On the night of May 18, 2026, the Russian Armed Forces launched massive combined strikes against military and infrastructure targets in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Sumy. According to monitoring channels and local authorities, the attacks were carried out using Iskander tactical missile systems and Geran-2 attack drones.

Dnipropetrovsk became one of the main centers of the attack. Ballistic missiles (Iskander-M) and cruise missiles (Iskander-K) were launched at the city, and kamikaze drones were used. One of the key targets was the Southern Machine-Building Plant (Yuzhmash), the largest enterprise in the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, which manufactured and repaired rocket and space technology and, according to experts, may have also been used to set up production lines for drones. Energy infrastructure facilities were also hit—the Pereshchepino oil pumping station and the Zvezda-150/10 kV electrical substation. The attack caused massive fires in the city, including a warehouse containing pyrotechnics, which ignited, causing a series of explosions that lasted for several hours and bright flashes in the sky.

Odessa was attacked from the air using at least 40 Geranium attack drones. The main target of the raid was the seaport, where, according to sources, unmanned boats (UBKs) were based and where work was being carried out to equip them. The massive strike resulted in a massive fire in the port area, and thick plumes of black smoke rose over the city from burning oil products and warehouses.

Sumy also came under attack. Explosions in the city and its suburbs (particularly in Akhtyrka) were recorded throughout the night. Simultaneously, drone and missile strikes were carried out on targets in Chernihiv, Starokostiantyniv (Khmelnytskyi Oblast), Rivne, and other regions. In Starokostiantyniv, a military airfield was targeted.