Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least 16 people across Ukraine, including in Pechenihy, while Moscow intercepted nearly 800 Ukrainian drones. Russia warned Britain over the use of British-made drones.
Russia's defence ministry said it intercepted 791 Ukrainian drones overnight on August 18, with more than 600 directed at the Moscow region. Three people were wounded in the region and a warehouse belonging to the retailer Wildberries caught fire during the attack. The drone salvo was the second-largest since January 2025 by the Russian ministry's count, indicating a significant escalation in long-range aerial warfare.[2]
Russian attacks killed 10 civilians in the village of Pechenihy and 6 people in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia over two days of intense bombardment. A missile strike on Pechenihy also wounded 17 people and damaged multiple homes and a cafe, while drone strikes in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia wounded 19. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces will definitely respond to the strike on Pechenihy.[1], [2]
The Russian embassy in London warned that British actions will carry inevitable consequences after reports indicated that British-made drones were used in the long-range strikes inside Russia. Britain's defence ministry committed 752 million pounds in June to provide 150,000 drones to the Ukrainian military by the end of 2026. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the support is intended to help Ukraine defend itself against aggression.[3]
