Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies As Kyiv Launches Over 800 Drones, Moscow Targets Steel Plant | Video

Last Updated:August 16, 2026, 8:56 PM IST

Ukraine launched more than 800 drones in its largest aerial attack on Russia, killing five people in the residential area of the southern Rostov region.

Ukraine struck the Wildberries site in Podolsk in its largest drone attack. (Photo: X)

Russia and Ukraine exchanged a massive wave of drone and missile strikes overnight that pummeled the industrial and commercial infrastructure of both countries, resulting in several casualties and intensifying the four-year war.

Ukraine launched more than 800 drones in its largest aerial attack on Russia, killing five people in the residential area of the southern Rostov region. Two more people were killed in the Belgorod and Moscow regions.

Russia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted 822 drones across the country overnight, with Moscow regional governor Andrey Vorobyov describing the assault as “one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory.”

Images showed that the Wildberries site in Podolsk was completely destroyed in Kyiv’s assault, which Ukraine described as “Russian Amazon.” Since mid-July, Ukraine has struck around 20 warehouses and buildings linked to the company.

The attacks come after Ukraine ⁠used Flamingo missiles to strike a Russian rocket and ⁠space centre ⁠in ⁠Samara that it says supports Russia’s ⁠nascent Starlink-style satellite internet network, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russian Attacks Kill 4 In Ukraine

Meanwhile, a barrage of Russian drones and missiles killed two people and wounded 14 at ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown. The plant, one of Ukraine’s biggest steel producers, said it partially halted operations after the strike damaged its core production facilities.

Strikes also hit other regions, killing two people in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and one in the border region of Sumy. Russia has carried out near-daily missile and drone strikes across Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in early 2022.

Notably, Russia has intensified attacks using hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles, exploiting Ukraine’s air-defence shortages after the US-Israeli war against Iran diverted supplies. Zelenskyy said Russia had used over 1,550 attack drones, 1,560 aerial bombs and 62 missiles over the past week.

For its part, Ukraine has increasingly targeted warehouses belonging to Russia’s biggest online retailer Wildberries, saying the company supplies components for Russian drones.

Countries bordering the conflict have meanwhile faced increasing spillover from the drone war. After the overnight raid, Romania’s defence ministry said a Spanish F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone that breached its airspace near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova.

(with AFP inputs)

Key Questions Answered

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What new strategies could Ukraine use against Russian infrastructure?

Ukraine could use new strategies against Russian infrastructure by targeting fuel convoys, bridges, and transport routes to disrupt logistics networks. This includes striking fuel tankers, military trucks, trains, and transport hubs up to 300 kilometres behind the front line. Additionally, Ukraine could focus on oil refineries, fuel depots, and logistics hubs deep inside Russian territory.

How will these attacks impact the global supply chain?

The recent attacks, including Russia targeting a steel plant in Ukraine, could impact global supply chains by disrupting the production of essential metals like steel. This type of targeting, which focuses on industrial inputs, can slow production timelines in defence manufacturing and lead to price volatility, premiums on physical supply, and tighter contracts globally for metals.

Could this conflict escalate further into neighboring countries?

The conflict could escalate further into neighbouring countries, as evidenced by a Russian drone hitting a residential building in Romania, a NATO member, in May 2026. This incident was described by Romanian officials as a “serious and irresponsible escalation”. Additionally, a Ukrainian sea drone self-destructed near a Romanian Black Sea port in June 2026, highlighting spillover risks. There have also been multiple incidents of stray drones, suspected to be from Ukraine, causing tensions in Baltic states.

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About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int…Read More

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