Russia Pounds Ukraine: Devastation caused by ongoing Russian missile strikes and Ukraine’s shortage of interceptors continues, with at least 16 people left dead in the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region overnight. The overnight strikes, which took place over a roughly nine-hour period, involved dozens of Russian cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles that were launched alongside 168 drones.
Ukrainian air defenses destroyed nearly 90% of the drones and most of the cruise missiles, but Kyiv’s defenses were considerably less effective against the faster ballistic weapons.
Artillery Test Creative Commons Photo
The strikes prompted fresh warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine’s allies must step up their support and urgently provide additional interceptors to help protect the country against ballistic missiles.
At Least 16 Killed
Fifteen people were killed overnight into August 20, and another person died in the surrounding region, according to the most recent reports. More than 40 people were injured.
Thirty residential buildings were damaged, along with a school, a kindergarten, and a children’s hospital. In the Solomianskyi district, the upper floors of a nine-story apartment building were destroyed. More than 38,000 people, including over 2,000 children, took shelter in Kyiv’s subway system as explosions continued through the night. Private energy company DTEK said approximately 90,000 households initially lost electricity before emergency crews restored supplies. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared Friday a day of mourning.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also said its forces struck military targets in Ukraine, including manufacturing facilities that supply drones, a military depot, and a logistics hub. Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi also confirmed that food warehouses and Red Cross facilities in Kyiv were damaged in the strikes.
Ukraine Needs More Patriots
It is no secret that Ukraine is running short on its supply of Patriot interceptors, the U.S.-made missiles that are the only battle-proven means for Ukraine to intercept Russian missiles. They are the principal defense against ballistic missiles, which descend toward targets at extremely high speeds. In recent months, Zelenskyy has warned that Ukrainian batteries are running dangerously short of interceptors, and has confirmed on multiple occasions that Russian strikes often see every ballistic missile reach its target.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy issued yet another call for urgent support.
“This Russian strike was one of the most cynical, calculated, and large-scale. There were various types of missiles and 168 drones. Today, our warriors shot down all the Russian Kalibr missiles; overall, the interception rate for cruise missiles was 93%, and a significant percentage of the drones were also shot down. The greatest threat is ballistic missiles,” he said in a statement.
“And this is something that depends entirely on the supply of Patriot missiles to Ukraine and therefore depends on our country’s partners. You cannot simply watch silently and indifferently, doing nothing as the Russians destroy lives with ballistic missiles. Ukrainian warriors can operate with great skill when the courage and professionalism of our people are backed by the appropriate support from our partners. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine!” he continued.
Ukrainian Patriot Batteries Are Sitting Empty
The scale of the problem is impossible to ignore, and it is the biggest vulnerability that Moscow is deliberately targeting.
In a recent CNN report, reporters described being given access to a Ukrainian Patriot launcher near Kyiv that had not fired in 10 weeks because its interceptor canisters were empty.
Zelenskyy has also said that Ukraine possesses roughly two-and-a-half times fewer interceptors than it did last year, while Russia is now launching roughly twice as many ballistic missiles per month. He told CNN that Ukraine currently receives only around 1% of the Patriot interceptors it needs and has asked Washington to step up its support and provide 5% of its stockpile to get the country safely through the winter. But those deliveries may not come, as Washington grapples with its own shortage amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Ukraine Takes the War to Russia
While Ukraine is struggling to defend against ballistic missile strikes, its forces are intensifying their own deep-strike campaign against Russian targets.
On August 20, Ukraine’s military confirmed strikes against two major Russian energy facilities: the TANECO oil refinery in Tatarstan and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Krasnodar Krai. Fires were reported at both facilities. Russia’s Ministry of Defense also claimed that its forces intercepted 726 Ukrainian drones during the latest wave of attacks. The enormous barrage follows increasingly ambitious Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries, logistics centers, military infrastructure, and Moscow itself.
It means that Kyiv is still imposing costs on Moscow while its defensive ammunition stockpiles remain scarce, but it does little to solve the immediate threat to Ukrainian cities. Russia continues to increase its ballistic missile strikes into Ukraine and is also accelerating missile production ahead of the winter, while Ukraine is still completely dependent on Western governments for the interceptors it needs to stop them.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
