Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your messages every day because we are certain that we need to keep talking about war. Share with us your thoughts about war. What emotions are you feeling? How does war affect your life and your attitude to the world? If you have a war story, tell it. The feedback form is at the end of this article. You can read the previous day’s review here.
Russia
On the night of April 18, Ukrainian drones attacked four facilities of the Russian oil industry.
Two of them are located in the Samara region – the Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran oil refineries. Astra, who studied eyewitness photographs, Came to the conclusionThat a fire broke out on the territory of the Novokuibyshevsky oil refinery owned by Rosneft. Ukrainian drones have already attacked this enterprise in the fall of 2025. The second oil refinery – in Syzran – is also owned by Rosneft and was also the target of Ukrainian attacks in the past – in November-December 2025. Little Astra.
next to, according to Astra, one of the drones fell in Novokuibyshevsk in a residential area. “Judging by the trajectory, the drone flew over the establishment and could have deviated from the target,” said the publication, which geolocated photos and videos of eyewitnesses.
The governor of the Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorichev, reported on social networks about a drone attack in the region. He wrote that one of the planes fell “near the maternity hospital in Novokuibyshevsk.” According to the governor, the building’s windows were shattered.
Fedorishchev also said that “arrivals were recorded at industrial enterprises in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran,” without specifying whether oil refineries were attacked. He added that according to preliminary data, there were no casualties.
In the Krasnodar Territory, the Regional Operations Headquarters reported, on the night of April 18, that an oil warehouse in Tikhoretsk caught fire. The regional authorities did not determine the cause of the fire, saying only that more than 200 people and 56 pieces of equipment participated in extinguishing it. According to official reports, the fire was extinguished after nine hours.
Also on the night of April 18, as a result of a drone attack, a fire broke out in the Leningrad region on the territory of the Vysotsk port, through which Russian oil is exported, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said. According to posts on the district head’s telegram channel, the fire was extinguished after three hours. Drozdenko said no one was injured.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the attacks on Russian oil facilities, saying they were all “involved in supporting the Russian armed forces.”
The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, reported that from 20:00 Moscow time on April 17 to 08:00 Moscow time on April 18, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones, including over the Samara and Leningrad regions, as well as over the Krasnodar Territory.
War through the eyes of Medusa readers
Victoria (Stavropol). We do not have any strategically important production facilities in our region, so they rarely fly to us. But the surrounding areas – Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Region – live in constant fear due to the large number of arrivals.
I am against war in principle, between any country, and I believe that all problems can be solved diplomatically. It is a pity that they do not consult me, otherwise there would be peace in the world. Well, that’s right, a touch of humor, but honestly, it’s really hysterical laughter…
I have accumulated extreme stress and fatigue from such a life. People, close and not close, who don’t care, are annoying. They are not interested in anything, bury their heads in the sand and avoid conversations. At the same time, I feel ashamed and afraid of them. And I, too, am ashamed of this country – and not only of the ghouls in the government, but also of the stupid, subservient people who, apart from imperial chauvinism and hatred of all those who “live well,” feel nothing.
For the first time in 45 years of my life, I felt ashamed that I was Russian. I never thought I would live to see this moment. I am looking for an opportunity to leave the country and take my only child, because I want him to have a happy and free future.
For me freedom is the most important thing. I don’t understand how you can live differently and not fight for it. The only option for Russians to become free is the collapse of the empire. She could no longer exist in her disgusting form. The empire must die and be reborn into something fundamentally new. A terrible ending is better than endless horror.
Medusa’s readers live in different countries and have different attitudes toward war. We publish your messages to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to represent all viewpoints, even if they do not match the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Medusa Law, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the killing of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.