In the early hours of May 18, Russian forces executed a coordinated airstrike against Ukraine, deploying a total of 546 aerial attack assets, which included 22 missiles and 524 drones.
The assault involved:
- 14 ballistic missiles of the “Iskander-M” and “S-400” types, launched from the Rostov region and occupied Crimea;
- 8 cruise missiles of the “Iskander-K” type, fired from occupied Crimea;
- 524 strike drones, including types such as Shahed, “Gerbera,” “Italmas,” and imitation drones labeled “Parody,” launched from various locations including Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and occupied areas in Donetsk and Hvardiyisk in Crimea.
The primary focus of the strikes was on the Dnipro region and the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk area, with additional attacks reported in Odesa, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
As of 08:30, Ukrainian air defense forces had successfully intercepted or suppressed 507 targets, which included:
- 4 “Iskander-K” cruise missiles;
- 503 various types of drones.
The defense was carried out by aviation units, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, drone operators, and mobile fire groups. Reports indicated that 18 missiles and 16 strike drones struck 34 locations, with debris from downed drones landing in 11 additional areas.
At the time of this report, the air assault was ongoing, with several hostile drones remaining in the air.
In Dnipro, the night strike resulted in damage to a residential area, leading to fires and injuries, according to reports from RBK-Ukraine.
A coordinated airstrike by Russian forces on May 18 targeted multiple regions in Ukraine, resulting in significant interception by Ukrainian air defenses. The attack caused damage in Dnipro, affecting residential areas and leading to injuries.