Continued Night Attacks by Russia; Ukraine Destroys Three Iranian-Made Shahed Drones

On Friday, August 16, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had destroyed all five drones launched by Russia in a nighttime attack. Russia used three Iranian-made 'Shahed' drones and two other unidentified drones in this assault. The statement from the Ukrainian Air Force, published on Telegram, indicated that Russian forces also utilized three 'Iskander-M' ballistic missiles in this attack. Reuters had previously reported that Russia has turned to using low-cost drones in some of its attacks on Ukraine to identify the positions of Ukrainian air defense systems. The news agency cited an intelligence official from the Ukrainian army, reporting that the two new types of drones used by Russia are made from materials such as foam plastic and plywood. On Thursday, the Ukrainian army activated air raid alerts four times to inform city residents of potential attacks. Ukrainian officials stated that the air raid alert system in Kyiv has been activated over 1,200 times since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion. Simultaneously, Russian officials announced that an attack by the Ukrainian army on a shopping center in the Moscow-controlled area of Donetsk left at least seven injured. Released images show a large fire at a shopping center. The Russian-appointed governor in Donetsk wrote in a post on Telegram, 'The enemy has carried out extensive targeted attacks on the Petrovskiy area in the outskirts of Donetsk, which is under Russian control.' This official added that precise information on the injuries is being collected and noted that the fire has spread over an area of more than ten thousand square meters. Russian forces control parts of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Attacks and casualties occur daily on both sides of the front line in Donetsk. Ukrainian officials reported that last week, a Russian missile attack on a supermarket in the Donetsk region under Ukrainian control left at least 14 dead. Zelensky: Ukrainian forces have taken full control of the city of 'Sudzha' in Russia. A Russian official claims that NATO and the West have formed a military alliance against Russia. Reuters: Ukraine faces challenges in maintaining its military gains on Russian territory. The Ukrainian army: We shot down all 29 drones that Russia launched in the nighttime operation. Ukrainian forces continue to advance into Russian territory; tens of thousands of Russians have evacuated border areas. Biden: Ukraine's incursion into Russia poses a 'real dilemma' for Putin. The battle for control of Kursk; Russia attacked Ukrainian soldiers with missiles and drones. Putin's response to Ukraine's surprise attack and seizure of part of Russian territory: it is a diversionary tactic. Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of starting a fire at the 'Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant' under Russian occupation.