Russian drone strike on police headquarters in Zhytomyr kills 2, injures at least 20

Russian forces launched Banderol drones at the National Police headquarters in Zhytomyr on August 19, resulting in two fatalities and at least 20 injuries, as reported by First Deputy Head of the National Police Maksym Tsutskiridze. The attack targeted the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Zhytomyr Oblast, leading to a fire on the roof and fourth floor. Emergency responders were on-site to aid the injured and assess the damage.

Governor Vitalii Bunechko had previously informed that Russian forces had attacked Zhytomyr with jet-powered drones, and the latest strike follows a similar incident on August 9, which had injured three people and caused damage to civilian infrastructure, a private enterprise, and a residence. Since the start of the conflict, Russian attacks across Ukraine have claimed at least 17 lives and left over 54 people injured, according to local authorities.

Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia deployed two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 65 drones and other aerial targets overnight on August 19. The S8000 Banderol loitering munition, utilized in this attack, moves at a faster pace than the propeller-driven Shaheds, imposing a greater challenge for Ukrainian air defenses.