Russia launched about 2,800 jet-powered drones at Ukraine in August, up from roughly 1,500 in July, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. Ukraine intercepts more than 90 percent of propeller-powered drones but about 60 percent of the jet-powered variant, he said.
The attacks killed 38 people in the village of Myla on August 29 and another 12 across Ukraine on September 1, according to the supplied account. The Myla strike hit an ammunition depot, while the deaths on September 1 were reported as part of attacks across the country.
Russia’s air campaign is increasing pressure on civilians
Jet-powered drones travel at about half the speed of a passenger jet and are more difficult to intercept than propeller-powered drones, Ihnat said. Their August launch total was several times the number recorded in June.
Ukraine also claimed that Russian forces suffered 42,020 casualties in August, compared with 42,860 in July and 39,290 in June. Estimates from both sides cannot be independently verified. Ukraine estimated Russian recruitment at about 32,500 people a month this year and said President Vladimir Putin may conscript 300,000 or more troops in October. For additional context, see “17 killed as Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv region”.
Fighting around Kostiantynivka shapes the front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said up to 80 percent of Russian casualties were inflicted in Kostiantynivka, in eastern Donetsk. Russian forces control only part of the city but have infiltrated more than 70 percent with scattered troops awaiting supplies and reinforcements, according to the supplied account.
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi reinforced the front around Sloviansk and Dobropillia while leaving the Kostiantynivka front largely unchanged. The account says this may reflect a prolonged defensive strategy intended to impose attritional losses in the urban area.
Ukraine targets Russian air defences and energy infrastructure
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said they destroyed 33 Russian air-defence elements in August, bringing the annual total to 263. Ukraine also reported strikes on 12 refineries, two gas-processing plants and three oil-transshipment terminals during the month. A related part of this story is covered in “Six killed as strikes hit Ukraine and Russia reports 605 drones intercepted”.
The Institute for the Study of War estimated that Russia seized just over 90 square kilometres in August, while Ukraine said it liberated 130 square kilometres. Across June, July and August, the institute assessed that Russia gained 160 square kilometres, compared with 1,440 square kilometres in the same period of 2025.
Ukraine’s strikes have also disrupted fuel supplies. Russia extended a diesel-export ban through the end of September and sought petrol imports. Russian-appointed Crimea governor Sergei Aksyonov said on September 2 that fuel supplies were not meeting residents’ needs and that some people would face limited access to gasoline. The development of this issue can be followed in “Ukraine strikes kill one while Romania downs a drone”.
What happens next
Russia’s diesel-export ban is scheduled to remain in place through the end of September, while Ukraine says it is preparing countermeasures against any effort to equip civilian ships with weapons, electronic-warfare equipment and military personnel for maritime escorts.
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