Aug 18, 2026, 07:30 PM UTC

Russian aerial attacks targeting several regions across Ukraine have left at least eight people dead and more than 60 wounded, local emergency services reported.

Moscow launched approximately 180 drones against locations in the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Dnipropetrovsk suffered heavy bombardment, with nearly 60 strikes recorded across five districts within a 24-hour period. First responders confirmed five fatalities and 16 injuries in the region, with deaths registered in Kamianske and Pavlohrad, alongside further casualties in Nikopol.

Additionally, a drone strike hit a petrol station near Kryvyi Rih, causing a fire that killed three people, including an eight-year-old child. Rescue crews deployed throughout the affected areas to extinguish blazes and provide medical aid.

Sources: Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his government's refusal to accept a 15-point peace proposal for Gaza promoted by US President Donald Trump. Speaking to his cabinet, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" recently accepted by Hamas, insisting that the military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and will continue countering security threats.

The stance highlights sustained diplomatic friction between Washington and Tel Aviv ahead of Israel's parliamentary elections set for October 27. Despite US pressure curtailing certain military operations in the enclave, Netanyahu is balancing pressures from far-right coalition partners against requests from his primary international ally to achieve progress on a lasting settlement.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald.

A bilateral agreement between the United States and Ukraine to jointly manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles will not be finalized before the upcoming winter, according to US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. Speaking on US television, Whitaker described missile co-production as a longer-term initiative, while noting that cooperative efforts to build air defence systems alongside European partners remain underway.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes continued to target logistics sites inside Russia. Regional authorities reported that a strike on a warehouse near Moscow killed at least five people and injured ten others. Facilities associated with online retailer Wildberries were also targeted in the Tver and Saint Petersburg regions, according to local officials, alongside broader Russian defence ministry reports of nocturnal drone interceptions.

Sources: MIA (Media Information Agency), SDK, Sloboden Pečat

Diplomatic discussions between Iran and Oman concerning safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz are progressing, though significant hurdles remain. Iranian officials maintain that reopening the strategic waterway requires United States concessions, including sanctions relief, war damage compensation, and Iranian oversight over maritime traffic.

United States President Donald Trump indicated that an agreement could emerge within days, while warning of severe consequences if passage remains blocked. Trump described the diplomatic standoff as comparable to a chess match, asserting that Washington faces limited economic pressure while highlighting Tehran's severe domestic inflation.

Meanwhile, regional diplomacy continues in Europe as Lebanese and Israeli delegations hold a seventh round of talks in Rome, coinciding with the United Nations reporting the return of roughly 800,000 displaced Lebanese citizens to the country's south.

Sources: Avaz, CDM (Cafe del Montenegro), Dan, Klix, Vijesti.