12 killed in Russia and Ukraine after an overnight exchange of drone and missile strikes

Published on 16/08/2026 - 16:29 GMT+2•Updated 16:39 Overnight strikes from both sides of the border have killed 12 people in Russia and Ukraine. With a reduction in frontline combat, the emphasis appears to be on long-range missile and drone attacks. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In Ukraine, two people were killed at a steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, one of the country's largest steel factories. Russia says it was targeting military-industrial sites there which manufacture Ukrainian Flamingo missiles. Strikes also killed two people in the Zaporizhzhia region and one in Sumy. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to social media to give an update on the response to the damage caused by Russian strikes. In Kyiv, a historic and popular book market was hit, sparking a major fire. In total, Zelenskyy said more than 1,500 drones have been launched into Ukraine by Russia in the past week. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones into Russia early on Sunday morning, in one of the largest aerial attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. Russian authorities said five people died in the southern region of Rostov, with a reported 150 drones launched in the area. Two were killed in Belgorod and Moscow, where the Ukrainian military said it was targeting military factories and energy facilities. Drones also struck another warehouse belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries in the town of Podolsk, setting it ablaze. Russia's military said it had destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones, 600 of which it says were heading for the capital. Additional sources • AP, AFP