On the night of August 20, 2026, Russia launched a massive combined strike on the capital of Ukraine, employing ballistic and cruise missiles, 'Kalibr' complexes, and attack drones. Air raid sirens in Kyiv sounded for approximately nine hours, with the Kyiv region being the primary target. Among the facilities hit by the blast wave was the office of the 'We Are Ukraine' TV channel, which sustained significant damage. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing an official statement from the channel itself, windows were blown out, the newsroom suffered serious damage, and the blast wave tore away parts of the ceiling structures in the office corridors.
What happened in the TV channel's office
Photos published by the channel itself document the scale of destruction inside the premises: ceiling tiles are toppled and deformed, severed cable lines hang from them, monitors and peripherals are scattered across work desks, and chairs are overturned. The newsroom—the key workspace for the editorial team where broadcast materials are prepared and aired—proved to be the most vulnerable. Despite the destruction, the infrastructure necessary to continue operations remained intact: equipment and workstations remained functional, allowing the editorial team not to suspend broadcasting.
Team continues to operate in normal mode
Ihor Petrenko, head of the 'We Are Ukraine' media group, publicly emphasized that as a result of the attack, all channel employees survived and no one was injured. According to him, the team continues to work in normal mode, highlighting the resilience of the editorial process even under the direct impact of a blast wave. The leadership's statement became an important signal for the audience: despite physical damage to the office, the media project retains the ability to fulfill its information function.
Scale of the night attack on the capital and region
The damage to the TV channel's office is just one component of the consequences of the night strike. In Kyiv and the Kyiv region, at least 14 people were killed and about 40 were injured as a result of the attack. Residential buildings, industrial and warehouse facilities, and a children's hospital were damaged. In the Solomianskyi district, the upper floors of one of the high-rise buildings were destroyed, and fires broke out. The energy infrastructure was also seriously damaged: about 50,000 households were switched to backup power schemes, while another 40,000 homes remained without electricity. In Brovary, a hit on an industrial facility was recorded, while in the Boryspil district, private homes, warehouses, gas stations, a multi-story residential building, and cars were damaged. Due to infrastructure damage, 'Ukrzaliznytsia' was forced to change routes and cancel part of its suburban and regional services.
Contradictory data
There are no discrepancies in key facts regarding the damage to the TV channel's office between the two main sources—RBC-Ukraine and KP.ua: both editorials refer to the channel's statement and confirm blown-out windows, a damaged newsroom, and a destroyed part of the ceiling, as well as the absence of casualties among employees. However, it is important to note that figures regarding the dead and injured, as well as data on the number of homes without electricity, are preliminary and reflect the situation at a specific point in time after the attack; these figures may be refined as rescue and utility services continue their work. Thus, the fact of office damage is confirmed, while the final statistics on losses and infrastructure damage remain dynamic.
The incident involving the 'We Are Ukraine' office once again demonstrates that under ongoing hostilities, media facilities find themselves in the danger zone alongside residential and industrial infrastructure. Nevertheless, the editorial team's ability to resume work promptly and publicly confirm the safety of employees becomes an important element of information resilience during massive attacks.
