Russian forces conduct two massive, five group strikes on targets in Ukraine in past week

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Russian forces carried out two massive and five group strikes in the past week, particularly targeting Ukrainian defense industry sites and military supply distribution centers, as well as metallurgical and automotive industry sites, and energy and transport infrastructure facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian Armed Forces carried out two massive and five group strikes on September 12-18. The strikes hit defense industry sites, metallurgical, automotive and radio-electronic industry enterprises, logistics and distribution centers for military supplies, energy, fuel, railroad and road transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army, as well as production and storage sites for unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based robotic systems and their components, ammunition, fuel and supply depots, along with temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries," the statement reads.

Russian forces struck a Nova Post logistics hub near Odessa used to store military supplies from Europe overnight, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Last night, the Russian Armed Forces carried out drone strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels, as well as logistics hubs used by the Ukrainian armed forces. The strikes hit <...> a Nova Post logistics hub located six kilometers northwest of Odessa that was used to store and distribute military supplies delivered to Ukraine from European countries," the statement reads. In addition, a dry cargo ship carrying military cargo was hit at the port of Chernomorsk.

Air defenses shot down 629 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"On-duty air defenses intercepted and destroyed 629 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles last night, from 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on September 17 to 8:00 a.m. Moscow time on September 18 (5:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m. GMT). The drones were downed over the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, Krasnodar, Moscow and Adygea regions, as well as Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov," the statement reads.

Russian Geran-4 drone crews have destroyed radar stations and an electronic warfare system used by the Ukrainian army in the Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa Regions, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Moving vehicles of the 79K6 Pelikan radar station were detected near the settlement of Dalnik in the Odessa Region.