Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 31 over past day

Russian attacks in Ukraine killed five people and wounded 31 over the last day, regional authorities said on Aug. 21. The casualty count of a previously reported Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia Oblast also increased.

Ukrainian air defenses downed 50 out of the 69 Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight, as well as one Kh-59/69 cruise missile, the Air Force said. Another 16 Russian drones were were lost, likely due to electronic anti-drone countermeasures, the Air Force added.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed a resident of the city of Kostiantynivka, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. He did not give more information about the deceased or the details of the attack. Another four civilians were wounded across the oblast, Filashkin added.

In the village of Kozacha Lopan, Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian drone struck a civilian car, killing its 65-year-old driver and wounding a 61-year-old man, said Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Elsewhere in the oblast, a 59-year-old woman was wounded as a result of Russian shelling of the town of Kupiansk.

Russian attacks also caused damage to civilian infrastructure in multiple other locations in Kharkiv Oblast.

In Sumy Oblast, Russian guided bomb strikes killed a resident of the Yunakivska community and wounded another, the oblast's military administration reported.

Dozens of Russian strikes were reported elsewhere in the oblast, causing damage but no casualties.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the number of casualties in a previously reported Russian strike on children's cafe in the village of Malokaterynivka rose to one killed — a 14-year-old boy — and nine injured, six of whom were children. Previously, the number of casualties stood at one killed and four injured.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said that Russian strikes had damaged 12 other towns and villages across the oblast, causing damage but no casualties.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured 15 more, four of whom were children, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Educational and medical institutions, restaurants, apartments, houses, and energy infrastructure were among the sites damaged by Russian attacks, Prokudin said.

Attacks were also reported in Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia oblasts, causing damage but no casualties.

Ukraine’s ‘buffer zone’ in Kursk Oblast – here’s what you need to know

Ukraine aims to establish a buffer zone in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 18, as he outlined some of the strategic aims of the ongoing operation. “It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and

The Kyiv IndependentChris York