Russia Fires 65 Drones and 2 Missiles at Ukraine, Hitting 10 Sites
Updated
Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Aug 20
Russia Fires 65 Drones and 2 Missiles at Ukraine, Hitting 10 Sites
3 articles · Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Aug 20
Summary
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 65 drones and two Iskander-M ballistic missiles overnight, with strikes landing at 10 locations and debris falling at three others.
Ukrainian defenses downed 56 drones and two Banderol loitering munitions, but attacks still hit energy, transport, residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and other civilian infrastructure.
Ukrenergo reported power outages in Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts after the barrage, which also affected Chernihiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zhytomyr regions.
The wider economic toll is mounting: The Economist estimated recent Russian strikes have caused about $500 million in damage to Ukrainian businesses and industrial and agricultural infrastructure.
Port attacks in Odesa Oblast could also disrupt exports of 50 million tons of already harvested agricultural products, underscoring how the air campaign is pressuring Ukraine beyond the battlefield.
With 40% of its gasoline capacity paralyzed by drone strikes, how long can Russia's war machine run on empty?
As fuel rationing spreads and public events vanish, is the Kremlin's facade of stability finally cracking ahead of the elections?
Could localized refinery fires be the domino that triggers a nationwide economic collapse for a global superpower?
Ukraine Under Siege: The August 2026 Drone and Missile Escalation, Civilian Toll, and the Battle for Air Defense
Overview
In August 2026, Russia launched a massive, coordinated aerial assault on Ukraine using advanced drones and missiles, overwhelming air defenses and causing heavy casualties and destruction across several regions. Ukraine managed to intercept many drones, but new high-speed Russian munitions outpaced traditional defenses, forcing rapid and difficult decisions for Ukrainian operators. As Russia expanded its launch infrastructure and increased missile production, Ukraine’s interception rates for ballistic missiles dropped sharply due to interceptor shortages and global supply bottlenecks. This escalation, combined with targeted attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and vital infrastructure, has deepened the humanitarian crisis and strained both countries’ resources, shaping a grinding war of attrition with severe civilian and military costs.