Russia and Ukraine Exchange Overnight Strikes, Leaving Seven Dead and Dozens Injured

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight attacks that killed at least seven people and injured dozens more, as both sides continued intensive missile and drone operations across the region.

In Russia’s border region of Belgorod, Ukrainian drone strikes killed five people and injured around two dozen others, including a four-year-old boy, according to regional authorities. The attacks also damaged apartment buildings, private homes, administrative buildings and commercial facilities.

Meanwhile, Russian missiles struck a high-rise residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Two people were killed and 13 others were injured in the Saltivskyi district, according to regional officials.

Further south, Odesa and its surrounding region were hit by dozens of missiles and drones. Eight people were injured in the Black Sea port city, while Russian authorities said their strikes targeted fuel depots, military supplies and drone storage facilities.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had also intercepted 153 Ukrainian drones overnight, including drones operating over Russian-occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued launching long-range drone attacks against targets inside Russia, including energy infrastructure and other facilities. The strikes have added pressure to Russian fuel supplies as Kyiv seeks to weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain its military operations.

In the Russian city of Novorossiysk, falling debris from Ukrainian drones damaged homes and commercial sites and injured at least one person. The city is also home to a major fuel terminal linked to international oil exports.

The conflict has also raised concerns beyond Russia and Ukraine. In Moldova, authorities reported an explosion believed to have been caused by a combat drone near the Ukrainian border, while Bulgaria summoned Ukraine’s ambassador after a drone entered Bulgarian airspace and exploded near an international gas pipeline. No casualties were reported in either incident.

The latest attacks come as Ukraine continues to seek additional Patriot air defence systems from its allies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly argued that stronger air defences are essential to protecting Ukrainian cities from Russia’s increasingly frequent missile attacks.

The continuing exchange of missiles and drones shows that the Russia-Ukraine war remains highly active, with civilians on both sides facing growing risks as attacks increasingly target cities, infrastructure and areas far from the main front lines.