Russia launches large-scale attack on Ukraine for second night in a row

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least seven people and injured at least 34 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Aug. 27.

Russia launched a combined wave of attacks against Ukraine for the second night in a row, reportedly using 81 Shahed-type attack drones and 10 missiles. A day before, Russia launched its largest aerial strike throughout the full-scale war, using over 230 missiles and drones.

From the overall tally, four people were killed and 16 injured only during the overnight strike on Aug. 27, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Overall, Russian forces launched three Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles from MiG-31K aircraft, five Kh-101 cruise missiles from Tu-95 bomber planes, one Iskander-M ballistic missile, and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said.

Five Kh-101 cruise missiles and 60 drones were intercepted by Ukrainian defenses, the commander noted.

Russia attacked Kyiv Oblast and Kyiv with drones and missiles, with an air raid alert ongoing for eight hours. No damage or victims were reported.

Around 10 attack drones and several missiles were downed near Kyiv, said city administration head Serhii Popko, adding that "everything that flew to the capital was destroyed."

Russian forces also targeted Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, resulting in three civilian deaths, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported. At least two of the fatalities were recorded during drone attacks overnight on Aug. 27. Five civilians were injured in the region, including an 86-year-old woman. Four of them are currently being treated in a local hospital.

Several homes were damaged by blast waves and debris from the attack, and a fire occurred in a field, Fedorov said, adding that at least 128 drones attacked the region over the past 24 hours.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, three people were killed and 13 injured over the past day, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Eight of the injured and one fatality were reported during the day on Aug. 26 following Russian attacks against the Nikopol district.

Late at night, a Russian Iskander missile struck a hotel in the city of Kryvyi Rih, killing at least two people and injuring at least five, Lysak reported.

In Kharkiv Oblast, four people were injured when Russia struck an infrastructure facility with an Iskander missile, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed one person and injured 10 others, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

A critical infrastructure site, medical and educational institutions, high-rise buildings, houses, and other buildings were reportedly damaged.

One person was injured in Russian attacks against Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 26, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Another civilian was injured during drone attacks in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, said Serhii Tiurin, the regional governor. Eight drones were downed over the oblast, with at least two houses catching fire as a result.

Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, and Sumy oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.

For the second night in a row, the Polish Air Force scrambled its fighter jets as Russia attacked western Ukrainian regions. The Polish military said that a Russian drone may have entered Polish airspace during a previous attack on Aug. 26.

Russia redeploys 30,000 troops to Kursk Oblast

Ukraine's ongoing operation in Kursk Oblast is achieving one of its strategic objectives: drawing a significant number of Russian forces away from critical fronts in Donetsk Oblast. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed on August 27 that the operation has led to the diversion of approximately 30,000 Russian troops from sectors such as Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

As the operation enters its fourth week, Ukrainian forces have reportedly gained control over 1,294 square kilometers and 100 settlements, including the town of Sudzha. Syrskyi also mentioned the capture of 594 Russian soldiers. However, these claims have not been independently verified by the Kyiv Independent.

Speaking at the "Ukraine 2024. Independence" forum in Kyiv, Syrskyi highlighted the strategic impact of the Kursk operation, noting that Russia has concentrated its most combat-ready units in the Pokrovsk sector in response. Despite this, Russia continues to make advances in other areas, particularly in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where they are attempting to reclaim positions near the village of Robotyne. In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces are focusing on regaining control of the island zone near the Dnipro River's delta.

The ongoing operation underscores Ukraine's broader strategy to stretch Russian resources and weaken their positions across multiple fronts.

Zelenskyy: There's no point in dialogue with Putin at present

On August 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly dismissed the idea of engaging in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that any such discussions would be "empty" and "pointless" at this stage. Zelenskyy emphasized that Putin has shown no genuine interest in ending the war diplomatically, instead seeking to force Ukraine into conceding significant portions of its territory—up to 30%—as part of any settlement.

Zelenskyy's remarks came during a press conference, where he made it clear that Ukraine has no intention of "playing along" with Russia's demands. He highlighted the ongoing Ukrainian military operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast, noting that it has significantly contributed to reducing the push for negotiations under such unfavorable terms.

This stance contrasts sharply with recent comments from Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, who stated that negotiations with Ukraine have "lost their relevance," further underscoring the current impasse between the two nations.