Kyiv, Sept. 22 -- The war in Ukraine entered day 1,305 with a familiar, volatile rhythm: escalating cross-border drone strikes, nervous air defenses across Europe's northeast, and a diplomatic calendar in New York crowded with emergency sessions and awkward bilaterals. Monday's picture, while fragmentary, underscored two late-phase trends that now define the conflict: Ukraine's deepening long-range reach into Russian energy assets and Russia's sprawling response aimed at grinding down Ukraine's cities and electrical grid. For continuity of the week's arc, see NATO patrols Poland and related overnight intercepts.

Ukrainian officials described fresh attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in the Volga region, an increasingly frequent target ...