The Russian army carried out a series of massive drone strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine last night. The situation is most serious in the Kharkiv region, where civilians have died. In parallel, a wave of explosions shook the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula, leaving entire regions without electricity.
Tragedy in the Kharkiv region: Four victims in the village of Lebyazhye
On the night of August 21, Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked the massive village of Lebyazhye in the Chuguyevsky district of the Kharkiv region. According to official data presented by the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration (OVA) Oleg Sinegubov, the settlement was hit by a total of six “Shahed” drones.
As a result of the attack, fires broke out in five private residential buildings. Rescue teams of the State Emergency Service (SES) pulled out the bodies of four dead from under the rubble of destroyed houses. Among the identified victims are two women aged 66 and 73. Two more women were injured and are hospitalized with various injuries. In total, three houses were completely destroyed, and over 20 other buildings were seriously damaged. Details of the tragedy were initially reported by the Ukrainian media outlet “Ukrainskaya Pravda” and confirmed by the regional channel “Objektiv” (objectiv.tv) .
Second consecutive attack on Zaporozhye in a matter of days
For the second time in a week, Russian forces have targeted the city of Zaporozhye. The head of the Zaporozhye OVA, Ivan Fedorov, announced early this morning that civilian infrastructure in the regional center was hit during the night shelling.
The strikes caused serious material damage to municipal public transport, as well as to private cars of citizens. According to preliminary information distributed by the UNN news agency (unn.ua), this time there were no deaths or injuries to residents, but the city remains under constant threat from strikes with guided aerial bombs (KAB) and drones.
Explosions and a complete blackout in Crimea: Tavria TPP under fire
The situation on the territory of the Crimean peninsula temporarily occupied by Russia also remains extremely tense. Local residents and partisan movements reported a series of powerful explosions in the Simferopol region in the early hours of the day.
According to information from the partisan movement “ATESH“, quoted by the Ukrainian publication Gazeta.ua, over 15 rumbles echoed in Simferopol within just 20 minutes. Eyewitnesses reported strong flashes of light in the area of the strategically important Tavria TPP, over which jet drones were detected flying.
Immediately after the explosions, electricity went out in a number of key cities on the peninsula. At this time, a full or partial blackout was registered in:
Simferopol Sevastopol Jankoi KerchThe occupation authorities in Crimea have not yet issued an official statement on the extent of the damage to the energy network, but in most of the affected areas, in addition to the lack of electricity, there are reports of water supply cuts and the suspension of trolleybus traffic.