On the night of September 18, 2026, Russia launched a large-scale strike against Ukraine using 93 strike unmanned aerial vehicles of various types. According to data cited by RBC-Ukraine from a post by the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense forces shot down or suppressed 72 enemy targets, however strikes were recorded at 13 locations within the country. The attack began in the evening of September 17 and continued through the night, and at the time the official summary was published, the air operation had not yet been fully completed.

Scale and composition of the attack

According to the Air Force summary, the enemy deployed a total of 93 strike UAVs. Among them were 'Shahed'-type drones, including 46 jet-powered modifications, as well as 'Gerbera' drones and 'Parody' decoy drones. In addition, the attack involved aerial attack means of the 'Bandera' and 'Dan-T' types. The drones were heading toward targets from several directions: from the territories of Russia's Oryol and Rostov regions, from the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region, from the Hvardiiske area in temporarily occupied Crimea, and from the waters of the Sea of Azov.

How the air attack was repelled

Repelling the strike was carried out by the air force, air defense missile units, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. As of 08:00, air defense had destroyed or suppressed 69 enemy UAVs of various types. In addition, three 'Bandera'/'Dan-T' means were hit, bringing the total number of shot-down and suppressed targets to 72.

Consequences and strike locations

Strikes by aerial attack means were recorded at 13 locations. At three more sites, the fall of shot-down targets and their debris was detected. At the same time, some enemy means of destruction did not reach their planned targets, and information about them, according to the Air Force, was being verified. At the time the summary was published, enemy drones remained in Ukrainian airspace, and the defense forces called on citizens to observe safety rules.

Strike on Konotop

As previously reported, as a result of the night attack by Russian forces on Konotop in Sumy region, social and critical infrastructure facilities were damaged. In the city, a kindergarten, School No. 11, medical institutions, transport infrastructure and the railway were hit, along with numerous private homes. After the shelling, Konotop experienced disruptions in gas and electricity supply.

Contradictory data

The final figures of the attack at the time of publication were not definitive: of the 93 UAVs launched, the destruction of 72 was officially confirmed, while the fate of the remaining 21 means was not disclosed in the summary — part of them, according to the Air Force, did not reach their targets, and the data was being verified. Moreover, since the air operation was still ongoing at the time the summary was released, the final 'launched/shot down' balance and the full list of affected locations could change. Contextual sources also record incidents associated with the night strikes (including reports of drones moving over Kyiv), which are not named in the list of 13 locations in the main Air Force summary, so the full picture of the consequences at the time of publication remained evolving.