@hewadpress4: 🔴 Russian Missile and Drone Barrage Kills at Least 16 in Kyiv Region as Zelensky Calls for More Patriots 📍 KYIV | August 20, 2026 | HewadPress — Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone assault on Ukraine, killing at least 16 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region and injuring around 40 others, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for stronger air defenses. The hours-long attack combined ballistic and cruise missiles with waves of drones, with Kyiv and its surrounding region bearing the brunt of the strikes. Ukrainian authorities reported extensive damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure, including a school and a children’s hospital. Zelensky said Russian forces had prepared the attack for a long time and deliberately combined different weapons in an effort to inflict maximum damage on civilian infrastructure. Emergency and rescue crews continued working at multiple impact sites Thursday. The assault extended beyond the capital. In the Odesa region, Russian drones struck a border crossing with Moldova, while Zelensky said gas infrastructure was targeted in the Chernihiv region. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 168 drones alongside dozens of missiles during the barrage. Ukrainian defenses intercepted most of the drones and cruise missiles, but ballistic missiles remained particularly difficult to stop amid Kyiv’s shortage of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors. Zelensky used the attack to renew his appeal to Ukraine’s international partners for additional Patriot missiles, arguing that Russia will not seriously consider peace while Ukraine lacks sufficient protection against ballistic attacks. “Every additional missile saves the lives of our people,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine continues work on its FREYJA air-defense program but that Patriot interceptors currently cannot be replaced. The attack was among the heaviest aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital in recent months and comes amid continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure and Ukrainian attacks on targets inside Russia.

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Thursday 20 August 2026 15:20:04 GMT