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Russia has sharply intensified its air campaign against Ukraine, while Kyiv continues striking oil and logistics infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
Moscow is also claiming accelerated advances in the Donbas, but independent confirmation remains limited and peace negotiations are effectively frozen.
Kyiv Attacked for Sixth Consecutive Day
At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured during a Russian attack lasting more than 12 hours across Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Eight people were killed in the capital, most of them railway workers. Four others died in Boryspil, where a residential building and several other sites were damaged. An Indian citizen was among the victims.
A subsequent daytime drone attack caused a fire at a Kyiv apartment building and injured three people.
It was the sixth consecutive day of intense Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Moscow has been using ballistic and cruise missiles alongside new high-speed, jet-powered drones that Ukrainian forces say are more difficult to intercept.
Ukraine reported shooting down five ballistic missiles overnight but warned that its stock of interceptors for U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems was critically low.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the operation targeted military and energy facilities in Kyiv, Odesa and the surrounding regions. The attacks also damaged residential buildings and railway infrastructure, according to Reuters.
Odesa Ports and Romanian Border Crossing Hit
Russian missiles and drones also struck port, export and energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region.
The Orlivka border crossing with NATO member Romania was damaged, forcing officials to temporarily suspend the processing of vehicles and passengers.
Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz reported damage to both primary and auxiliary equipment at its Odesa combined heat and power plant. Thousands of households were left without electricity.
Odesa, home to Ukraine’s main Black Sea ports and major Danube terminals, recorded more than 300 air-raid alerts in August, lasting a combined 238 hours.
Before Russian attacks effectively blocked Ukraine’s main seaports, they handled approximately 90% of the country’s exports. Kyiv has been forced to divert cargo through lower-capacity Danube ports and western railway crossings. Reuters
Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Infrastructure
Ukraine, meanwhile, has expanded drone attacks against Russian refineries, export terminals, warehouses and logistics facilities.
Russian authorities reported a fire in the port area of Ust-Luga, one of the country’s most important energy-export outlets. Civilian facilities were also damaged in the Samara region, which contains several major refineries.
One civilian was killed in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to the regional administration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes had caused “real damage” to the country’s oil industry. He claimed that most affected facilities had already been restored and that only about 10% of damaged refinery capacity still required repairs.
Putin Claims Accelerated Russian Advance
Speaking after a summit in Bishkek, Putin said Russian forces had captured 270 square kilometers – 104 square miles – of the Donetsk region during August.
He also claimed that Russian troops were advancing toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and had surrounded two Ukrainian formations numbering up to 4,800 and 2,000 troops. Reuters said it could not independently verify those assertions.
Russia currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukraine. Kyiv disputes Moscow’s account of the battlefield, saying Russian territorial gains remain limited and have come at the cost of heavy casualties.
Putin also dismissed speculation that Russia was preparing another wave of military mobilization as “utter nonsense.”
Peace Process Remains Frozen
Despite his hard-line rhetoric, Putin said Moscow wants the war ended rather than merely frozen. At the same time, he ruled out direct negotiations with Ukraine’s current leadership, which he described as “terrorists.”
The Russian president said Moscow remained prepared to work with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump if they could make a meaningful contribution to the negotiating process.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously reported a “detailed and constructive” conversation with Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The sides are working to finalize dates for a visit to Ukraine.
U.S.-mediated negotiations stalled in February, with territorial demands remaining one of the principal obstacles. Moscow insists that Ukraine surrender additional territory, while Kyiv rejects any settlement based on forced territorial concessions.
Growing Aviation Risks for Azerbaijan
Zelenskyy has warned airlines and insurance companies that regular Ukrainian drone operations are making Russian airspace increasingly dangerous.
Most U.S. and European carriers already avoid Russia, but airlines from China, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and other countries continue using its airspace.
The warning carries particular significance for Azerbaijan following the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft, which killed 38 people.
Putin later told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that two Russian air-defense missiles had detonated near the AZAL plane as Russian forces responded to Ukrainian drones.
The continuing expansion of long-range attacks increases the risks of miscalculation and mistaken identification around civilian aviation routes. Reuters
For now, neither Moscow nor Kyiv appears ready to change its central negotiating conditions. Russia is escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities, energy sites and export routes, while Ukraine is carrying the war deeper into Russian territory through strikes on oil and logistics infrastructure.
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