The Ukrainian Air Force Command announced that in the early hours of 18/8, Russia attacked the country with 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, along with numerous Geran-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and decoys to deceive air defense systems.

"Ukrainian air defenses shot down or disabled 88 UAVs using electronic warfare systems. Enemy missiles and UAVs hit 25 locations in Donetsk, Kharkov, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and Kiev provinces," the Ukrainian Air Force stated.

A damaged and burning building in Kharkov, Ukraine, after the attack on 18/8. Photo: DSNSU

A damaged and burning building in Kharkov, Ukraine, after the attack on 18/8. Photo: DSNSU

Oleh Synehubov, the governor of Kharkov, reported that a Russian ballistic missile struck the city of Kharkov on the night of 17/8. The shockwave from the explosion shattered approximately 1,000 windows in residential buildings. A few hours later, Russia launched a UAV attack on the area.

According to Kharkov Mayor Ihor Terekhov, three people were killed and 17 injured in the two attacks. Mayor Terekhov also warned that more people could be trapped under the rubble.

Russia's attack on the neighboring Sumy province injured two people, destroyed dozens of houses, and damaged an educational facility, according to local officials. Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information. Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of attacking civilian infrastructure, and have denied each other's claims about the targets of their strikes, insisting they only target military objectives.

The situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Graphics: RYV

The situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Graphics: RYV

The attack occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with leaders from several European countries, traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss options for ending the conflict.

Before Zelensky's arrival in the U.S., President Trump declared that reclaiming the Crimean Peninsula or joining NATO was impossible for Ukraine. Trump also urged Kiev to reach an agreement with Moscow quickly, stating that "Russia is a very big power, and Ukraine is not."

The Iskander-M ballistic missile is considered Russia's "most formidable and effective weapon" in the Ukraine conflict. According to U.S. media, only the Patriot air defense system is capable of countering this type of missile.

U.S. intelligence recently assessed that Russia is continuously upgrading the Iskander-M and improving its tactics, making it challenging for Patriot operators in Ukraine to find ways to counter it. One of the improvements is that the Iskander-M can change its flight path and constantly maneuver, instead of following a fixed trajectory like conventional ballistic missiles.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, Reuters)