAY BRIEFS
9/29/2026
Russian Jet-Drones Strike Ukraine’s National Science Academy
Russia launched a new wave of attacks across Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 80 as faster jet-powered drones struck Kyiv and several other cities.
One drone hit the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv, killing two people and injuring 24. The strike caused a fire inside the building, which houses one of the country’s most important scientific institutions. Three people were killed when another drone hit a business centre in Dnipro, while further casualties were reported in Synelnykove and Zaporizhzhia.
The attacks demonstrated Russia’s increasing use of jet-powered unmanned aircraft. Unlike conventional propeller-driven attack drones, the newer systems travel at substantially higher speeds, reducing the amount of time available for Ukrainian air defences to identify and intercept them.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 57% of the jet drones used in the latest attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was testing new interceptors as it attempts to adapt its air-defence network to the changing threat.
The strikes came as Ukraine continued its own campaign against Russian oil facilities and defence-related infrastructure, extending a cycle of increasingly frequent long-range attacks far beyond the immediate front line.
Zelenskyy Says North Korea Is Preparing Another 10,000 Soldiers
Ukraine says North Korea is preparing to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to Russia, further expanding Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war.
Zelenskyy said more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers were currently in Russia and that preparations were under way for the additional deployment. He has previously said as many as 50,000 North Korean troops could eventually be sent to support Russian forces.
North Korea has already supplied Russia with artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles and other military equipment. Ukrainian and South Korean estimates indicate that approximately 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia since 2024, with many deployed in the Kursk region.
The issue has also produced an unusual diplomatic dispute between Ukraine and South Korea. Kyiv recently transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea after the men requested to go there. Seoul subsequently summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador, saying Kyiv had violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. Ukraine has disputed that account.
Zelenskyy has urged South Korea to provide additional assistance to Ukraine, particularly air-defence systems. Seoul has provided humanitarian and economic support but has remained cautious about directly supplying lethal weapons.
UK Investigates Suspected Terror Plot Near RAF Fairford
British counterterrorism police are investigating five men arrested near RAF Fairford, an airbase used by US forces, over a suspected terrorist plot involving explosives.
The men were arrested after suspicious activity was reported around the Gloucestershire base. Police investigated suspected offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act. The five suspects have since been released on bail while the investigation continues.
RAF Fairford has hosted US Air Force bombers involved in operations connected to the Iran conflict, making a possible Iranian connection one focus of public attention. British authorities, however, have not established publicly that Iran directed the suspected plot.
Iran has rejected suggestions of involvement, describing speculation connecting Tehran to the arrests as malicious. British officials have also cautioned against drawing conclusions while investigators examine the suspects’ motives, contacts and activities.
The investigation comes amid heightened concern in Britain and other European countries about potential attacks, sabotage and proxy operations linked to conflicts overseas.
Netanyahu Makes Secret Visit to Abu Dhabi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled secretly to Abu Dhabi over the weekend for a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in an unusual visit subsequently confirmed by the United Arab Emirates.
According to people briefed on the meeting cited by the Associated Press, Netanyahu sought a public denial from the Emirati leader of a report alleging that he had warned Netanyahu before the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Netanyahu’s office has strongly disputed the report.
UAE state media confirmed Netanyahu’s visit but presented the talks as focused on bilateral relations.
The meeting occurred amid a complicated regional environment for both countries. Israel and the UAE established formal relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020, but subsequent wars in Gaza and Iran have placed considerable pressure on regional diplomatic relationships.
The wider regional agenda also includes continuing conflict in Yemen and efforts to secure Red Sea shipping routes.
More Than 800 Killed in Renewed Saudi-Houthi War
More than 800 people have been killed since renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis intensified, according to figures reported by the World Health Organisation.
The conflict has escalated rapidly in recent weeks, with Houthi forces launching missiles and drones towards Riyadh and other Saudi targets while Saudi-led forces conduct strikes inside Yemen.
Saudi Arabia said over the weekend that its coalition intercepted two drones heading towards Riyadh and two ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait.
The renewed conflict has also affected energy infrastructure and shipping routes. Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast have increased security concerns around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the principal maritime connections between the Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Suez Canal.
The fighting comes as the wider Middle East is already absorbing the economic and security consequences of the Iran war, including pressure on oil supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pro-Government Forces Capture Strategic Tigray Town
Ethiopian government-aligned forces and allied militias say they have captured Alamata, a strategically important town approximately 120 kilometres south of Tigray’s regional capital, Mekelle.
Alamata is an important transport and logistical hub and has repeatedly changed hands during years of conflict in northern Ethiopia. Its capture represents a significant territorial development as renewed fighting threatens the peace agreement that ended the 2020–22 Tigray war.
The Ethiopian military has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting Tigrayan forces. Those governments have denied the allegations.
Communications remain severely restricted in parts of Tigray, making independent assessment of battlefield developments difficult. Medical organisations have reported increasing numbers of casualties, while civilians have begun leaving areas affected by the fighting.
The renewed conflict has placed the 2022 Pretoria Agreement under growing pressure. That agreement ended most direct fighting between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front after a conflict that caused widespread displacement, hunger and destruction.
Bangkok Flooding Affects Around 700,000 People
Floodwaters have begun receding across Bangkok after days of exceptionally heavy rainfall affected approximately 700,000 people.
All 50 districts of the Thai capital were declared disaster areas during the flooding. Nearly 7,000 people were staying in emergency shelters, while roads, businesses and residential neighbourhoods remained inundated in some areas.
At least 12 people have died in flooding across Thailand, including two in Bangkok. Eastern districts of the capital were among the areas hardest hit.
Transportation was heavily disrupted, and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport experienced delays partly because airport employees struggled to reach work through flooded areas.
The rain has eased, allowing water levels to decline, but authorities continue to warn of possible flash floods and landslides. Severe weather has also affected neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia.
Eighteen Killed in South African Tavern Shooting
Residents of Wedela township southwest of Johannesburg are confronting the aftermath of a mass shooting that killed 18 people at a local tavern.
Witnesses said eight attackers wearing balaclavas entered the establishment and opened fire. Police recovered large numbers of spent cartridges, including ammunition associated with AK-47 rifles, and launched a search for those responsible.
The death toll increased after another victim died from injuries sustained in the attack.
The Wedela killings were part of an exceptionally violent weekend in South Africa. A separate shooting in the Western Cape contributed to a combined death toll of more than two dozen people across the two incidents.
Residents told Reuters that the attack had created widespread fear in the township as police continued investigating the gunmen and their motive.
The developments entering Tuesday span several regions experiencing sharply different forms of instability: Russia is deploying faster drones against Ukrainian cities as Kyiv warns of another North Korean troop deployment; Britain is investigating a suspected terrorist plot near a US-used airbase; fighting is intensifying again in Ethiopia and Yemen; and communities in Thailand and South Africa are dealing with the consequences of flooding and mass violence.
The full source material for the developments covered in this report is available through the references below. Readers can follow the links to access the original reporting and read each story in full.
References:
Russia, Ukraine & North Korea
• Reuters — Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine
• The New York Times — Russian Drone Strikes Ukraine’s Science Academy, Causing Fire in City Center
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/world/europe/urkaine-drone-attack-kyiv-academy-sciences.html
• Reuters — Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says North Korea prepares to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia
• Euronews — Seoul demands apology after Kyiv reveals transfer of North Korean POWs
United Kingdom & Security
• Axios — What to know about RAF terror plot arrests and possible Iran link
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/28/uk-fairford-bomb-plot-arrests-iran-link-investigation
Israel, UAE & the Middle East
• Associated Press — Netanyahu meets Emirati leader in a secret weekend trip to Abu Dhabi, and other Mideast developments
• Al Jazeera — UAE confirms Israel PM Netanyahu’s visit to Abu Dhabi
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/28/uae-confirms-netanyahu-visit-to-abu-dhabi
Saudi Arabia & Yemen
• The New York Times — Over 800 Killed in Renewed Houthi-Saudi War in Yemen, W.H.O. Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/world/middleeast/yemen-war-800-dead.html
Ethiopia & Tigray
• Reuters — Ethiopian pro-government forces claim capture of strategic Tigray town
Thailand
• Associated Press — Bangkok floodwaters begin to ease after torrential rains affect 700,000 people
https://apnews.com/article/thailand-rain-floods-bangkok-airport-7a58485fa6f04454e0292aa30a2834e1
South Africa
• Reuters — South African township living in fear after tavern shooting that left 18 dead
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