large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 14, including children

On the night of August 27-28, 2025, Russian forces launched a massive combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv, marking one of the most intense assaults on the Ukrainian capital in recent months. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia deployed 629 targets, including 598 drones (some of them equipped with jet engines), two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, nine Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 20 Kh-101 cruise missiles, with Ukrainian defenses downing 589 of them. The attack killed at least 14 people, including three children ( aged 2, 14, and 17), and injured 48, with 30 hospitalized, according to Kyiv’s military administration head Tymur Tkachenko and Mayor Vitali Klitschko. A five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district was directly hit, collapsing part of the structure, while nearly 100 buildings across seven districts, including a shopping mall and a kindergarten, were damaged, with fires breaking out and rescue teams working to free people trapped under rubble.

Debris from downed drones and missiles caused fires in the Dnipro, Solomianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Desnianskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts, damaging homes, an office building, and cars. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a deliberate rejection of peace negotiations, urging stronger Western sanctions and calling for responses from countries like China and Hungary. The attack also damaged the EU’s diplomatic mission, prompting condemnation from European Council President António Costa. Residents sheltered in subway stations, and the psychological toll was evident, with locals like Oleksandr Khilko, who helped rescue survivors, decrying the targeting of civilians.

This barrage disrupted Kyiv’s infrastructure, with Ukrzaliznytsia reporting damage to railway systems, causing delays. The attack’s scale, described as the second-largest of the war by Ukraine’s air force, underscored Russia’s intent to escalate pressure on the capital amid stalled U.S.-led peace talks. Zelenskyy highlighted the need for accountability, stating that Russia’s actions show a preference for “ballistics over the negotiating table.” As rescue operations continue and casualty figures are updated.

Russian Iskander missiles hit Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast, injuring people

Russian forces launched Iskander missile strikes on Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast during the night of Aug. 27–28, injuring at least four people, regional officials reported.

According to Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Liakh, two powerful explosions were recorded around 3 a.m. One strike hit Shevchenko Street, damaging the summer terrace of the Ukraina Hotel, while another landed on Andriivskyi Lane.

Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said the attack damaged or destroyed 35 apartment buildings, two houses, six cars, an educational institution, and eight infrastructure facilities.

Ukraine struck two Russian refineries in the overnight attack

Ukrainian forces struck two major Russian oil refineries overnight on Aug. 28, targeting the Kuibyshev facility in Samara Oblast and the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces confirmed. The attacks, carried out with drones, also targeted ammunition depots and logistical hubs across Russia and occupied territories.

The Kuibyshev refinery, located about 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, has an annual capacity of 7 million tons and produces gasoline, diesel, and other fuels. Russian media published footage of a large fire at the site, while local authorities claimed the blaze was quickly contained.

The Afipsky refinery, which has a processing capacity of 6.25 million tons per year and supplies fuel to the Russian military, was also set ablaze. Residents reported multiple explosions before regional officials confirmed the strike.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 21 over Samara Oblast and 18 over Krasnodar Krai. Additional strikes reportedly hit transport and logistical infrastructure in Volgograd Oblast, where drone debris ignited a fire at a locomotive depot, according to regional officials.

The Ukrainian military said the operation involved several branches, including the SBU, HUR, Special Operations Forces, and the newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces, and noted that details of the damage are still being assessed.

Russians attacked energy facilities in Vinnytsia Oblast causing power outages in 29 settlements without electricity

A large-scale Russian nighttime attack on Aug. 28 left 29 settlements in Vinnytsia Oblast without electricity, according to Nataliia Zabolotna, First Deputy Head of the regional military administration. She said strikes on energy facilities cut power to around 60,000 consumers and also damaged residential buildings. Emergency services are working on repairs, and no casualties have been reported so far.

Ukraine hit a Russian cruise missile carrier near occupied Crimea

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported on Aug. 28 that its forces had damaged a Russian Buyan-M-class small missile ship near occupied Crimea in the Azov Sea. According to the agency, fighters from the special unit "Prymary" struck the vessel’s radar system with a drone while special forces attacked the ship directly. HUR said the corvette, which had been stationed in Temryuk Bay and prepared to launch Kalibr missiles, was forced to withdraw from its patrol zone.

The agency released drone footage allegedly showing the strike. The Buyan-M-class, also known as Project 21631, is a small but heavily armed corvette that was among the first Russian ships used to fire Kalibr cruise missiles.

HUR noted that repeated Ukrainian strikes using naval drones, missiles, and long-range drones have reduced Russia’s naval presence in occupied Crimea. Ukraine has previously destroyed several vessels, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship, the Ivanovets missile corvette, and multiple landing crafts.

On Aug. 21, HUR also claimed responsibility for striking a Russian patrol boat in the Black Sea near Zaliznyi Port in Kherson Oblast, reportedly killing five crew members.