Russia targets Ukraine's drone and missile hubs in large-scale airstrikes
Smoke billows over Kyiv following an overnight missile strike, August 5, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Vladyslav Sodel)
Russia has ramped up its intelligence operations targeting Ukraine’s drone and ballistic missile programs, viewing the rapid expansion of Kyiv’s domestic defense sector as a severe threat, Ukraine’s military intelligence deputy chief Vadym Skibitskyi told RBC-Ukraine in an interview on August 10.
“Kyiv, like Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Kharkiv, is a center of Ukraine's defense industry. The enemy sees our defense industry as a serious threat and is closely monitoring two key areas,” Skibitskyi said. “The first is our ballistic missile capabilities: they are trying to prevent us from moving to serial production of these weapons. The second is everything related to UAVs and FPV drones.”
He pointed out that Ukrainian medium and deep strikes are producing real results.
“[And this applies to] targeting the enemy’s oil refining industry and Russia’s logistics system, including Wildberries [Russia’s largest online retailer- ed.],” Skibitskyi added.
He noted that these attacks have a significant impact on Russia’s banking system, small and medium-sized businesses, and Moscow’s ability to wage its war.
He emphasized that Russia is capable of launching combined large-scale strikes on Ukraine three to four times a month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on August 6 that he expects Ukraine to achieve key results in developing domestically produced ballistic missiles and anti-ballistic systems in 2026-2027.
Zelenskyy later announced on August 8 that Ukraine’s newly developed ballistic missile could see its combat debut as early as this fall, though he cautioned that widespread deployment remains a long-term goal.
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