[RedState] With much of the world's attention focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, we must also remember that the Russo-Ukrainian War is still going on. Such a reminder came on Thursday, when reports surfaced of a retaliatory strike on a Moscow-area oil refinery by a Ukrainian drone swarm, which set that refinery ablaze.
The Ukrainian strike comes after major Russian attacks on the Ukranian capital.
Ukraine struck a major Moscow oil refinery Thursday for a second time in a week, sending huge plumes of black smoke over the capital and disrupting hundreds of flights at its airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion over four years ago, officials said.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages.
The attack by dozens of drones came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held "an important coordination call" with the presidents of the United States and France and had won key pledges of further support from this week’s G7 summit.
"If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too," Zelenskyy said, adding that the attack was part of Kyiv’s effort to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. "It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war."
Now think closer to home.
A ship docks at a major US sea port and unloads a dozen shipping containers. The containers are loaded with 100+ Human Size explosive AI programmed Drones.
Or say one of the 1000's of large Commercial passenger jets lands at LGA, Ohare, LA, Hartsfield, or JFK each day. Its Baggage area has 4 large containers and releases a few 1,000 min AI explosive drone swarm.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.53 After the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that Ukraine is showing concrete results on the battlefield, and the assistance of partners is increasingly meeting the real priorities of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. Regarding the total amount of new commitments of the Contact Group participants, including new programs that are being opened, we can talk about a total amount of assistance of about $4 billion.
22.40 204 combat clashes were recorded on the front, in the Pokrovsky direction the enemy carried out 27 attacks on the positions of the Defense Forces, losing more than 60 occupiers. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of June 18. It is noted that the enemy carried out three missile strikes, using nine missiles, carried out 64 air strikes, dropping 213 guided bombs. In addition, it involved 5797 kamikaze drones for destruction and carried out 2183 shelling of settlements and positions of our troops.
21.46 Following the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues in Ukraine in the Ramstein format, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the supply of a three-digit number of air-to-air missiles from German stocks to Ukraine, as well as the joint production of ground-based robotic complexes, reports European Pravda. According to Pistorius, Germany will continue to adapt its support to Ukraine's needs, and also emphasized that his country's attention is focused on air defense.
"We have delivered another IRIS-T system to Ukraine. Most recently, we have also accelerated the delivery of IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM missiles. In addition, we will deliver a three-digit number of air-to-air missiles from our own stocks," he noted.
Pistorius also recalled that Germany will allocate $200 million for the purchase of additional PAC-3 missiles under the "Jumpstart" program. In addition, according to the German minister, Ukrainian and German companies have agreed to jointly produce "Termit" ground robotic complexes. The necessary production facilities will be created in Germany.
21.16 A drone attack on Gazpromneft's Moscow Oil Refinery (REF) damaged the second main distillation unit and caused multiple fires at the facility. Reuters reports this, citing industry sources. According to the agency's interlocutors, the attack on Thursday damaged the Euro+ combined oil refining unit, which was put into operation in 2020 as part of the plant's modernization program. The unit includes a crude oil distillation section with a nominal capacity of about 140,000 barrels per day, which is 47% of the refinery's capacity. The damaged unit also includes a catalytic reformer and a diesel hydrotreating unit. In addition to the Euro+ unit, some secondary units, inter-unit pipelines and auxiliary equipment were damaged. Oil product storage tanks were also hit and caught fire. It is noted that the first primary oil distillation unit (CDU-6), which provided 53% of the plant's capacity with a nominal capacity of 160,000 barrels per day, was damaged during a previous Ukrainian attack on June 16.
20.40 Currently, about 3,000 Belarusians are fighting on the side of Russia and their number is constantly increasing. This was reported by the Ambassador of Ukraine at Large for Democratic Transformations, Interaction with Democratic Forces and National Movements of Unfriendly Countries Yaroslav Chornohor.
According to him, if two years ago there were one-time calls in Belarusian public forums to join the ranks of the Russian armed forces, then in the last two months more than 60 public channels are looking for those willing to side with the aggressor.
"Therefore, I believe that the I Want to Live project should be expanded to include Belarusians. After all, they do not always consciously join the Russian army, and then they are faced with reality, some of them end up in our captivity," the ambassador noted.
20.28 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has "reached a dead end" in his aggression against Ukraine, and the consequences of the war are being felt more and more acutely by the Russian population.
"While the Russian offensive is losing strength, your troops maintain their dynamics on the battlefield. The way Ukraine is taking the war back to where it started is truly impressive. This is no coincidence. Support within the framework of Ramstein has played a decisive role," Pistorius noted at the 35th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine (in the Ramstein format).
According to him, Germany has supported Ukraine's new military campaign plan from the very beginning and is comprehensively contributing to building up significant potential. The Minister assured that Berlin will continue to do so. Separately, Pistorius emphasized that Germany should learn from Ukraine, and the partnership between the countries has long ceased to be one-sided.
19.57 US citizens in Russia have been warned of the danger posed by drone attacks, the press service of the US Embassy in Russia reported.
"Drone attacks and explosions occurred near the border with Ukraine, as well as in major Russian cities, including Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg. In an emergency, follow the instructions of local Russian authorities and seek shelter," the report said.
Americans in the Russian Federation are advised to immediately move to a safe distance and take cover if they spot a drone.
"Do not approach, touch, or photograph drones, their debris, or objects dropped by drones. Russian law prohibits the distribution or publication of photographs or videos depicting the consequences of drone attacks, including images of drones or their parts. Violation of this law may result in a fine or imprisonment. Follow the instructions of local authorities," the US Embassy in Russia stressed.
US citizens are once again advised and strongly reminded not to travel to Russia.
19.37 In Letychiv, Khmelnytskyi region, a man was detained who fired from an automatic rifle near the building of the Trade and Commerce Center and the Joint Stock Company on the evening of June 17. This was reported by the Khmelnytskyi region police. Law enforcement officers established that the man came to the local Trade and Commerce Center and the Joint Stock Company, took an automatic weapon from his backpack and fired several shots in the direction of the institution. After that, he disappeared from the scene. No one was injured as a result of the incident. It is noted that the police quickly located the man. He was detained. He is a 31-year-old local resident. The automatic weapon was seized from him.
19.26 Soldiers of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stopped a motorcycle assault by Russian invaders in the area of Malaya Tokmachka, Zaporizhia region, and destroyed more than 30 units of enemy equipment.
19.12 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, commenting on the nightly drone attack on the Moscow region, said that Russia would launch massive group strikes on Ukrainian targets, adding that this goal was set by Vladimir Putin and is already being achieved. This is reported by Russian media.
18.51 Anton Milaev, the adopted great-grandson of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, who fought on the side of Russia, is in Ukrainian captivity, the Russian Telegram channel Baza reported.
According to Russian sources, he was captured in the territory of the Kherson region controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
45-year-old Anton Milaev is the named grandson of the daughter of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Galina Brezhneva, who raised him as her own.
According to the channel, last fall, Milaev went to war against Ukraine as a sapper. In November, he stopped contacting his family.
According to his mother, Iryna Kuznetsova, a few months later the family received news that the man was being held captive in the Kherson region, which is controlled by the Ukrainian military.
There is currently no official confirmation of this information from the Ukrainian side.
18.41 In recent months, the Ukrainian army has managed to hold the front line and even improve its positions in some areas. This was stated by the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby at the 35th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues in Ukraine in the Ramstein format in Brussels.
18.25 In the Sumy community, a fire broke out in warehouses where remnants of sulfur-containing substances were stored as a result of a Russian air bomb strike.
Rescuers stressed that there is no threat to the public. However, they warned that the smell of sulfur may be felt in the air.
Residents of Bezdrytska, Verkhnyosyrovatska, and Krasnopilska communities are urged to close their windows and, if possible, limit their time outdoors. The fire is still being extinguished.
18.12 Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed an agreement to join efforts to develop anti-ballistic systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at the opening of the Ramstein Contact Group meeting in Brussels.
17.56 The American Lockheed Martin has upgraded the HIMARS system, doubling its power and adding an air defense function. The updated version of the system is called HIMARS FLEX. The main change is that the machine can now carry two ammunition containers instead of one on the classic M1140 chassis.
This allows loading up to 12 GMLRS guided missiles at a time, which effectively puts it on par with the heavier M270 tracked system. In addition to the standard set of missiles, the upgraded system allows for the integration of completely new types of weapons.
Thanks to the new configuration, HIMARS can now launch anti-aircraft and anti-missile munitions, including high-precision PAC-3 missiles from Patriot complexes. This will allow the system to operate not only against ground targets, but also to transform into a full-fledged air defense complex and shoot down ballistic missiles such as Iskander or aeroballistic Daggers.
There are two main options for combat equipment - 12 GMLRS missiles for ground strikes or eight anti-aircraft missiles for destroying air targets.
The upgraded HIMARS FLEX system can be connected to integrated fire control networks. A special IBCS system allows the transmission of missile guidance data from any other radars or stations, so the vehicle does not need to be tied to the Patriot base radar station.
17.41 Military counterintelligence of the Security Service, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Prosecutor General's Office have collected evidence against a senior rifleman of the National Guard of Ukraine who, while in Russian captivity, abused other captured Ukrainians.
According to the case materials, after being captured by the Russians in June 2022, the serviceman collaborated with the enemy. For this, he was appointed the so-called "head of household" of the 2nd floor of barrack No. 8 in "Kalininsk correctional colony No. 27" in temporarily occupied Horlivka in the Donetsk region.
While in "position", the defendant treated other prisoners of war cruelly. In particular, on the instructions of the Russians, he regularly exerted psychological pressure on the Ukrainians, threatened them with violence, and forced them to perform heavy physical labor.
It was established that one captured Ukrainian soldier died as a result of his torture, and dozens of others received injuries of varying severity.
The defendant was released in a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia in March 2025. Since then, law enforcement has collected numerous testimonies from witnesses with whom the defendant was in a Russian prison.
During a search of the soldier's actual residence, a smartphone with evidence of his crimes was discovered.
The perpetrator was informed of the suspicion. He was placed in custody as a preventive measure. The suspect faces up to eight years in prison.
17.32 The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with 150,000 drones and other weapons worth 752 million pounds sterling by the end of the year. This announcement was made by the newly appointed British Defense Minister Dan Jarvis at the 35th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues on Ukraine (Ramstein format) in Brussels.
17.25 The occupiers from the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces received a direct order to increase the intensity of strikes using FPV in the operational depth of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the GUR of the Ministry of Defense on June 18. It is noted that the leaders of the Russian occupation forces demand, in particular, to intensify terror in Zaporizhia - to strike at any civilian objects in the regional center. To implement their criminal plans, the occupation units are promised to increase the supply of kamikaze attack drones.
17.24 A citizen of a Central Asian country surrendered to captivity for the first time through the state project "I Want to Live." This was reported by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
"A migrant worker from Tajikistan, who had worked in Russia for many years, ended up at the front after being detained and threatened with deportation. To avoid deportation, he signed a contract with the Russian army, which he later bitterly regretted. After two weeks of surviving without food and water, he and a friend turned to the I Want to Live project," the report says.
As part of a joint operation by the GUR and the Third Army Corps, both servicemen were successfully evacuated. UAV operators from the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade accompanied them along the exit route and provided them with water, food, and communications equipment.
It is noted that today the former serviceman is safe in the status of a prisoner of war under the protection of the Geneva Conventions.
GUR quotes his appeal to other migrants: "Under no circumstances sign a contract with the Russian army. This is a one-way ticket. Return home, work, and protect your life. Don't go to this senseless war."
17.07 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting in Brussels with Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, during which they discussed the schedule for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader reported this on Telegram. Belgium has decided to transfer more fighter jets to the Armed Forces of Ukraine this year than it had promised earlier.
16.30 Since the beginning of the current day, the Russian invaders have attacked the positions of the Ukrainian army 55 times. Most of the fighting is ongoing in four directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary. The invaders are concentrating their main efforts on the Lyman and Pokrov directions in the Donetsk region.
16.26 The Metropolitan of the Vyatka and Slobodsk Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church was reported in absentia on suspicion of financing the war against Ukraine, the SBU Department in Zhytomyr region reports. This concerns Metropolitan Mark, who is also a member of the Russian motorcycle club Night Wolves, known for supporting the Kremlin's aggressive policy and included in the sanctions lists of a number of states. According to the investigation, after the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the person in question publicly supported armed aggression against Ukraine and organized the collection of funds, humanitarian aid and material resources for the needs of the occupation troops.
16.15 The Verkhovna Rada unblocked 1.56 trillion hryvnias for defense. Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk immediately signed the law. It will then be sent to President Volodymyr Zelensky for signature.
15.03 The Kremlin plans to increase military spending by 40%, despite a significant budget deficit, which by June 2023 reached 6 trillion rubles, exceeding the figures for the entire previous year. As Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources, to cover the costs, the government intends to reduce funding for civilian items and use accumulated reserves. There is also discussion of raising loans by issuing additional government bonds, which could provide about 2-3 trillion.
14.46 The bodies of 522 dead, which, according to the Russian side, may belong to Ukrainian servicemen, have been returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KSHPPV).
13.43 Ukraine is approaching the mass use of Ruta cruise missiles coordinated by drones equipped with artificial intelligence to destroy Russian occupiers. As Defense Express notes, Shield AI and Destinus have successfully completed a series of tests on the integration of Hivemind combat artificial intelligence, which will be received by the Ruta cruise missile.
13.20 The Security Service of Ukraine published an official Russian document denying Ukraine's involvement in the attack on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in the Bryansk region of Russia.
During counterintelligence activities, an information report was intercepted from the monitoring center of the State Treasury Institution of the Bryansk Region Safe Region. The summary notes that at the time of the incident with the bus, there were no Ukrainian drones in the airspace of the region.
In particular, the intercepted report states that:
the so-called RS OSH ENTs (Regional Segment of the Operational Headquarters of the Unified National Center) did not record the UAV in the area of the incident;
The presence of drones in the airspace was also not confirmed by the radar battalion on duty in the Russian settlement of Suponevo;
In addition, the officer on duty of the 32nd division of the occupation forces did not confirm the flights of unmanned aerial vehicles at the relevant time.
"Thus, the SBU has reason to believe that the attack on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation is a special operation by Russian special services," the report notes.
The SBU drew attention to the fact that Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of crimes committed by Russian representatives. The Russian authorities use such cases to conduct their own IPOs and put pressure on Ukraine in the international arena.
"At the same time, we emphasize once again that Ukraine and all the Security and Defense Forces of our state strictly adhere to the laws and customs of war and work exclusively for legitimate military purposes," the special service emphasized.
12.45 In the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, there is an increase in the number of departures of employees of the occupation administration and Russian security forces. As reported by ATES movement agents, the increase in such activity is associated with the successful operations of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Many representatives of Russian structures are striving to complete the relocation of relatives by June 21, which is often mentioned in their plans. Because of this, the demand for transport services related to the transportation of personal belongings and the organization of departure has also increased.
12.42 Three people were injured as a result of a Russian mine explosion near Kherson. Residents of Inzhenerne - a 56-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman - went to a medical facility.
They received mine-explosive injuries as a result of a detonation when a civilian car exploded on a Russian mine. The victims are currently undergoing further examinations and are under medical supervision.
12.20 A woman was detained in Dnipro who was collecting data on defense enterprises for Russia. She was reported on suspicion of treason committed during martial law.
In October 2025, a 32-year-old woman voluntarily agreed to cooperate with representatives of Russian special services. She was collecting intelligence information about Dnipro enterprises that develop and manufacture weapons and military equipment.
At the curator's instruction, the suspect monitored the consequences of the strikes on three enterprises of the defense-industrial complex after the enemy shelling. She transmitted information about the nature of the destruction, the condition of the production facilities that continued to operate, as well as photo and geolocation data of the facilities.
The information obtained could have been used by the Russians to prepare repeated missile strikes on defense-industrial complex enterprises.
11.35 Russian troops have captured three square kilometers of Ukrainian territory south of the city of Hulyaipole in Zaporizhia region. According to the DeepState OSINT project map data, on June 17, the area of the "gray zone" in this area increased by 2.45 sq. km. At the same time, an expansion of the penetration zone by 4.68 sq. km was also recorded in the western and northwestern directions from Hulyaipole, however, this did not lead to an expansion of the occupied territories. This advance took place outside the boundaries of settlements, and there are currently no reports of the occupation of individual villages.
11.07 The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrsky, approved a plan of measures to restore, ensure the functioning and further development of the NCO corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The development of the NCO corps is based on modern approaches to military management, in particular, on the Mission Command philosophy. This concept is aimed at decentralizing decision-making, stimulating disciplined initiative and delegating authority in accordance with the level of responsibility.
10.39 Russia and Belarus have accused Ukraine of carrying out a strike on a bus carrying a children's football team, suggesting that it was done with a conscious purpose. ISW analysts believe that Moscow could have used this incident to strengthen its information influence, involving Belarus in it. This is probably aimed at justifying massive strikes on Ukraine, positioning them as a "response" to alleged attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilians, ISW noted.
09.04 Russian troops on the night of Thursday, June 18, struck an energy facility, as well as industrial and private enterprises in the Poltava region, resulting in one person being injured. The Russian attack caused power outages, said Vitaliy Dyakivnych, head of the Poltava OVA.
08.01 In the capital of the Russian Federation, after a night and morning drone attack, industrial facilities are burning, and UAV debris damaged a shopping center. The authorities claim 137 drones allegedly shot down and admit that the Moscow Refinery was hit. According to monitoring channels, the Russian Federation was attacked by more than 300 drones. The head of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, announced that an apartment building in Zhukovsky, near Moscow, was hit and residents were evacuated. There were no injuries.
Due to the air threat, the "Carpet" plan, which involves restrictions on takeoff and landing, was implemented simultaneously at four major Moscow airports: Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. Similar measures were also in effect at the airports of Kaluga, Penza, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhny Kamsk.
07.40 Specialists of the explosives service of the Poltava region police neutralized the warhead of a Russian Kh-101 missile, which remained unexploded and posed a mortal threat to local residents. This was reported on June 17 on the website of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Poltava region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] The Russian occupiers are concentrating their main efforts on the Lyman and Pokrov directions in the Donetsk region.
Since the beginning of the current day, Russian invaders have attacked Ukrainian army positions 55 times. Most of the fighting is ongoing in four directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary on Thursday, June 18.
Thus, one battle took place in the North Slobozhansk and Kursk directions.
In the South Slobozhansky direction, the invaders twice tried to break through the defenses in the Lyman area and towards Izbitsky. One battle is ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, our defenders stopped two enemy attempts to advance towards Radkivka and Kolisnykivka.
In the Lyman direction, soldiers repelled 11 attempts by the invaders to advance towards the settlements of Shyykivka, Stavky, Drobysheve, Lyman and in the areas of the settlements of Novoselivka, Derylove, Zarichne, and Yampil. Four clashes are ongoing.
In the Slavyansk direction, the Defense Forces stopped five attempts by the invaders to advance towards the settlements of Rai-Oleksandrivka, Kryva Luka, and in the area of Zakitne and Kalenykiv. One clash is still ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russian invaders carried out one attack towards Malynivka.
In the Kostyantynivka direction, our defenders repelled nine attacks near the settlements of Pleshchiivka, Kostyantynivka, and Illinivka. One clash is currently ongoing.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the invaders tried 11 times to push our soldiers out of the occupied positions in the areas of the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolaivka, Filiya and towards the settlements of Bilytske, Dorozhne, Shevchenko, Serhiivka. One battle is ongoing.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked once towards Oleksandrograd.
In the Hulyaipil direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully repelled nine attacks in the direction of Dobropil, Hulyaipil, and Girky. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Orikhiv direction, our defenders stopped three assaults in the Stepnohirsk area.
The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Dnieper direction.
We will remind you that since the beginning of 2026, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated 590 sq. km of territory from Russian invaders. Such data was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The head of state also stated that Russia has begun to lose the initiative on the battlefield, which opens up an opportunity for a diplomatic settlement of the war. There is now a "window" for negotiations, he believes.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:57 In the period from 7:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 234 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Tula, Yaroslavl regions, the Moscow region and the Republic of Crimea. 21:51 Operators of attack UAVs of the Vostok group caught delivery of material resources to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Drone crews from the Center group destroyed armored vehicles and artillery pieces, and rammed enemy drones in the Dobropillya direction.
Drone operators from the Dnipro group destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone control center in the Kherson region.
19:23 Gerbera calculation destroyed enemy temporary deployment point (Orekhov)
19:01 Soldiers of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the West group destroy manpower and equipment of disparate units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
17:15 Russian Aerospace Forces crews destroyed temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Sergeyevka and Nikolaevka in the DPR, as well as in Krasnopolye in the Sumy region.
The strike was carried out using FAB-500 and FAB-1000 air bombs with a universal planning and correction module.
16:51 Drone operators of the "Southern" group caught up retreating militants (Konstantinovka)
Drone operators spotted a group of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers retreating from the city from the air. The enemy was attempting to hide among the ruins.
The coordinates were transmitted to the 3rd Army Corps' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews. They flew to the target area and carried out pinpoint strikes that destroyed the enemy's shelter.
14:34 Through the joint efforts of fighters from the 123rd and 88th Separate Motorized Rifle brigades of the 3rd Combined Arms Army of the Southern group released the settlement of Rai-Alexandrovka in the DPR.
Reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crews identified pockets of resistance in the village and surrounding forested areas. Artillery personnel quickly suppressed them, allowing assault teams to clear Ukrainian positions and take control of the village.
The liberation of Rai-Aleksandrovka is another successful stage in the advancement of the Donetsk People's Republic.
13:21 Head of the Russian Defense Ministry Andrei Belousov thanked military personnel for the successful completion of combat missions and expressed confidence that they will continue to reliably protect national interests and ensure Russia's security.
12:52 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation (as of June 18, 2026)
Units of the North group of forces have improved their tactical position.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces defeated the personnel and equipment of a motorized infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades near the towns of Krasnopolye, Radkovka, and Luzhki in Sumy Oblast. In Khar'kov Oblast, the Ukrainian Armed Forces defeated two mechanized brigades near the towns of Ternovaya and Hryhorivka in Khar'kov Oblast. The enemy lost over 195 service members and 12 vehicles.
Units of the Western group of forces have taken up more advantageous positions and lines.
They defeated the personnel and equipment of Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized and assault brigades, a territorial defense brigade, and a naval infantry brigade near the villages of Yatskivka, Mayaki, and Lozove in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Chervony Oskol and Grushivka in the Khar'kov region. In the village of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic, assault units of the 25th Army continue to destroy scattered Ukrainian Armed Forces units. Over the past 24 hours, units of the 67th Division, advancing in the northwestern part of the city, captured seven strongholds and 48 buildings.
A group of militants from the 120th Territorial Defense Brigade has been blocked near Glavnaya and Pokrovskaya Streets. Over the past 24 hours, up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, seven pieces of military equipment, and five remotely controlled robotic systems have been destroyed. In total, in the area of responsibility of the West group of forces, the enemy's losses amounted to 210 servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, 18 cars and two self-propelled artillery units.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces, as a result of active and decisive actions, liberated the village of Rai-Aleksandrivka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Formations of two mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade were defeated near the settlements of Nikolaipole, Slavyansk, Druzhkovka, Starodubovka, and Nikolaevka in the Donetsk People's Republic. In the settlement of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk People's Republic, assault groups of the Southern Group of Forces continue active offensive operations in the southwestern part of the settlement and have liberated 98 buildings from Ukrainian militants.
Over the past 24 hours, more than 60 Ukrainian servicemen and 17 vehicles have been destroyed. In total, the enemy lost more than 165 servicemen, 24 vehicles, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and a field artillery piece in the Southern Group of Forces' area of responsibility.
Units of the Center group of forces have improved their position along the forward edge.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault regiment, a naval infantry brigade, and two National Guard brigades near the settlements of Serhiivka, Ivanovka, Krasnoyarskoye, Veseloye, and Kucherov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 285 service members, two armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, and a self-propelled artillery unit.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses.
They defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, three airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Prosyanaya, Mechetne, Malinovka, and Ivanovka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Shyroke, Chervona Krynytsia, Novoye Pole, and Novoselivka in Zaporizhia Oblast.
The enemy lost over 445 service members, eight vehicles, and a US-made Paladin 155mm self-propelled artillery unit.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov and Yurkovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 60 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, 21 vehicles, a field artillery gun, and six electronic warfare stations were destroyed. Tactical aviation, strike drones, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces struck long-range unmanned aerial vehicle storage sites, as well as temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 142 districts.
Air defense assets shot down 10 guided aerial bombs, three US-made HIMARS multiple launch rockets, four Flamingo long-range cruise missiles, and 992 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
10:43 Struck temporary deployment points and control points for UAVs of the National Guard of Ukraine in the area of the settlements of Dobropillya and Novogrishino.
10:02 Russian Aerospace Forces crews inflicted strikes with FAB-500 aerial bombs with a universal planning and correction module on temporary deployment points of Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Khar'kov and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
08:17 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted anddestroyed555 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territories of Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Tula, Rostov, Ryazan regions, the Moscow region, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Sea of Azov.
06:31 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the Vostok group destroyed fortified positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Center group's rocket launchers fired at enemy strongholds and manpower in the Dobropolsky direction.
05:01 Artillerymen of the 3rd Army Corps of the "Southern" group fire from the 122mm D-30 gun destroyed the UAV launch position and enemy manpower.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] Regarding the attack on Moscow on June 18, 2026, the enemy deployed 194 fixed-wing drones.
Air defense forces also reportedly shot down several cruise missiles launched by the enemy toward Moscow. Several oil refineries were hit, two shopping centers were damaged (a drone shot down by a Pantsir missile crashed into one of them), and a drone struck a residential building.
Traffic on the Moscow Ring Road was temporarily restricted. No casualties were reported. The enemy has received vivid footage of the burning oil refinery and is asking for an end to the war. Russian forces struck oil refineries in Zaturino in the Poltava region and fuel depots in Boryspil-2 in Kyiv with Iskander missiles overnight. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after a meeting with Putin, stated that Russia's position on Ukraine has not changed.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
