KYIV -- Russia launched a large-scale barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones on Kyiv and its surrounding region, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 30 others, according to Ukrainian authorities.
RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir reported early on August 20 that fires had broken out across the capital as rescuers worked to extinguish them even while Russia continued its attack.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the upper floors of a nine-story residential building in the Solomyansk district were damaged and caught fire in one attack, while people were trapped in another residential building. Parts of the capital lost power.
Klitschko announced that August 21 was declared a day of mourning in the capital for those killed in the attack, and the death toll had risen to 16 by evening. Officials said one person was killed and seven injured in the region that surrounds Kyiv.
The massive attack lasted throughout the night, with Russian forces striking residential areas with attack drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, and sporadic attack continued into the evening.
"The Russians had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
Russian forces launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 168 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on August 20, adding that the main target was the Kyiv region.
"Rescuers freed two people trapped under the rubble," the State Emergency Service reported, adding that it continued to deal with the aftermath of the overnight attack on the capital.
"Air defense forces are operating in the capital. The threat remains, so residents are urged to stay in shelters until the official all-clear is given," Kyiv authorities said in the early morning hours of August 20.
During Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine, a drone entered Romanian airspace and crashed near the Ukrainian border.
Romania, an EU and NATO member, scrambled fighter jets and a helicopter, with two Spanish F-18s also deployed to monitor the situation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha later wrote on X that Russia had "once again violated the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, while a Ukrainian-Moldovan border crossing point was targeted."
"These are not isolated incidents. They are part of Russia's deliberate and systemic terrorist attacks," he added.
Russian drones have repeatedly entered Romanian and Moldovan airspace.
In May, one crashed into the roof of a 10-story residential building in the Romanian city of Galati and exploded, injuring two people.
Russia has intensified its missile attacks on Ukraine as the country faces severe shortages of air defense systems capable of intercepting high-speed ballistic missiles.
In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on Western allies to provide additional military aid and urged Washington to follow through on its vow to make licenses available for Ukraine to produce Patriot air defense systems.
"Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, such strikes do not always receive the response they should from the world," Zelenskyy said following the August 20 attack, adding that "as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistic defense, Russia will not consider peace seriously."
Meanwhile, regional authorities in Russia's Tatarstan region said several people were injured following a Ukrainian drone attack that disrupted an industrial complex in Nizhnekamsk.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 20 its forces intercepted and downed 726 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight.
Ukrainian military confirmed that its forces struck Russian facilities in Tatarstan and the Krasnodar region on August 20, including the Taneco oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, where a hit was followed by a fire.
Russia's oil-rich Republic of Tatarstan is located about 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, highlighting Kyiv's campaign to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
In Krasnodar Krai, the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, one of Russia's key oil terminals in the Black Sea region, was also hit, the Ukrainian military added.
