Russian Aerial Strikes against Ukrainian Cities Continue

At least five people were killed across Ukraine during a heavy, combined wave of Russian missile and drone attacks overnight into Sunday, August 16.

The fatalities and key impacts recorded by regional officials and emergency services include:

Kryvyi Rih: A Russian missile strike directly hit ArcelorMittal's steel plant in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, killing two workers and injuring 14 others.

Zaporizhzhia Region: Russian airstrikes and drone bombardments across the territory claimed two lives.

Sumy: Continuous shelling and drone strikes resulted in one fatality.

Kyiv: While no fatalities were reported in the capital overnight, a ballistic missile attack injured six people and sparked major structural fires that completely burned down the city’s historic outdoor book market. "In the Obolonskyi district, debris fell, and fires broke out in non-residential premises at two locations as a result of the enemy attack. Several cars are on fire near one of the buildings. In the Holosiivskyi district, a fire broke out in a non-residential area," Mayor Volodymyr Klitschko said.

Kyiv City Military Administration reported in the morning that three people had been injured in the Russian attack.

The State Emergency Service reported that a large fire had broken out at the historic and popular Petrivka book market near Pochaina metro station in the Obolonskyi district, sparking a major fire. The attack destroyed dozens of market stalls, books, and property across the complex, which is recognized as one of the capital's largest flea and book markets. The attack also damaged the metro station entrance and nearby retail outlets.

Publishing house Nash Format said its office near the station was affected as well, with sections of walls blown out in several rooms, the ceiling damaged, and furniture destroyed or knocked out of place.

Founded in 1997, the Pochaina Book Market was once one of Ukraine’s largest book markets and a well-known destination for Kyiv's book enthusiasts, according to Chytomo. It housed hundreds of retail stalls and offered books from more than 120 publishers.

Earlier, a Russian drone and missile strike on August 1, 2026, destroyed an estimated 600,000 school textbooks—part of a massive fire that consumed roughly 8 million total books—at a major logistics and publishing warehouse complex run by the Ranok publishing corporation in Kharkiv, Ukraine. A separate major attack by Russian forces on a Kyiv printing and warehouse facility in mid-July 2026 also resulted in the loss of roughly 600,000 finished books and textbooks.

Destroying Ukrainian ephemera, books and published intellectual property has been part and parcel of Russia’s intent in striking Ukraine.

The overnight escalation occurred alongside a massive retaliatory Ukrainian drone swarm targeted deep inside Russian territory, which reportedly killed at least six people.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight on August 15 with 152 Shahed-type drones and loitering munitions, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 124 drones over northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine. Drone strikes were recorded at 16 locations, while falling debris from downed targets was reported at another location.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 3-month-old child was killed, and 11 people were injured, including two children, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said. Russian forces attacked three districts more than 70 times using drones, artillery, and aerial bombs.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 25 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson, injuring 28 people, including a child, over the past day, the local military administration said.

In Sumy Oblast, Russian attacks injured four people and damaged private homes, non-residential buildings, and civilian infrastructure, according to the local military administration. Russian forces carried out nearly 60 attacks against 27 settlements in the region.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces injured one person in Sloviansk and shelled settlements across the region 37 times, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two people were injured in Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia district, while Russian forces carried out 971 strikes against 42 settlements over the past day, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Russian forces used missiles, guided aerial bombs, Lancet and Molniya drones, FPV drones, and other unmanned systems against the region.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces have attacked 13 oblasts of Ukraine over the past week, using more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles. He said the majority of the 62 missiles used by Russia were ballistic missiles of various types.

Zelenskyy also reported that six people were injured in Kyiv and the oblast as a result of overnight and morning attacks on 16 August. Two people were killed and 14 injured in Kryvyi Rih, and one person was also killed in Sumy.

Ukraine is also returning strikes against Russian invaders.  At least seven people have been killed in Russia after what officials called the “largest-scale” attack launched by Ukraine this year.

Some 822 drones were used – 600 targeting Moscow, according to its regional governor who said the Russian capital had suffered “one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory.”

A warehouse belonging to Russian online Amazon-type retailer Wildberries was hit again. Ukrainian long-range drone operations have targeted more than 20 logistics and warehouse facilities belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant since mid-July 2026. Ukrainian officials and military reports indicate that upwards of 21 to 23 separate hubs across multiple Russian regions have been struck, resulting in severe damage or destruction to at least 20 of those sites. Wildberries' losses may approach $12 billion after Ukrainian strikes.