On the night of September 16, 71 drones were destroyed over Russian territory, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported. The regions targeted included the Kuban, as well as the Rostov and Astrakhan regions.

Martin Galstyan, Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, stated that a potential increase in the cost of Russian gas could have extremely severe economic consequences for the republic. The regulator factors this possibility into its calculations but does not currently view it as a primary scenario.

Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev, who has been held in an Almaty pre-trial detention center for 16 months, has attempted suicide. Vadim Drozdov, the lawyer representing him, reported this to *Novaya Gazeta Europe*.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has spoken out against the spread of anti-Russian rhetoric within the country. He stated that the authorities intend to prevent such sentiments—which he links to the radical wing of the opposition—from taking root in Georgian society.