Kyiv, Aug 2026: At least 16 people were killed and more than 40 others injured after Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv early Thursday, damaging residential and public infrastructure and disrupting electricity supplies across parts of the Ukrainian capital, Ukrainian authorities said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Solomianskyi district was among the worst-affected areas, where a fire broke out at a nine-storey residential building. The upper floors of the apartment block were destroyed in the attack, leaving seven people dead. Klitschko announced that a day of mourning would be observed in the capital to honour those killed.
Several other districts also reported damage, with non-residential buildings, warehouses, a school and a children's hospital among the facilities affected. Emergency crews were deployed to the impacted areas to search damaged structures, extinguish fires and assist residents.
The attack also disrupted electricity supplies. Energy company DTEK said approximately 90,000 households in Kyiv were left without power following the strikes. More than half of those affected had electricity restored as repair teams worked to reconnect the remaining consumers.
Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed that it had launched airstrikes and drone attacks against Kyiv and the surrounding region. Moscow claimed that the strikes targeted facilities involved in the production of drone components, a military depot and a logistics hub, along with other military-related targets.
The latest assault came as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no lasting ceasefire in sight. Diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have so far failed to produce a durable settlement.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued to target Russian energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian General Staff said its forces struck the TANECO oil refinery in Russia's Tatarstan region and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in the Krasnodar region.
According to the Ukrainian military, the strikes were carried out on Wednesday and overnight and resulted in fires at both facilities. Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian oil and energy infrastructure as part of its efforts to disrupt Moscow's war-related logistics and revenue streams.
The latest escalation has also raised concerns beyond the immediate conflict zone. Romania's Defence Ministry said a drone crashed on its territory during the Russian attack on Ukraine. Romania is a member of both NATO and the European Union. Moldova's military separately reported that another drone had crossed its airspace.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts involving the United States remain active, although significant differences persist. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this month that Kyiv had submitted proposals to US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner outlining a possible plan to end the war.
Zelensky has also repeatedly appealed to Western partners for additional interceptor missiles to strengthen Ukraine's air defence and protect cities from Russian missile and drone attacks.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had not received specific proposals for new meetings with US negotiators. However, she said Russia would be prepared to arrange talks at short notice.
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January but have yet to travel to Kyiv, underscoring the continuing diplomatic gap despite efforts to find a pathway towards ending the conflict.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
