Ukraine Drone Strikes Kill 9, Injure Over 80 Across Russia; Wildberries Warehouses Hit

Ukraine conducted a series of drone attacks on Russian territory on July 18, striking key logistics hubs and causing casualties. The most significant impact was felt at two warehouses belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries. In Kotovsk, Tambov region, a drone strike on a Wildberries logistics center killed seven night-shift workers and injured 25 others, according to regional governor Yevgeniy Pervyshov.

Another Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal, east of Moscow, was also targeted. The Moscow region governor, Andrei Vorobyov, reported that 61 people were injured in the Moscow region overall, with one fatality. The attacks extended to Belgorod region, where one person was killed and one injured in a separate drone incident on the afternoon of July 18.

In response, Russia's Defense Ministry stated that its air defense forces intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions across Russia, as well as over Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea during the night. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a Telegram post on July 18 that Ukraine's long-range airstrikes had hit two "important logistics facilities" in the Moscow and Tambov regions. He asserted that these facilities were used by the "aggressor" to supply sanctioned parts for drone and navigation equipment production.

The coordinated drone assaults highlight Ukraine's continued efforts to disrupt Russian logistics and infrastructure. The scale of the attacks, with hundreds of drones reportedly intercepted, underscores the ongoing intensity of the conflict and its reach into Russian territory.

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The aggressor used these facilities to provide sanctioned parts for drone and navigation equipment production.