--- title: "Night attack with 93 UAVs: Russia deployed 'Shaheds', 'Bandera' and 'Gerbera' drones against Ukraine — 72 targets shot down, strikes at 13 locations" description: "On the night of September 18, Russia attacked Ukraine with 93 strike UAVs. Air defense shot down or suppressed 72 targets, however strikes were recorded at 13 locations, including damage to infrastructure in Konotop." date: 2026-09-18T05:38:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-93-uav-night-attack-ukraine-september-18 tags: [ukraine-war, drone-attack, air-defense, shahed-drones, russia-ukraine] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Night attack with 93 UAVs: Russia deployed 'Shaheds', 'Bandera' and 'Gerbera' drones against Ukraine — 72 targets shot down, strikes at 13 locations ![Night drone attack: air defense missile launch with a fiery trail as Russia deploys Shaheds, Banderoly and Gerbera against Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/rf-ataka-93-bpla-na-ukrainu-nochyu-18-sentyabrya/rf-ataka-93-bpla-na-ukrainu-nochyu-18-sentyabrya-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On the night of September 18, Russia deployed 93 strike UAVs against Ukraine, including 46 jet-powered 'Shaheds', 'Gerberas', 'Parodies', 'Bandera' and 'Dan-T' drones. - As of 08:00, air defense had shot down or suppressed 72 targets; strikes were recorded at 13 locations, and debris from shot-down drones was detected at three more sites. - In Konotop, Sumy region, the attack damaged social facilities, a school, medical institutions, and transport and railway infrastructure, causing gas and electricity disruptions. - At the time the summary was published, the attack was still ongoing, and data on some of the attack means was being verified. 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. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - ['Shaheds', 'Bandera' and 'Gerberas': how Russia attacked Ukraine at night](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/shahedi-banderoli-ta-gerberi-chim-rf-atakuvala-1789709588.html) - Первичный источник: сводка Воздушных сил ВСУ — 93 БПЛА, 72 сбито/подавлено к 08:00, 13 локаций попаданий, 3 места падения обломков, состав и направления атаки. - [Ukrainian forces sent more than 70 UAVs to Russia tonight: which regions were under attack](https://www.mk.ru/politics/army/2026/09/16/vsu-napravili-bolshe-70-bpla-na-rossiyu-segodnya-nochyu-kakie-regiony-byli-pod-atakoy.html) - Контекст иного события: описывает удары ВСУ по территории РФ (по дате URL — 16.09.2026), не относится к атаке на Украину 17–18.09; использован только как фоновый контекст. - [Attack on Kyiv: Russian drones move chaotically over the capital, explosions ring out](https://glavred.info/war/ataka-na-kiev-drony-rf-haotichno-dvizhutsya-nad-stolicey-gremyat-vzryvy-10791725.html) - Контекст: фиксирует ночные удары дронов над Киевом; эти локации не поименованы в перечне 13 локаций основной сводки, поэтому полная картина уточняется. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many drones did Russia deploy on the night of September 18? **A:** According to the Ukrainian Air Force summary, the enemy deployed 93 strike UAVs, including 46 jet-powered 'Shaheds', 'Gerberas', 'Parody' decoy drones, as well as 'Bandera' and 'Dan-T' drones. ### Q: How many targets did the defense forces shoot down? **A:** As of 08:00, air defense destroyed or suppressed 69 UAVs and hit three 'Bandera'/'Dan-T' drones, for a total of 72 targets. ### Q: Where were strikes recorded? **A:** Strikes were recorded at 13 locations, and at three more sites the fall of shot-down targets and their debris was detected. Some means did not reach their targets, and the data was being verified. ### Q: What were the consequences in Konotop? **A:** In Konotop, Sumy region, a kindergarten, School No. 11, medical institutions, transport infrastructure and the railway were damaged, along with private homes; gas and electricity supply was disrupted.