Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill 12 as Railway Workers Die

**Published: 13 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online**

At least 12 people have been killed and 20 others injured, including two children, after a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes hit Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding areas, according to Ukrainian officials.

The overnight attacks struck several locations across Kyiv and the wider region, damaging residential buildings and other infrastructure. Six of those killed were railway workers employed by Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia after a depot was hit in the capital.

The latest strikes come amid a sustained campaign of Russian drone and missile attacks against Ukraine and follow several days of heavy bombardment of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials say the continuing attacks are placing further pressure on the country’s air-defence systems while increasing the risks to civilians and critical infrastructure.

Russia said its forces had carried out a “massive strike using high-precision weapons”, claiming that military and energy facilities in Ukraine were the intended targets. Moscow has repeatedly said that its attacks are directed at strategic infrastructure rather than civilians, although Ukrainian authorities have reported repeated casualties in residential areas and other civilian locations.

The Russian authorities also said one person had been killed in Ukrainian strikes in Russia’s western Belgorod region.

In Kyiv, eight people were reported killed overnight, while fires broke out in three districts of the city. Emergency crews worked through the night to search damaged buildings and extinguish fires.

A further four people were killed in the nearby town of Boryspil after a residential building was struck, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said nearly 350 rescue workers had been deployed across Kyiv and the surrounding region following the attacks. He said Russia had launched a large number of drones and ballistic missiles during the overnight assault.

The latest bombardment represents another serious test for Ukraine’s air-defence network, which has been under sustained pressure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

## Railway workers among the victims

The deaths of six railway workers have highlighted the impact of the latest attacks on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and the people responsible for keeping essential services operating during wartime.

Ukrzaliznytsia is one of Ukraine’s most important state-owned enterprises and has played a central role in maintaining passenger and freight connections throughout the war. Railway workers have continued operating services despite repeated attacks on stations, tracks, depots and other infrastructure.

The railway depot in Kyiv was among the locations hit during the overnight strikes. Officials said six employees were killed in the attack.

The railway network has become particularly important since the beginning of the war because trains are used not only for civilian travel but also for the movement of humanitarian supplies and essential goods.

The attacks therefore raise concerns about the continued vulnerability of transport infrastructure, particularly as Russia maintains pressure on Ukraine’s energy and logistics systems.

For families of those killed, however, the immediate focus has been on the human cost of the attack. Ukrainian authorities said two children were among those injured during the overnight bombardment.

## Kyiv faces sustained attacks

The latest strikes came after several consecutive days of Russian drone and missile attacks against Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials have described the pattern as an apparent attempt to exhaust the country’s air defences and undermine civilian morale. Repeated overnight attacks force emergency services to remain on alert for extended periods and require residents to spend long periods in shelters or other protected locations.

The attacks also create difficulties for hospitals, transport networks, utilities and local authorities, particularly when multiple locations are hit simultaneously.

Russia has continued to use a combination of drones and missiles in its attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have increasingly warned about the challenge posed by ballistic missiles because of their speed and the limited time available for air-defence systems to respond.

Zelensky said the latest attack involved a “significant number” of jet drones and ballistic missiles. The scale of the attack meant that rescue teams had to work across several locations during the night.

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly appealed to its international partners for additional air-defence systems and ammunition, arguing that protecting major cities and critical infrastructure remains one of the country’s most urgent military requirements.

## Wider attacks across Ukraine

The overnight bombardment was not limited to Kyiv.

Zelensky said eight other Ukrainian regions were also attacked. The geographic spread of the strikes added to the pressure on emergency services and local authorities dealing with damage in multiple areas.

An Indian national was among the casualties, Ukrainian officials said. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivsky later identified the man as a 26-year-old Indian citizen who was killed in Boryspil on his birthday.

His death adds an international dimension to the latest attack and underlines the risks faced by foreign nationals living or working in Ukraine while the conflict continues.

The attacks follow another deadly incident in the Kyiv region on Friday, when 38 people were killed after strikes hit a weapons depot. Ukrainian authorities said shells, mines and drones stored at the site detonated following the attack, causing widespread explosions.

The repeated incidents have demonstrated how dangerous the security environment remains around the Ukrainian capital and its surrounding areas.

## Modi urges Putin to end war

The latest strikes came only a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the war to an end.

Speaking at a security summit in Kyrgyzstan, Modi said that every day spent in war pushed humanity backwards and that steps towards peace could provide renewed hope.

India has maintained close diplomatic and economic ties with Russia while also calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Modi has made similar appeals to Putin on previous occasions.

India’s relationship with Moscow has also attracted international attention because of its continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. Those purchases have become an important part of India’s energy strategy, while providing Russia with a significant source of export revenue.

Despite its ties with Moscow, New Delhi has repeatedly stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the war.

Modi’s latest comments came as Russian forces continued their attacks on Ukraine, highlighting the gap between international calls for peace and the ongoing military reality on the ground.

## Ukraine strikes Russian port

The latest escalation has also involved Ukrainian attacks on targets inside Russia.

A drone attack struck the major Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, causing a fire, according to Leningrad regional Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko.

Ust-Luga is an important commercial port and handles millions of tonnes of petroleum products each year. Ukrainian authorities have argued that infrastructure connected to Russia’s energy exports can be considered a legitimate military target because the revenues generated by those activities help finance Moscow’s war effort.

Russia, however, has consistently condemned Ukrainian attacks on its territory and infrastructure.

The expanding range of attacks illustrates how the conflict has developed into a confrontation in which both sides are targeting infrastructure that they say contributes to the opposing side’s military capabilities.

## Growing pressure on civilians

More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, civilian populations across Ukraine continue to face the threat of missile and drone attacks.

Kyiv has generally had stronger air-defence protection than many other Ukrainian cities, but repeated large-scale attacks have demonstrated that even the capital remains vulnerable.

For residents, the danger is not limited to the initial explosions. Damage to electricity networks, transport infrastructure, residential buildings and other services can create longer-term disruption.

Emergency workers also face significant risks as they search damaged buildings and respond to fires while further attacks remain possible.

The latest deaths are therefore likely to increase pressure on the Ukrainian government and its international partners to strengthen air-defence capabilities and improve protection for critical infrastructure.

At the same time, the continued attacks underline the difficulty of achieving a diplomatic breakthrough while military operations remain active on both sides.

For Kyiv, the immediate challenge is to protect civilians and maintain essential services under sustained bombardment. For international governments, the latest escalation presents another reminder of the continuing human and strategic costs of the war.

As rescue teams continue assessing the damage from the latest strikes, the deaths of 12 people, including railway workers and civilians, have once again brought the war’s consequences into sharp focus.

The attacks demonstrate that despite repeated international calls for negotiations and an end to hostilities, Ukraine remains exposed to a sustained and destructive campaign of missile and drone strikes.

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