Russian forces conducted a large series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on July 18 to 19. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 12 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov oblasts and occupied Crimea; eight Iskander-K cruise missiles from Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; and 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles from the airspace over Saratov Oblast. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces also launched around 200 Shahed-type drones and 144 decoy drones from Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol cities; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasondar Krai. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 208 total projectiles, including 185 Shahed-type drones, seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and nine Kh-101 cruise missiles; and that seven cruise missiles and 129 decoy drones were “lost” or suppressed by Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that five missiles and 30 drones struck 12 unspecified locations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the Russian strikes damaged critical infrastructure in Sumy Oblast and left thousands without power, and that Russian drones and missiles struck Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and damaged vital infrastructure. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Head Serhiy Lysak reported that Russia’s overnight strike was the largest combined strike package against Pavlohrad since Russia's initial push into Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck industrial, educational, and civilian infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Sumy oblasts.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated on July 18 that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on future US investment in Ukrainian drone production and US purchases of Ukrainian drones. Svyrydenko stated that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmyhal will continue technical agreements with US counterparts and that Ukraine and the United States plan to sign a "drone deal" and are discussing US production of Ukrainian drones. Zelensky told the New York Post in an article published on July 17 that he discussed a "mega-deal" with Trump that would see the United States purchase Ukrainian drones alongside Ukrainian purchases of US-made weapons. Ukrainian drone companies have developed a weeks-long innovation cycle over the last three and a half years of war that quickly responds to Russian drone adaptations, and Ukraine's Western allies will significantly benefit from partnering with Ukrainian innovators who are familiar with the modern realities of conventional warfare.
Key Takeaways:
- Russian forces conducted a large series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on July 18 to 19.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated on July 18 that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on future US investment in Ukrainian drone production and US purchases of Ukrainian drones.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Novopavlivka.
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