At least five people have been killed and over 10 injured in Ukraine as a result of Russian airstrikes, with attacks also reported in several cities across the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure, citing damage to book markets and residential areas. The strikes caused fires in Kyiv and other cities, including Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih, which were hit by ballistic missiles. According to Zelensky, 13 regions had come under attack this week, with over 1,550 Ukrainian drones launched towards Russia.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Russia has been warning Britain that it will face consequences for supplying drones to Ukraine, which have been used to attack targets on Russian territory. In response to reports of British-made drones being used in strikes against Russia, the Russian embassy in London said "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer". The UK has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, committing around 25 billion pounds ($47 billion) in support, including 16 billion pounds in military aid.
The use of British-made drones against Russia is believed to be the first time they have been used for long-range strikes against Russian territory. Ukraine has been using these drones to hit oil refineries and logistics facilities, causing significant economic damage, with reports suggesting that the attacks have caused over £35bn in economic damage.
The UK's Ministry of Defence did not confirm whether British drones had been used, but a spokesperson said that "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion."
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, at least five people have been killed and more than 10 injured in the latest wave of Russian strikes, officials have said. The attacks caused fires across the capital, Kyiv, including at a book market. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Separately, a Russian missile attack killed 10 people on Tuesday in a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said. The attack damaged 10 private buildings, a cafe, a post office, a store and at least seven cars.
Written for “Russia-Ukraine Conflict Escalates” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 26 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
At least five people have been killed and more than 10 injured in Ukraine in the latest wave of Russian strikes, officials have said.
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officials → publish → strikes
The attacks caused fires across the capital, Kyiv, including at a book market, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, accusing Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure.
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Zelensky → cause → infrastructure
Meanwhile, Moscow's mayor said about 600 Ukrainian drones were launched towards the city overnight.
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drones → say → city
A warehouse belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries was hit.
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warehouse → belong → Wildberries
Seven people have died across Russia, officials said.
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officials → die → Russia
Russia has intensified aerial attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks, while Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian logistics hubs, aiming to disrupt military supplies.
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Kyiv → intensify → supplies
Air-raid sirens have sounded four times since Saturday night in Kyiv.
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sirens → sound → Kyiv
At least six people, including a child, were reportedly injured, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
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Klitschko → include → child
The mayor of Kryvyi Rih said a 44-year-old man earlier reported missing had been found dead in rubble.
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man → say → rubble
Another person was killed and 14 workers of a steel plant were wounded there.
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workers → kill → plant
Two people in their 60s were killed when a house was destroyed in Zaporizhzhia, while a person was also killed in Sumy, according to the Ukrainian president.
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person → kill → president
Zelensky said the cities of Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih were hit by ballistic missiles, adding: "Wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure."
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they → say → infrastructure
Russia said its attacks on Kyiv on Saturday night targeted a FirePoint facility producing parts for Ukrainian Flamingo missiles and a factory making components for drones.
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attacks → say → drones
A book market in the city's Pochayna district was damaged in the strikes.
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market → damage → strikes
Burnt books could be seen lying on the ground, while firefighters continue to douse the flames.
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firefighters → see → flames
Sixty-nine-year-old Valentina's husband owned a market stall.
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husband → own → stall
Looking through the rubble, she told the BBC: "All these books in the street were from my husband's stall in the market - I recognise them on the floor."
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I → look → floor
She added: "You never think that it will happen to you."
Vinyl store owner Luba, 42, said she has lost 500,000 hryvnias (£8,262) worth of stock.
"This business was my baby - many of the vinyls destroyed were rare and irreplaceable," she told the BBC.
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she → add → BBC
"I want Russia to disappear from this Earth."
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Russia → want → Earth
The country's defence ministry also said it hit the Kremenchuk oil refinery in Poltava region, which it said supplied fuel to the Ukrainian military.
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it → say → military
Moscow said it struck a steelworks in Kryvyi Rih it said had been making weapons components.
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it → say → components
Russia also said it hit a dry cargo vessel near Odesa, claiming it had been carrying military equipment.
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it → say → equipment
Zelensky said 13 regions had come under attack this week, with Russia launching more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles.
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Russia → say → drones
In Russia, air defences intercepted and destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones, according to its defence ministry.
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defences → intercept → ministry
The governor of Rostov in south-western Russia said five people died following overnight strikes, while his counterpart in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine said a woman was killed after a bus was struck.
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bus → say → Ukraine
A drone attack on Moscow killed an 83-year-old man after it crashed.
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it → kill → man
Three people were also injured in an overnight Ukrainian strike in Moscow, its Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
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Mayor → injure → Moscow
He added that roughly a third of the drones Ukraine launched at the capital had been destroyed.
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Ukraine → add → capital
A Wildberries warehouse in Koledino, 25km (15.5 miles) from the centre of Moscow, was hit in the attack, Sobyanin said.
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Sobyanin → hit → attack
Videos shows a fire and a large plume of smoke over the warehouse.
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Videos → show → warehouse
Wildberries, known as Russia's version of Amazon, has been repeatedly targeted since July.
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Wildberries → know → July
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
Meanwhile, the Romanian defence ministry said a Spanish fighter jet shot down a drone that had breached its airspace near the border with Ukraine and Moldova.
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that → say → Ukraine
The drone entered from Moldova and was intercepted by an F-18 deployed on Nato duties at 05:01 local time (02:01 GMT) on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.
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ministry → enter → statement
Debris fell in an unpopulated area of the Galati region, near the Ukrainian border, it added.
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it → fall → border
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
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Russia → launch → territory
With marginal gains being made by either side in an attritional ground battle along a lengthy front line, the war has predominantly become an aerial one, with exchanges of missiles and drones aimed at degrading each country's warfighting ability.
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war → make → ability
