Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the country must be "ten times stronger" than Armenia "every day," explaining this by the need to maintain military superiority even after the initialing of a peace agreement between the two countries. He outlined his position on October 2 at the 8th Congress of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party in Baku.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the destruction or interception of 239 Ukrainian drones on the night of August 31. The attack, which affected several Russian regions, particularly the south of the country – the Rostov Region, Krasnodar Krai, Russian-controlled Crimea, and the Black Sea.
In the Rostov Region, according to Governor Yuri Slyusar, air defense forces shot down approximately 30 drones in six districts. In the Sholokhovsky District, two forest fires totaling over 1.5 hectares broke out after the attack. Rescuers continue to contain the fires. Authorities maintain there is no threat to populated areas, and no injuries or damage have been reported.
In the Krasnodar Region, a drone alert was issued in Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk this morning. In Gelendzhik, sirens were sounded to warn residents.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, drones were shot down overnight on Monday over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Rostov, Samara, Saratov, Tambov, and Tula regions, as well as over the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea.
Simultaneously, the Ukrainian Air Force reported nighttime launches of Russian drones from several directions. Specifically, they reported that the drones were launched from the Millerovsky District of the Rostov Region and from a training ground in Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Krasnodar Region.