Ukraine Launched Nearly A Thousand Drones At Russia Over The Past 24 Hours
- 18.06.2026, 19:02
That's a war record.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that over the past 24 hours, air defense forces shot down 992 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones, four long-range cruise missiles, and ten guided bombs. This strike not only broke the previous Ukrainian record for the number of drones deployed in a single day but also exceeded the maximum number of UAVs that Russia had ever deployed in a single day, according to “Agency”.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reports only on downed drones, which suggests that there were actually more drones involved.
Ukraine’s previous record-breaking strike was recorded on June 6. At that time, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 911 drones, 13 aerial bombs, and four HIMARS shells had been destroyed.
Russia’s largest strike against Ukraine since the war began occurred on March 24. On that day, Russia attacked Ukraine with a total of 948 drones over the course of 24 hours.
These figures demonstrate Ukraine’s growing capabilities. In the early years of the war, the Ukrainian Armed Forces could not match the Russian army in terms of the intensity of strikes deep into Russian territory.
The turning point came this year. In March, the number of drones used by Ukraine over the course of the month exceeded the number of UAVs launched by Russia.
According to the Ukrainian monitoring channel “Oko Gora,” Russia launched 6,462 UAVs at Ukraine that month. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, meanwhile, launched 7,551 UAVs against Russia in March, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In April, Russia launched more drones than Ukraine (6,583 and 4,801, respectively). However, in May, the Ukrainian military once again launched more drones than Russia (8,973 and 8,150, respectively).
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the massive strike on Moscow on June 18 a “just response” to Russian attacks.
According to him, Ukraine will not “sit idly by” if Russia continues the war: “If Ukraine burns, so will your Moscow.”
A few hours earlier, the largest drone attack on Moscow since the start of the war took place. Ukrainian drones and their debris damaged facilities in at least 10 locations across the Moscow region, as evidenced by statements from authorities and videos posted on social media.
Drone strikes on the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, which was the main target of the attack, caused fires in at least six locations on the refinery’s grounds, including the main oil processing unit, according to an analysis by “The Agency.”
Vladimir Putin has been speaking at the ASEAN summit in Kazan since this morning but has not yet commented on the Ukrainian strikes.