Map of the special operation in Ukraine on May 18

A special military operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass has been conducted by Russia since February 24, 2022. You can track the progress of the joint forces of Russia, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as the map of military operations for May 18 in the Izvestia material.

Last night, in response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision land-based, sea-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, fuel and energy, transport and port infrastructure facilities used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). as well as military airfields. The target of the strike has been achieved. All designated objects are affected.

Units of the North group of forces improved their tactical situation by defeating the manpower and equipment of the mechanized and airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the air defense brigade and the border guard detachment of the Border Service of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Pisarevka, Bachevsk and Ryasnoye in the Sumy region. In the Kharkiv region, the formations of two mechanized brigades and an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Ivanovka, Budarok and Zakharovka were affected. The enemy lost up to 190 soldiers, 24 vehicles, three field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations.

The "southern" group of troops improved the situation along the front line, defeating the formations of two mechanized mountain assault brigades and an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Tikhonovka and Konstantinovka of the DPR. The enemy lost up to 90 military personnel, four armored combat vehicles (including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier), 13 vehicles and an artillery piece.

The fighters of the Center group of forces have taken more advantageous positions and positions. The manpower and equipment of three mechanized, jaeger, assault, and airmobile brigades, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and four National Guard brigades were defeated in the areas of Novogrigorovka, Kucherov Yar, New Donbass, Belitsky, Belozersky (DPR), as well as Novopodgorodny and Raipole (Dnipropetrovsk region). The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 300 military personnel, four armored personnel carriers, 13 vehicles, a Grad MLRS combat vehicle and three field artillery guns, including a 155-mm Caesar self-propelled gun made in France. Five electronic warfare stations were destroyed.

The units of the Vostok group of forces have advanced into the depth of the enemy's defenses. The mechanized, assault, amphibious assault brigades, the assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the air defense brigade were defeated in the areas of Pokrovsky (Dnipropetrovsk region), as well as Omelnik, Kievsky and Lesnoy (Zaporizhia region). The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 270 soldiers, two armored personnel carriers, eight vehicles and two artillery pieces.The Russian army, with the help of aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and artillery, defeated temporary locations of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 157 districts. Five guided aerial bombs and 265 aircraft-type drones were shot down by air defense systems. The forces of the Black Sea Fleet in the northern part of the Black Sea destroyed a crewless boat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 671 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 148,192 unmanned aerial vehicles, 661 anti-aircraft missile systems, 29,353 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,723 multiple rocket launchers, 34,981 field artillery and mortars, 61893 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Watch more relevant videos and details about the situation in Donbass on the Izvestia TV channel