Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory message to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of the republic's Independence Day. The text of the message was published on the Armenian government's website, though it has not yet appeared on the Kremlin's site.

Ramzan Kadyrov secured 99.85% of the vote in the election for the head of Chechnya—a record-breaking figure even by his own standards.

On the morning of September 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian air defense forces had destroyed 244 UAVs overnight. The drones were shot down over 19 Russian regions—including the Rostov and Krasnodar regions and the Republic of Adygea—as well as over the Black Sea.

Марат Камболов, бывший российский федеральный чиновник, объявлен избранным президентом Южной Осетии. На досрочных выборах 18 сентября он, по данным местной Центральной избирательной комиссии, получил более 85% голосов. Москва назвала результат подтверждением доверия жителей республики к новому руководству и заявила о намерении продолжать углубление союзнических отношений с Цхинвалом. Тбилиси и Брюссель, напротив, объявили голосование незаконным и не имеющим юридических последствий.

The parliament of North Ossetia–Alania has re-elected Sergei Menyailo as head of the republic for a second five-year term. Sixty-six deputies took part in the vote: 61 backed the incumbent, while five voted for Oleg Varnavin, deputy general director of Selengaуголь LLC. No one voted for the third candidate, Chermen Dudati, a regional parliament deputy and director of the V. V. Tkhapsaev North Ossetian Academic Theatre.

The People’s Assembly of Karachay-Cherkessia today approved Rashid Temrezov for a new five-year term as head of the republic. Forty-eight of the 50 deputies took part in the secret ballot, and all of them voted for the incumbent, as expected.

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sang the Ukrainian national anthem during a court hearing in Tbilisi. The politician, who was inside the defendant's cage, used the moment to express his support for Ukraine, as he stated on his Facebook page.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported intercepting 288 Ukrainian drones overnight into September 20 over several Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea. The aerial threat also affected the country's southern regions, specifically the Rostov Region, Krasnodar Krai, and Adygea.

Overnight into September 19, Dagestan was subjected to a massive drone attack.

Russia’s North Caucasus regions are taking part in the three-day voting that began today and will run from 18 to 20 September, with elections for the ninth State Duma, regional legislatures and heads of several federal subjects. Observers note that in regions where governors are being elected, the favourites are already known: they are the incumbent republican leaders, who have received the Kremlin administration’s backing in advance and are expected to retain their positions.