Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian strike on Ukraine on the morning of 26 August was one of the most extensive to date.
According to Zelenskyy, over 100 missiles of various types and about 100 Shahed drones were directed at critical civilian infrastructure.
Russian morning attack on 15 Ukraine’s oblasts injured 21 & killed four people, according to local authorities. Among the injured are a 5-month-old baby in Kyiv, a 10-year-old girl, and an 8-year-old boy in Odesa.
The Russian main target was critical infrastructure. The president emphasized the significant damage to energy infrastructure, saying, “Wherever there are power outages, restoration work is already underway…We will restore electricity. Invincibility points should now be opened in all cities and communities that need them.”
Zelenskyy reiterated earlier calls by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal for international partners to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons and permission to strike Russian military targets. He argued that Ukrainian air defense and F-16 aircraft could “do much more to protect lives” if the air forces of Ukraine’s European neighbors also participated in shooting down Russian targets.
In July, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Warsaw was considering Kyiv’s proposal to shoot down Russian missiles heading towards Polish territory while still in Ukrainian airspace.
However, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland would not intercept Russian missiles flying through Ukraine towards Poland without a NATO-level decision.
On the morning of 26 August, the Polish Armed Forces reportedly launched aircraft in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The Russian attack on 26 August involved drones and missiles, including Kalibr missiles launched from warships in the Black Sea and missiles from Tu-95MS bombers. Later, Russia also deployed three MiG-31K aircraft carrying Kinzhal missiles.
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