Russian Defence Ministry data indicates Ukraine launched record number of drones in single attack

Jun 18, 2026 - 13:12

Data released by Russia's Defence Ministry indicates that Ukraine launched a record number of long-range drones against targets in Russia on the night of 17-18 June.

Source: Russian media outlet Agentstvo, citing data from Russia's Defence Ministry

Quote: "Russia's Defence Ministry has reported that air defence forces have shot down 992 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, four long-range cruise missiles and 10 guided aerial bombs over the past day."

Details: As Russia's Defence Ministry only reports the drones it claims to have shot down, the actual number of drones launched was likely higher. The previous record drone attack took place on 6 June. "On that occasion, Russia's Defence Ministry reported the interception of 911 drones, 13 aerial bombs and four HIMARS rockets," Agentstvo said.

Background:

Russia attacks Ukraine with at least 100 long-range drones every night.
On 13 May, a Shahed attack continued throughout both the night and the day. By the evening, Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia had launched 892 drones, of which air defences had downed or jammed 710. However, on the night of 13-14 May, Russia continued its large-scale attack, and the following morning the Air Force reported that Russia had launched another 675 loitering munitions.
In January 2026, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Russia planned to increase attack UAV production so that it could deploy up to 1,000 drones per day against Ukraine.
On the night of 17-18 June, Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, causing a major fire. Russian media outlets said the attack was the largest in the past two years. This is the second successful attack on a strategic Russian facility in three days.