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Ukraine Invasion Day 1,181: Russia's war aim remains complete Ukrainian capitulation. [1]
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Date: 2025-05-18
Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on May 16 and 17.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 62 Shahed and decoy drones from the directions of Kursk and Oryol cities; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; and occupied Hvardiiske, Crimea.[83] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 36 Shahed drones over northern, eastern, southern, western, and central Ukraine and that six drones were “lost in location.” Ukrainian official sources reported that Russian drones struck Sumy, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts.[84] www.understandingwar.org/... Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 36 Shahed drones over northern, eastern, southern, western, and central Ukraine and that six drones were “lost in location.” Ukraine's General Staff initiated an internal investigation on May 18 following the resignation of Oleksandr Shyrshyn, commander of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, who criticized military leadership for what he described as senseless orders and unnecessary casualties. The 47th Brigade, known as "Magura," was formed in 2022 and became one of Ukraine's most prominent Western-trained units ahead of the summer 2023 counteroffensive. Its soldiers were trained in NATO countries and equipped with modern U.S.- and European-made gear. In 2024, the brigade participated in Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast — the first Ukrainian ground operation into Russian territory since World War II. The operation sought to delay a planned Russian push into Ukraine's Sumy Oblast and redirect Russian forces away from eastern Donetsk Oblast. After initial gains in August 2024, Russian forces launched a major counteroffensive in March 2025, retaking much of the territory, including the town of Sudzha. Ukrainian forces withdrew from most of the area, though they still hold limited positions as of late April. kyivindependent.com/... www.understandingwar.org/...
x x YouTube Video The Russian delegation in Istanbul reportedly framed its demands for a final peace settlement as preconditions that Ukraine must meet before Russia will agree to a ceasefire. Most of Russia's demands are contrary to US President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan. Sources familiar with the May 16 Ukrainian–Russian talks in Istanbul reported to Bloomberg that the Russian delegation demanded that Ukraine cede all of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts and Crimea to Russia and that the international community recognize the four oblasts and the peninsula as Russian territory before Russia will agree to a ceasefire.[1] The Russian delegation also reportedly demanded that Ukraine adopt a neutral status, that no foreign troops be allowed on Ukrainian territory, and that Ukraine abandon its demands for war reparations from Russia. Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council's Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin stated on May 17 that the Russian delegation maintained Russian President Vladimir Putin's June 2024 demands, including that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the entirety of the four oblasts and abandon its NATO aspirations before Russia would agree to a ceasefire and peace negotiations.[2] The United States reportedly presented Russia in April 2025 with a seven-point peace plan that offered Russia "de jure" US recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied Crimea and "de facto" recognition of Russian control over the parts of Ukraine that Russian forces currently occupy.[3] The US proposal also reportedly included "a robust security guarantee" involving a group of European states and possibly non-European states as a likely peacekeeping force. The Russian delegation's demands in Istanbul outright reject these aspects of the US peace proposal. ISW continues to assess that Russia's war aim remains full Ukrainian capitulation.[4] Russia is reframing its territorial demands — typically the subject of war termination negotiations — as preconditions for a ceasefire.[5] Russia is attempting to posture itself as open to negotiations but is putting forward demands that Ukraine cannot reasonably accept while offering no compromises of its own. ISW continues to assess that Putin will continue to refuse to offer compromises until Ukraine and the West are able to alter his theory of victory, which posits that Russia will win a war of attrition through indefinite creeping advances that prevent Ukraine from conducting successful, operationally significant counteroffensive operations.[6] www.understandingwar.org/... x x YouTube Video
Key Takeaways: The Russian delegation in Istanbul reportedly framed its demands for a final peace settlement as preconditions that Ukraine must meet before Russia will agree to a ceasefire. Most of Russia's demands are contrary to US President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan.
Russia's continued protraction of negotiations emphasizes its unwillingness to engage in good-faith negotiations for either a ceasefire or a final peace agreement.
Kremlin officials continue to signal that Russia is prepared to continue or even escalate its war against Ukraine should Ukraine and the West not agree to Russia's demands for Ukraine's surrender.
Russia continues to deny the current Ukrainian government's legitimacy and is likely setting conditions to renege on any future Ukrainian–Russian peace agreement.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Lyman, and Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Kurakhove.
x x YouTube Video General Staff of the Armed Forces of UkraineOperational information as of 22:00 18.05.2025 on the Russian invasion In total, 130 combat engagements have taken place since the beginning of this day. Ukrainian defenders continue to resolutely repel the enemy's attempts to advance deep into our territory, inflicting fire on them. The Russian invaders conducted 54 air strikes, dropping 80 drones. In addition, they used 1098 kamikaze drones and fired almost 3700 rounds at the positions of our troops and populated areas. Today, the enemy attacked four times in the Kharkiv sector, near Vovchansk, and also launched an air strike near Kolodyazne and Kamianka. ,
In the Kupyansk sector, the enemy made two attempts to attack in the direction of Nova Kruhlyakivka, but was repelled. ,
In the Liman sector, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 19 attacks on positions near Tverdokhlibove, Kopanky, Ridkodub, Hrekivka, Torske and in the direction of Karpivka, Olhivka, Zelena Dolyna and Hryhorivka. Two more firefights are still ongoing. ,
In the Siversky sector, the enemy attacked six times near Bilohorivka and Verkhnekamianske, and one combat engagement remains incomplete. ,
In the Kramatorsk sector, the enemy attacked in the areas of Chasovyi Yar, Bila Hora, Kurdyumivka and Stupochky since the beginning of the day. Ukrainian troops repelled six attacks. ,
Six firefights took place in the Toretsk sector today. The enemy attempted to storm the positions of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Toretsk, Petrivka, Ozaryanivka, Diliyivka and Druzhba, two firefights are currently underway.
In the Pokrovsk sector, since the beginning of the day, the enemy attacked 44 times in the areas of Malynivka, Myroliubivka, Yelizavetivka, Lysivka, Dachanske, Zvirove, Novosergiivka, Udachne, Troitske, Oleksiivka, Andriivka, Kotlyne and in the directions of Zorya, Shevchenko Pershyi and Popovyi Yar. Our defenders have repelled 40 attacks, four more engagements are still ongoing. Popov Yar, Shevchenko First, Sukhyi Yar, Novoukrainka, Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk were hit by air strikes. ,
According to preliminary data, 151 occupants have been neutralized in this area, 84 of them irrevocably. Moreover, Ukrainian troops destroyed four vehicles, a satellite communication facility, eight hiding places, 10 motorcycles, a mortar launcher and five UAVs.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 22 militants' attacks in the areas of Kostiantynopil, Bahatyry, Shevchenko, Vilne Pole, and Rivne, and seven engagements are still ongoing. Novodarivka and Burlatske came under air strikes. ,
In the Huliaipol sector, the enemy did not conduct any offensive actions, but conducted an airstrike on Huliaipol. ,
In the Orikhivsk sector, Ukrainian troops repelled one enemy attack in the direction of Lukianivske. Novoandriivka came under an air strike. ,
In the Prydniprovsky sector, enemy units tried to advance once, but the attack was repelled. Odradokamyanka came under an air strike. ,
In the Kursk sector, there were 14 combat engagements with Russian invaders, one of which is still ongoing. The enemy conducted 18 air strikes, dropped 32 guided bombs, and fired 196 artillery rounds. ,
Today, it is worth mentioning the soldiers of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade of Transcarpathia, the 406th separate artillery brigade named after Major General Oleksiy Almazov, and the 27th Pechersk regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine, who are effectively destroying the enemy, causing significant losses in manpower and equipment.
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