Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced on Thursday, Aug. 20, that the Ministry of Finance will expedite the sale of Sense Bank. The revenue generated from the sale will be directed to Ukraine's Defense Forces. The process must be transparent and competitive, according to Koretskyi. The Ministry of Finance and the National Bank of Ukraine will work to resolve outstanding issues and improve Sense Bank's corporate governance.

An overnight missile strike by Russia on ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih killed two workers and injured 13 others. The attack damaged key energy and blast furnace units, causing the steelmaker to partially halt production. Kryvyi Rih, a crucial industrial hub in central Ukraine, has been targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes in recent months, resulting in energy facility damage and casualties.

Russian forces initiated nearly 50 drone and artillery strikes across three districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region on Thursday, Aug. 20. The attacks injured two men and damaged civilian infrastructure. In a separate incident, Russian armed forces launched multiple strikes on Pavlohrad, setting a private home ablaze.

Mykhailo Fedorov, former Defense Minister, recently called for wartime elections, positioning himself as a potential rival to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Dmytro Kuleba echoed Fedorov's call for wartime elections. Valery Zaluzhny remains the most prominent challenger to Zelensky. Fedorov's comments signal a broader political debate beyond a single individual.

The Dniester Reservoir, located in southwestern Ukraine near the Moldova border, reached its lowest recorded level for the date on Aug. 20. Natural inflow fell to about one-fifth of the seasonal norm, prompting Ukrhydroenergo to prioritize drinking water and local community needs over hydropower generation. The reservoir's water level stands at around 112 meters under the Baltic height system, a decrease of 76 centimeters since the beginning of August.

On Thursday, Aug. 20, Russian forces launched a major drone and missile barrage on Kyiv overnight. The strikes resulted in at least 16 deaths and 39 injuries, damaging residential buildings, a children's hospital, a school, and other civilian infrastructure. A drone debris strike on an office building in the Holosiivskyi district left one person dead and two others injured.