Ukrainian Drones Attack 14 Russian Regions; 629 Destroyed Overnight

Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles conducted a large-scale overnight attack on Russian territory on September 17–18, 2026, targeting 14 regions plus Crimea and maritime areas. Russian air defenses reported destroying 629 drones across the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, Krasnodar, Moscow, and Adygea regions, as well as the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that over 350 drones were detected approaching Moscow Region between 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on September 17 and 8:00 a.m. on September 18. He stated that most were destroyed on "distant approaches," with 64 additional drones downed on the outskirts of Moscow. Air raid warnings were issued across 30 Russian regions.

Damage was reported in multiple southern regions. In Rostov Region, Governor Yury Slyusar reported over 50 drones destroyed and confirmed damage to eight apartment buildings and five private homes. In Azov, five private houses sustained window, roof, and fence damage, along with four vehicles. Gas pipelines serving four households were damaged and gas supplies suspended. In the Neklinovsky District, eight apartment buildings and four cars were damaged. In Krasnodar Region, drone debris damaged two private houses, a school gymnasium, and a utility building. In Dagestan, falling debris damaged one apartment and ignited a roof in a residential building in Makhachala. Regional officials reported no confirmed casualties.

Ukrainian sources claimed that a military airfield in Rostov-on-Don was among the targets. A Ukrainian Telegram channel reported damage to multiple aircraft, including an Ан-12 transport plane, two Ан-26 aircraft, and three helicopters at the airfield. Russian authorities did not confirm these claims. Ukrainian air forces also reported that Russian forces used bases in Milovero, Rostov Region, and the Black Sea to launch drones and missiles against Ukrainian targets, resulting in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv regions.