Russian Missile Strikes Kill 12 in Kyiv

At least 12 people have been killed and more than 30 others injured after Russian ballistic missile strikes hit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The attacks were carried out early Thursday (August 20), damaging residential and non-residential buildings and leaving parts of the city without electricity.

Several upper floors of a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district were destroyed in the strikes. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said seven people were killed at the building and called for Friday (August 21) to be observed as a day of mourning.

Klitschko said two other districts were also affected, with non-residential facilities, warehouses, a school and a children’s hospital damaged.

Energy company DTEK said around 90,000 homes lost electricity following the attack. More than half of those affected have since had power restored.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces targeted military facilities, a logistics hub and sites linked to drone production in and around Kyiv. Ukraine, meanwhile, has intensified strikes on Russian oil facilities and logistics infrastructure in an effort to weaken Moscow’s war capabilities.

The latest escalation comes as diplomatic efforts led by the United States to secure a ceasefire have yet to produce a breakthrough.