Russia launches Iskander-M missile and 126 drones at Ukraine, air defences down 100 UAVs
On the night of 18 February (from 06:00 p.m. on 17 February), Russian forces carried out a combined attack on Ukraine, using an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 126 strike drones of various types.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported this on Telegram.
The enemy launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, as well as 126 strike UAVs — including Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas types, along with other drones — from the directions of Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Shatalovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia), and Hvardiiske (temporarily occupied Crimea). Around 80 of them were Shahed-type drones.
The air assault was repelled by aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units, drone units and mobile fire groups of Ukraine’s Defence Forces.
According to preliminary data as of 08:30, air defences shot down or suppressed 100 enemy UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types in the north, south and east of the country.
A ballistic missile strike and hits by 23 strike drones were recorded at 14 locations. In addition, debris from intercepted targets fell at three locations.
On the morning of 18 February, Russian forces attacked Mykolaiv with kamikaze drones, damaging residential buildings in the private sector of the city.
On the evening of 17 February, Russian forces also carried out a drone strike on Zaporizhzhia, damaging homes. According to preliminary information, one person was killed, and civilian infrastructure was damaged.
Earlier that evening, on 17 February 2026, Russian forces began another wave of attacks across Ukraine, using strike drones and ballistic weapons.
