On the night of August 13, 2026, the Russian armed forces launched a series of combined drone strikes on several key regions of Ukraine. An air alert was declared in a large part of the country, with the most serious damage and direct hits recorded in Odesa Region, Chernihiv and Kharkov. Local administrations and rescue services continued to work to eliminate the consequences in the early morning hours.
Port infrastructure in Odessa region hit
One of the main targets of the midnight attack was the Izmail district of Odessa region, which plays a strategic role in the export of agricultural products. According to an official statement by the press service of Izmail Regional State Administration (Izmailskaya RGA), published on Telegram, Russian drones directly attacked objects of the port infrastructure.
As a result of the detonations, serious material damage was caused and a large-scale fire broke out. Teams of the State Emergency Service (GSChS) were immediately sent to the scene, which continue to fight the fire. Information about possible victims and injuries is currently still being specified by the operational headquarters.
Chernigov under fire: Fire in the northeastern part of the city
A serious incident was also registered in the northern regional center of Chernigov. The city hall and the local city council (Черниговский городской совет) confirmed that an enemy drone had hit the northeastern outskirts of the settlement.
A fire broke out in the area of the strike, with columns of smoke rising over the city for hours. Rescue teams are working to localize the flames. The city authorities urged citizens to stay in shelters until the air threat is completely lifted and promised additional details after the inspections are completed.
Explosions and destruction in Kharkiv
Kharkov also became the target of the Russian offensive overnight. The city's mayor Igor Terekhov reported on social networks that explosions were heard in the city as a result of the enemy attack. The authorities are conducting an inspection of the affected areas. According to the initial data of the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, the strikes in the Kharkiv region also affected the central part of the village of Verbovka (Balakleysky municipality), where Russian forces inflicted artillery and aviation damage.
The Ukrainian Air Force earlier warned of the movement of several large groups of Russian strike drones from the southern and northeastern directions.