Russian forces kill several in Ukraine, launch ‘brutal’ attack in Odesa

What the report says

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed and wounded civilians overnight, according to Al Jazeera’s report from August 9, 2026. In Kharkiv, an apartment building in the Saltivskyi district was hit in a drone strike, killing two men and injuring at least 21 people, while a separate artillery strike in Kherson region killed a woman. Ukrainian officials also said a strike near a shopping mall in Pavlohrad wounded nine people, including children.

The report said Russian forces continued targeting multiple regions, including Odesa, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipro and Zaporizhia, amid broader strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the Pavlohrad attack as especially brutal and said the attacks were damaging energy facilities and residential areas.

A major focus of the piece was Odesa, where Ukrainian authorities said missiles and drones hit the port and surrounding infrastructure. Zelenskyy said power restoration work was under way and that at least eight people were injured. He argued the strikes were part of a wider effort that threatens global food security because Odesa’s port is a key route for grain exports. Al Jazeera also noted earlier deadly attacks on the port in July, underscoring the area’s strategic and economic significance.

The report additionally cited Russian state media claims of Ukrainian drone strikes in Belgorod and damage to oil refineries in Sumy, reflecting the wider cross-border nature of the war.