Ukraine sends 600 drones toward Moscow as Russia strikes Kyiv; NATO jet downs drone over Romania

Drone assault on Moscow

About 600 drones were identified heading toward the Moscow region in a prolonged overnight attack lasting from the evening of August 15 until 6:30 local time on August 16, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the MAX platform. Russian air defenses destroyed 201 drones in the immediate vicinity of the capital. Earlier reports had put the intercepted count at over 130. Falling debris injured three people and triggered fires in three non-residential buildings. Emergency services were deployed to sites where wreckage fell. The raid targeted energy infrastructure, industrial facilities, logistics hubs, and e-commerce warehouses, according to the articles. The offensive represents one of the most extensive Ukrainian drone incursions deep into Russian territory, confirming Kyiv's strategy of bringing the war closer to the heart of Russia.

Russian strikes on Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv shortly before 2:00 local time (23:00 GMT on August 15). Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram that the city was under ballistic missile attack and urged residents to stay indoors.

Kyiv is under ballistic missile attack. Stay home!

A journalist from the Kyiv Independent reported four "very strong" explosions in the city center around 2:50 local time, and six explosions were heard in the Pecherskyi district within three minutes of the air raid beginning, leaving no time to seek shelter. Fires broke out at a commercial building in the Obolonskyi district and at another building in the Holosiivskyi district. Sources diverged on Kyiv casualties: one article reported three injured, another one injured, and a third reported no victims. AGI noted that Russia continues to use long-range missiles, including vectors supplied by North Korea, to bombard urban centers and support the eastern offensive.

Kryvyi Rih, the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelensky, suffered a combined ballistic missile and drone strike that hit two industrial sites. Regional governor Oleksandre Ganja reported one woman killed and six people wounded. Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the local defense council, described the city as being under a "combined attack with ballistic missiles and drones" and warned residents that further waves could follow. Rescue and firefighting operations were underway. Kremenchuk, in the central Poltava region, was also struck, though officials gave no details on damage or casualties.

Rostov region hit

In the Rostov region of southern Russia, Governor Yuri Slyusar said three people were killed and one wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack. More than 150 drones were destroyed across three cities and nine districts, including Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Gukovo, and Donetsk. The strikes damaged roofs and shattered windows at a residential building and a railway station in Kamensk. Slyusar wrote on MAX that doctors were providing all necessary assistance to the wounded.

NATO involvement: drone downed over Romania

A Spanish F-18 fighter on NATO duty shot down a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova near the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. Romania's Ministry of Defense said the interception occurred at 5:01 local time (2:01 GMT), with debris falling in an uninhabited area of the Galati region. Romania, with its 19 million inhabitants, has become one of the NATO members most exposed to the consequences of the war in Ukraine. US Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters, told Reuters that further details were under investigation.

Further details on Sunday's incident are still under investigation, but the drone appears to be Russian.