Escalating Russian air attacks hit multiple Ukrainian cities

Between September 15 and 17, 2026, Russian forces launched a series of intense drone and missile attacks across Ukraine. On September 15, a strike in Sloviansk killed two people and injured one, causing damage to residential buildings. The following day, a Russian drone targeted a passenger minibus in Nikopol, killing five people and injuring at least seven others. Ukrainian officials condemned the act, noting the vehicle was transporting civilians during their daily activities.

By the early hours of September 17, large-scale strikes involving ballistic missiles and drones hit Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia. In Kyiv, at least 12 people were injured, including two children aged 10 and 12, with damage reported to residential units, warehouses, and a gas station. Odesa authorities confirmed three injuries from an apartment block strike, and Zaporizhzhia reported three further injuries at an industrial site. In response to the regional volatility, Ukraine conducted its own drone raid, damaging an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, where local officials reported the interception of 65 Ukrainian drones. According to the United Nations, civilian casualties in Ukraine have reached their highest levels since the start of the conflict, with no immediate signs of de-escalation as both sides continue their respective military campaigns.