Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on July 18 that Russian forces had made multiple advances in Donetsk Oblast, but evidence does not confirm those claims. The assessment was presented in a short speech following a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

The assessment listed several villages and distances that Russian forces purportedly reached, while the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it had not observed the described advances. ISW noted limited infiltration distances and no corroborating footage.

Gerasimov claimed Russian troops entered Pidlyman, seized Pyskunivka, approached Mykolaivka, came within five kilometers of Kramatorsk, entered Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka, Dobropillya, Hannivka, and other locations, and claimed near seizure of Shevchenko, Krasnoyarske, Svitle, and Myrne. ISW reported that Russian forces had not been observed entering those places and that the closest verified distances were 8.5 kilometers from Pidlyman, three kilometers from Pyskunivka, nine kilometers from Mykolaivka, and six point one kilometers from Kramatorsk and Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka. ISW also measured advances of 7.2 to 7.3 kilometers from Dobropillya and Hannivka and about 2.2 kilometers from Svitle and 3.2 kilometers from Krasnoyarske.

Gerasimov repeated claims that Russian forces were moving west from Kupyansk toward Shevchenkove, though Russian troops had not captured Kupyansk itself and only had limited infiltration there. The chief of staff made similar exaggerated statements at monthly meetings since January 2026, a pattern ISW said was intended to shape perceptions of Russian momentum and Ukrainian weakness.

Ukrainian forces continued to strike Russian logistics and energy targets. On the night of July 17-18, Ukrainian units hit two tankers, two crane vessels and one tugboat in the Azov and Black Seas, and struck eight dry cargo ships, one gas tanker, one tugboat and two crane vessels in the Black Sea, plus one oil tanker in the Sea of Azov, according to Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces commander Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdi. He said Ukrainian attacks had hit 172 Russian naval vessels in the previous 13 days, forcing Russia to redeploy up to 200 drone crews from the front line, the 51st Air Defense Division and an anti-aircraft regiment from the Black Sea Fleet to protect ships.

Additional Ukrainian strikes targeted Russian oil infrastructure. A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to the Nefto-Service oil depot in Noginsk, Moscow Oblast, and Russian officials acknowledged the strike. In Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian strikes caused power outages for more than 46,000 consumers, according to the regional governor. Further strikes hit electrical substations in occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, and Ukrainian forces damaged the 110 kV “Koktebel” substation in Shchebetovka, the 110 kV “Kerchensk” and 220 kV “Komysh-Burun” substations in Kerch, the “Kuban-Crimea” transfer point in Hlazivka, and the 220 kV “Chornomorska” substation in Vulkanivka, according to Brovdi.

Ukrainian attacks also hit Russian logistics companies. Overnight on July 17-18, Ukrainian drones damaged two warehouses of Wildberries, Russia’s largest e‑commerce retailer, in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, and Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast, causing fires. Russian officials said the strikes injured dozens and killed at least one person in each location. Independent analysts estimated the damage could cost Wildberries up to 100 billion rubles ($1.28 billion). Russian media reported that Ozon changed its seller terms in June 2026, shifting liability for force‑majeure damage onto sellers.

Russian officials condemned the Ukrainian strikes as terrorist acts and accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians. The strikes occurred amid broader Russian economic difficulties and declining public support for President Vladimir Putin.

The Southern Axis reported continued Russian attempts to maintain frontline positions and protect rear areas from Ukrainian strikes, while Russian forces conducted limited offensives in the Hulyaipole direction, Orikhiv, and other sectors without achieving significant territorial gains. Russian missile and drone attacks on July 17-18 included two Iskander‑M ballistic missiles, two Onyx anti‑ship missiles, three Kh‑59/69 cruise missiles and about 90 loitering munitions, which the Ukrainian Air Force said were largely intercepted.

Neither side reported confirmed territorial changes on July 18. The situation remains fluid, with both Russia and Ukraine continuing to conduct limited offensives and targeted strikes that affect logistics, energy and civilian infrastructure.