Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using North Korean missiles to strike Ukraine, specifically targeting the city of Zaporizhzhia where at least six people were killed and 19 injured. According to Zelensky, this marks "for the first time" that Russia is relying on outside reinforcements from North Korea in its war effort. The Ukrainian military has also claimed a successful air strike on a Russian petrochemical plant in western Siberia. Multiple cities, including Kyiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv, have been targeted by strikes overnight.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Ukraine and Russia have continued striking each other overnight, with Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Moscow of using North Korean missiles.
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Zelensky → publish → missiles
The Ukrainian president said strikes in Zaporizhzhia - which killed at least six and injured at least 19 - involved ballistic missiles from Russia's ally.
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which → say → ally
In Voronezh, in southern Russia, warehouses belonging to the online retailer, Wildberries, were hit by Ukraine.
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warehouses → belong → Ukraine
The company, known as Russia's Amazon, has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks.
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company → know → weeks
The attacks come a day after at least 13 people were killed, including one child, in Ukrainian drone strikes on the Russian republic of Tatarstan, more than 1,100 km (680 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
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people → come → border
In a video address on Monday evening, Zelensky said "for the first time" Russia "cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea".
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Russia → say → Korea
"The more North Korean strikes there are here in Ukraine, in Europe, the more their missiles and soldiers are used, the more they correct their shortcomings and blind spots", Zelensky said, adding that this poses a danger to the rest of the world.
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this → be → world
In his address, Zelensky also hailed a successful air strike on a Russian petrochemical plant in western Siberia on Monday as a "very significant achievement" by the Ukrainian military.
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Zelensky → hail → military
He promised "more Ukrainian deep strikes, which should demonstrate to Russia and the Russians that peace is necessary".
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peace → promise → Russia
It is not the first time Zelensky has accused Russia of receiving military assistance from North Korea.
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Zelensky → accuse → Korea
He warned over the weekend that as many as 50,000 North Korean soldiers were being sent to fight with Russian forces.
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soldiers → warn → forces
Zaporizhzhia Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov posted photos of vehicles and buildings on fire, saying Moscow had struck the city using missiles and guided bombs.
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Moscow → post → missiles
In addition to those killed, at least 19 others were injured
One person was injured in strikes on Kyiv, where air raid sirens sounded twice during the night.
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sirens → kill → night
Explosions could be heard on the outskirts of the capital, triggering fires.
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Explosions → hear → fires
Fedorov said industrial facilities, infrastructure and non-residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia were hit in the Russian attack.
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facilities → say → attack
Ukrainian officials say Russia fired 120 drones overnight and a range of different missiles, but for the first time they have not given a number of missiles fired or intercepted.
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they → say → missiles
It follows an Air Force statement on Monday urging the media not to write "sensationalised headlines" or "spread pessimism" about the shortage of air defence interceptors.
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It → follow → interceptors
In Kyiv, a strike damaged a hospital, but officials say staff and patients were sheltering.
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staff → damage → hospital
Meanwhile, strikes on substations in Kherson and Kharkiv resulted in power outages.
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strikes → result → outages
Two women have been injured in a Russian drone strike on Sumy, according to Sergiy Kryvosheenko, head of the Sumy City Military Administration.
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women → injure → Administration
The women, aged 52 and 66, were treated at the scene, he says in a post on Telegram.
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he → age → Telegram
The strikes also damaged civilian vehicles, warehouse buildings and infrastructure facilities, he adds.
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he → damage → vehicles
Wildberries has not yet confirmed the attack, but said that its facilities in the region, which borders Ukraine, have been evacuated.
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which → confirm → Ukraine
In July, Ukrainian drone attacks on several retail warehouses belonging to Wildberries disrupted the operations of a large number of small and medium-sized Russian businesses.
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attacks → belong → businesses
Kyiv said at the time it was targeting logistics hubs used by Russians to buy military equipment, and disrupting supplies to the Russian army.
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it → say → army
At least 75 people were injured in the strikes, with Ukraine's Armed Forces saying it had hit the city's Tanevo oil refinery.
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it → injure → refinery
Verified images on social media showed large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky in daytime, with air raid sirens howling in the background.
The Uzkbek consulate in Tatarstan said seven of those killed were citizens of Uzbekistan.
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seven → verify → Uzbekistan
