Russia bombards nine Ukrainian cities, calling the strikes ’massive’
Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone strikes across nine Ukrainian cities, targeting industrial and military infrastructure. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called for increased international support, specifically for additional air defense systems.
Why it matters
The ongoing escalation highlights the critical need for air defense capabilities in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on civilian infrastructure.
Russia bombarded cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones in an overnight onslaught that ran into the daylight hours of Thursday (August 27, 2026), when explosions echoed around Kyiv through the morning.
Ukraine is desperately short of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles that can counter Russia’s ballistic missiles, and Moscow’s fast-flying jet-powered drones have brought another challenge since the Russian military’s full-scale invasion began four and a half years ago.
Ukrainian officials say Russia builds up missile stocks and launches major attacks every few days, hoping to exhaust Ukrainian defences through the sheer weight of numbers. In response, Ukraine has hit high-profile targets on Russian soil as the countries inflict mutual destruction.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in