--- title: "Night Attack: Russia Strikes Ukraine with 138 Drones and Ballistic Missiles; Air Defense Shoots Down Most Targets" description: "🚨 On the night of August 12, Russia struck Ukraine with 138 drones and a ballistic missile. Air defense shot down 112 targets, but strikes hit 16 locations. In Zaporizhzhia — fires and power outages. Russia is changing tactics: now launching ballistic missiles one by one. #Ukraine #AirDefense #Russia #Drones #BallisticMissiles" date: 2026-08-12T07:02:05.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/night-attack-russia-strikes-ukraine-138-drones-ballistic-missiles-august-12-2026 tags: [ukraine-war, russia-attack, air-defense, drones, ballistic-missiles] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Night Attack: Russia Strikes Ukraine with 138 Drones and Ballistic Missiles; Air Defense Shoots Down Most Targets ## 🎯 Key Points - Russia launched a massive strike on Ukraine using 138 drones and a ballistic missile. - Ukrainian air defense shot down 112 drones, but strikes hit 16 locations. - Fires and power outages occurred in Zaporizhzhia due to the drone attack. - Russia is changing tactics: now launching ballistic missiles individually. ### Massive Strike on Sumy and Odesa Regions On the night of August 12, 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a large-scale attack on Ukrainian territory. According to Ukrainian intelligence and air defense forces, the enemy used a combined set of strike assets: a ballistic missile, Kh-31P and Kh-35 cruise missiles, and an unprecedented number of attack drones — 138 units. The main targets of the attack were the Sumy and Odesa regions, confirming Russia's strategy of striking the periphery and critical infrastructure in the south and north of the country. Launches were recorded from several directions: Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Gvardeyskoye in Crimea. Missile strikes were carried out from the Rostov region and from ships in the Black Sea. This geography of launches indicates an attempt by Russia to overload Ukraine's air defense systems, forcing them to operate at maximum capacity across several remote directions simultaneously. ### Air Defense Effectiveness and Strike Consequences As of 09:00 on the morning of August 12, Ukrainian air defense forces reported shooting down or suppressing 112 enemy drones. Among the downed targets were Shahed-type drones, Gerbera jet drones, and Parody decoy drones. Despite the high effectiveness of air defense, the enemy managed to strike 16 locations, and debris from downed targets was recorded falling at two additional points. Particular attention is drawn to the situation in Zaporizhzhia. As a result of the kamikaze drone attack, fires broke out in the private sector and in one of the shopping centers. According to local authorities, approximately 1,200 consumers were left without electricity. This is not the first incident in recent days: on August 11 alone, six residents died and 19 were injured as a result of strikes on Zaporizhzhia. The city continues to remain one of the most vulnerable points on the front line. ### Change in Ballistic Missile Tactics Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted a significant change in Russia's tactics regarding the use of ballistic missiles. While Moscow previously used mass salvos of North Korean KN-23 missiles, they are now being launched individually. Experts link this to the low accuracy of previous batches of weapons supplied by North Korea. Earlier, Ukrainian officials reported that Pyongyang transferred at least 40 such missiles to Russia, but their combat effectiveness proved lower than expected. The shift to single launches may indicate an attempt by Russia to optimize the use of expensive weaponry and avoid mass shoot-downs by Ukrainian air defense, which has shown high effectiveness in repelling mass attacks. This could also point to a shortage of missile systems or logistical problems in their delivery. ### Contradictory Data There are discrepancies in the assessment of the attack's effectiveness. On one hand, Ukrainian authorities claim to have shot down 112 out of 138 drones, which is more than 80%. On the other hand, Russian sources, including Gazeta.ru, assert that some targets, including the ballistic missile, broke through the defense and caused significant damage. Furthermore, data on the number of downed drones may be exaggerated, as some may have been suppressed by electronic means rather than physically shot down. There are also contradictions in the assessment of Russia's tactics. Some analysts believe that the shift to single ballistic missile launches is a sign of weapon shortages, while others argue it is a strategic decision to increase accuracy and reduce losses. In any case, the situation remains dynamic and requires further monitoring. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [The West Warns of the Threat of Russian Drones to Ukrainian Air Defense](https://www.gazeta.ru/army/news/2026/07/13/28886689.shtml) - Упоминает угрозу дронов, но не подтверждает детали атаки от 12 августа. - [Air Defense Shot Down Most Drones, but Ballistic Missile Broke Through: Details of Russia's Night Attack](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ppo-zbila-bilshist-droniv-ale-balistika-prorvalasya-1783749717.html) - Подтверждает данные о количестве сбитых дронов и последствиях атаки. - [Air Defense Forces Shot Down a New Group of Ukrainian Drones Approaching Moscow](https://www.gazeta.ru/army/news/2026/07/18/28922293.shtml) - Упоминает угрозу дронов, но не подтверждает детали атаки от 12 августа. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many drones did Ukrainian air defense shoot down on the night of August 12? **A:** According to air defense data, 112 out of 138 launched drones were shot down or suppressed. ### Q: Which regions of Ukraine were affected by the attack? **A:** The main direction of the strike was the Sumy and Odesa regions; Zaporizhzhia and other regions were also affected. ### Q: Why did Russia change its tactics for using ballistic missiles? **A:** Analysts believe this is due to the low accuracy of North Korean KN-23 missiles and an attempt to optimize their use.