Russia and Ukraine exchange heavy strikes as drone assault targets Moscow

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Aug 16, 2026, 05:00 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-16-1700
Russia and Ukraine exchange heavy strikes as drone assault targets Moscow
Photo: Investor.bg

Ukraine targets Moscow with hundreds of drones while Russian strikes hit eastern Ukraine, causing civilian casualties and severe infrastructure damage.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged extensive overnight strikes, marking continued escalation across multiple fronts. Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale aerial operation targeting the Russian capital, with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reporting that over 600 drones were directed toward the city. Russian air defense units reportedly intercepted more than 200 drones across the Moscow region, leaving at least three people injured.

Simultaneously, Russian aerial and artillery bombardments persisted across eastern Ukraine. Heavy strikes in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and surrounding areas resulted in at least three fatalities and nine injuries. Infrastructure damage also triggered electricity outages affecting approximately 99,000 consumers in Chernihiv Oblast. In Donetsk Oblast, intense shelling has devastated the frontline city of Druzhkivka, where the population has plummeted from nearly 56,000 before the invasion to under 4,000 residents.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV

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