The war between Russia and Ukraine escalated with new force last night. A massive wave of Ukrainian drones attacked strategic targets deep in Russian territory, causing huge fires. At the same time, heavy Russian missile strikes on Kiev left dozens of civilians injured and caused serious material damage to residential infrastructure.
Strikes on the military airport in Rostov and the refinery in Yaroslavl
On the night of September 17, 2026, an air emergency was declared in a number of Russian regions. According to local residents and footage on social networks, a large-scale fire broke out at the military airport “Rostov-on-Don - Central“. According to intelligence sources, the fire broke out in the area of the military aircraft stands, and a subsequent detonation of ammunition was also reported (Source: pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/17/8053811/). This strategic facility is actively used by the Russian army for logistical support of units in Ukraine.
At the same time, suicide drones hit one of the largest oil refineries in Russia - – “Slavneft-YANOS“ in the city of Yaroslavl. The plant, which processes about 15 million tons of oil per year, is a key supplier of fuel for the central Russian regions and the occupation forces. The governor of the Yaroslavl region, Mikhail Evraev, confirmed the introduction of a “unmanned danger” regime and the temporary closure of major highways to Moscow (Source: 24tv.ua/ru/massirovannaja-vozdushnaja-ataka-rossiju-17-sentjabrja-kakih_n3143484).
Russian missile strike on Kiev: Children injured
In response to the increased attacks or as part of an ongoing offensive, the Russian army launched a brutal ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. A series of loud explosions were heard in the city, and according to monitoring channels, the missiles were fired simultaneously from Kursk, Voronezh and Bryansk (Source: tsn.ua/ru/svit/nochnaya-ataka-na-rossiyu-v-rostove-prozvuchala-povtornaya-detonatsiya-v-yaroslavle-gorit-npz-video-3170094.html).
According to initial data from the Kyiv City Military Administration (KCMA) and Mayor Vitali Klitschko, falling debris from downed missiles caused damage to residential buildings, offices and warehouses in the Dniprovsky, Svyatoshynsky and Solomensky districts of the capital. At least 12 injured citizens are currently reported. Among the injured are two children, one of whom is a 10-year-old girl. All the injured are receiving emergency medical care in the capital's hospitals (Source: unn.ua/ru/news/v-yaroslavle-posle-ataki-dronov-gorit-odin-iz-krupneishikh-npz-rossii-osint). Due to damage to the infrastructure, a temporary drop in pressure in the water supply network of several districts in Kiev has also been recorded.