Escalating drone strikes cause casualties in Russia and Ukraine

Between August 21 and August 24, 2026, a series of intense drone strikes occurred across Russia and Ukraine, resulting in significant casualties and industrial damage. In Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, a Russian drone attack on a shopping center killed 16 people, including many children, and left over 130 injured. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the site was hit by two consecutive waves, with the second wave targeting emergency responders.

Simultaneously, Russian regions including Samara and Krasnodar experienced extensive Ukrainian drone raids. In Samara, a warehouse belonging to the e-commerce giant Ozon was struck, causing operations at the Chapayevsk logistics center to be suspended. By August 24, further strikes in Krasnodar resulted in the death of two children after drone debris fell on a childcare center; nine others, including seven children, were injured. Ozon confirmed multiple strikes on its facilities across southern Russia, including locations in Adygeysk and Nevinnomyssk. While Russia claims to have neutralized hundreds of drones, these incidents mark a continued escalation in the targeting of commercial infrastructure, which Moscow has labeled as an attack on civilian sites.