Sumy
The Ukrainian military has said that the Russian counter-offensive in Kursk Region has been halted. Thousands of Russian civilians are being assisted on the territory occupied by the Ukrainians.
A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center said that about 70% of the sowing area is affected by drought, especially in the southeast of the country. This affects the start of the sowing campaign, but there is hope that it will not cause significant damage to next year's harvest.
Temperatures in Ukraine have not dropped to the level of meteorological autumn. There are abnormally high temperatures and a shortage of precipitation across the country.
The cyclone that caused heavy rainfall in Central Europe will not reach Ukraine. According to a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, the cyclone's peak activity has already passed, and it is moving toward Italy.
On the night of September 18, Russia attacked Ukraine with 52 drones and 3 missiles. Ukrainian defense forces shot down 46 UAVs, 5 were lost to electronic warfare, and 1 returned to Russia. The missiles did not reach their targets.
Over the last day, 194 combat engagements took place, 100 of them in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk sectors. The enemy carried out 72 air strikes and fired 4,800 times, and Ukrainian forces repelled numerous attacks in different directions.
On the night of September 18, Russian troops attacked Sumy's energy infrastructure with drones. According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties, and the aftermath of the attack is being addressed.
In the morning of September 18, explosions occurred in Sumy during an air raid due to enemy kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian Air Force warned of enemy attack drones in the Sumy region.
Following Russian attacks on energy facilities in Sumy region, power outages are observed. President Zelenskyy announced the work of repair crews and the creation of a Coordination Headquarters to resolve the situation.
Due to the heat wave, electricity consumption in Ukraine will increase, causing a shortage. Scheduled blackouts will take place from 17:00 to 21:00. Electricity is expected to be imported from 5 countries, 498 settlements are without power.
Russian occupants launched 11 Shahed attack UAVs in Ukraine. All the drones were shot down by air defense forces in different regions of the country, including Mykolaiv, Kyiv and Kharkiv.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the purpose of the offensive on Kursk region is to create a buffer zone. Earlier, he explained the operation as necessary to protect the population of Sumy from Russian attacks.
Hot weather is expected in Ukraine on August 18, with temperatures reaching 35-36° in the south. In some places, there may be short-term rains and thunderstorms, especially in the western and central regions.
An aid headquarters is set up in Sumy after a rocket attack on a residential area. Five high-rise buildings, 15 cars and a shopping center were damaged. The center provides advice on how to apply for financial aid.
An explosion was heard in Sumy. The Air Force warned of a ballistic missile threat and urged people to take shelter in areas where an alert was issued.
Consumers in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Sumy regions were left without electricity as a result of hostile attacks. Damage to gas pipelines left more than a thousand customers in four regions without gas.
At night and in the morning, Russian troops fired 18 times at the border areas of Sumy region. Forty-one explosions were recorded, one civilian was injured, and buildings and cars were damaged.
Heat is expected to reach 35-36° in Ukraine, especially in the south and Kirovohrad region. Short-term rains and thunderstorms are forecast in the western regions and Vinnytsia region, with fog possible in the Carpathians.
Two people were injured in a Russian strike on civilian infrastructure in Sumy. Rescue services are working at the scene and searching for possible victims.
A morning air strike on Sumy set 10 civilian cars on fire in a parking lot near residential buildings. The blast wave smashed windows and damaged the facades of the buildings, and rescuers extinguished the fire.
Ukraine's air defense forces shot down 14 Shahed attack drones launched by Russia at night. Air defense was active in six regions, and an Iskander-K cruise missile was intercepted.
In Sumy, after an enemy attack, a hit was recorded in the area of Svobody Avenue. Windows were damaged, cars are burning, the search for victims continues, and one person was provided with medical aid.
During the day, Russian troops fired 48 times at the border areas of Sumy region. There were 161 explosions in different communities, including air strikes, artillery and mortar attacks.
Minister Klymenko informed about the formation of humanitarian aid for civilians in the area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. About 150 food packages have already been prepared for delivery through the military.
An explosion was reported in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovs'k region. The Air Force warned of a missile threat in Poltava, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In the city of Sumy, air defense activity was recorded. Drozdenko reported on Telegram that the explosion heard by local residents was the result of air defense operations.
The head of the Donetsk RMA spoke about the restoration of fortifications destroyed by the enemy and the construction of new ones. Since the beginning of the war, more than 600 platoon strongholds have been built in Donetsk Oblast, and about UAH 2.6 billion has been spent.
Another explosion occurred in Sumy, and an air raid alert was issued. During the day, Russians fired 56 times at Sumy region, killing one person and wounding three. More than 60% of the population was evacuated from the border communities.
Starting August 17, the southern and southwestern regions of Ukraine are expected to experience a heat wave of up to +37°. The hot weather may last until August 21-22, but it will not be completely dry.
Two explosions were heard in the city of Sumy. Detailed information on the causes and consequences of the explosions is currently unavailable.