According to reports, the administration of US President Donald Trump has approved the first arms package for Ukraine through the initiative, which allows NATO members and partners to finance the supply of US weapons and technology to Ukraine.
This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
"Reuters" reported, citing sources, that Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby had approved two shipments worth $500 million each, which include air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 17 that the U.S. package would include Patriot interceptor missiles and HIMARS missiles.
Senior Russian officials continue to publicly signal the Kremlin's reluctance to engage in negotiations that lead to anything less than Ukraine's complete surrender. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on September 17 that territorial swaps would not end Russia's war in Ukraine, contradicting Trump's recent statements that peace would require "territorial swaps".
Lavrov also said that attempts to "bait" Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to restore U.S.-Russia trade also will not end the war in Russia. Lavrov reiterated the Kremlin's long-standing demands that any future peace agreement address the "root causes" of the war, which Kremlin officials have repeatedly described as Ukraine's alleged discrimination against Russian-speakers in Ukraine and NATO expansion, among other demands from both Ukraine and NATO.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 17 that Russia remained open to the negotiation process and that Russia's "preferred solution" was a political and diplomatic settlement.
Senior Kremlin officials, likely with the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin, removed Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak from his top Kremlin position after years of disagreement with Putin's policy on the war in Ukraine. Russian state media outlet RBC reported on September 17 that two sources familiar with the matter said that Kozak "resigned" from his post over the weekend (September 13-14) and was considering various proposals to move into business.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has identified the base and commander of Russia's Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies.
RFE/RL reported that elements of Rubicon played a role in the capture of Kursk Oblast in late 2024 and operated in the Kupyansk and Pokrovsk directions in late January 2025, in the Kharkov and Ugledar directions in mid-February 2025, and in the southern part of Donetsk Oblast in early March 2025.
On September 4, a Russian blogger stated that the number of published cases of the destruction of Ukrainian "Baba Yaga" drones by "Rubikon" had increased more than 20-fold to over 440 cases between late February 2025 and late August 2025.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) is directing recruits to the "Avant-garde" Center, and Russian forces are reportedly training foreign recruits at "Avant-garde". Russia is using the Rubicon Center to improve its drone capabilities in Ukraine. Rubicon may work with the Avangard Center and other military elements in or near Patriot Park to train Russian soldiers and youth in drone operations.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is holding a command-and-staff military exercise in Kyrgyzstan from September 17 to 20. The CSTO and the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry announced that the Rubezh-2025 exercise began on September 17 and involves military contingents from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, as well as operational groups from the CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat.
The core of the Russian contingent consists of elements from the Central Military District (CMD), including the 201st military base in Tajikistan, and a total of 1,200 servicemen and 500 units of military equipment, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and combat boats, are participating in the exercise. Russia concluded its joint military exercises with Belarus, "Zapad-2025", on September 16, during which it shared tactical lessons, including on drone warfare.
Russia is likely to share similar lessons during the CSTO "Rubezh-2025" exercise.