Ballistic attacks against the Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions, brutal drone strikes on civilian farms in Zaporizhia, and a record 170 combat clashes in the Pokrovskoye direction marked the last 24 hours in Ukraine.
Against this backdrop, Poland has come up with a revolutionary military initiative to create a “European Legion“, which would include Ukrainian veterans. The information is current as of 2:30 a.m. on August 16, 2026.
Midnight missile and drone strikes
On the night of August 16, 2026, the Russian Federation launched massive ballistic missile strikes on central and eastern Ukraine. At around 1:00 a.m., the Ukrainian Air Force declared an alert for high-speed targets aimed at Kamenskoye, Kremenchug, and Kryvyi Rih, the Ukrainian publication Ukrainska Pravda (pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/08/16/8048849/). The city of Krivoy Rog was subjected to a combined ballistic and UAV attack, confirmed Alexander Vilkul, head of the city's Defense Council (24tv.ua/ru/v-dnepre-i-poltave-razdalis-vzryvy_n3124154).
In parallel, in the Zaporizhia region, a Russian drone attacked agricultural equipment directly during the harvest, the Regional Military Administration (OVA) reported. A civilian employee was killed and a civilian employee was seriously injured in the incident (ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/15/novost/bezopasnost/rf-udarila-krivomu-rogu-gorode-byli-pereboi-svetom-i-est-travmirovannye).
The Pokrovskoye direction remains the hottest spot
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), exactly 170 combat clashes have been registered on the front over the past 24 hours. The situation remains the most serious in the Pokrovskoye direction in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces have carried out over 23 attacks in an attempt to break through the defenses around settlements such as Udachnoye, Kotlyno, and Vasilyevka. Ukrainian forces hold their ground under increasing pressure (pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/08/15/8048842/).
Poland's initiative: “European Legion“
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has proposed the creation of a permanent military formation called the “European Legion“. In an interview with the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini“, he explained that this structure should strengthen European security as a pillar within NATO, without duplicating it. Sikorski stressed that the legion should be staffed with experienced professionals, including Ukrainian veterans who have been hardened by the war (rbc.ua/ukr/news/sikorskiy-proponue-stvoriti-evropeyskiy-legion-1786818109.html). According to him, Europe cannot rely on Washington for every “fire in its own backyard“