Russian forces have unleashed a major attack on Ukraine in the early hours today, with multiple ballistic missiles targeting the capital Kyiv.
At least 12 people were killed and 33 have been injured in the strikes, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said, as witnesses reported more than a dozen explosions.
Poland said it was activating a range of defensive measures in response to the strikes unfolding across the border, describing them as "preventive military aviation operations".
A children’s hospital in Kyiv was struck in the attack, Klitschko said, while people were trapped in one destroyed residential building and fires broke out in multiple locations.
The attack comes hours after president Vladimir Putin admitted that Ukrainian attacks were causing Russia harm, in statements made on Wednesday.
"Of course, such attacks have not caused, and could not cause, critical consequences. However, they do inflict damage; this is obvious, and we fully understand and acknowledge it," he told a conference of ministers and business leaders on the economy.
Ukraine has upped its long-range attacks on critical energy infrastructure over the last few months.
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Key Points
- Major Russian attack on Ukraine kills 12 and injures 33
- Zelensky condemns Russian ‘terror’ after deadly strikes across Ukraine - watch
- Drone crashes in Romanian territory during Russian attack on Ukraine
- Ukraine's parliament approves Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister
Why are Patriot defence systems in such short supply?
14:15 , Suha KidwaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked allies for additional supplies, saying Kyiv needs around 300 interceptors by winter to strengthen its defences.
Patriot systems are advanced US-made air-defence systems designed to detect and intercept incoming aircraft, drones and missiles.
Patriot systems are in unusually high demand as wars across the Middle East have consumed large numbers of interceptors, while the US and its allies are also trying to replenish their own depleted stocks, creating fierce competition for limited supplies.
The problem is particularly acute for advanced PAC-3 interceptors, which are expensive and technically complex to manufacture.
For Ukraine, the shortage is being felt, where recent Russian attacks have exposed gaps in its ability to intercept ballistic missiles.
In pictures: Kyiv grapples with aftermath of Russian strikes
13:45 , Suha Kidwai
Death toll in Ukraine rises to 16, says Kyiv
13:15 , Suha KidwaiEmergency services in Ukraine have now said that 15 people have been killed in the capital, with another fatality in the wider Kyiv region after Russian missiles pounded the city on Thursday morning.
Kyiv was the primary target, but hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country, according to the air force.
About 40 more people have been wounded.
The attack has come after Ukraine’s attempt to shift the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities and other infrastructure.
Ukrainian foreign minister condemns Russian breach of EU airspace
12:45 , Suha KidwaiForeign minister, Andrii Sybiha has publicly condemned Russia’s breach of Moldova and Romania's airspace in its overnight strikes on Ukraine.
In a post on X, the minister urged for a collective response from NATO members, arguing that the “security and stability of the entire region are at stake.”
During its overnight attack against Ukraine, Russia once again violated the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, while a Ukrainian-Moldovan border crossing point was targeted.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 20, 2026
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of Russia's deliberate and systemic…
At least 12 people are confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine after the Russian attacks.
Ukraine hits Russia's Taneco oil refinery, military confirms
12:15 , Suha KidwaiUkraine's military has confirmed it hit Russia's Taneco oil refinery in the Tatarstan region, as well as the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in the Krasnodar region.
The strikes, carried out on Wednesday and overnight, caused fires at both sites, the Ukraine’s general staff said on Telegram.
The strike is set to put further pressure on the Russian economy, as reports of fuel shortages continue to emerge.
Taneco is estimated to process up to 16 million tons of crude oil per year.
Kremlin calls into question ousted Ukrainian minister's demand for wartime elections
11:45 , Suha KidwaiThe Kremlin has commented on the ousted Ukrainian defence minister's recent call for wartime elections.
The former Ukrainian defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, called for wartime elections in a bombshell address last week in the biggest internal challenge to President Volodymyr Zelensky since the start of the full-scale conflict.
Calling for wartime elections in Ukraine, Putin has said that the Kyiv leadership lost legitimacy after it refused to hold elections when the president’s elected term expired.
Kyiv has maintained that it cannot hold elections while under martial law amid Russian attacks.
Kyiv calls for Ukrainians living abroad to take action against Russian 'barbarism'
11:15 , Suha KidwaiForeign minister, Andrii Sybiha has called for Ukrainians living abroad to ‘take action.’
In a post on X, Sybiha said: “Each Russian ballistic missile is an act of barbarism. And each interceptor delivered to Ukraine is an act of humanity and saved human lives.”
A horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv. This was one of the most brutal Russian attacks to date, with ballistic missiles raining down on our capital one after another.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 20, 2026
At least 12 people were killed in Kyiv, and one more in the Kyiv region. A school, a children’s hospital, and… pic.twitter.com/Wqz0p3pNS2
Emphasising the need for stronger public support, the minister added: “I urge Ukrainians abroad to take action.
“We are calling on the Ukrainian World Congress, as well as all Ukrainian organisations and communities in key capitals and around the world, to raise their voices now.”
Europe's largest nuclear plant loses last external power line, confirms nuclear watchdog
10:45 , Suha KidwaiUkraine’s Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station has lost its only remaining external power line, the United Nations’ nuclear agency has said.
This has forced emergency diesel generators to start supplying vital safety systems.
The IAEA has been informed that the 330 kV Ferosplavna-1 power line at the Zaporizhzhya NPP – the plant’s only remaining off-site power line - was disconnected at 00:44 local time today resulting in a new loss of off-site power. The location of the damage to the line was… pic.twitter.com/U5WemCPB0b
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) August 20, 2026
In a post on X, The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that initial assessment indicated the damage was located on the northern bank of the Dnipro River, and technicians were unable to determine the outage's cause due to military activity.
Russian forces seized the station, which is Europe's largest nuclear facility, in the first weeks of their February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine stresses importance of more Patriot air defence systems
10:15 , Suha KidwaiKyiv has emphasised the need for more Patriot missile systems to fend off Russian attacks.
Widely considered the most effective defence against both ballistic and cruise missiles, Ukraine has underlined the value of Patriot systems in its war effort.
In a post on X, the ministry of defence said: “And as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistic defence, Russia will not consider peace seriously.
“But Patriot interceptors cannot yet be replaced, and we need them every day. Every additional missile saves the lives of our people.”
The statement follows a devastating barrage of Russian missile attacks on Kyiv overnight.
Russia launched dozens of missiles and 168 drones in overnight attack on Ukraine
09:45 , Arpan RaiUkraine's air force says Russia launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 168 drones, in its overnight attack on the country.
It said that air defence units downed 145 drones and most of the cruise missiles but none of the missiles that run on ballistic trajectory.
The Kyiv region was the main target of the attack, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong denies Zelensky's claim on additional troops deployment
09:10 , Arpan RaiNorth Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, denied Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Pyongyang plans to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.
Kim Yo Jong, a top official in North Korea's ruling party, said in a statement published by state media KCNA that Zelensky's estimate was "groundless" and "a self-staged incident”.
Zelensky made his claim in a post on X this month, and he called on South Korea to provide support for his country's air defences.
Kim Yo Jong said responsibility for the outbreak and for the prolongation of the Ukraine crisis lay entirely with the United States and the West.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Region in 2024, under a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty agreed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's June 2024 visit to Pyongyang.
Drone crashes in Romanian territory during Russian attack on Ukraine
08:55 , Arpan RaiA drone has crashed into Romanian national territory during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, the Romanian defence ministry said this morning.
The drone crashed into an uninhabited area of the Romanian county of Tulcea, the ministry said.
Zelensky says Russians prepared 'for long time' for major overnight attack on Kyiv
08:25 , Arpan RaiRussian forces had been "preparing for a long time" for the attack that took place in Ukraine overnight, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Russian ballistic missiles killed 12 people and injured more than 30 in Kyiv early on Thursday, officials said.
“It was a massive attack – the Russians had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky said in his overnight address.
Emergency crews have been working at the sites of Russian strikes since overnight. It was a massive attack – the Russians had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible… pic.twitter.com/zvOkAwgNlf
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2026
Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power supply
08:10 , Arpan RaiThe Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has switched to emergency diesel generators after damage to a high-voltage line caused the facility to lose external power, the plant management said this morning.
"Plant personnel are monitoring the equipment's operating parameters. All necessary measures to maintain the safe condition of the power units are being taken in full," the Moscow-installed management said, adding that radiation levels were normal.
It is not immediately clear if the overnight barrage of Russian attacks are linked to the power outage at the facility.
The plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, produces no electricity but needs power supplied by two external links to keep nuclear fuel cool.
Russia launched dozens of missiles and 168 drones in overnight attack on Ukraine
07:54 , Arpan RaiUkraine's air force says Russia launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 168 drones, in its overnight attack on the country.
It said that air defence units downed 145 drones and most of the cruise missiles but none of the missiles that run on ballistic trajectory.
The Kyiv region was the main target of the attack, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
Russia claims it struck drone component facilities and other targets in Kyiv
07:25 , Arpan RaiRussia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the surrounding region with airstrikes and drones, hitting facilities producing drone components, a military depot and a logistics hub, among other targets, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram.
Moscow has intensified ballistic missile attacks on the capital to constrain Kyiv's air defence stocks.
Kyiv has limited systems capable of intercepting ballistic threats, while supplies of missiles for its US-made Patriot air defence systems remain chronically constrained.
Russian missile barrage across Ukraine's capital kills at least 12 and wounds 33
07:19 , Arpan RaiA Russian missile barrage overnight has killed at least 12 people in Kyiv as explosions echoed across Ukraine's capital throughout the night, local authorities said.
At least 33 people were wounded, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. The air raid alert remained active into the early morning hours Thursday.
The strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging residential buildings, a medical facility and an educational institution.
Emergency crews were at the scene and pulled people out from under the rubble.
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong denies Zelensky's claim on additional troops deployment
06:39 , Arpan RaiNorth Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, denied Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Pyongyang plans to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally.
Kim Yo Jong, a top official in North Korea's ruling party, said in a statement published by state media KCNA that Zelensky's estimate was "groundless" and "a self-staged incident”.
Zelensky made his claim in a post on X this month, and he called on South Korea to provide support for his country's air defences.
Kim Yo Jong said responsibility for the outbreak and for the prolongation of the Ukraine crisis lay entirely with the United States and the West.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk Region in 2024, under a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty agreed during Russian president Vladimir Putin's June 2024 visit to Pyongyang.
Watch: At least five dead as Putin launches ‘massive attack’ on Kyiv
06:11 , Arpan RaiUkraine's parliament approves Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister
06:06 , Arpan RaiUkraine's parliament approved the appointment of Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister.
President Volodymyr Zelensky nominated Khmara, whom he had earlier appointed as acting minister, after the ousting of Mykhailo Fedorov in July.
The appointment was backed by 312 lawmakers, with 226 needed for a majority.
Khmara, a former top special forces operative, takes up the critical defence portfolio amid fresh political turmoil for the president, who had faced weeks of protests over his dismissal of 35-year-old reformer Fedorov.
Russian-annexed Sevastopol shuts off power amid attacks from Ukraine
05:46 , Arpan RaiElectricity was temporarily shut off this morning in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russian-annexed Crimea, according to the Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev.
The outage, which he said was necessary to help with an overload on power grids outside of the area and prevent a wider blackout, was scheduled to last for a few hours.
Drone crashes in Romanian territory during Russian attack on Ukraine
05:30 , Arpan RaiA drone has crashed into Romanian national territory during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, the Romanian defence ministry said this morning.
The drone crashed into an uninhabited area of the Romanian county of Tulcea, the ministry said.
Watch: Zelensky condemns Russian ‘terror’ after deadly strikes across Ukraine
05:12 , Arpan RaiIn photos: Skies turn orange as missiles tear buildings apart in Kyiv
04:40 , Arpan Rai
Poland starts preventive military aviation operations as Russia hits Ukraine
04:16 , Arpan RaiPoland has launched preventive military aviation operations to protect its airspace amid Russian strikes on Ukraine in the early hours today, the Polish army said in a post on X.
Russia launched ballistic missiles on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours today, killing at least five people.
Major Russian attack on Ukraine kills five and injures 23
03:53 , Arpan RaiAt least five people were killed and 23 have been injured in Russian ballistic missiles strikes on Kyiv in the early hours today, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The attack has damaged buildings and left parts of the Ukrainian capital without power. A fire broke out after Russia attacked the upper floors of a nine-story residential building, Klitschko said, and people were trapped in another place as Moscow hit non-residential and apartment facilities, warehouses and a children's hospital.
A Reuters witness reported hearing more than a dozen explosions.
In the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital, another person was killed, a local official said separately on Telegram.
The drones that the UK supplies Ukraine following Russia’s threat
03:00 , Maira ButtRussia has warned of “consequences” following reports that British-built drones were deployed to hit targets on its mainland for the first time.
Ukrainian army sources told The Times that drones made by two British companies have been used in the past six months to attack targets including oil refineries in Volgograd and near Moscow and logistics hubs.
Russia’s embassy to the UK said in a statement on Monday that the reports “confirm that London is deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis” and accused Britain of “seeking to contain Russia and inflict maximum damage on it by proxy”.
The drones that the UK supplies Ukraine following Russia’s threat
Moscow warehouse burns as Ukraine drone crews prepare to strike again
02:00 , Maira ButtA massive retail logistics centre on the outskirts of Moscow remained in flames on Sunday morning following an overnight strike by waves of Ukrainian drones, sending thick dark smoke into the sky.
Hundreds of miles from the scene, Ukrainian drone operators had barely paused after their night operations before preparing for another attack.
In a sunflower field in southern Ukraine, a small unit of troops gathered around 20 small, plane-like drones packed with explosives, swiftly launching them towards targets in Russia.
Moscow warehouse burns as Ukraine drone crews prepare to strike again
Watch: UK minister hits back after Russia threat over Ukraine’s ‘use of British drones’ in record attacks
01:00 , Maira ButtUkraine's parliament approves Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister
Thursday 20 August 2026 00:01 , Maira ButtUkraine's parliament approved the appointment of Yevhenii Khmara as new defence minister on Wednesday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy nominated Khmara, whom he had earlier appointed as acting minister, after the ousting of Mykhailo Fedorov in July.
The appointment was backed by 312 lawmakers, with 226 needed for a majority.
Who is Mykhailo Fedorov? Everything you need to know about Ukraine’s sacked defence minister
Wednesday 19 August 2026 23:00 , Maira ButtMikhail Fedorov, 35, is the last remaining minister to have held positions in all of Zelensky’s governments, with the tech-savvy reformer remaining close to the president since his election in 2019.
Who is Ukraine’s sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov?
Zelensky dismisses deputy head of presidential office amid corruption probe
Wednesday 19 August 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked his deputy head of the presidential office Iryna Mudra on Wednesday, according to a decree published on the president’s website.
A reason was not given for the dismissal but Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies had said earlier in the day that they had identified a group including a deputy head that they suspected of money laundering.
Ukrainian man arrested over undersea explosions that damaged gas pipelines in 2022
Wednesday 19 August 2026 21:00 , Maira ButtA Ukrainian man was arrested Wednesday in Croatia in relation to undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany in 2022, Germany’s federal prosecutor said.
Ukrainian national Vladimir Z., whose last name was not given in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in Pula, in Croatia, by local police carrying out a European arrest warrant.
“Vladimir Z. is a trained scuba diver who was part of a group of individuals who planted explosives on the ‘Nord Stream 1’ and ‘Nord Stream 2’ gas pipelines near the (Danish) island of Bornholm in September 2022,” prosecutors said.
Ukrainian man arrested over undersea explosions that damaged gas pipelines in 2022
Burnham says he backs Ukraine 100% after Moscow’s threat over use of UK drones
Wednesday 19 August 2026 20:00 , Maira ButtPrime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK is continuing to “support Ukraine 100%” after Moscow threatened consequences for the reported use of British drones for strikes deep into Russia.
Russia accused the UK of deliberately escalating the conflict and said the deeper the country’s involvement became, “the higher the price it will pay”.
During a visit to Wolverhampton bus station, Mr Burnham was asked what his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin was in response.
Burnham says he backs Ukraine 100% after Moscow’s threat over use of UK drones
Watch: Ousted Ukraine defence minister calls for presidential election during war
Wednesday 19 August 2026 19:20 , Maira ButtIn pictures: Putin holds meeting in Moscow
Wednesday 19 August 2026 18:50 , Maira Butt
