Kremlin Says It Will Continue 'Systematic, Large-Scale' Strikes on Ukraine

According to TASS, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said on the 18th that Russia will continue to carry out "systematic, large-scale" strikes against Ukraine, with the aim of weakening Ukraine's "offensive potential." Peskov also said that signs of "some final death throes" have appeared in the Kyiv regime, "but this cannot change the course of events." This statement was made after large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks on St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast from late night on the 17th to the early morning of the 18th; the Russian side said it shot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russian forces of attacking residential buildings and striking substations in multiple locations, causing tens of thousands of households to lose power.