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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Local residents inspect cars burned in a Russian overnight missile and drone attack in Kyiv on Aug. 20, 2026. Russia attacked Kyiv and the surrounding region with dozens of ballistic missiles, 44 cruise missiles and 168 Shahed attack drones. At least 15 people were killed and more than 30 were injured. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukraine hits Russian drone-launch airfields in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk, HUR says. HUR operators struck Russian drone storage and launch sites, as well as two radar systems — the 55Zh6U Nebo-U and 55Zh6UM Niobiy, the statement read.
Russia still has 50 Kinzhal missiles after pausing production, HUR claims. “As of July 2026, the Russian Federation has about 50 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and about 50 North Korean ballistic missiles of the KN-23 series, including the KN-24 and KN-30 variants,” HUR said in a statement to Ukrainska Pravda.
Investigators release new tapes implicating top Zelensky staffer in corporate raiding. The tapes feature President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Vadym Stolar, and former lawmaker Maksym Mykytas, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent.
Defense ministry procurement chief announces early resignation after new minister takes office. Oleh Klots, former director general of the state-owned Medical Procurement of Ukraine, will serve as interim head of the agency pending the appointment of a permanent successor by Ukraine’s new defense minister, according to Arsen Zhumadilov.
‘Mass mobilization not planned,’ Russian UN envoy claims, stops short of ruling it out following elections. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya claimed on Aug. 20 that mass mobilization of Russian soldiers is not currently planned, while stopping short of ruling out its possibility following next month’s Russian parliamentary election.
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Ukraine war latest: Russian missile, drone barrage kills at least 15 in Kyiv, damages children’s hospital
Russia launched a large ballistic missile and drone attack on Kyiv shortly after midnight on Aug. 20, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, officials reported.
Photo: State Emergency Service / Telegram
Once a hub in the rear, Pavlohrad is now in Russia’s guided bomb crosshairs
As the war drags on in Pavlohrad and the range of Russian weaponry increases, those living there fear their home now faces the same fate as cities in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, many of which Russia has reduced to rubble.
Photo: Lisa Bukreyeva / The Kyiv Independent
Will Ukraine hold elections during wartime after Fedorov’s call?
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has broken one of Ukraine’s most politically sensitive wartime taboos by publicly calling for elections, bringing into the mainstream a debate that Kyiv had largely rejected when raised by Russia and the United States.
Photo: Roman Pashkovskiy / Mykhailo Fedorov’s team, collage: The Kyiv Independent
Human cost of war
Russia launches deadly strike on Kyiv, killing at least 2, as capital reels from massive overnight attack. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that during the daytime attacks, a critical infrastructure facility in Kyiv was “deliberately targeted” for the first time in several months.
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International response
Romanian military destroys suspected Russian sea drone in Black Sea. Video posted to social media showed a Romanian F-16 diving towards the suspected Russian drone and strafing it with its cannon.
Germany to provide 50 million euros to repair Chornobyl Nuclear Plant after Russian strike. The New Safe Confinement, a protective shelter covering the remains of Chornobyl’s destroyed reactor, was damaged by Russian drones in February 2025.
Russian aircraft suspected of violating Finnish airspace, officials say. The report follows an uptick in Russian military flights near NATO’s eastern border, which NATO countries describe as “provocations” and acts of aggression meant to test the country’s air defenses.
Opinions and insights
‘’Land for peace’ won’t stop Russia’s war on Ukrainian identity
“Land for peace” might be a “difficult choice,” or so the argument goes, but it is the only way to avoid a crushing defeat, Vincent Artman writes.
Photo: Oleksandr Gusev/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
In other news
Ukrainian suspect in alleged Russia-linked assassination attempt detained in Poland. According to evidence gathered by investigators, the man allegedly acted on behalf of the Russian secret services.
Ukrainian authorities seek to sell Sense Bank, dismiss leadership amid corruption probe. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced that the Finance Ministry has been instructed to sell Sense Bank and transfer the proceeds to the military.
Russian children’s cartoon targeted in Zelensky’s latest sanctions against Moscow’s war machine. Among the targets of the latest measures are former lawmaker Yurii Ivanyushchenko and the creators of the animated Russian series “Masha and the Bear.”
Meet the collection inspired by Kyiv’s embroidery
Two collaborations, one enduring Ukrainian tradition. Created so you can carry a piece of Kyiv with you, wherever you go.
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