NATO chief calls for Ukraine air defense boost as strikes intensify

NATO SecGen Mark Rutte pledged to bolster Ukrainian air defenses following deadly strikes, as Kyiv reported North Korean troops inside Russia.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced consultations with alliance members to reinforce Ukraine's air defenses following heavy Russian missile and drone strikes. The push coincides with Ukrainian claims that a North Korean missile unit has been deployed within Russian territory.
Simultaneously, Ukrainian retaliatory drone strikes targeted Russian positions and border regions, including Crimea, Belgorod, and a Black Sea coast near Gelendzhik, causing multiple casualties. In southern Ukraine, Russian glide bomb attacks on Zaporizhzhia left one dead and dozens injured.
Separately, investigations highlighted a scheme in Russia involving expedited marriages to departing military personnel, designed to claim state compensation if soldiers die in combat.
Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica, La Stampa.
Sources
- La Stampa — Drone su una spiaggia vicino al Palazzo Putin: in tutto 11 morti nei raid di Kiev, fra loro 3 bimbi
- Corriere della Sera — Guerra Ucraina-Russia, le notizie in diretta | Zelensky: «Safary con droni russi sui civili a Kherson». Raid ucraino alla periferia di Mosca: cinque morti e sei feriti
- Il Messaggero — Russia, le "vedove nere" del fronte: matrimoni lampo con i soldati per intascare il risarcimento di guerra
- ANSA — Ucraina: raid russi su Kiev, almeno 17 morti. Zelensky: 'Con gli intercettori sarebbero vivi'
- La Repubblica — Guerra Ucraina - Russia, le news di oggi. Kiev: “Unità missilistica nordcoreana schierata in Russia”
Earlier coverage
- Aug 29, 2026, 02:00 PM UTCUkrainian drone strikes target Russian regions as cross-border attacks intensify
- Aug 29, 2026, 11:30 AM UTCKyiv urges air defense support amid deadly Russian strikes and Ukrainian counterattacks
- Aug 28, 2026, 08:00 PM UTCRussian strikes hit Kyiv as Ukraine counterattacks near Moscow and Crimea
- Aug 28, 2026, 06:30 AM UTCRussian strikes kill 17 in Kyiv as Ukrainian drone attacks hit border regions
- Aug 28, 2026, 05:30 AM UTCUkraine and Russia exchange deadly aerial strikes as Zelensky rejects Donbas retreat
- Aug 27, 2026, 08:30 PM UTCRussian raids hit Kyiv while Ukrainian drones target Russian regions
- Aug 27, 2026, 02:00 PM UTCRussian strikes hit Kyiv as long-range attacks escalate across both borders
- Aug 27, 2026, 01:30 PM UTCRussia and Ukraine exchange strikes as Zelensky rules out Donbas withdrawal
- Aug 27, 2026, 11:30 AM UTCUkraine faces heavy Russian raids as reciprocal strikes target Moscow
- Aug 27, 2026, 05:30 AM UTCRussian strikes hit Kyiv as cross-border aerial attacks escalate