More Than 30 Wounded in Russian Attacks on Ukraine Overnight

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, May 18, 2026, rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building destroyed after a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, May 18, 2026, rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building destroyed after a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
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More Than 30 Wounded in Russian Attacks on Ukraine Overnight

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, May 18, 2026, rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building destroyed after a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, May 18, 2026, rescue workers put out a fire of a residential building destroyed after a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia launched hundreds of drones and nearly two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight wounding more than 30 people, Ukrainian officials said on Monday, as Kyiv and Moscow step up deadly long-range attacks.

Moscow has been pummeling Ukrainian cities since it invaded more than four years ago but the latest Russian attack comes after both sides traded some of their bloodiest strikes in months.

Russia targeted the industrial city of Dnipro south of the capital, and the mayor published images on social media showing windows blown out of residential buildings.

"Twenty-six people were wounded. The enemy attacked six districts of the region with missiles, drones, artillery and aerial bombs," Oleksandr Ganzha, the head of the region, said.

Ukraine's air force said it downed most of the 546 drones launched by Russian forces, but just four out of 22 missiles.

Ukraine has developed a sophisticated system for downing Russian drones but has been struggling to intercept Russian missiles.

Russian strikes also wounded five people in the southern cities of Odesa, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.



Russian Drone Hit Chinese Cargo Ship Overnight in Black Sea, Says Ukraine

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of an air attack in Odesa on May 18, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of an air attack in Odesa on May 18, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AFP)
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Russian Drone Hit Chinese Cargo Ship Overnight in Black Sea, Says Ukraine

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of an air attack in Odesa on May 18, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of an air attack in Odesa on May 18, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (AFP)

A Russian drone hit a Chinese cargo ship in the Black Sea overnight, Ukraine said Monday, a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping.

Kyiv routinely announces Russian attacks on civilian vessels near the port of Odesa -- a vital maritime hub for Ukrainian agricultural exports.

But Monday's attack comes just ahead of Putin's two-day trip to Beijing where he and Xi are set to deepen bilateral ties between the friendly nations.

"Drones struck Odesa ... and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media.

"The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea," he added.

A spokesman for Ukraine's navy told AFP that none of the crew -- all Chinese citizens -- were wounded and that the Chinese-owned vessel continued on its journey.

"The ship was entering for loading. After it was hit at night by a Shahed, the crew coped with the consequences on their own. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the vessel continued on its way to its port of destination," navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said.

The Ukrainian navy named the ship as KSL Deyang.

It posted a photo showing part of the upper deck blackened after the apparent hit.

Zelensky said Russian forces had attacked Ukraine overnight with 524 attack drones and 22 missiles, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

China has regularly called for talks to end the fighting. It has never condemned Russia for sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and presents itself as a neutral party.

Türkiye and the United Nations in 2022 brokered an agreement with Kyiv and Moscow to allow Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea, an accord scrapped by the Kremlin around one year later.


Belarus Holds Nuclear Weapons Drills, Defense Ministry Says

A serviceman takes part in the “Zapad-2025” (West-2025) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, east of Belarus's capital Minsk, on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
A serviceman takes part in the “Zapad-2025” (West-2025) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, east of Belarus's capital Minsk, on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Belarus Holds Nuclear Weapons Drills, Defense Ministry Says

A serviceman takes part in the “Zapad-2025” (West-2025) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, east of Belarus's capital Minsk, on September 15, 2025. (AFP)
A serviceman takes part in the “Zapad-2025” (West-2025) joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, east of Belarus's capital Minsk, on September 15, 2025. (AFP)

Belarus, which hosts Russian nuclear weapons, said on Monday it was conducting training in their use.

"The aim of the exercise is ‌to improve ‌the personnel's ‌level of ⁠training, to test ⁠the Airborne Forces' readiness to carry out their tasks, and to organize combat ⁠operations from ‌unplanned areas," ‌the defense ministry ‌said in a ‌statement.

It said the training was not directed against any ‌other state and did not pose security ⁠threats ⁠in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Moscow retains control of nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus.


Nigeria, US Carry Out New Strikes on ISIS in Nigeria

Residents inspect the damage after US forces launched a strike against ISIS group militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government. Abdullahi Dare Akogu, Reuters
Residents inspect the damage after US forces launched a strike against ISIS group militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government. Abdullahi Dare Akogu, Reuters
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Nigeria, US Carry Out New Strikes on ISIS in Nigeria

Residents inspect the damage after US forces launched a strike against ISIS group militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government. Abdullahi Dare Akogu, Reuters
Residents inspect the damage after US forces launched a strike against ISIS group militants in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government. Abdullahi Dare Akogu, Reuters

Nigeria and the United States have carried out fresh strikes against ISIS extremist militants in northwest Nigeria, the US military said on Monday.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday, US Africa Command (Africom) said in a statement. "Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing. No US or Nigerian forces were harmed," it said.

The new strikes came two days after the United States and Nigeria announced that a joint operation in the west African country killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, an ISIS leader described as the group's second-in-command worldwide who has been under US sanctions since 2023, reported AFP.

Northern Nigeria has faced the double threat of attacks from extremist groups allied to ISIS and from criminal gangs that stalk villages and carry out mass kidnappings.

The insecurity had drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump who said Nigeria's Christians were being persecuted. The Nigerian government has rejected the claim, insisting that Christians and Muslims were equally the victims of the violence.