Russia Kills 8, Injures 43 Across Ukraine on Independence Day with Missile-and-Drone Barrage

Russia marked Ukraine's 35th Independence Day with a nationwide barrage overnight into August 24: two Oniks anti-ship missiles, six Kh-31P and Kh-59 guided air-launched missiles, and 143 drones (roughly a third jet-powered), striking 22 locations. Ukrainian air defense downed one Oniks, four of the six guided missiles, two Banderol munitions, and 109 drones. The attacks killed at least 8 people and injured 43 over the prior 24 hours. Kharkiv Oblast was hit hardest — 5 killed and 17 injured, including two women killed and an 11-year-old girl burned, with railway infrastructure struck in the Lozova community. Kramatorsk (Donetsk Oblast) saw 2 killed and 1 injured; Sumy Oblast recorded 1 killed and 12 injured across more than 50 strikes on 25 settlements; Zaporizhzhia Oblast logged 518 strikes on 38 settlements with 3 injured; Dnipropetrovsk Oblast saw roughly 30 drone, artillery, and guided-bomb attacks with 3 injured.