The most powerful attack took place on August 21. Russia launched an unprecedented salvo at western Ukraine — 574 kamikaze drones and 40 missiles of various types. Ukrainian regions bordering NATO member states were hit, and civilians were injured. One man was killed in Lviv, and three more people were injured. In Zakarpattia, the American factory Flex Ltd in Mukachevo was damaged. In total, at least 15 people were injured.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the night attack: "Last night, the Russian army set one of its insane anti-records. They struck civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, and our people. And the Russians carried out this attack as if nothing had changed at all. As if there were no efforts by the world to stop this war. A response to this is needed. So far, there has been no signal from Moscow that they are really going to engage in meaningful negotiations and end this war."
This attack was the culmination of a week that began with massive shelling on the night of August 18. Russia launched 140 drones and four missiles, 88 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces. Explosions were heard in 25 locations. In the Odesa region, a SOCAR oil reservoir was damaged, while in other regions, residential and industrial infrastructure was damaged. On the night of August 19, the Russians also attacked central Ukraine. Cruise missiles and drones targeted energy facilities in the Poltava region. Large-scale fires broke out at a gas transportation hub and, presumably, at an oil refinery.
Photo by Ivan Samoilov for AFP
Kharkiv: a night under drone and ballistic missile strikes
On the night of August 18, Kharkiv was once again under heavy fire from Russia. At around 5 a.m., residents heard at least four explosions. This was the second attack in a few hours: the previous evening, the occupiers had fired ballistic missiles at the city and then launched Shahed kamikaze drones.
Photo by Ivan Samoilov for AFP
The Industrial District suffered the most damage. One of the drones hit a high-rise building, causing a large fire in two stairwells. The fire engulfed several floors, covering an area of 900 square meters. After five direct hits, the building was partially destroyed — the floors collapsed, and there was a risk that people were trapped under the rubble.
Photo by Ivan Samoilov for AFP
According to local authorities, at least seven people were killed, including a 45-year-old man, a 67-year-old woman, a 16-year-old boy, and a one-and-a-half-year-old child. Another 24 people were injured, several of them seriously. Three residents are still missing. According to the police, an entire family may have died in one of the apartments.
Photo by Ivan Samoilov for AFP
Rescuers worked under the constant threat of repeated strikes. When the alarm was sounded, they had to interrupt their work and take shelter, and then return to clearing the rubble and extinguishing the fires.
The head of the region, Oleg Synyegubov, said that there are a number of legal issues regarding the commissioning of the building that was hit by drones. Law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident.
Photo by Ivan Samoilov for AFP
A day of mourning for the victims was declared in Kharkiv and the surrounding region. The aftermath of this attack was documented by photojournalist Ivan Samoilov.
Lviv: another strike on residential areas
On the night of August 21, Lviv was again subjected to a combined attack by kamikaze drones and missiles. The enemy hit a residential building on Olena Stepanivna Street — in the same area where the Russians struck a month ago.
One man was killed in the shelling. Three more people with injuries of varying severity were taken to St. Luke's Hospital. Among them were a 38-year-old woman with chest and lung injuries, a 62-year-old man with a penetrating head wound, who is in serious condition and undergoing surgery, and a 52-year-old man with chest and leg injuries.
Photo by Yurko Dyachyshyn
According to city authorities, 26 residential buildings were damaged: windows were broken in 155 apartments and five roofs were torn off. Nine cars and a kindergarten were damaged, with about 30 windows blown out by the blast wave. Children from this facility were temporarily transferred to the neighboring Arnika kindergarten.
The Emergency Commission decided to relocate the residents of 11 apartments that were left without roofs and windows. This involves a total of 17 people. They will be placed in temporary housing, and the victims will later receive compensation for rent. “We will provide everyone with a roof over their heads,” emphasized Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
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