Ukraine's forces strike Russian UAV control points, training ground and depots in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
Ukraine's Defence Forces struck multiple Russian military targets on 18 September and during the night of 19 September 2026, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Hits were reported on eight UAV control points, a training ground and logistics facilities in occupied parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Confirmation also came through of an earlier strike that damaged a Russian 80P6 radar station deep inside Russia's Smolensk Oblast.
Key points
- Eight UAV control points were struck in occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
- UAV control points were hit near Luhanske and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
- UAV control points were hit near Volodymyrivka, Verbove, Novoprokopivka, Dobropillia and Rivnopillia in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, with two struck near Novoprokopivka.
- The 'Vostochny' (Eastern) training ground was struck near temporarily occupied Novopetrivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
- A materiel and technical supply depot was hit in Rybinske, Donetsk Oblast.
- A Russian ammunition depot was hit near Amvrosiivka, Donetsk Oblast.
- Damage to a Russian 80P6 radar station near Mityuli, Smolensk Oblast, from a 17 September strike was confirmed.
- All reporting comes from Ukraine's General Staff; Russia had not commented at the time of reporting.
Why it matters
The targets hit — UAV control points, a training ground, and ammunition and materiel depots — sit behind Russia's combat line in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and are central to the day-to-day functioning of Russian forces in those sectors. Striking them suggests sustained Ukrainian pressure on the infrastructure Russia needs to operate drones, train replacements and keep units supplied. The separate confirmation of damage to an 80P6 radar in Smolensk Oblast illustrates that the reach of these strikes is not confined to the occupied south.
What happened
On 18 September and during the night of 19 September 2026, units of Ukraine's Defence Forces carried out strikes against a series of Russian military objects in the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian reporting listed eight UAV control points in total. In Donetsk Oblast, UAV control points were struck in the areas of Luhanske and Pokrovsk. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, UAV control points were struck in the areas of Volodymyrivka, Verbove, Novoprokopivka, Dobropillia and Rivnopillia, with two of those hits recorded near Novoprokopivka. The 'Vostochny' (Eastern) training ground was hit near the temporarily occupied village of Novopetrivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A materiel and technical supply depot was struck in Rybinske, Donetsk Oblast, and a Russian ammunition depot was struck near Amvrosiivka, also in Donetsk Oblast. Separately, follow-up assessment confirmed damage to a Russian 80P6 radar station near Mityuli in Russia's Smolensk Oblast from a strike carried out on 17 September 2026. All of the information was reported by Ukraine's General Staff; the Russian military had not commented at the time of reporting.
Where reporting differs
Coverage of the earlier 80P6 radar strike in Smolensk Oblast is dated inconsistently across sources: one article dates it to 17 September 2026, while three others describe it as occurring on 17 September without specifying the year. Reporting on the main set of strikes on 18 September and the night of 19 September is otherwise consistent across sources.
Background
All reporting on the strikes comes from Ukraine's General Staff; the Russian military had not commented at the time of reporting. The confirmed damage to the 80P6 radar near Mityuli in Smolensk Oblast dates from a separate strike on 17 September 2026 and is being reported alongside these strikes as confirmation from a previous operation.