The Russian army launched a new large-scale wave of air terror over Ukraine, hitting civilian objects in the capital Kiev, Krivoy Rog, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. As of 2:30 am on August 22, official authorities confirmed the death of dozens of civilians, including three children, and rescue operations in the destroyed buildings continue in full force.
Kiev under fire: Ballistic attacks and burning warehouses
In the early hours, the capital Kiev was attacked with ballistic missiles launched from Russia's Kursk and Bryansk regions. A huge fire broke out in a warehouse in the Darnytskyi district of the city due to falling debris and direct hits.
According to preliminary data from the Kyiv City Military Administration (source: UNN - unn.ua/en/news/in-kyivs-darnytskyi-district-a-russian-ballistic-attack-has-killed-one-person-and-injured-others) in the strike in the Darnytskyi district there was at least one death and many injuries. Emergency services teams are bringing the fire under control. Serious material damage to non-residential premises was also recorded in the Svyatogorsk district.
The tragedy in Kryvyi Rih: Double strike on a shopping mall
The situation is most serious in the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky - Kryvyi Rih. The city was attacked twice by Russian drones in the so-called "double strike" tactic (double-tap), in which the second wave hits half an hour after the first to overwhelm the arriving rescue teams.
The target of the attack was the largest shopping mall in the city – “Sonia Galeriya“.
- Victims and injured: The death of 15 people has been confirmed, and the injured are over 130, including 23 children (5 of them are in critical condition).
- Missing under the rubble: The head of the Krivoy Rog Defense Council, Alexander Vilkul, announced that the fire in the mall has already been extinguished, but several people remain missing and are not responding to calls (source: Al Jazeera - aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/21/russian-drone-attack-on-busy-shopping-centre-kills-14-in-ukraine / CNN - cnn.com/2026/08/21/europe/kryvyi-rih-shopping-center-strike-intl
- .
- Business losses: The famous Scandinavian home furnishing chain JYSK officially announced that it had completely lost its store located in the attacked shopping complex.
Three children died in an attack in the Nikolaev region
A brutal attack was also carried out in the Nikolaev region in the southern part of the country. A Russian drone of the “Shahed“ type hit a building that housed a store, a pharmacy and a post office.
According to information from Ukraine's Interior Minister Ivan Vykhivskyi, disseminated by state media (source: Ukrainska Pravda - pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/21/8049749), four people died in the attack. Among them are three children – two boys aged 11 and one boy aged 13. The fourth victim is a 30-year-old man. The region declared August 22 a day of mourning.
Kamikaze drone hits minibus in Zaporozhye
Terror did not pass by Zaporozhye, where a Russian drone attacked a city taxi (minibus) full of civilians.
The head of the Zaporozhye regional military administration Ivan Fedorov reported that three people were injured in the attack and hospitalized in serious condition (source: Kyiv Post - facebook.com/KyivPost/posts/russia-struck-a-civilian-minibus-in-zaporizhzhia-with-a-drone-seriously-injuring/1691493552858566). This is the second case of a Russian drone targeting a passenger vehicle in the region this evening, after a vehicle on a humanitarian mission was previously hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attacks “absolutely cynical and vile terror“ and called on the international community to respond immediately and strengthen the country's air defenses.