Russia pounds six Ukrainian regions in 24 hours, strikes border crossing with Moldova

Russian forces carried out a wave of strikes across at least six Ukrainian oblasts on 24–25 August, hitting residential areas, critical infrastructure and a border crossing with Moldova, as the search for three missing people — including a child — entered its fourth day in Kryvyi Rih.

Kramatorsk: massive airstrike on residential neighbourhoods

On the morning of 25 August, Russian aircraft struck Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast with what local officials described as a massive airstrike. Residential infrastructure and apartment blocks were hit, and people were injured, according to Oleksandr Honcharenko, Head of Kramatorsk City Military Administration Source 8. The number of casualties was still being clarified as of midday. The attack follows a pattern: on 20 August, nine guided aerial bombs hit the centre of Kramatorsk, killing two and injuring 11.

Konotop: railway destroyed, gas cut, teenager wounded

In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces struck the city of Konotop, destroying railway infrastructure and premises belonging to an agricultural business, Mayor Artem Semenikhin reported Source 7. A 14-year-old girl was injured. Dozens of buildings and a family home were damaged, and parts of the city lost gas supply. Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's state railway operator, confirmed that a section of track and several of its facilities were destroyed. The strike is part of a broader effort to disrupt Ukraine's rail network, which is vital for military supplies and civilian transport.

Chernihiv Oblast: 38 wounded, business blaze covers 3,000 sq m

Over 24 August, Russian forces conducted 45 attacks on Chernihiv Oblast, injuring 38 people, including teenagers, said Viacheslav Chaus, Head of the Chernihiv Oblast Military Administration Source 9. Sixteen strikes used various types of UAVs, and 22 were FPV drone attacks on border areas. A strike on an apartment building in Chernihiv city left 25 injured; a 61-year-old woman remains hospitalised. In the town of Mena, a drone hit a telecommunications building, wounding 12, including four teenagers.

Overnight, Russian drones — identified as Gerbera and Geran types — attacked the Koriukivka district, hitting a business and causing a fire that spread across more than 3,000 square metres Source 4. Firefighters extinguished the blaze; no casualties were reported. Facilities in the road and forestry sectors were also damaged.

Vynohradivka border crossing closed after Shahed attack

For the first time in this reporting period, Russian forces struck an international border crossing. A Shahed drone hit the Vynohradivka road checkpoint on the border with Moldova overnight, damaging infrastructure and starting a fire that was later brought under control Source 2. The crossing is closed indefinitely; traffic is being redirected to other checkpoints. The State Border Guard Service said it had informed the Moldovan side. The attack appears designed to disrupt civilian travel and trade routes, and to signal that no part of Ukraine's border infrastructure is safe.

Kharkiv: one killed in missile strike

On the night of 24–25 August, Russian missiles struck an industrial area in Kharkiv's Osnovianskyi district, killing one person, Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed Source 6.

Red Cross warehouse hit in Kherson

On the evening of 23 August, a Russian drone caused a fire at a Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse in Kherson, destroying or damaging humanitarian supplies worth nearly UAH 28 million (about US$627,000) Source 5. Lost items included equipment and materials for winter preparation and emergency response, medical supplies, blankets, hygiene kits, and water and electricity equipment. The attack deliberately targeted aid intended for civilians, a pattern Moscow has employed throughout the war.

Kryvyi Rih: search for three missing continues

The search operation at the site of a double-tap drone strike on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, which killed 16 and injured 136 on 21 August, entered its fourth day on 24 August Source 1. Three people — including one child — are still missing. The State Emergency Service has deployed 185 workers and 42 pieces of equipment; eight sniffer dogs have searched over 1,000 square metres of debris. Emergency workers have dismantled 1,900 square metres of damaged structures. As of 24 August, 49 of the injured remain in hospital, 15 in serious or critical condition.

Russian losses

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia lost 1,230 soldiers killed and wounded over the past day, bringing the total estimated personnel losses since February 2022 to approximately 1,479,300 Source 3. Equipment losses included nine armoured combat vehicles, 48 artillery systems, two MLRS, and one air defence system.

Why this matters

The scale and geographic spread of these strikes — from the northeastern border with Russia to the southern front and the Moldovan frontier — demonstrate that Moscow retains the capacity to conduct simultaneous, multi-axis attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure. The targeting of a border crossing and a Red Cross warehouse signals an escalation against humanitarian and logistical nodes, not just front-line positions. For Ukraine's allies, the continued destruction of energy and rail infrastructure underscores the urgency of air defence supplies and the need to protect supply routes that keep the country running.