Russian air defense forces repelled a Ukrainian attack targeting civilian infrastructure in the Oryol Region overnight on October 18. According to official reports, a telecommunications tower and a post office building were damaged in one of the region’s districts.

Retired Major General and military expert Sergey Lipovoy commented on the incident, claiming that Ukrainian forces had deployed not only attack drones but also British-made subsonic missiles supplied to Kyiv by London.

According to Lipovoy, these missiles have an operational range of up to 1,500 kilometers. He explained that their subsonic speed and non-ballistic flight characteristics make them relatively easy targets for Russian air defense systems.

The expert also suggested that the missiles had been launched from Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Lipovoy identified the Kharkov and Sumy regions as possible launch areas, arguing that Ukrainian forces could have fired the missiles from these locations. He further claimed that the drones involved in the attack on Oryol had originated from the same areas.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight on October 18.

According to the ministry, the interceptions took place over 16 Russian regions and the Black Sea.