Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on September 26th, 2025, that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is deceiving U.S. President Donald Trump, who Zelenskyy thinks understands Putin is "playing games" with him. This comes as a drone strike hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, causing a large fire and potentially disabling its heavy fuel processing capabilities, according to analysis by CyberBoroshno. An independent panel of experts has found credible evidence of systematic neglect, abuse, and deliberate mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by the Russian state, with violations potentially amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, as reported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The drone strike on the Afipsky oil refinery, specifically targeting its combined vacuum distillation, visbreaking, and sulfur recovery complex, significantly impacts its ability to refine heavy oil into quality fuels, according to CyberBoroshno. President Zelenskyy's remarks about Putin's communication with President Trump were made during his team's extensive engagement in the United States, which involved over 30 events aimed at strengthening cooperation. Separately, the international community has been alerted to the severe mistreatment of Ukrainian POWs by Russia. Previously, Ukrainian naval drones participated in NATO's REPMUS 2025 exercise, serving as the "enemy" against allied nations, incorporating scenarios inspired by Ukraine's battlefield experiences. President Zelenskyy also reiterated Ukraine's firm stance that it will never recognize Russian-occupied territories as part of any peace deal. In related regional developments, a downed Russian UAV exploded near the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, raising concerns about nuclear security, and a fuel train derailed in Russia's Smolensk region, causing a fire. Poland had also urged its citizens to leave Belarus due to rising tensions. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban rejected U.S. President Trump's request to reduce Russian energy imports, citing economic impacts.
