Ukraine downs 51 out of 81 Russian drones overnight

Russian forces conducted widespread attacks across multiple Ukrainian oblasts on December 17-18, targeting civilian infrastructure and populated areas with aerial and artillery strikes, according to local military administration reports.

Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Since 2022, it has systematically targeted Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure with extensive missile and drone assaults.

In the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk oblast, Russian troops used heavy artillery and kamikaze drones, striking the rayon center and Marganets community, Governor Serhiy Lysak said. On the morning of December 18, the attack continued, damaging two private houses and a gas pipeline. No casualties were reported.

The Eastern Air Command reported shooting down five unmanned aerial vehicles over the oblast during the night. Russian forces shelled a private residence in the Semenivka community, killing a 74-year-old pensioner.

In Kherson, Russian military strikes targeted residential areas, damaging a multi-story building, six private houses, trade kiosks, outbuildings, garages, and private vehicles. According to Governor Oleksandr Produkin, one person was killed and three were injured in these attacks.

In the Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces conducted multiple attacks across different districts, damaging seven private houses and injuring a 76-year-old man. In the Kupiansk district, Russian attacks damaged a private house and injured two police officers, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Donetsk oblast, Russian army killed one person, injured eight, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.

The Ukrainian military’s air defense systems were actively engaged in multiple oblasts overnight, including Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Sumy oblasts, intercepting drone attacks throughout the evening. The air forces downed 51 out of 81 Russian drones, with another 30 lost in the area.

Read also: