Published: Aug 16, 2026, 22:16 IST | Updated: Aug 16, 2026, 22:16 IST
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged a fresh wave of intense strikes, leaving casualties and widespread destruction on both sides. A prominent market in Kyiv was reportedly gutted in Russian strikes, while Ukraine claimed to have targeted a missile fuel production facility in Russia's Rostov region.
The escalation comes amid reports that British-made drones are being used in Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, including attacks targeting facilities near Moscow.
Meanwhile, a NATO F-18 fighter reportedly shot down a drone that breached Romanian airspace, marking another serious development along NATO's eastern flank.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also called for greater international support to protect Ukraine's cultural heritage sites. At the same time, Germany, France and the UK are reportedly working on their own negotiating framework amid concerns that Europe could be excluded from future US-led Russia-Ukraine peace talks.