On the night of March 18 (from 6:00 PM on March 17), Russian forces launched an attack with 147 strike drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and other types, from the directions of Orel, Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia), and Hvardiiske (temporarily occupied Crimea), with over 70 of them being Shahed drones.
The air assault was intercepted by Ukrainian air forces, surface-to-air missile units, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, as of 8:00 AM, air defense systems had shot down or suppressed 128 drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas types, and other drones across the north, south, and east of the country.
There were confirmed hits by 15 strike drones at 12 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at 3 locations.
