Kyiv under near-constant air raid alerts for 5th day as Russian strikes kill 7, injure 43 across Ukraine
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Key developments:
- Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian cities for a fifth consecutive day, relying primarily on jet-powered drones, with Kyiv and the surrounding region among the main targets.
- Seven people were killed and another 43 injured across six oblasts over the past day, according to local authorities.
- Russian forces launched 121 long-range attack drones overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 96, or roughly 79% of the total.
Ukraine is facing a fifth consecutive day of nonstop Russian jet-powered drone attacks, while Russian strikes in other regions have killed at least seven people and injured another 43 over the past day, local authorities said.
Russian forces have shifted their airstrike tactics in recent days. Rather than launching massive overnight barrages of ballistic and cruise missiles preceded by waves of drones, Moscow is now launching jet-powered drones in separate, near-hourly attacks throughout the day, triggering continuous air raid alerts across Ukrainian cities.
Russia has launched nearly 800 jet-powered drones toward Ukraine over the past four days, as the Aug. 31 attack continues. The drones can reach speeds of up to 600 kph (373 mph), making them roughly four times faster than earlier Russian Shahed-type models.
Kyiv and the surrounding region remain key targets of the strikes, with eight air raid alerts sounding by 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 31. The capital recorded 13 alerts on Aug. 28 — the highest number since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Constant air raid alerts are disrupting businesses and public transportation, affecting both residents' daily lives and the broader economy.
At the same time, the nonstop attacks are placing mounting strain on Ukraine's air defenses, while also increasing the civilian casualty toll. The continued strikes targeting Kyiv on Aug. 31 injured six people, three of whom were hospitalized in serious condition. Most of the victims were in Pohreby, a village about two kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration, said Russian drones damaged warehouses and a retail outlet in Kyiv Oblast's Brovary district, while three warehouses and a residential building were damaged in the Boryspil district.
Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with one Kh-59 cruise missile and 121 long-range attack drones, of which air defenses intercepted 96, the Air Force said. The missile did not reach its target, while several drones evaded air defenses and struck 11 locations. Falling debris was also reported at eight other sites, according to the Air Force.
In eastern Donetsk Oblast, four people were killed and seven injured in Russian strikes in the region over the past day, governor Vadym Filashkin said.
In southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two people were killed, and three were injured by Russian attacks, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
In southern Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks in the region killed one person and injured 16 others, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured five people over the past day, governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported, according to the reports published on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.
In a separate attack on an industrial facility in the city of Kryvyi Rih in the morning of Aug. 31, a fire broke out at the facility, injuring two men, Hanzha added.
In northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, over the past day, four people were injured, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
In southern Odesa Oblast, Russian forces struck Ukrainian postal giant Nova Poshta's terminal on Aug. 31, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said. No civilians were injured, Kiper added.
July of 2026 saw the most civilians killed or injured in Ukraine since March 2022, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
At least 437 civilians in Ukraine were killed and 2,610 injured in July alone, the monitoring group said on Aug. 13. This represents a 30% increase from June, which previously held the record for the deadliest month since April 2022.
Ukrainian civilian casualties in July 2026 were 70% higher than in July the previous year, while casualties among children also rose to their highest level since April 2022, with 17 children killed and 166 injured.
