Ukrainian drone attacks kill 8 and hit oil depot in Russia
A series of long-range Ukrainian drone attacks across multiple Russian regions resulted in eight deaths and damage to energy and logistics infrastructure.
Ukrainian drone attacks kill 8 and hit oil depot in Russia
Overnight Ukrainian drone strikes across multiple Russian regions left eight people dead and more than 60 others wounded on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The attacks targeted logistical centers and energy infrastructure, including two warehouses operated by Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, and an oil depot in the Moscow region.
In the city of Kotovsk, located in the Tambov region roughly 475 kilometres (295 miles) southeast of Moscow, drones struck a Wildberries warehouse. Governor Evgeniy Pervyshov reported that seven people working the night shift died on the spot and 25 others were injured. Pervyshov noted on Telegram that 28 drones were shot down on approach, stating, If they had achieved their goal, the number of civilian casualties could have been much higher
.
A second Wildberries facility was hit in Elektrostal, a city east of Moscow. Governor Andrei Vorobyov initially reported that 24 people were injured there. Later reports indicated a total of 37 people were wounded in the Moscow region, with one of those victims subsequently dying in the hospital. Footage from the Elektrostal facility showed massive plumes of smoke as a fire raged, though Wildberries co-founder and CEO Tatyana Kim stated that the fire in Kotovsk had been extinguished. Kim described the events as a terrible night
for the company and Russia.
The aerial campaign also reached the city of Noginsk in the Moscow region. Governor Vorobyov said falling drone debris ignited a fire at an oil depot, injuring two people. The incident forced the evacuation of a residential building and a nearby maternity hospital. In Elektrostal, debris also struck a kindergarten building and sparked a fire that was later put out.
Further east, in the city of Vladimir—roughly 180 kilometres (over 110 miles) from Moscow—a drone hit a residential building. Governor Alexander Avdeyev confirmed a brief fire occurred but reported no casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes via Telegram, stating that long-range attacks hit an oil facility and two significant logistical facilities in the Moscow and Tambov regions
. According to Zelenskyy, these locations were used to supply sanctioned components for navigation equipment and the production of drones. He also noted that Ukrainian special operations targeted occupied territory and the Sea of Azov.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 379 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the illegally annexed Crimea, and 19 Russian regions.
The strikes occur as the conflict enters its fifth year, with Kyiv continuing an aerial campaign aimed at energy infrastructure and military targets to undermine the Russian war effort.
