Russian Defence Ministry on progress of special military operation as of 18 March 2026
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
The Sever Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line. Russian troops inflicted damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, an airmobile brigade, an air assault brigade, an assault brigade, an assault regiment of the AFU, and a territorial defence brigade close to Novaya Sech, Miropolye, Luzhki, Maryino, and Kondratovka (Sumy region).
In Kharkov region, units of two mechanised brigades, a motorised infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a territorial defence brigade, and a national guard brigade have been hit near Izbitskoye, Petrovskoye, Kolodeznoye, and Veseloye (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 255 troops, an infantry fighting vehicle, 13 motor vehicles, and three artillery guns. Three materiel depots were destroyed.
As a result of resolute actions, the Zapad Group of Forces liberated Aleksandrovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Four mechanised brigades, two battalions of AFU unmanned system troops, and two territorial defence brigades have been hit near Osinovo, Velikaya Shapkovka, Grushevka, Borovaya (Kharkov region), Yatskovka, and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses amounted to up to 180 troops, two U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicles, 25 motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, and one ammunition depot.
The Yuzhnaya Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line. Five mechanised brigades, an assault brigade, an artillery brigade, a motorised infantry brigade, and a mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been hit near Konstantinovka, Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Slavyansk, Novoselovka, Belokuzminovka, Kramatorsk, and Nikiforovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy lost more than 135 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, four armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. Three ammunition depots and six materiel depots were neutralised.
rigade, an assault regiment of the AFU, a marine brigade, and three national guard brigades have been hit near Novofedorovka, Petrovka, Novogrigorovka, Kucherov Yar, Lenina, Grishino, Belitskoye, (Donetsk People’s Republic), Ivanovka, Andronovka, and Novopavlovka in Dnepropetrovsk region.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 275 troops, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 15 motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, a radar, and three electronic warfare stations.
The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy’s defence. Strikes were delivered at formations of two mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, an assault brigade, and four assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Komsomolskoye, Chervony Yar, Rozovka, Kopani, Novoselovka, Vozdvizhevka (Zaporozhye region), Prosyanaya, Mechetnoye, and Gai (Dnepropetrovsk region).
The enemy lost up to 275 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and a 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
The Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of an AFU mechanised brigade near Orekhov and Preobrazhenka (Zaporozhye region).
Up to 55 troops, 11 motor vehicles, an artillery gun, five electronic warfare stations, one unmanned surface vehicle, an ammunition depot, and three materiel depots were neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack UAVs, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have hit Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure, temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 145 areas.
Air defence systems shot down three guided aerial bombs and 316 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation the enemy has lost:
671 aircraft,
284 helicopters,
124,731 unmanned aerial vehicles,
652 anti-aircraft missile systems,
28,326 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles,
1,690 MLRS combat vehicles,
33,917 field artillery guns and mortars,
57,130 units of support military vehicles.