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Successor talk swirls as 61,000 pay homage to Pope Francis

Post author By Mike Nova
Post date April 24, 2025

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Cardinals could pick a progressive pope ready to build off the changes Francis brought to the church or a conservative who could ratchet them back.

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Russia-Ukraine War Updates
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Created with 3.1 Pro September 3, 2026 at 04:20 AM
Published September 3, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Russia Ukraine war news today

Here are the latest major developments in the Russia-Ukraine war as of September 3, 2026:

Sustained Aerial Campaigns
Kyiv Under Continuous Fire: The Ukrainian capital has faced Russian aerial attacks for seven consecutive days, with recent barrages injuring at least 13 people and causing damage to sites including the Boryspil area.

Ukrainian Strikes in Luhansk: In the Russian-controlled region of Luhansk, a series of Ukrainian drone strikes killed four people and injured three others, according to Russian-installed regional authorities.

Ukrainian long-range military drone in production, AI generated
Ukrainian long-range military drone in production. Source: News and Sentinel
Escalation of Deep Strikes
Russian Skies Declared Unsafe: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly warned airlines that Russian airspace is now “full of our drones and not safe.” He recently ordered the Ukrainian military to triple its daily long-range strikes into Russian territory.

Targeting Logistics and Infrastructure: Ukraine has launched massive waves of drones targeting the Moscow region, specifically hitting major logistics hubs and warehouses—including those belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries—as well as oil supply infrastructure to disrupt the Russian economy.

Drone Factory Sabotage: Vladimir Tkachuk, a Russian drone factory director who previously showcased equipment to President Vladimir Putin, was seriously injured in a recent targeted car explosion.

Border and Regional Incidents
NATO Airspace Incursion: A NATO fighter jet was forced to shoot down a drone that crossed into Romanian airspace near the border with Ukraine, marking another incident of spillover from the conflict into neighboring territories.

Crimea Shooting: Inside Russian-held Crimea, a Russian serviceman opened fire on fellow soldiers and civilians, killing four people and wounding four others before being apprehended.

To explore these developments further:

Impact of Ukraine’s deep strikes

Status of Western air defense
What is the current status of Western air defense systems and interceptor missiles being supplied to Ukraine?

As of late 2026, the status of Western air defense systems in Ukraine is defined by a critical bottleneck: while the launcher platforms remain largely intact and operational, the supply of interceptor missiles has severely degraded, fundamentally altering the strategic calculus on the ground.

President Zelenskyy noted in August 2026 that the delivery of air-defense missiles from international partners had dropped threefold compared to 2025.

Here is the strategic breakdown of how this shortage is impacting the battlefield: