KYIV, August 20, 2026 — Russia launched a major overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv and surrounding areas, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens as strikes damaged residential buildings, medical facilities and other infrastructure, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The attack began around midnight and continued into Thursday morning. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia deployed dozens of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles alongside 168 drones, placing the capital under sustained aerial threat.
The Solomianskyi district was among the hardest-hit areas. The upper floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed, while a children’s hospital, a school, warehouses and other facilities were also damaged. Fires broke out at several locations and power supplies were disrupted to tens of thousands of homes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its strikes targeted facilities involved in producing drone components, as well as a military depot and logistics infrastructure. Ukrainian officials, however, highlighted the extensive damage to civilian areas and renewed calls for additional air-defense capabilities.
The scale of the attack also triggered heightened security measures beyond Ukraine. Poland activated military aircraft, ground-based air-defense systems and radar surveillance as a precaution, although Polish authorities later said no violation of the country’s airspace had been recorded.
The latest barrage underscores the continuing intensity of the aerial war, with long-range missiles and drones increasingly placing civilian populations and infrastructure under pressure far beyond the front lines.
