Moscow Shoots Down Nearly 60 Drones; Russian Attacks Kill Five in Ukraine

Thick plumes of smoke with flames rise from an oil refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, June 18, 2026, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)
Thick plumes of smoke with flames rise from an oil refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, June 18, 2026, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)
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Moscow Shoots Down Nearly 60 Drones; Russian Attacks Kill Five in Ukraine

Thick plumes of smoke with flames rise from an oil refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, June 18, 2026, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)
Thick plumes of smoke with flames rise from an oil refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia, June 18, 2026, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)

Moscow shot down dozens of drones in the early hours of Monday and briefly suspended flights at airports, authorities in the Russian capital said, just days after Ukraine hit the city's oil refinery again.

Ukrainian authorities said Russian drones had hit civilian merchant vessels, killing an Egyptian crew member, while drone attacks elsewhere killed at least five people, including three members of the same family in Ukraine's northern Sumy region.

Nearly 60 drones headed for Moscow were downed, Mayor ‌Sergei Sobyanin said on ‌Telegram.

He said emergency services had been dispatched to the areas where ‌drones ⁠were downed but ⁠gave no further information.

The airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, as well as Zhukovskiy near the Russian capital, had suspended flights, though they were later resumed, the aviation watchdog said separately. In total, Russian defense systems downed 301 drones overnight, local newswires said, citing the defense ministry. That tally included Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

The latest attacks come after drones again hit Moscow's sole oil refinery last week, in one of the biggest air attacks on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The drone attack early ⁠on Monday in Ukraine's Sumy region killed a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old ‌father and 73-year-old grandmother, while the boy's mother and two ‌siblings were injured, regional prosecutors said.

In the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a woman was killed and three other ‌people injured after a drone attack, Ivan Fedorov, the local governor, said on Telegram on ‌Monday.

Russia also hit the southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, killing one and injuring three people, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

Vehicles and fuel storage tanks caught fire after the strike hit an agricultural facility, he said.

Elsewhere, the city of Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea cancelled all open-air public events ‌on Monday and will keep street lights switched off, its governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said, as he called on people to curb electricity usage.

Crimea, ⁠a popular tourist destination ⁠for Russians, has suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible for essential services and security, as Ukraine's drone attacks on its supply routes and energy facilities elsewhere led to a fuel crisis.

THREE VESSELS UNDER RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK

Russian drones hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel, the Victress, which was sailing under the Panamanian flag, Ukraine's navy said.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said a 58-year-old Egyptian cook was killed and eight other crew members, including Turkish and Indian nationals, had to evacuate on a lifeboat.

The vessel sustained significant damage, Kuleba said on Telegram.

The operator of the Victress, Türkiye’s Rana Denizcilik according to LSEG data, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kuleba said vessels operating under the flags of Palau and Belize also came under attack overnight, but nobody was hurt and the vessels resumed their journey.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's maritime export routes, striking vessels and ports vital to foreign trade and the wartime economy.



CENTCOM Tests Advanced Drone Capabilities in the Middle East

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington sails in Middle Eastern regional waters. (CENTCOM) 
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington sails in Middle Eastern regional waters. (CENTCOM) 
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CENTCOM Tests Advanced Drone Capabilities in the Middle East

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington sails in Middle Eastern regional waters. (CENTCOM) 
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington sails in Middle Eastern regional waters. (CENTCOM) 

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday that Task Force 99, part of US Air Forces Central, introduced new drone and communication capabilities to warfighters in the Middle East.

“As a forward-deployed laboratory, the task force tests innovative concepts for enhancing combat effectiveness in the field,” the Command wrote in a post on X.

Late on Tuesday, CENTCOM had dismissed claims by Ali Azmayi, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, that Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz.

“[The] IRGC’s navy commander has no navy. American forces and regional partners clearly control the Strait of Hormuz,” the Command said, adding that US forces helped shipping partners move 19 million barrels of crude oil through the waterway.

Development of ‘Ballistic’

In Tehran, Iran’s defense minister nominee, Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, outlined his plan for the ministry, prioritizing the upgrade of missile systems, expanding air defense production, and improving warhead effectiveness to meet current and future needs.

During a parliamentary session reviewing his plans for becoming defense minister, Akhlaghi Ketabchi said his priorities include “significantly and unexpectedly increasing the salaries of armed forces personnel.”

He also said: “We will work to accelerate the acquisition of technology for manufacturing heavy, multirole fighter jets, a project the ministry launched previously.”

Referring to ground combat, the nominee for the Defense post said that if he secures the confidence of deputies, his plan includes “developing the technology for designing and manufacturing artillery systems, missiles, and guided and smart mortar shells; modernizing production lines for advanced small arms; and developing and upgrading various anti-armor systems.”

Akhlaghi Ketabchi has been heavily involved in Iran's missiles programs and has previously served as head of the Aerospace Industries Organization, among other positions.

In 2007, he was designated by the UN Security Council in connection with his role as the head of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group (SBIG)—an entity subordinate to Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), involved in the development and production of Iran's solid-propellant ballistic missiles.

His nomination depicts the pivotal role played by the Aerospace Industries Organization within Iran’s Defense Ministry.

 

 


US Military Weighs Use of ‘Mother of All Bombs’ in Potential Future Strikes on Iran

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard in Vanak Square, Tehran, on October 14, 2026 (EPA).
Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard in Vanak Square, Tehran, on October 14, 2026 (EPA).
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US Military Weighs Use of ‘Mother of All Bombs’ in Potential Future Strikes on Iran

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard in Vanak Square, Tehran, on October 14, 2026 (EPA).
Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard in Vanak Square, Tehran, on October 14, 2026 (EPA).

The US military has developed strike plans that could include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, also known as the "mother of ‌all bombs", ‌against Iranian energy ‌infrastructure ⁠and nuclear sites ⁠if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations, CNN reported on Thursday citing ⁠US officials familiar ‌with ‌the matter.

The potential ‌deployment of the ‌largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal would mark a significant ‌escalation in the conflict, although officials ⁠familiar ⁠with military planning discussions told CNN questions remain over its effectiveness in achieving Washington's strategic objectives.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.


Russia’s Lavrov, China’s Wang Discuss Cooperation, Ukraine, Iran at Asia Security Meeting

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
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Russia’s Lavrov, China’s Wang Discuss Cooperation, Ukraine, Iran at Asia Security Meeting

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)

The Russian ‌and Chinese foreign ministers discussed the state of bilateral cooperation as well as the crises in Ukraine and Iran during an Asia security meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reaffirmed ‌their strategic ‌alliance at a ‌regional summit ⁠last August and ⁠both praised prospects for closer cooperation.

The statement on Wednesday said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Azerbaijan at ⁠a meeting of the ‌Conference on ‌Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

It ‌said the two ministers "praised the ‌development dynamics of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" and "synchronized watches on bilateral political dialogue".

It said discussions ‌also focused on "relations with the United States and the situation ⁠around ⁠the Ukrainian and Iranian crises".

Both Russia and China have called for an end to the Iran conflict, saying it could expand and threaten stability throughout the region.

China has affirmed its "no limits" partnership with Russia throughout the 4-1/2-year-long war in Ukraine, while calling for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.