Russia pounds Ukraine with drones all day: Kyiv on alert 9 times
76 Shahed drones launched during the day, while US intelligence warns of a possible mass strike within the next 48 hours.
76 Shahed drones launched during the day, while US intelligence warns of a possible mass strike within the next 48 hours.
Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, using 76 Shahed-type attack drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The main direction of the strike was the Kyiv region, and according to preliminary data, air defense managed to shoot down and suppress more than 70 drones.
In Kyiv, the air raid siren sounded nine times during the day, reports Ukrainska Pravda. In the evening, an explosion was heard in the city, and authorities reported debris falling in the courtyard of a residential building.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced around 7:45 PM that drone debris was found at two locations in the Dniprovskyi district. According to him, there were no fires at these sites, but he did not specify whether there were any injuries.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, more than 20 additional attack drones entered Ukrainian airspace after 6:30 PM. The Brovary district in the Kyiv region was particularly targeted, with a group of 10 to 14 drones moving toward it.
One of the drones flew about 900 kilometers during the day and reached the Rivne region, passing through several regions before disappearing in the Dubno area, according to Ukrainian monitoring channels.
US intelligence has warned Ukraine of a high probability of a mass strike on Kyiv and its surroundings within the next 48 hours, according to the publication Ukraine Context, which is close to the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.
Yuriy Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force, stated on August 17 that Russia launched five times more attack drones in July than in June. "Sometimes two-thirds of all drones launched during the day are attack drones," Ihnat said.
"The flight parameters (of attack drones) are already approaching those of cruise missiles - in terms of speed and altitude," he added. The latest version of the Geran-5 drone can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h, fly up to 950 kilometers, and carry a warhead weighing up to 90 kilograms.
The Telegraph published an investigation on August 16 stating that Russia has established 10 bases with launch ramps for attack drones along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus. These bases are being built to launch next-generation drones, including versions of the Geran-4 and Geran-5, which potentially puts NATO countries within range of Russian attacks.
