Ukraine's largest drone attack on Russia
Ukrainian forces launched one of their biggest drone attacks on Russia since Moscow's invasion more than four years ago, firing almost 800 drones just two days after a similar salvo, officials said Tuesday. Russian air defenses intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones over a number of Russian regions, as well as annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
More than 600 drones flew towards the Moscow region, where 180 were shot down, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, without providing further details. Three people were injured in the Moscow region, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov. The attack started a fire at a warehouse of Wildberries, Russia's biggest online retailer, in an industrial zone; the company said its facility sustained 'insignificant damage.'
Russian missile strike on Ukrainian village
Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike on the village of Pechenihy in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region killed at least 10 people and wounded 17 others, officials said Tuesday, as the barrage demolished homes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it 'a brutal attack' and said Ukraine would respond. Three people were killed and three others wounded over the past day in Russian attacks on Ukraine's Sumy region, according to Ukraine's National Police.
Independence Day under bombardment
Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, under Russian bombardment. The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns. Ukraine's Security Service warned of possible terrorist attacks ahead of the holiday, and Ukrainian authorities urged citizens to stay vigilant on public transport and guard against potential sabotage or sharing media that could reveal military positions.
European leaders, including European Council President António Costa and leaders from Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia, visited Kyiv for Independence Day events in a show of support as the war grinds on. Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine wants peace but is not prepared to surrender to Moscow's demands.
Escalating aerial duel
The warring countries are locked in an escalating duel of long-range aerial strikes as fighting on the roughly 780-mile front line in eastern and southern Ukraine is restricted by large numbers of drones and ground robots threatening troop movements, analysts say. Over the past year, Ukraine has devised and deployed domestically produced long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia, and its drone technology has impressed governments and defense manufacturers around the world. Kyiv officials aim to make the Russian public feel the war's consequences and pressure Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no sign he intends to stop the invasion.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X: 'Putin continues to drag out the war instead of accepting Ukraine's realistic ceasefire proposals and ending the bloodshed.'
Putin has warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian economic targets open a 'Pandora's box,' while Kyiv maintains deep strikes are vital to disrupting Moscow's logistics. Ukraine has targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including warehouses belonging to online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.
Expert commentary
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, told Fox News Digital that Putin is 'panicked' and 'gets very anxious when he's put in a corner.' Filipetti said Russia is losing more soldiers each month than they can recruit, forcing them to rely on North Korean, Cuban, and other foreign fighters to fill the gap. She noted that Ukrainian forces have recently been able to penetrate much deeper into Russian territory, including close to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
A separate Russian drone strike Friday on a packed shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, killed at least 16 people and injured 130, according to The Associated Press. Ukrainian officials reported at least seven deaths from Russian attacks on Monday's holiday. A Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Krasnodar region killed three, according to Russian officials.