North Korea is sending additional personnel to support Russia’s military operations, including about 400 members skilled in drone operations, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said on August 21, 2026. Deputy head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, said about 8,500 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, mostly deployed in the Kursk region. The force reportedly includes about 1,000 engineers and mine-clearance personnel.

Skibitskyi said many drone operators in the new contingent gained experience through earlier deployments or training and could be used to observe and strike targets inside Ukraine. He assessed that North Korean troops were unlikely to fight directly on Ukrainian territory, but could reinforce rear-area positions in Russia, freeing Russian forces for frontline attacks. Ukrainian intelligence says about 25,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to or rotated through Russia so far.

Ukraine also alleges North Korea has supplied ballistic missiles and personnel supporting missile launches in Russia’s Voronezh region. Skibitskyi said Pyongyang seeks advanced air-defence technology in exchange for manpower and equipment, including Russia’s S-400 system, and has already received a Pantsir-1 system.

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv killed at least 13 people and injured another 40, according to a report published on August 20, 2026. The overnight assault damaged residential buildings and warehouses in several parts of the capital, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.

A children’s hospital and a school were also damaged in the attack. The reported casualties and destruction came as Kyiv faces growing vulnerability because of a shortage of air-defence missiles supplied by its Western allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the lack of sufficient air-defence missiles was one of the reasons for the loss of life. Ukraine relies heavily on missiles provided by Western partners to counter Russian ballistic missiles, according to the report.

A Russian attack killed 10 people in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the local governor. The incident occurred in Pechenihy on Tuesday, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media post.

Syniehubov said Russian forces carried out a rocket attack on Pechenihy. He described the death toll of 10 as preliminary, indicating that the figure was based on initial information.

AFP reported the incident from Kyiv. The report did not provide the identities of those killed, the number of people injured, the time of the attack, or further details about damage caused by the strike.

European Union financing lifted military aid for Ukraine to €7.2 billion in June, the highest monthly level since US funding stopped in February 2025, according to Kiel Institute data reported on Thursday. Published on August 13, 2026, the report said June’s total was the second-highest monthly amount after €9.04 billion received in April 2024. It was also the third-largest one-month rise in donor military assistance since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.

The increase was driven mainly by the EU’s new Ukraine Support Loan. European institutions provided €4.3 billion in military aid in May and June under the loan, which was launched with €90 billion to address Ukraine’s budget and defence needs in 2026 and 2027. Germany separately provided €700 million, Denmark €600 million and the Netherlands €500 million in military support.

Despite the June increase, longer-term financing remains below levels before US funding ended. Donors provided an average of €3.46 billion a month before February 2025, compared with €2.94 billion afterward. The United States no longer directly funds Ukraine’s war effort, though its weapons remain important. Europe is buying arms from US defence companies and receiving weapons from existing US stockpiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Korea has decided to deploy between 30,000 and 50,000 troops on Russian territory to fight on Russia’s side. In a post on X on Saturday, he also urged South Korea to work more closely with Ukraine, including by helping address gaps in Ukraine’s air-defence capabilities.

Zelenskyy said the estimated deployment would exceed the figure of 30,000 troops he cited in July. He did not explain how he obtained the information. He also said some North Korean-made missiles had been found in Ukrainian territory, though he did not specify where they were found.

According to Zelenskyy, North Korea would continue gaining experience in modern warfare and could receive licences for military technology and various military equipment from Russia. He said Ukraine was interested in South Korean support where it faced shortages, particularly in air defence. Ukraine is also ready to cooperate with South Korea on a “drone deal” and other areas, he said, adding that Ukrainian diplomats were in contact with South Korea over possible agreements.

At least 26 people were reported killed in Russian and Ukrainian drone and missile strikes across several regions on Monday, according to the report published on August 4, 2026. The report said 11 of those killed were Russian and 11 were Ukrainian citizens, though the regional casualty figures later cited in the account indicate additional deaths.

Russian authorities said Ukrainian drone attacks caused casualties in Krasnodar, Belgorod and Crimea. Seven people, including three children, were killed and about 40 injured in Arkhipo-Osipovka in Krasnodar. Four people were killed and two injured in Crimea, while four were killed and 17 injured in Belgorod.

In Ukraine, an explosive-laden Russian drone struck a petrol station in Kryvyi Rih district, killing three people, including an emergency worker and his eight-year-old son. Russian drone and missile strikes in Zaporizhzhia killed eight people, including two children. Russia's Defense Ministry separately claimed control of Bilyi Kolodiaz and Uspenivka settlements in the Kharkiv region.

At least 14 people were killed in renewed reciprocal attacks between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday, officials from both countries said. Ukrainian attacks killed at least nine people in Russia, while Russian strikes killed at least five people in Ukraine. The report was published on August 3, 2026, amid a war that has continued for about four and a half years.

In Russia's border region of Belgorod, four people were killed in a Ukrainian attack, including a 13-year-old girl who was injured near a playground. Two people died in a drone attack in Saratov, near the Kazakhstan border, and three were killed when another Ukrainian drone struck a vehicle in Udmurtia. Acting Governor Olga Abramova called that incident senseless and cruel.

Russian attacks killed two people in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region and two more in separate strikes in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, local authorities said. A Russian attack destroyed a postal transport terminal in Kharkiv, killing a Nova Poshta employee. UN data says civilian casualties in Ukraine have risen significantly this year, while US-mediated talks have been stalled since February.

At least nine people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, Reuters reported on August 2, 2026. Russian forces launched the missile and drone assault early Saturday, targeting Kyiv and other locations, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Russia used 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 drones in the broader attack.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had no defensive interceptor missiles remaining for its US-made Patriot air-defence system, making it impossible to avert the extensive damage. The attack came shortly after the severe shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles was made public.

Washington has also expressed reluctance to authorize Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles during the shortage. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States had not yet approved a proposal allowing Ukraine to produce the missiles. He said the United States must be very cautious when permitting another country to manufacture such sensitive technology.

A Russian missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, killed nine people and injured at least 23, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service said on Saturday. The agency said the attack caused extensive destruction and fires in five districts of the capital. Ukrainian authorities said ballistic missiles were used in the strike, according to an AFP report.

Kyiv Mayor Klitschko said in a Telegram message at the start of the attack that explosions could be heard in the city and that Russia was launching a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. He urged residents to remain in safe shelters. Rescue workers were continuing operations in the affected areas, authorities said.

The strike came as a United Nations report said June this year was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022. The report attributed the worsening civilian toll to Moscow’s increased long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities and populated areas. The source did not provide further details about the locations of the casualties or the scale of damage in each district.

Russian attacks across Ukraine on Thursday killed at least eight people and injured several others, after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a possible major assault. A ballistic missile struck a village house near the central city of Kryvyi Rih, killing four adults and two children aged five and 12. Five more people were reported injured in an eastern district of Kyiv.

Kryvyi Rih's defence council said another eight people were injured and warned that the death toll could rise. Officials in the eastern Poltava region said one person was killed in a drone strike on a warehouse, while at least 15 people were injured in an attack on the western city of Lviv. Kyiv's military administration confirmed one death and two injuries in the capital.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russia was attacking the capital with ballistic weapons and that fires had broken out in several districts. He urged residents to remain in shelters. Zelensky again called on Ukraine's allies to provide missiles needed for Kyiv's air defences. UN data cited in the report said the previous month was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022.

At least 13 Indian seafarers are stranded aboard the cargo vessel MV Amir-1 at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port amid the Russia-Ukraine war, according to a report published on July 29. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India said the crew faces extreme risk as drone and missile attacks continue along the Black Sea coast. The vessel has 15 crew members in total and has been unable to leave the port.

In a post on X, the union said MV Amir-1 became stuck after anchoring at Chornomorsk. It said the seafarers are living in fear of a possible direct attack. The organisation urged the Indian government, the ship’s owners and relevant authorities to quickly ensure the crew’s safety and bring them home.

Concern is also rising over attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. India summoned Ukraine’s ambassador and lodged a strong protest after an Indian seafarer was killed in an attack on a ship last Monday. India’s Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned attacks on commercial ships.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to visit the White House on Tuesday to seek stronger support from US President Donald Trump in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. A White House official told AFP on Friday that the two leaders would meet in Washington. A memorial event for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, described as a close supporter of Ukraine, is also scheduled for the same day.

The visit comes as Kyiv and Moscow have both increased long-range attacks while US-led diplomatic efforts have stalled. More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, there has been no significant progress toward ending the war. Zelenskyy and Trump have had a long-strained relationship, although Trump has shown a comparatively more sympathetic attitude toward the Ukrainian president in recent weeks.

Zelenskyy said preparations were under way for talks with the US president and his team. He said he hoped Washington would continue supporting Ukraine and help bring the war to an end through a dignified peace. Since returning to office in January last year, Trump has largely halted direct US weapons supplies to Kyiv and introduced the PURL program, under which Europeans can purchase weapons for Ukraine. The United States remains an important ally through intelligence sharing and Starlink access.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is strengthening cooperation with Iran and expanding military coordination with North Korea and China. The claim was reported on July 27, 2026, citing an interview Zelenskyy gave to Sky News.

Zelenskyy said North Korea could send 30,000 troops to Russia, while Iran could provide additional missiles. Asked whether he was concerned about a possible Iranian attack on Ukraine, he said Tehran had already become involved in the war by supplying weapons to Russia.

He said Ukrainians could not trust Iran, arguing that Iranians had supplied weapons from the very beginning, even when Ukraine had not produced any weapons on its side. Zelenskyy said everything must be done to prevent another new battlefield from emerging, adding that Iranians and North Koreans had already attacked Ukraine.

Russia launched airstrikes on Kyiv following a Ukrainian drone attack that destroyed e-commerce warehouses in Moscow and Tambov regions. The Russian assault injured several people, with conflicting casualty reports from different authorities. Kyiv’s military administration reported one death, while the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned seven injuries and no fatalities. Fires broke out across multiple districts, damaging residential and commercial buildings.

The escalation comes in the fifth year of the war, as Ukraine faces both relentless Russian attacks and internal political turbulence following sudden changes in military leadership. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s drone strikes targeted logistics sites supplying banned components for drone production. Russia claimed to have intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow in recent days.

Meanwhile, rare protests erupted across Ukrainian cities for a third consecutive day after Zelensky dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The move, part of a government reshuffle, sparked public discontent amid ongoing military pressure and speculation about possible changes in top command.

Ukraine’s parliament has approved Serhii Koretskyi, a top energy executive, as the country’s new prime minister. The appointment, announced on July 17, 2026, is part of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s major government reshuffle. Koretskyi becomes Ukraine’s third head of government since the start of the ongoing war.

Koretskyi, aged 48, is an engineer and economist with over two decades of experience in international finance, energy retail and wholesale management, and oil production and refining. Before this appointment, he served as CEO of Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest state-owned oil and gas company, since May 2015. He previously led Ukrnafta and worked with Continuum Group and the WOG fuel chain. Analysts note that his lack of political affiliation and reputation as a capable manager may aid his performance in office.

With Russia’s continued missile and drone attacks damaging Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Koretskyi’s main task will be to prepare the country’s power and energy systems for the coming winter, which President Zelensky has identified as the government’s top priority.