Video: Fires rage at Kyiv book market after Russian missile, drone strikes
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russian missile and drone attacks triggered multiple fires across Kyiv overnight into August 16, 2026, including a devastating blaze at the city’s book market where vendors reported widespread destruction of stalls and inventory.
Ukrainian officials and local media, including the Kyiv Independent, confirmed at least three people were injured in the strikes, which produced explosions and fires in several districts of the capital.
Air defence systems were active over the city as residents took shelter during the prolonged aerial assault, part of Russia’s continuing campaign of missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian urban centres.
At the book market, video from the scene showed large nighttime blazes sending thick smoke into the sky, with firefighters working to douse burning structures.
Daytime footage revealed the aftermath: piles of charred books, twisted metal, and debris scattered across the site, while a distraught vendor described the loss of stalls and stock.
The market, a civilian cultural hub with no apparent military value, underscores the impact of the strikes on everyday life and cultural spaces in Kyiv.
Viral video of waterfront explosion not from Kyiv
Separately, a widely shared video showing a large explosion near a coastal waterfront lined with palm trees, boats and road traffic does not match Kyiv’s geography and appears to be repurposed footage from another location
