Russian strikes kill nine civilians in Ukraine on 27 August
Russian strikes on August 27 2026, killed nine civilians in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Sumy Regions (Oblasts), and wounded 47 others, including in the Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine’s National Police reported.
The body of a man killed by a Russian drone in the Kherson OblastThe fatalities from the Russian strikes on 27 August included:
- a bicyclist in the Kherson Oblast;
- a woman in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast;
- one person in the Donetsk Oblast;
- two people in the Kharkiv Oblast;
- an elderly couple in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
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The highest number of casualties from the previous day’s Russian strikes was in the Kharkiv Oblast, where a 10-year-old girl was among the 13 wounded.
In the Sumy Oblast, at least nine adults and a child were wounded by Russian strikes on 27 August. Another 10 civilians were wounded in the Kherson Oblast, where Russian attacks damaged private homes, apartment buildings, vehicles, a post office, educational facilities and a gas pipeline.
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In the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, eight civilians were wounded in Russian strikes the previous day, while another six were wounded in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. In Kyiv, which was under Russian attack for almost the entire day on Thursday, a total of four residents were wounded.
Three more civilians were wounded in the Donetsk Oblast.
Meanwhile, as of 28 August, the Kyiv Oblast has been under a barrage of Russian attacks for a second consecutive day. At least 38 strikes have been recorded in the region since the night of August 27. Rescuers have had to halt firefighting operations 20 times due to new air raid alerts. The attacks have damaged warehouses, residential buildings, businesses and vehicles across the region. Damage from the strikes has also been reported in other regions.
On August 26, Russian strikes killed five adults and a child across Ukraine.
Ukrainian experts point out that countries, including China, the United States of America, North Korea, Hungary, Slovakia, Iran, and Brazil, assist Moscow in killing Ukrainians in its war against Ukraine by funding the Russian budget through trade.
Human rights organisations and Ukrainian authorities emphasise that structural economic pressure remains a key tool to halt such atrocities. They urge every nation and individual government worldwide to strictly enforce global sanctions, close existing regulatory loopholes, and completely sever remaining commercial and technological ties with the Russian Federation. Civil society groups stress that any continued cooperation by foreign businesses directly contributes to the resources Moscow uses to sustain its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Human rights organisations and Ukrainian authorities emphasise that structural economic pressure remains a key tool to halt such atrocities. They urge every nation and individual government worldwide to strictly enforce global sanctions, close existing regulatory loopholes, and completely sever remaining commercial and technological ties with the Russian Federation. Civil society groups stress that any continued cooperation by foreign businesses directly contributes to the resources Moscow uses to sustain its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
The Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU) reported that the European Union has imposed sanctions on the Chinese firm Xinxiang Richful Lubricant Additive Co., one of the largest suppliers of fuel additives to the Russian military-industrial complex.
According to the ESCU study, these Chinese activities improve the performance properties of aviation fuel and reduce engine wear in the Su-34 and Su-35S military aircraft. Russia independently produces only antioxidant additives, while it imports antistatic and anti-wear additives from India and China.
Xinxiang Richful Lubricant Additive Co. is the largest supplier of mineral-based additives to Russia. According to the ESCU, in 2023 alone, the Kremlin purchased goods from Xinxiang Richful worth more than $150 million – 33% of the company’s total annual sales.
Over the last four years, China has become a critically important partner for the Russian Federation. While Beijing officially declares its neutrality, Western intelligence and analytical studies indicate otherwise. For instance, China does not supply weapons directly to Russia, but it provides critically important components, including machinery, microelectronics, specialized chemicals, optics, gunpowder, and ammunition components.
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Donald Trump announced several days ago that the United States would lower tariffs on Indian goods in exchange for India halting its imports of Russian oil.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Trump but did not explicitly confirm the deal or disclose further details.
According to energy data firm Kpler, purchases have declined in recent months but still averaged approximately 1.2 million barrels per day in January.
Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that in 2024 China increased sales of ammonium perchlorate — a key ingredient used to produce solid propellant for Iskander missiles. This assistance enabled Russia to triple its ballistic missile production, the report stated. Beijing’s support has bolstered Russia’s defense industrial base, enabling Russian forces to launch salvos of 13 to 18 Iskander-M ballistic missiles in 2026.
Overall imports from China have grown to represent one-third of Russia’s total imports, while Russian oil exports now account for 75% of all oil purchased by Beijing. Analysts specifically highlighted defense-related imports, which provided the Russian military-industrial complex with machine tools, components, and raw materials for weapons manufacturing.
Furthermore, Russia’s defense industry also received computer chips, machine tools, radars, and sensors from China, according to CSIS. These goods are part of a list of 50 items aiding weapons production, effectively compensating for Russia’s limited manufacturing capacity in its defense sector. Other areas of support include the supply of drone hulls, lithium batteries, and fiber-optic cables. CSIS reported that Russian imports from China rose from $190 billion in 2022 to $250 billion in 2024.
In 2024, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that 70% of heavy industrial equipment and 90% of all microelectronics are sourced from China, which then flows into Russia.
Furthermore, according to recent NATO intelligence data, 80% of all Russian drones consist of Chinese parts.
According to The Telegraph newspaper, Chinese firms supplied sanctioned Russian companies with at least £47 million ($57.4 million USD) worth of parts between 2023 and 2024. Almost a quarter of the value of these supplies went to firms that produce Shahed-type drones.
Moreover, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine stated that China is also providing intelligence to Russia. The Kremlin used this data to prepare missile strikes, particularly against objects belonging to foreign investors, though the specific targets were not clarified. China denies these accusations.
Following the imposition of Western sanctions, Beijing has become a key supplier to Russia of cars, clothing, raw materials, and a range of other goods. In 2023, Russia-China trade turnover set a historic record, exceeding $240 billion, which is more than 60% higher than before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Chinese customs data.
Reuters also reported that China is buying oil and gas from Russia. The average daily volume of oil is more than two million barrels per day. During Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, the countries signed a document for the supply of 106 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China.
Reuters also reported that tens of thousands of cars are being exported from China to Russia under gray-market schemes that often circumvent Western and Asian government sanctions and automakers’ commitments to exit the Russian market, according to registration data reviewed by Reuters and interviews with five people involved in the trade.
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