diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 1542e883490..fbe134bf593 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ Features added
 Bugs fixed
 ----------
 
+* #8943: i18n: Crashed by broken translation messages in ES, EL and HR
+
 Testing
 --------
 
diff --git a/sphinx/locale/el/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po b/sphinx/locale/el/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
index 03f5d01fecb..6c0fc667bab 100644
--- a/sphinx/locale/el/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
+++ b/sphinx/locale/el/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
@@ -3301,12 +3301,12 @@ msgstr "περισσότεροι από ένας στόχοι βρέθηκαν 
 #: sphinx/transforms/post_transforms/__init__.py:171
 #, python-format
 msgid "%s:%s reference target not found: %%(target)s"
-msgstr "Ο %s:%s στόχος αναφοράς δεν βρέθηκε: %% (στόχος)"
+msgstr "Ο %s:%s στόχος αναφοράς δεν βρέθηκε: %%(target)s"
 
 #: sphinx/transforms/post_transforms/__init__.py:174
 #, python-format
 msgid "%r reference target not found: %%(target)s"
-msgstr "ο στόχος αναφοράς %r δεν βρέθηκε: %%(στόχος)"
+msgstr "ο στόχος αναφοράς %r δεν βρέθηκε: %%(target)s"
 
 #: sphinx/transforms/post_transforms/images.py:86
 #, python-format
diff --git a/sphinx/locale/hr/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po b/sphinx/locale/hr/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
index 20e336487b8..bd809f38165 100644
--- a/sphinx/locale/hr/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
+++ b/sphinx/locale/hr/LC_MESSAGES/sphinx.po
@@ -3305,7 +3305,7 @@ msgstr "%s:%s reference target nije pronađen: %%(target)s"
 #: sphinx/transforms/post_transforms/__init__.py:174
 #, python-format
 msgid "%r reference target not found: %%(target)s"
-msgstr "%r referenca target nije pronađena: %% (target)"
+msgstr "%r referenca target nije pronađena: %%(target)s"
 
 #: sphinx/transforms/post_transforms/images.py:86
 #, python-format