Important events on day 1,274 of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine are presented here.
Here’s the current situation as of Thursday, August 21:
Combat Activities
- In the city of Kostiantynivka, located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, a Russian attack resulted in three fatalities and four injuries, according to the regional prosecutor’s office on Facebook.
- One person was killed due to Russian shelling in Bilozerka, a town in Ukraine’s Kherson region, as confirmed by the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office on Telegram.
- Alexandr Syrskii, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, mentioned on Facebook that Russian forces are intensifying their assault near Lyman in northern Donetsk.
- A Russian drone strike on a car in the Synelnykove district of Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region took the life of a 62-year-old man, reported Serhiy Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, on Telegram.
- In the Zolochiv territorial community, near the village of Petrivka, a Russian drone attack on a car claimed the lives of two people in their 70s, as indicated by the Kharkiv region police.
- Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesperson for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, communicated to Ukrinform that there have been 40,000 fires reported in Ukraine’s ecosystems since the beginning of 2025.
- A woman was killed in the Polohy district of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region due to Russian shelling, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration.
- A Ukrainian drone strike on a truck in Novy Varin, a village in Russia’s Bryansk region, resulted in one fatality, as reported by regional governor Alexander Bogomaz on Telegram.
- Three civilians were killed as a result of Ukraine’s drone strikes and “intensive shelling” in Novaya Zuryevka village, claimed Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the Kherson region, on Telegram.
- A Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Luhansk led to the death of one person, as announced by Russian-appointed local officials on Telegram.
- According to the Russian Defence Force, as reported by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Russian forces managed to shoot down 217 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Regional Security Matters
- Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz accused Russia of “provocation” due to a Russian drone explosion in the village of Osiny in eastern Poland, considering it happened “at a special moment, when there are discussions about peace”, as reported by Polskie Radio.
- Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced that the Netherlands will deploy 300 troops and air defence systems, including Patriots and counter-drone systems, to Poland. The purpose is to “defend NATO territory, protect supply to Ukraine, and deter Russian aggression”.
Peace Negotiations
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is not feasible; it leads nowhere”, amidst ongoing talks among Ukraine’s allies after the meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin about peace in Ukraine.
- Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda communicated that Lithuania “is prepared to provide as many troops as parliament allows for peacekeeping, as well as military equipment” in Ukraine, as reported by commercial television TV3.
- Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson indicated that his country could offer air surveillance and possibly maritime resources as part of security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, as per his discussion with Swedish public radio SR.
- Turkiye’s support for establishing a permanent peace in Ukraine with the participation of all parties was affirmed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a phone call with his Russian counterpart, President Putin, on Wednesday, as reported by the Turkish presidency.
Politics and Diplomatic Efforts
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised “heroic” North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine conflict for Russia, during a meeting with officers of the army’s overseas operation, as announced by state media KCNA on Thursday.
Sanctions
- Russia announced on Wednesday that it is barring entry to 21 individuals accused of working with “destructive British media” to promote anti-Russian narratives. The list includes journalists, experts, and members of civil society groups.
- The United Kingdom has introduced new sanctions targeting cryptocurrency networks believed to be exploited by Russia.
