The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched one Iskander-M missile from occupied Crimea and 126 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, Italmas-type, and other drones, of which roughly 80 were Shahed-type drones, from the directions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol cities; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and occupied Hvardiiske, Crimea.[97] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 100 drones as of 0830 local time, that one Iskander-M missile and 23 drones struck 14 locations, and that drone debris impacted three locations. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck transport and residential infrastructure in Chernihiv and Kharkiv oblasts.[98]
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Shot down: 367/396 Shahed and other type drones; 0/4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles; 20/20 Kh-101 cruise missiles; 4/4 Iskander-K cruise missiles; 1/1 Kh-59/69 cruise missile
Ukrainian forces likely conducted another long-range strike campaign against Russian military and industrial infrastructure on the night of February 17 and 18. Russian opposition media outlet Astra published footage [February 18 reportedly showing explosions at the VNIIR-Progress enterprise in Cheboksary, Republic of Chuvashia and damage to the Michurinskaya Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHPP) in Belgorod City, likely due to Ukrainian strikes.[45] Astra reported that VNIIR-Progress enterprise manufactures Kometa antennas used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and unified gliding and correction modules (UMPCs) for guided aerial bombs, as well as satellite GNSS receivers and antennas for GLONASS, GPS, and Galileo satellite navigation systems. Geolocated footage published on February 18 shows damage to the Belgorod City CHPP.[46]
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Unspecified sources described a weeks-long, joint US and Israeli military campaign targeting Iran to Axios on February 18.
- Ukrainian, US, and Russian representatives concluded trilateral and multilateral negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 18.
- Ukraine continues to offer significant concessions to advance the peace negotiations process, including compromising on territorial concessions.
- Russian officials signaled that Russia would not be satisfied with just territorial concessions and reiterated commitment to Russia’s original war goals, which include dismantling the NATO alliance.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely setting informational conditions to restart limited, rolling involuntary reserve call-ups as Russia appears to be struggling to replace its losses in Ukraine with existing force generation mechanisms.
- Putin likely aims to use these limited call-ups to maintain Russia’s loss rates and the current tempo of offensive operations — not to significantly build up the Russian force grouping fighting in Ukraine and flood the front with more forces.
- The Kremlin has been setting conditions to allow it to conduct a rolling, involuntary reserve call-up since at least October 2025.
- Putin is resorting to preparations for further involuntary reserve call-ups from a place of weakness, as Russia is likely preparing to attempt to offset Russia’s near exhaustion of its expensive voluntary recruitment system in 2026.
- The Kremlin is likely pushing for Ukraine to capitulate to Russia’s long-held demands in ongoing peace negotiations imminently to secure its war aims without having to make uncomfortable sacrifices to do so.
- Russian officials’ messaging about the recent throttling of Telegram remains disjointed as the Kremlin attempts to navigate the repeated backlash the restrictions have generated among Russian milbloggers.
- The Kremlin is looking for new excuses to justify its intensified Telegram censorship campaign.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast, in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and near Velykyi Burluk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely setting informational conditions to restart limited, rolling involuntary reserve call-ups as Russia appears to be struggling to replace its losses in Ukraine with existing force generation mechanisms. The Russian State Duma adopted a bill in its first reading on February 18 that would strengthen preventative measures against the “distortion of historical truth” and “evasion of the duty to defend the Fatherland.”[19] The bill likely aims to provide Russia with a legal justification to prosecute Russians who criticize involuntary reserve call-ups. Russian State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption Deputy Chairperson Anatoly Vyborny stated that the bill’s primary objective is to shape the Russian public consciousness to think of evading service to the Russian “Motherland” as “socially unacceptable.”[20] The Kremlin has also throttled Telegram in recent days, likely in an attempt to consolidate control over the information space and limit criticisms of the Russian government or war effort.[21] Putin likely seeks to normalize limited, rolling call-ups in an effort to sustain the size of the Russian force grouping in Ukraine, rather than conduct another partial call-up as in September 2022 or declare general mobilization. Putin likely aims to use these limited call-ups to maintain Russia’s loss rates and the current tempo of offensive operations — not to significantly build up the Russian force grouping fighting in Ukraine and flood the front with more forces.
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**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 on 18.02.2026 regarding the Russian invasion*
In total, 201 combat clashes have taken place since the beginning of this day.
The defense forces continue to stop the enemy, destroy personnel, and deplete its combat potential, inflicting constant effective fire damage.
The enemy launched one missile strike using one missile and 51 air strikes, dropping 156 guided bombs. In addition, it used 3,191 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,076 shellings of populated areas and positions of our troops.
- - In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the enemy carried out 94 shellings of our troops' positions and populated areas today, including four times using MLRS.
- - In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy twice stormed the positions of our units in the areas of the settlements of Vilcha and Fyholivka.
- - In the Kupianskyi direction, the enemy attacked twice in the area of Kurylivka.
- - In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers stopped seven attacks by the occupiers in the areas of Tverdokhlibove, Ridkodub, Drobysheve, Stavky, and Zarichne. The enemy is not currently conducting active assault operations.
- - In the Sloviansk direction, the enemy attempted to advance five times towards Rai-Oleksandrivka, Zakytne, Riznykivka, and Platonivka. One of the assaults is still ongoing.
- - In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy attacked eight times in the direction of Bondarno, Fedorivka, and Chasovy Yar. One combat engagement is ongoing.
- - In the Kostyantynivka direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of our defenders 16 times today near Kostyantynivka, Berestok, Stepanivka, Rusyn Yar, Pleshchiivka, Shcherbinivka, Sofiivka, and Novopavlivka. At this time, the enemy is not conducting active assault operations.
- In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy carried out 39 attacks. The occupiers tried to advance in the areas of the settlements of Zatyshok, Rodynske, Shevchenko, Novooleksandrivka, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, Hryshyne, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetsk, Novopidhorodne, and Bilytske. Three attempts by the occupiers to improve their position are still ongoing.
According to preliminary estimates, 47 occupiers were eliminated and 11 wounded in this direction today; 5 vehicles were destroyed and damaged; 63 UAVs of various types were destroyed or suppressed. Five occupiers' shelters were hit.
- - In the Oleksandrivka direction, the occupiers tried to improve their position towards Ivanivka, Ternove, Danilivka, Vyshneve, Novyi Zaporizhzhia, and Sosnivka. In total, they made 9 attempts to attack, 2 of which are still ongoing.
- - In the Huliaipole direction, there were 48 attacks by the occupiers: in the Huliaipole area and towards Dobropillia, Pryluky, Zaliznychne, Staroukrainka, Hirkove, Sviatopetrivka, and Verkhnia Tersa. Three attacks are still ongoing.
- - In the Orikhiv direction, according to updated information, the enemy attacked four times in the direction of Mala Tokmachka, Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, and Primorske.
- - No enemy offensive actions were recorded in the Dnipro direction.
- - No significant changes in the situation have been recorded in other areas.
Let us defeat the enemy and bring our victory closer! Glory to Ukraine!
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The Trump adviser told Axios that there is a “90 percent” chance of US military action “in the next few weeks.” Other unspecified sources described a joint US-Israeli campaign that would be “massive,” “weeks-long,” and “existential” for the regime
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Some Iranians continued to hold anti-regime protests on February 18 despite the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on the recent wave of protests, which emphasizes the deep public frustration and disillusionment with the regime for its refusal to address the people’s grievances. CTP-ISW recorded six anti-regime protests across five provinces on February 18 at memorials that marked the end of the 40-day mourning period for protesters killed by security forces on January 8 and 9. The Iranian Teachers Union also held a nationwide strike on February 18.
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Scoop from @CBSNews:
Top national security officials have told Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, but the timeline for any action is likely to extend beyond Saturday or Sunday, sources say. Trump has not yet made a final decision. Over the next 3 days, Pentagon is moving some personnel out of the Middle East region — primarily to Europe or back to US — ahead of potential action or counterattacks by Iran. It's standard practice for the Pentagon to shift assets and troops ahead of a potential military activity and doesn’t necessarily signal an attack on Iran is imminent, one of the sources said. Contacted by CBS News on Wednesday afternoon, a Pentagon spokesperson said they had no information to provide.
