Click to see the full-size image
On September 18, Russian forces focused on two main target areas: port infrastructure in the Odesa region and railway facilities across Ukraine. At the same time, the attempted Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow overnight was one of the largest in several years. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the drones were downed over 15 regions overnight and into the morning, with more than 350 of them reportedly headed toward the Moscow region.
Strikes on Ukraine
According to the Russian side, five bulk carriers and one tanker carrying military supplies for Ukraine’s armed forces were hit in the Odesa region and the Black Sea. In addition, a Nova Poshta logistics center 6 km northwest of Odesa, used for storing and distributing military cargo from European countries, was hit, along with a fuel truck in Mayaky, Odesa region.
Another reported target was the information and computing center of Odesa Railways, a regional branch of Ukrzaliznytsia. The center supports railway operations across six southwestern regions, so the strike could affect regional traffic management.
In Zaporizhzhia, strikes targeted a railway station. Updated reports said that two locomotives were hit, sparking a fire covering approximately 40 square meters. A subsequent strike damaged a diesel-electric railway crane and sparked another fire covering approximately 20 square meters.
A group of Geran attack drones also struck the Amstor shopping center in Zaporizhzhia. The building caught fire and was completely destroyed by morning.
In Kyiv, the Mykilska Slobidka railway station was hit. In the evening, Ukrainian monitoring channels reported that the city had been struck by at least four Onyx missiles. Explosions were also heard in Boyarka, Kyiv region.
In Dnipro and Konotop, Sumy region, missile strikes hit railway infrastructure, including a locomotive depot with rolling stock. In the vicinity of Kharkiv, the aftermath of a Geran strike on a commuter train was recorded.
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
During the day and night, strikes were also carried out on targets in the Kherson, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Poltava, and Volyn regions.
Strikes on Russia
More than 350 UAVs were heading toward the Moscow region. Most were destroyed at long range, and another 64 were downed on the approach to the capital. According to Moscow’s mayor, the attack was one of the largest in several years. Some Russian commentators suggested that the attack may have been timed to coincide with the opening of polling stations for the State Duma elections.
In the Rostov region, more than 50 UAVs were destroyed across three cities and five districts. In Azov and Neklinovsky District, residential buildings, cars, gas pipes, and power lines were damaged. Ukrainian sources report that as a result of the attack on Rostov-Central Airport, two Mi-8 helicopters, an An-12 aircraft, and an An-26 aircraft were destroyed.
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
On September 18, Ukrainian sources reported that three production buildings at the Atlant Aero facility in Taganrog had been destroyed in an earlier Neptune missile strike. The facility produces unmanned aerial vehicles and components for them.
Against the backdrop of continued strikes, Ukraine said it was ready for an energy ceasefire with Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv is waiting for concrete proposals from Moscow on the list of facilities and the parameters of a possible agreement. According to him, Ukraine had itself been proposing such a ceasefire for some time, one that should be fair and just and cover all necessary areas.
Tykhyi said that if Moscow is ready to discuss such a framework seriously, the Russian side needs to present its proposals and clarify the details. He voiced Ukraine’s wish that no type of weapon be used against any facility on Ukrainian territory. Tykhyi described this position as “absolutely constructive.”
Kyiv welcomed U.S. involvement in efforts to reach a possible agreement. Earlier, Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had allegedly agreed to stop strikes on energy infrastructure, but the Ukrainian side later clarified that no final agreement exists and the parameters of a possible truce are still being discussed. According to Tykhyi, in addition to the United States, several other countries have joined the search for solutions. The discussions cover both a mutual halt to strikes on energy facilities and issues related to grain transportation.
