Ukraine-Russia War: 2026-08-26

BBC Monitoring reports Russia has struck at least 246 filling stations across Ukraine since April, with verified attacks rising to 114 in July alone. Officials in Kharkiv and other frontline regions warned drivers not to linger at pumps after recent drone hits wounded civilians. Ukraine has simultaneously struck Russian oil refining and logistics targets, contributing to fuel shortages inside Russia.

BBC, citing CBS, reports CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday aboard a US military C-17 via Riga. Neither Washington nor Moscow confirmed who he met or why. A senior Ukrainian official told CBS that Kyiv was asked to pause strikes on Moscow, St. Petersburg and northern Russia while the flight was in Russia, and Ukraine agreed.

Russias Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 426 Ukrainian UAVs overnight. Military Summary and Russian regional reports said a Wildberries logistics center in Kotovsk, Tambov Region, caught fire over more than 100,000 square meters, with one person injured. A fire was also reported at the oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Region. Independent wire confirmation of each strike location was limited at the time of posting.