Russian drones set fire to Izmail port, 111 aircraft shot down
In a nighttime attack on Ukraine, 133 drones were launched, hitting a key Danube port for grain exports.
In a nighttime attack on Ukraine, 133 drones were launched, hitting a key Danube port for grain exports.
Russia carried out a massive drone attack on Ukraine overnight from August 12 to 13, 2026, also hitting port infrastructure in Izmail, Ukraine's largest port on the Danube. Regional authorities confirmed that the attack caused damage and sparked a fire, Reuters reports.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, from 6:00 p.m. on August 12, Russian forces launched 133 Shahed strike drones, including jet-powered models, Gerbera drones, and decoy aircraft of the Parody type. Air defense had shot down or suppressed 111 aircraft by 8:00 a.m. on August 13 in the north, south, and east of the country.
Strikes were recorded at 15 locations, while debris from downed drones fell at 16 locations. In a statement, the Ukrainian Air Force said: "As of 8:00 a.m., air defense has shot down/suppressed 111 enemy drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, and other types in the north, south, and east of the country. Strikes by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 15 locations, as well as the fall of downed (debris) at 16 locations."
The drones were launched from multiple locations in Russia, including Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from occupied areas of Donetsk and Hvardiiske in Crimea.
The Izmail district military administration confirmed that the enemy struck port infrastructure. "The enemy struck port infrastructure. The attack caused damage and a fire broke out," the statement said. Units of the State Emergency Service are working to mitigate the consequences, but details on the extent of the fire and damage have not been released.
After 1:00 a.m., the Ukrainian Air Force reported groups of Russian drones in the south of Odesa Oblast and a group of aircraft moving toward Izmail.
This is not the first attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure this month. On August 2, 2026, Russian forces carried out two Shahed drone attacks on port facilities in Mykolaiv Oblast, damaging two civilian vessels.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Colonel Yuriy Ihnat earlier stated that Russia is currently targeting port infrastructure and logistics in an attempt to influence certain economic levers. Izmail is a key export point for Ukrainian grain, and attacks on Danube ports can affect global food prices.
