Overview
- Ukraine’s General Staff said units struck Aviastar near Ulyanovsk on 16 March and the 123rd aviation repair plant in Staraya Russa on 17 March, reporting damage at aircraft stands and an Il‑76/L‑410 service hangar.
- The Air Forces reported Russia launched 147 attack drones overnight on 18 March, with air defenses downing 128 and impacts recorded at a dozen locations.
- Grid operator Ukrenergo imposed hourly limits and emergency blackouts nationwide, citing cumulative damage from earlier strikes and higher demand, with fresh outages in several regions.
- Frontline combat remained intense with 286 engagements on 17 March, including 72 assaults on the Pokrovsk axis and heavy fighting near Kostyantynivka and Huliaipole, as Ukrainian forces reported repelling motorcycle-led attacks.
- Ukraine said it has hit more than 20 Russian air-defense assets this month; Russia’s Security Council secretary Sergey Shoigu acknowledged the drone threat to all regions, while ISW assessed that General Valery Gerasimov is overstating battlefield gains.