As a result of a massive combined attack by Russia on the night of 19 August, 12 people were killed in Kyiv and one more in the Kyiv region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported. Around 40 people were injured. In the capital, residential buildings, a children’s hospital and a school have been damaged, and emergency rescue operations are ongoing at the sites of the strikes.
Briefly about the main points
- Twelve people died in Kyiv, and one more in the Kyiv region.
- Around 40 people have been injured; the emergency services are at the scenes of the incidents.
- Russia used ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as attack drones.
- A checkpoint in the Odesa region has been attacked, leaving thousands of customers without power.
- Zelenskyy has asked partners to provide additional interceptors for the Patriot system.
The aftermath of the attack in Kyiv, the Odesa and Chernihiv regions
According to Vladimir Zelensky, Russian troops for a long time were preparing this attack and combined various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones. The President stated that the aim was to inflict maximum damage on civilian infrastructure. Damage has been reported in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as in the Odesa and Chernihiv regions. The Kyiv region was the main target of the strike. According to published data, the weapons used included «Onyx» or «Zircon» missiles, «Kalibr» missiles and air-launched missiles.
Residential buildings have been damaged in Kyiv. The upper floors of one of the high-rise blocks have been destroyed. Ukrmedia news reported reports of strikes on at least 12 locations in the Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts. A children’s hospital and a school were also damaged. Since last night, rescue workers, medics, law enforcement officers and utility services have been working at the sites of the Russian strikes; the emergency rescue operation is ongoing.
In the Odesa region, Russian Drones attacked the checkpoint on the border with Moldova. Fires broke out in the region, and around 13,000 customers were left without electricity. At one of the sites, two lorries carrying foodstuffs caught fire. In the Chernihiv region, the Russian strike targeted gas infrastructure, the president reported.
Zelenskyy has called for stronger defences against ballistic missiles
The President attributed Russia’s ability to carry out such strikes to a shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. He emphasised that Ukraine needs additional interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems, for which, he said, there is currently no fully-fledged replacement.
At the same time, Ukraine is working with its partners on a ballistic missile defence programme FREYJA. Its aim is to build capacity to counter ballistic threats; the first dedicated meeting on the implementation of the programme took place in Paris.
