Ukraine war situation update | 15 – 21 August 2026

Key trends

• Ukraine conducted at least 35 attacks against energy infrastructure in occupied regions last week, close to the monthly average between January and May, and over half of them in Crimea. The strikes have targeted electrical substations, gas networks, and power plants, and have been on the rise since June. They have led to power outages, water supply issues, and price surges on the peninsula. As Ukraine aims to sever Russian communication lines with Crimea and complicate military operations there, the strikes are likely to continue to further affect the local population as temperatures start to drop in the coming months.
• In Russia proper, Ukraine expanded its campaign against Russia’s economy. Since 21 August, Ukrainian forces have targeted the warehouses of Russia’s second-largest online retailer. Russia vowed to retaliate and not only attacked civilian warehouses across Ukraine, but also grain export facilities, steel plants, and shopping malls, including the deadly strike on a mall in Kryvyi Rih on 21 August. While framed as retaliation, Russian strikes on a broad range of civilian targets are not new and are set to continue regardless of the Ukrainian campaign, unless the struggling economy forces Russia to accept a limited ceasefire.