A drone operator of Brigade 28th of Ukrainian Army watches a drone landing as he scouts for enemy positions in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, Oct. 3, 2023. (Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian forces intercepted and shot down 28 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts, and Black Sea region, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Oct. 18.
Kursk and Belgorod oblasts border Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts.
Kursk Governor Roman Starovoyt said that 10 drones were downed over the region at around 5 a.m. local time.
In Belgorod Oblast, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that six drones were shot down at around 4 a.m. local time.
On Oct. 15, Ukrainian drone attacks on an energy facility in Russia’s Belgorod region caused blackouts in the area.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview on Aug. 31 that he expects Russia's war in Ukraine to last a long time, as most wars end in military defeat or economic collapse — a scenario he does not foresee for Russia or Ukraine.
"The only 100% verified result achieved by Russia since the beginning of 2025 is its own losses — over 291,000 soldiers killed and wounded," Ukraine's General Staff said on Aug. 31.
U.S.-Ukraine peace talks, Russia’s massive missile strike on Kyiv that killed 25 civilians, and Moscow’s first reported occupation of villages in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Also, Ukraine’s escalating drone attacks on Russian oil refineries.
The positions previously allowed Russian troops to control the road leading into Kupiansk, approximately 104 kilometers (65 miles) east of Kharkiv, the regional capital.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV described China-Russia relations as at their "best in history," calling them "the most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries."
Kyrylo Budanov said that upcoming joint exercises, set to begin in two weeks, will pose challenges for both Ukraine and European countries, particularly through what he described as "cognitive influence."
The 1st Azov Corps said the victim was clearly in civilian clothes and unarmed, calling the incident a direct violation of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians.
Daria Shulzhenko
