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Russian attacks kill at least 9, wound 45 across Ukraine, as yet another deadly drone attack strikes Kyiv

• 2 min read
Russian attacks kill at least 9, wound 45 across Ukraine, as yet another deadly drone attack strikes Kyiv
A Russian drone struck a residential high-rise in Kyiv's Sviatoshynskyi District on the morning of Oct. 21, 2026. (Olena Zashko / The Kyiv Independent)

Russian attacks have killed at least nine people and injured 45 others across Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said on Oct. 21, as yet another Russian drone attack struck Kyiv while residents slept.

Russia carried out a drone attack early on Oct. 21, killing at least two people and injuring two others, the Kyiv City Military Administration said. A 24-story apartment building was hit by a Russian drone, sparking a fire on the 20th floor.

The early morning attack comes a day after Russian drones repeatedly struck Kyiv on Oct. 20, damaging a hospital in Solomyanskyi District and another medical facility in Holosiivskyi District, according to the local authorities.

Russian troops launched attacks against Ukraine overnight with Iskander-K cruise missiles and 186 drones, including Shahed-type ones, the Air Force reported. It reported downing 150 drones, 63 of which were jet-powered.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv and its surrounding region, two people were killed and 11 others, including two children, were injured, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In eastern Donetsk Oblast, four people were killed, and eight others were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and its surrounding region, a person was killed, and six others were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a person was injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said.

In southern Kherson Oblast, 13 people, including three children, were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

In southern Odesa Oblast, a Russian drone attack damaged energy facilities and a private food processing company, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. No casualties were reported.

In northern Sumy Oblast, Russian attacks injured two people, including a nine-year-old girl, over the past day, the regional military administration said.

In northern Chernihiv Oblast, Russian missile and drone attacks injured two people, including a young woman and an 89-year-old woman, over the past day, regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus said.

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Asami Terajima

Reporter

Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military affairs and front-line developments. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post, focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor's degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured on the Media Development Foundation's 2023 "25 under 25: Young and Bold" list of emerging media makers in Ukraine. She is among the finalists for the U.K.'s One World Media Award 2026 in the Print category and the French Bayeux Calvados-Normandy award 2025 for war correspondents in the Young Reporter category.

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