Russia downs 250 Ukrainian drones in 12 hours across 19 regions
Synopsis
Russia claims its air defences downed 250 Ukrainian drones in just 12 hours on 23 August, with over 2,600 drone attempts recorded near Moscow in a single week. As Russian forces simultaneously report seizing 11 settlements, and Ukraine allocates nearly $785 million to protect energy infrastructure, the conflict is entering a high-intensity phase with both sides bracing for a punishing winter.
Key Takeaways
Russian air defences destroyed 250 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones across 19 regions between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Moscow time on 23 August .
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said over 2,600 drones targeted the Moscow region in the past week; 493 were destroyed approaching the capital.
Russian forces reportedly seized 11 settlements in Kharkiv , Donbas , and Zaporizhzhia over the past week.
Russian strikes targeted Ukrainian defence enterprises, energy infrastructure, logistics hubs, and drone production facilities, according to the ministry.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced an allocation of 35 billion hryvnyas (~ $785 million ) to protect energy facilities ahead of winter.
Around 200 second-level protective monolithic structures have already been completed across Ukraine, Shmyhal said.
Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 250 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones within a 12-hour window on Saturday, 23 August, the Russian Defence Ministry said in an official statement. The intercepts occurred across 19 regions, including the capital Moscow, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Moscow time.
Scale of the Drone Threat Near Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin disclosed that the number of drones flying toward the Moscow region over the past week had exceeded 2,600, with most neutralised by air defences on the distant outskirts. According to the mayor, 493 drones were destroyed while approaching Moscow during that period — figures that underscore the sustained intensity of Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian territory.
Russian Military Advances and Strikes
Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday that Russian forces had seized 11 settlements across three regions — Kharkiv, Donbas, and Zaporizhzhia — over the past week. The ministry also said Russian forces conducted one massive and nine group strikes against Ukrainian military targets during the same period.
The strikes reportedly targeted Ukrainian defence enterprises, logistics hubs, energy and transport infrastructure, facilities producing ground robotic systems, drones and related components. Missile launch sites, ammunition and fuel depots, supply facilities, and temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries were also said to have been hit, according to the ministry.
Ukraine's Energy Defence Preparations
On the Ukrainian side, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told parliament on Friday that the government had allocated 35 billion hryvnyas (approximately 785 million US dollars) to protect energy facilities and strengthen regional resilience ahead of winter. Addressing lawmakers, Shmyhal said construction of around 200 second-level protective monolithic structures had already been completed. He acknowledged that no defence system offers complete protection, but noted that damage to protected facilities could be repaired within weeks.
What This Signals
The scale of drone activity — over 2,600 drones directed at Moscow alone in a single week — marks a notable escalation in Ukraine's long-range strike campaign. This comes amid continued Russian advances in eastern and southern Ukraine, with both sides intensifying pressure on each other's infrastructure ahead of what is expected to be a critical winter period for energy supplies. Analysts note that Ukraine's allocation of nearly $785 million for energy protection signals Kyiv's expectation of sustained Russian strikes on power infrastructure, a pattern that defined the previous two winters of the conflict.
Point of View
600 in a week near Moscow alone — reflects a Ukrainian long-range strike campaign operating at a tempo that Russian air defences are visibly straining to absorb, even as Moscow frames the intercept numbers as a success. What the Russian Defence Ministry's own figures inadvertently reveal is the sheer scale of Ukrainian drone production and launch capacity, which has grown dramatically since 2022. Ukraine's $785 million energy-protection outlay is equally telling: Kyiv is not betting on stopping Russian air strikes, only on surviving them. The real story heading into winter is not who is winning the drone war, but whether Ukraine's energy grid can withstand another sustained assault — and whether Western air-defence support arrives fast enough to matter.
NationPress
23 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Ukrainian drones did Russia claim to shoot down on 23 August?
The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems destroyed 250 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones within 12 hours on 23 August, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Moscow time, across 19 regions including Moscow.
How many drones targeted Moscow in the past week?
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the number of drones flying toward the Moscow region over the past week exceeded 2,600, with most neutralised on the distant outskirts. A total of 493 drones were destroyed while approaching the capital.
What settlements did Russia claim to have seized?
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Russian forces seized 11 settlements across three regions — Kharkiv, Donbas, and Zaporizhzhia — over the past week, alongside one massive and nine group strikes on Ukrainian military targets.
How is Ukraine preparing its energy infrastructure for winter?
Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told parliament that the government has allocated 35 billion hryvnyas (approximately $785 million) to protect energy facilities and strengthen regional resilience. Around 200 second-level protective monolithic structures have already been completed.
What did Russia's strikes in Ukraine target?
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the strikes targeted Ukrainian defence enterprises, logistics hubs, energy and transport infrastructure, drone and robotic systems production facilities, missile launch sites, ammunition and fuel depots, and deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries.
