---
title: "Border guards shot down a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun: the target was heading for Kyiv"
description: "On the night of August 20, Ukrainian border guards in the Kyiv region shot down a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun. The target was heading for Kyiv and fell outside populated areas, causing no harm."
date: 2026-08-20T09:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/border-guards-shot-down-russian-cruise-missile-with-machine-gun
tags: [ukraine, russia, missile, border-guard, kyiv, air-defense, drone-attack]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Border guards shot down a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun: the target was heading for Kyiv

![Debris of a shot-down Russian cruise missile on the ground: twisted metal fragments with bullet holes after being hit by border guards](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/20/pogranychniki-sbili-krylatuyu-raketu-iz-pulemeta/pogranychniki-sbili-krylatuyu-raketu-iz-pulemeta-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- SBGS border guards in the Kyiv region shot down a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun; the target was heading for Kyiv.
- The downed missile fell outside populated areas and caused no harm to the population or property.
- Over the course of the night, the Ukrainian Air Force neutralized 186 targets, including 39 missiles; the main targets were Kyiv and the region.
- According to the latest data, 14 civilians were killed as a result of the August 20 attack.

On the night of August 20, 2026, Russia launched one of its most massive attacks on Ukraine in recent times, employing various types of missiles and drones. The primary targets were Kyiv and the Kyiv region. In the morning, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed that the air defense system neutralized 186 enemy targets, including 39 missiles. According to the latest data, 14 civilians were killed as a result of this attack.

### Interception with a machine gun: how it happened

Among the neutralized targets was a cruise missile that was destroyed not by air defense systems, but by an ordinary machine gun. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing a statement from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS). "Border guards shot down a cruise missile with a machine gun," the service's official statement read. According to the border guards, the successful interception was carried out by one of the mobile fire groups in the Kyiv region. As it turned out, the destroyed missile was heading directly for Kyiv.

### Consequences and public safety

The SBGS emphasized that the downed target caused no harm to the civilian population, housing, or property. "The downed target fell outside populated areas," the border guards clarified. In the footage published by the service, fragments of the missile's metal structure can be seen scattered on the ground, confirming the physical destruction of the munition.

### Scale of the night attack

The night attack on August 20 was characterized by a wide variety of means used: Russian forces employed missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles of different types. According to the Air Force, air defense systems engaged 186 targets, including 39 missiles. Kyiv and the region found themselves at the epicenter of the attack, leading to blackouts and casualties. RBC-Ukraine separately published a summary titled "Barrage of ballistic missiles, fatalities, blackouts: the main points of the massive attack on Kyiv and the region" and a special photo report from the capital.

### Reaction of the parties and context

Official Kyiv records and documents every downed munition, including rare cases of interception with small arms, demonstrating the readiness to defend using any available means. At the same time, as RBC-Ukraine notes, the Russian Ministry of Defense cynically commented on the killings of civilians in Ukraine on August 20, without acknowledging responsibility for the death of peaceful residents. The incident with the machine gun became symbolic: even with an acute shortage of air defense systems, Ukrainian defenders continue to intercept enemy targets as they approach key cities.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Machine gun destroyed a Russian cruise missile: border guards show first photos](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kulemet-znishchiv-krilatu-raketu-rf-prikordonniki-1787217868.html) - Первичный источник: заявление ГПСУ, фото DPSUkr, данные ВСУ о 186 целях и 39 ракетах, 14 погибших.
- [Border guards in the Kyiv region shot down a cruise missile with a machine gun](https://24tv.ua/military/ru/pogranichniki-sbili-krylatuju-raketu-iz-pulemeta-v-kievskoj-oblasti-20-avgusta-video_n3126901) - Подтверждает место (Киевская область) и способ перехвата (пулемет), дата 20 августа.
- [Border guards shot down a cruise missile with a machine gun during the Russian attack](https://unn.ua/ru/news/pogranichniki-vo-vremya-ataki-rf-sbili-krilatuyu-raketu-iz-pulemyota) - Независимое подтверждение факта перехвата во время ночной атаки.
- [Border guards in the Kyiv region shot down a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4904611-pohranychnyky-na-kyevschyne-sbyly-rossyiskuui-krylatuui-raketu-yz-pulemeta) - Подтверждает локализацию на Киевщине и тип цели (крылатая ракета РФ).

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who and with what shot down the Russian cruise missile on August 20?
**A:** According to the SBGS, the cruise missile was shot down by a mobile fire group of border guards in the Kyiv region using an ordinary machine gun.

### Q: Where was the downed missile heading and was there any damage?
**A:** The missile was heading directly for Kyiv. According to the border guards, the target fell outside populated areas and caused no harm to the civilian population, housing, or property.

### Q: What was the overall scale of the night attack on August 20?
**A:** In the morning, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the neutralization of 186 enemy targets, including 39 missiles. The main targets were Kyiv and the Kyiv region; according to the latest data, 14 civilians were killed.