Russian air defenses shot down 50 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight over several regions and the Sea of Azov, the Russian Defense Ministry said. According to the ministry, on-duty air defense units intercepted and destroyed the aircraft between 9:00 p.m. Moscow time on May 17 and 7:00 a.m. on May 18.

The drones were downed over the Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov and Tula regions, Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

Drone attacks had also continued throughout May 17. Between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Moscow time, air defense forces destroyed 36 Ukrainian UAVs. They were intercepted over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Novgorod, Rostov and Smolensk regions, the Moscow Region, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

Earlier, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Moscow time, another 42 drones were reported destroyed. They were shot down over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov and Smolensk regions, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, and the Azov and Black seas.

From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Moscow time, on-duty air defense units intercepted 30 drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. During that period, the aircraft were destroyed over the Kaluga, Bryansk, Smolensk and Pskov regions, the Moscow Region, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

In the Belgorod Region, the attacks also caused damage on the ground, according to the Severny Veter channel. In the village of Nezhegol in the Shebekino District, an FPV drone struck a truck overnight. The driver was injured and died at the scene.

Another strike hit the village of Otradnoye in the Belgorod District, where a Ukrainian drone attacked a car. A man was wounded, suffering a closed head injury and blind shrapnel wounds to his leg.