A characteristic feature of Russian aerial terror during the week of September 15–21, 2025, was targeted attacks on rescuers, drone strikes on enterprises and civilian infrastructure, prolonged air raid alerts due to UAV attacks, and massive nighttime shelling. Among the wounded are civilians and children; among the dead is a rescuer. Russian attacks remain intense on border and frontline territories, where civilians die daily.
Chronicle of Attacks: September 15–21, 2025
On the night of September 15, the Russian army dropped three FABs on the center of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. 19 people were wounded, and apartment buildings, educational institutions, administrative buildings, a bank, and shops were damaged.
In the Nizhyn district of Chernihiv region, Russians deliberately struck rescuers at night while they were extinguishing a fire at an enterprise that resulted from a strike drone attack. Four firefighters were wounded.
During the day, the Russian army attacked rescuers in Zaporizhzhia, shelling a fire engine that was driving to extinguish a fire. As a result, equipment was damaged.
On the night of September 16, the Russian Federation launched a combined attack with rocket artillery and aerial bombs on Zaporizhzhia. Civilian infrastructure in the Komunarskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts came under attack. One person was killed, and 20 were wounded, including four children, with two girls aged 4 and 17 in intensive care. Residential buildings, trucks in a parking lot, and a technical service station caught fire as a result of the shelling.
Sumy, Donetsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions were also under attack—the enemy used over a hundred drones and one hundred and fifty KABs. One person died in Mykolaiv region.
The Russian army twice attacked the "Epicentr" company’s logistics center in Kyiv region with strike drones. The double strike caused a car parking lot and warehouses to burn, and two SES vehicles were damaged. Aviation and robotics were involved in extinguishing the large-scale fire.
In broad daylight, the Russian army launched a UAV strike on the National University of Pharmacy building in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv. The educational institution's roof and offices were damaged, and a fire broke out. Four people were injured.
Photographer Ivan Samoilov documented the consequences of the Russian shelling of the educational institution.
«When I arrived, the fire had already been extinguished. The roof was punctured, the floor slab destroyed, and it's a shame about the building because it's historic. But, thank God it was only this, because it’s a very crowded place: the bus station is 10 meters away, and the car market is 20 meters away,» said Ivan Samoilov in a comment to UAPP.
On Rescuer's Day, September 17, the enemy army shelled a fire station in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region. Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions were also under attack. In Poltava region, a Russian strike drone hit a gas station. A fire broke out. Four people were injured.
On the night of September 18, Russia attacked one of the SES units in the city of Nizhyn, Chernihiv region. One firefighter was killed, and two were hospitalized.
«The aggressor attacked Nizhyn again. Using drones — ‘Shaheds’ and ‘Gerans’—it struck one of the SES units. Cynically and cruelly: on Rescuer's Day, against rescuers. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old emergency worker died from his injuries. My condolences to the family and colleagues,» wrote the head of the Chernihiv Military Administration on Telegram.
Five people aged 62 to 74 were killed as a result of a Russian airstrike on Kostiantynivka. Four apartment buildings were damaged.
From September 18 to 19, the Russian army launched 86 drones of various types over Donetsk, Kyiv region and Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Dnipro regions. Targets included infrastructure facilities and enterprises, and two wounded people were reported.
Massive Strike on Ten Regions of Ukraine
On the night of September 19-20, the Russian Federation launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, using 579 UAVs of various types, 8 Iskander ballistic missiles, and 32 Kh-101 cruise missiles. In total, 583 aerial targets were successfully shot down or disabled.
Under attack that night were: Dnipro and the region, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions. Dozens of people were wounded, and three people were killed.
Photographer Oleh Petrasiuk, a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, documented the consequences of the Russian shelling in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region.
«Kostiantynivka City Day. Previously on this day, local residents gathered in "Yuvileinyi" Park for concerts and festive events. This date was about joy, life, and the future. But the Russians destroyed everything. Instead of music—an air raid siren, instead of a holiday—round-the-clock cannon fire, instead of fireworks—airstrikes, artillery, and drones,» wrote the photographer beneath the photos.
In Dnipro, a Russian missile struck an apartment building. Another missile hit the warehouse of the ATB supermarket, reports the news portal «Novyny v Chas Pik».
«The enemy's target was our infrastructure, residential areas, civilian enterprises. In Dnipro, a direct hit by a missile with cluster munitions on an apartment building was recorded,» said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He thanked the air defense forces for their work and called on international partners for a strong response.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha also called on partners to take decisive measures to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, as well as to unite Ukrainian and allied air defense systems to jointly defend the sky over Ukraine and and other countries. «The intensification of Russian terror against Ukraine and systematic provocations against Poland, Romania, Estonia, and other European countries indicate that Moscow is ready for further escalation,» the minister stated.
During the day on September 20, Russia continued launching UAVs toward the north, east, south, and center of Ukraine, thus turning the terror into a round-the-clock campaign. And at night, the Russian Federation launched a repeat strike on an SES unit in the Nizhyn district during the extinguishing of a fire that had broken out from a UAV attack, injuring two rescuers.
The material was prepared by:
Topic Researcher, Text Author: Yana Yevmenova
Visual Editor: Olga Kovalova
Literary Editor: Yuliia Futei
