Russian forces accomodate military into civilian houses in Kakhovka district – General Staff

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported this on May 18.

“Enemy personnel have arrived in some settlements of the Kakhovka district. The invaders are not only occupying vacant houses, but also moving into homes currently occupied by civilians. People who are outraged are threatened with eviction,” the report says. 

In addition, in the Henichesk district, the Russian troops, threatening with deportation, are forcing Ukrainian citizens to take Russian passports.

Recently, the Russian forces have stepped up counterintelligence activities in the temporarily occupied Kherson region. The number of roadblocks on the roads between settlements has increased significantly, and thorough checks of vehicles and documents are being carried out, with special attention paid to the contents of phones.

AFU destroyed 21 cruise missiles and 7 reconnaissance drones over the last day

In addition, the Defense Forces' aviation launched 6 strikes on the invading Russian troops' military positions over the day. 

In turn, missile and artillery units hit a weapons concentration area, a munitions depot, 3 artillery units at a firing position, an anti-aircraft missile system, 7 electronic warfare stations, as well as an enemy radar station.

Russia launched 36 missile attacks and 23 airstrikes against Ukraine per day

Invading Russian forces also launched over 30 attacks with multiple launch rocket systems. 

Invading Russian forces are attacking in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions. Over the last day, 17 combat engagements took place in the above-mentioned areas, with the hottest battles taking place for Bakhmut and Marinka.

Near the state Ukrainian border with Russia and Belarus, the situation hasn't changed significantly, and no enemy offensive groups have been detected. 

At the same time, the Russian Federation continued shelling the entire border line: one settlement in the Chernihiv region, 4 more in the Sumy region, as well as 6 towns and villages in the Kharkiv region were attacked. 

Russian shelling of other Ukrainian regions

• In the Kupiansk direction, 11 settlements in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions came under shelling. 

• In the Lyman direction, 4 settlements of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions were attacked. 

• In the Bakhmut direction, fighting continues for the fortress city. 10 localities in the Donetsk region were shelled by the Russian army. 

• In the Avdiivka direction, 7 towns and villages of the Donetsk region came under enemy fire. 

• In the Marinka direction, 3 localities in the Donetsk region were shelled. 

• In the Shakhtarsk direction, 6 settlements came under artillery shelling. 

• In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, over 13 towns and villages came under numerous attacks by the occupying Russian forces. 

At night, air raid alerts were triggered throughout Ukraine: air defense was activated in several regions, and explosions were reported in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Kirovohrad regions.